Many or all of the companies featured compensate us. Compensation and research may determine where and how companies appear. Learn more
  1. Home
  2. Home Warranties
  3. American Home Shield Review

American Home Shield Review


ConsumersAdvocate.org Rating: 4.7 / 5 (Excellent)
4,124 Customer Comments & Reviews - see all comments
Our content is free because we may earn a commission when you click or make a purchase using our site. Learn more.
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.
 
See Details
CALL NOW

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
https://www.ahs.com/
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

Our Comments Policy  |  How to Write an Effective Comment

Leave a comment for American Home Shield
Minimum 12 words.
 No maximum length.
* What's Your Rating?
To make this comment as helpful as possible for our community, please provide at least 2 sentences.

4124 Customer Comments & Reviews

Loading Reviews ...
Vickie C
7/10/2017
Service is great, Hard to reach by phone though:(

AHS A  
Official Response

Company Rep of American Home Shield
Thanks Vickie. If you have any issues that we can assist with, send your information to social@ahslink.com, attention, "Consumers Advocate", and we will follow up with you. Thanks
Y
Yhernandez
7/10/2017
45 minutes to an hour wait for someone to pick up the phone. Not to mention, most of your CSR we deal with are rude, careless and do not provide the serviced needed in cases of emergency situations.

A
AHS A  
Official Response

Company Rep of American Home Shield
Hello, We are sorry to hear about this situation regarding your services. This is not the sort of customer service that we want for our customers. If you send your information to social@ahslink.com, attention, "Consumers Advocate", we will follow up with you. Thanks
A
Anita B
7/10/2017
Most of my experiences with AHS have been OK. However I did have an issue with service/customer service on May 17, 2017. I requested service on my refrigerator for the water dispenser. It appeared that some kind of debris was also being dispensed. A Sears rep came out and told me it was a City Public Works problem and to call the city. I did and was told by the City that the debris was plastic particles and unrelated to the City water supply. So I called AHS and was on hold for at least an hour. Tried again later and the same wait time. So I used the online system. A private service repair man came out that day. He took the refrigerator apart and noticed that the reservoir... Read More

A
AHS A  
Official Response

Company Rep of American Home Shield
Anita, I am sorry to hear about this matter. I will look into this situation and follow up with you. Thanks
R
r
7/10/2017
I have only used AHS once but it was an excellent experience. My pool pump burned out and they had someone here the next day. He was very knowledgeable, and professional. He also found leaks. Two days after I notified AHS my pump was replace with a new one with all leaks fixed.

A
AHS A  
Official Response

Company Rep of American Home Shield
We are happy to hear about the great service that you have received. Thanks for the comments.
S
Steven
7/10/2017
Terrible terrible terrible service. Don't spend your time on this. I won't use it any more.

A
AHS A  
Official Response

Company Rep of American Home Shield
Steven, Please send your information to social@ahslink.com, attention, "Consumers Advocate", and we will be in contact with you regarding your concerns. Thanks
L
Lawrence
7/10/2017
I placed a ticket in on July 2, 2017 for my AC. I checked the dashboard for an update an the notes say the Contractor was unable to reach me. I double checked my call log, text messages, and emails, and there were no missed calls, texts, or emails from anyone, let alone a Contractor. I called AHS and after being on hold for over 40 minutes, the call center rep was unable to find a new Contractor with an availability date and ended up having to re-submit my ticket. Still no response. So 10 days after making my call, I have not had any response for a AC in issue in July. That is just inexcusable. I will definitely be exploring my options when my current warranty expires since they... Read More

A
AHS A  
Official Response

Company Rep of American Home Shield
Hello Lawrence, I apologize for the hold time and the issues that you have had regarding your services. If you send you information to social@ahslink.com, attention, "Consumers Advocate", we will follow up with you. Thanks
C
CC J
7/9/2017
Great! On time and took care of home issues😀

A
AHS A  
Official Response

Company Rep of American Home Shield
Thanks CC. We appreciate the feedback.
Lucie L
7/9/2017
I have used my Home Warranty from American home shield twice in the first year and they repaired my items with me only paying my 75.00 co payment. I would love to keep the warranty but I am Not sure at 550.00 if I will be able to.

AHS A  
Official Response

Company Rep of American Home Shield
Hello Lucie, We appreciate the feedback. Please send your information to us at social@ahslink.com, attention, "Consumers Advocate" and we will look into this matter. Thanks
John J
7/9/2017
Worst service in the world. Plan on holding h got over an hour at a minimum anytime you need to talk to anyone. Follow up has been 100 fail. I've had at least 3 people supposedly supervisors promise to call back and never call back. If you need anything g beyond the minimal service they provide your in trouble they will do everything in their power to ignore you frustrate you in the hope you will go away

AHS A  
Official Response

Company Rep of American Home Shield
Hello John, We are sorry to hear about this issue that you are experiencing, and we will be in contact with you to see how we can resolve this matter. Thanks
Bruce G
7/9/2017
Extremely fast service. Professional repair personnel. A/C running great now!

AHS A  
Official Response

Company Rep of American Home Shield
Happy to hear that you are pleased with your services Bruce.
Top Rated
Our Partner
  • 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
READ FULL REVIEW >
CALL NOW
See Details

Related to Home Warranties

Top Articles
Suggested Comparisons