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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.
 
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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

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4124 Customer Comments & Reviews

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Brian W
8/25/2016
Spend your money elsewhere. This company will find a way out of covering you. Trust me, I'm dealing with their shadiness now. Do not waste your money!!!

A
Annie A
8/25/2016
I am widowed. I depend on American Home Shield to take care of my home. When I have a problem I call American Home Shield to see if it is covered by them. If it is I completely rely on American Home Shield to assist me with a plan on what to do. The advice of the contractor and his professionalism is of an expert. Together we work on whatever the project is. The man was professional, knowledgeable, confident, and gave definite times and dates. I felt relaxed with him because he had a job and he did it. I thank you American Home Shield for making my life a little easier.

C
Calvin B
8/25/2016
I emailed AHS about 9 am and reported that my home air conditioner had stopped working and I needed some one to look and see what was wrong. About 11.30 a repairman was on sight to evaluate the problem. His evaluation of the air cond. unit WAS ( that the unit was to old and parts were not avalilable to repair the unit ) . This report was called into AHS Office. By 2 PM I received a call from AHS informing me that the air cond. unit was going to Be replaced. The next morning a air cond crew arrived with a new unit to include the conditioners Evaporator in the at tick .

K
Kim H
8/25/2016
Absolutely horrible! Day 7 without a refrigerator! Still not resolved. Absolutely no way to speak to corporate. Confirmed that the 2 contractors stated"working with AHS is horrible".

M
Mike e
8/24/2016
Worst company ever! Do not buy a warranty from these liars! Took my money for 7 years ! 1st problem I had, they couldn't get someone to come out and fix my ac unit when it was 118 in phx. Gave me an auth code to cal another vendor and won't pay me back for the repairs ! Stay away from these crooks!

A
Arin K
8/24/2016
Buyers of new homes be aware of this conniving and thieving company! Their operations and tactics are scumbag like to say the least. I bought a home that included a 1 year warranty with this crooked company (American Home Shield). A few months into being a new home owner I noticed I'm having issues with the motor in my refrigerator. When I went online and opened a service ticket it said there is a $75 service fee. After I called into their customer service line to clear this up, the rep was incredibly rude and not understanding of my situation and complaint. I told him what they're doing there is absolutely disgusting and is blatant theft! Best advice I can give to home sellers is DO NOT... Read More

S
Sandra C
8/24/2016
My last service request was for my garage door. I called it in to Home Shield and Overhead Door responded next day. 2 days later they came for service call. They were very efficient and actually found 2 things wrong and immediately did repair. Very pleased.

P
Phyllis W
8/24/2016
Problem with my washing machine was taken care of timely and the service personl was very helpful and did a very neat and clean job. I was just a little disappointed in that I had to wait so long for the service person to be able to do the job.

J
JERRY C
8/23/2016
had to sue for the coverage ..they played games with submitting claims to their legal department

L
Loren U
8/23/2016
Called to report a problem with washing machine, had a service person at my house two days later. Service person ordered parts and came back and installed them three days later. Everything works great.

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
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