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American Home Shield Review


ConsumersAdvocate.org Rating: 4.7 / 5 (Excellent)
4,124 Customer Comments & Reviews - see all comments
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American Home Shield is a Tennessee-based company founded in 1971 to provide coverage on home appliances and systems in the United States through its network of home service professionals.

The company offers service contracts that cover the repair or replacement of major components of home systems and appliances. Customers can also purchase optional coverage for pools and spas, guest houses, home electronic systems, roof leaks, maintenance services, and more.

How is American Home Shield rated?

Breakdown

4.8/5
Transparency
4.8/5
Claims Processing
4.7/5
Coverage Options
4.7/5
Additional Benefits
4.7/5
Customer Experience

Overall Rating: 4.7 / 5 (Excellent)

American Home Shield's coverage is among the most comprehensive we've seen in the industry. The company covers considerably more appliances and systems than its competitors and has fewer coverage limitations.

The company recently updated its plans—they now have three to simplify choosing the right one for your home. American Home Shield focuses on the repairs that offer the most value to consumers, removing items that are inexpensive to replace, increasing its coverage limits on appliances in its most expensive plan to reflect today's higher-priced, "gourmet" appliances, and adding roof leak coverage.

Coverage

Key Facts

Plan Types
Systems
Appliances
Combo Plan
Benefit Limit Type
Per Item
Typical Appliance Benefit Limit
$3,000
Typical Systems Benefit Limit
$0

Coverage Options - 4.7 / 5

American Home Shield offers consumers a choice of three plans, following a good-better-best model. Its ShieldSilver plan warrants systems only, but can be amended with certain add-ons, including pools, electronics, and guest houses. Its ShieldGold plan covers a range of systems and appliances, again with add-on options. Its ShieldPlatinum plan covers everything in the ShieldGold plan, plus roof leaks up to $1500 and some routine maintenance services. These include free HVAC tune-ups, unlimited top ups on your AC refrigerant, coverage for code violations including permits.

All told, American Home Shield covers 23 systems and appliances, considerably more than most of their competitors, and fully covers 11 of those items. There is no limit on the number of claims a customer can file over the year’s contract, either.

What does American Home Shield cover?

Covered Built-In Systems

  • Air Conditioning
  • Heating
  • Electrical
  • Plumbing
  • Water Heater
  • Instant Hot/Cold Water Dispenser
  • Doorbells
  • Ceiling Fans

Covered Appliances

  • Refrigerators
  • Dishwashers
  • Clothes Dryers
  • Clothes Washers
  • Ranges/Ovens/Cooktops
  • Built-in Microwaves
  • Freestanding Ice Makers
  • Built-In Trash Compactors
  • Garage Door Openers
  • Built-in Food Centers

Exclusions

For a full list of American Home Shield exclusions, check out this page.

Specialty Items

  • Guest Unit
  • Pool/Spa
  • Well Pump
  • Septic
  • Roof Leaks

Contract & Price

Contract Details

Annual Premium
Starting at $0
Minimum Contract Length
12 month(s)
Home Inspection Required for Contract?
No
Online Quote/Application

Contract & Price - 5 / 5

American Home Shield has a flexible pricing policy and offers three different coverage plans and two trade service call fee levels: $100 and $125.

This allows consumers to have input into the annual price based on their budgetary needs.

We requested a quote for a single family home under 5,000 square feet located in a medium-sized midwestern city. The minimum annual premium (Shield Silver Plan) was $59.99 per month. The maximum premium (Shield Platinum Plan) was $109.99. So AHS prices are somewhat higher than many competitive plans. Consumers should note that their final price will vary by plan, service call charge selected, and location.

Sample Contract

American Home Shield provides a sample contract for potential customers on its website: American Home Shield Sample Contract

Cancellation Policy

Customers can cancel anytime within their 30 day wait period and receive a full refund, and can cancel anytime during the contract term, as this is a non-binding contract.

Claims & Service

Claims

Service Fee
$100 and $125
Maintenance Records Required for Service?
No
24/7 Claims Department?
Waiting Period
30 days

Contractors & Service

Contractor Selection
In-Network Only
Contractor Network Size
14,000+ contractors
Number of Technicians
45,000 technicians
Service Recall Period
30 days

Claims Processing - 4.8 / 5

Consumers can submit a service request online 24/7/365. American Home Security does not require an inspection prior to purchase.

The company has a large network of service professionals and offers a 30-day workmanship guarantee on their services.

American Home Shield Reputation

Company Details

Year Founded
1971
NHSCA Membership
Number of Customers
1.7 million
Number of Employees
1,700
TrustPilot Rating
2.1 out of 5
BBB Rating
B
BBB Positive Reviews
392
BBB Neutral Reviews
50
BBB Negative Reviews
1,874
Date Collected
2023-07-24

Reputation - 5 / 5

American Home Shield has been in business since 1971, making it the oldest player in the industry. It has over 1.7 million customers.

In 1989, the company was acquired by ServiceMaster, an established firm that also owns Terminix and Merry Maids.

American Home Shield is accredited by the BBB and has a B rating. In this industry, negative customer reviews far outnumber positive ones.

Contact & Additional Information

Homepage URL
Company Phone
(888) 429-8247
Headquarters Address
150 Peabody Place, Memphis, TN, 38103
Mailing Address
P.O. Box 849, Carroll, IA, 51401
Year Founded
1971

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4124 Customer Comments & Reviews

Loading Reviews ...
J
James E
4/3/2018
Most of the repair men are not certified. Often jobs are incomplete or less than expected. Have had to complete some services on my own.


G
gretchen k
4/2/2018
two months and my dryer still doesn't work no customer service


Julie C
4/2/2018
I'm still waiting on my refund. Was originally told they would debit back my credit card. After over a week of waiting, called them, then was told it would be mailed to me, but could take up to 21 days. Today is 21 days, and I still have not received a refund check. Poor customer service!


G
Gracie S
4/1/2018
After our call to you , you eat up an appt with a repair business in turn called us and let us know when he could come. He came fixed the problem and it was done as it should have been so we were pleased


C
Charles S
4/1/2018
Water heater started leaking just before a trip out of town. AHS and the contractor were able to get the water heater replaced in a couple days, before i left.


Barry L
4/1/2018
We had poor service with a previous company and switched to American Home Shield. I was amazed at how terrible the service was when we requested repair of a dishwasher which would not heat. It took three different calls to finally get the problem repaired and it was nearly a month of time that the dishwasher was unusable. The technician was slow to respond, did not appear technically gifted, and American home Shield did nothing to facilitate an expeditious repair. I am not sure the service is worth it.


S
Sunil C
3/31/2018
The worst home Warranty ever. Very rude customer service and completely cheated on the plan. Very very unhappy. Will never ever recommend this Warranty company to anyone else.


Elizabeth C
3/31/2018
Everything about my experience with AHS was great, except for one small detail: they refused to pay for a repair that should have been covered. I purchased a new home with an AHS warranty, only to find that four electrical sockets in one of my bedrooms were not connected to a power source. I contacted AHS and they promptly sent a great electrician to diagnose the problem and fix it. But AHS then claimed that it was not covered because the problem was not a "defect" in an existing system/fixture, but rather it was something that was altogether absent (i.e., the wiring from the sockets to the power source). So because something was missing completely as opposed to being there and not... Read More


Sherri C
3/30/2018
We have had our warranty for two years and now going on three! AHS has been so helpful and really makes our break downs painless! The technicians that have been sent out are so knowledgeable and are able to fix the problems mostly with one visit!


R
Rahul
3/30/2018
Terrible company!!! Unethical practice. Staff wants to take your business by misguiding you. BE CAREFUL!The staff offered discount when I decided not to renew contract. Immediately he offered discount of $50 per property. I renewed them. When I tried for service call, automated answering system reported me that I have a due. I called service department and customer service. It took 4 hours to get hold of a person who said the individual who renewed my contract did not convey right information. Told one thing over phone and did another on my account. This company is not trustworthy. They look for your money and when it comes for service, they send cheap inexperienced handyman to fix.



Top Rated
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  • Plans & pricing to fit every budget
  • No age limit on systems & appliances
  • No inspection or maintenance records required
  • If a covered item can’t be repaired, they replace it
  • 30-day workmanship guarantee