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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

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Garrett M
7/1/2020
Complete crooks. I signed up for them and paid my $100 a month for a year or so. Only used them once. Our electrical box went out so I called them to come replace it. It wast cheap ($3000) to fix but under the contract they are supposed to cover all electrical. They immediately denied it and said there was no structural damage. That is completely not true as it shorted out all the time, the wires and breakers were damaged, and it had become a fire hazard. It seems their policy is to take your money and fix small things but when there is a major issue, they deny it and hope you dont renew. Complete scum!!!!


radikareddy
6/30/2020
AHS response is terrible and you feel frustration. It is the worst company.The AC stopped working some time in April for my rental property. I have contacted AHS and AHS sent United Air Temp technician to fix the issue. Technician mentioned that there was some wire issue and he said it got fixed. After the technician left my tenant called me and mentioned AC issue is not fixed. I called AHS again they sent same company technician again and this time technician added 2 LB Freon liquid and he charged me $280, the issue was not fixed after adding the Freon liquid. I called AHS again, this time they sent a Cool Factory technician. The Cool Factory person mentioned he cannot do anything and... Read More


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Howard J
6/29/2020
I need to understand how a svc contract in May 21, 2020 (5/ 21) is not DONE !!!!!!! I haven't seen any svc per from the RYCO electric co, but your system state that the job is DONE (How) ? I've paid the svc fee , Please don't charge me again (PLEASE)


Debbie C
6/29/2020
Very good Warrenty company Have had almost 30 years,never had a problem they havent fixed


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Kathy R
6/27/2020
I am very pleased with AHS. Within minutes of putting a service request in online, appointments were made.


bevlar.nias
6/27/2020
Good company, always ready to help. Immediate customer service. Great company. Every home owner should have the protection of AHS.


C
C. W
6/26/2020
Great quality repair services provided in a professional, timely and friendly manner. Problem solved. Satisfied customer !


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Oscar Q
6/25/2020
The telephone response time is awful. I called twice to make a service request. I took 48 minutes for an associate to answer the phone. After another 12 minutes I hung up on her because she just did not understand English and would talk over me, not letting me explain my request. Very disappointing and frustrating. I called a second time and again waited for 45 minutes before someone answered the phone. Totally unacceptable and unprofessional . Fortunately, this time the associate was excellent and I was able to proceed with my service request. The contractor provided, Sunbelt Electric was excellent and I would highly recommend them.


Kelly K
6/25/2020
Terrible. Our AC went our June 2. We are in Hawaii and the house is in the 80's. We are both at home as we are in high risk health and can leave this hot house. They sent out when repair guy. Two weeks later they sent out a second company for a second opinion. Then they closed both tickets and we keep waiting on hold to try to talk to someone about our AC that was never fixed.


B
Bari R
6/25/2020
We have been American Home Shield customers since 2014. I have been very disappointed the last several times I have called for repairs. I waited over 40 minutes on hold and then was told my wait time would be at least 45 minutes more. The second time I waited over 30 minutes to speak with customer service. This is not what we are paying for. The provider assigned to repair my ice maker was Sears. They gave me a date (06/10) and a window from 9 to 5. I stayed home and at 4:20 they sent a text saying my appointment was rescheduled for over a week later. (06/18). I called Sears and canceled immediately. Service providers like this are not acceptable.



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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