We research all brands listed and may earn a fee from our partners. Research and financial considerations may influence how brands are displayed. Not all brands are included. Learn more

Fidelity National Home Warranty Review


ConsumersAdvocate.org Rating: 2 / 5 (Poor)
144 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.
Fidelity National Home Warranties is a California-based company with over 25 years of experience in the industry.

The company offers a convenient automated repair tracking system and consistent customer support through a team of highly trained local service providers and sales agents.

Fidelity National Home Warranties holds a Better Business Bureau rating of A+.

How is Fidelity National rated?

Breakdown

0.0/5
Transparency
3.5/5
Claims Processing
3.0/5
Coverage Options
0.0/5
Additional Benefits
3.5/5
Customer Experience

Overall Rating: 2 / 5 (Poor)

Fidelity National's prices are inline with industry standards, though their service fees are slightly higher, and its guaranteed response time is a bit longer than that of other companies.

We feel the need to mention that Fidelity National has been the target of a state insurance regulatory action and a class action suit, requiring that customers give up their right to a jury trial in any legal dispute.

Coverage

Key Facts

Plan Types
Combo Plan
Benefit Limit Type
Per Item
Per Term
Typical Systems Benefit Limit
$1,000

Coverage Options - 3 / 5

Fidelity National covers many of the usual systems and appliances, as well as a few specialty items.

However, coverage for refrigerators, washers/dryers, air conditioning units, pool and spa equipment and septic tank leaks and roof leaks are not part of the standard coverage, but must be purchased separately when the contract is signed.

Unlike some other home warranty companies, the company does not cover system or appliance failures due to lack of maintenance.

What does Fidelity National cover?

Covered Built-In Systems

  • Air Conditioning
  • Heating
  • Electrical
  • Plumbing
  • Water Heater
  • Instant Hot/Cold Water Dispenser
  • Central Vacuums
  • Smoke Detectors
  • Doorbells
  • Ceiling Fans
  • Ductwork
  • Sump Pump
  • Telephone Wiring

Covered Appliances

  • Refrigerators
  • Dishwashers
  • Clothes Dryers
  • Clothes Washers
  • Ranges/Ovens/Cooktops
  • Built-in Microwaves
  • Freestanding Ice Makers
  • Built-In Trash Compactors
  • Garage Door Openers
  • Garbage Disposal
  • Stand Alone Freezer
Display Less
1 More

Exclusions

For a full list of Fidelity National exclusions, check out this page.

Specialty Items

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

Contract & Price

Contract Details

Annual Premium
Starting at $350
Minimum Contract Length
12 month(s)
Home Inspection Required for Contract?
Yes
Online Quote/Application

Contract & Price - 3 / 5

Fidelity National's minimum annual premium is $350, but add-ons for common coverages can raise this number considerably.

The contract is non-cancellable

Sample Contract

Fidelity National provides a sample contract for potential customers on its website: Fidelity National Sample Contract

Cancellation Policy

The contract is non-cancelable, except for non-payment of contract fees, fraud or misrepresentation of facts by the customer, or when the contract is for Seller's Coverage and close of sale does not occur.

If the contract is canceled, the customer is entitled to a prorated refund of the paid contract fee for the unexpired term, minus an administrative fee and any service cost incurred by the FNHW. A 10% penalty per month will be added to the refunded purchase price when not paid within 30 days of the date the contract was returned to FNHW.

The contract holder may cancel the contract after the initial 20 days and will be entitled to a prorated refund of the contract fee less a $50.00 administration fee and any service cost incurred by FNHW.

Cancellation requests must be submitted in writing.

Claims & Service

Claims

Waiting Period
30 days

Contractors & Service

Contractor Selection
Any Contractor
Service Recall Period
30 days

Claims Processing - 3.5 / 5

Upon receipt of a warranty claim, the company pledges to contact a qualified subcontractor within three business hours and within 48 hours on weekends or holidays.

Customers must pay a diagnostic fee of $65 on each claim, which must be paid even if the claim is subsequently denied.

Fidelity National Reputation

Company Details

Year Founded
1984
NHSCA Membership
Number of Employees
5001-10000
TrustPilot Rating
6.1 out of 5
BBB Rating
A+
BBB Positive Reviews
4
BBB Neutral Reviews
0
BBB Negative Reviews
97
Date Collected
2017-07-20

Reputation - 4.5 / 5

Fidelity National is accredited by the BBB and has an A+ rating. It has four positive reviews and 112 negative ones and 549 customer complaints.

However, it is not unusual in this industry for companies to have numerous negative customer reviews and complaints.

The company has no presence on Trust Pilot. In 2012, the company settled a claim against it by the Insurance Commissioner of California which alleged that the company had unlawfully paid rebates and offered inducements to real estate brokers.

The company agreed to cease and desist from the allegedly unlawful practices and paid a settlement of $1.25 million and attorneys fees of $175,000, but admitted no wrongdoing.

In 2008, a class action suit was brought in California against Fidelity National which alleged false advertising and insurance bad faith. The case resulted in four separate appeals and was eventually refiled.

Contact & Additional Information

Homepage URL
Company Phone
(800) 862-6837
Headquarters Address
1850 Gateway Blvd, Suite 400, Concord, CA, 94520
Year Founded
1984

Leave a comment for Fidelity National Home Warranty
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.

144 Customer Comments & Reviews

Loading Reviews ...
E
Emre
7/7/2017
The WORST warranty you could possibly find. My AC is not working for a week and they could not find anybody to come out here to fix it. The third party contractor they arranged scheduled to come and check my AC 4 days after I created the request but they never even showed up. When I called the FNHW, they told me to find an outside contractor who could come and fix it. I did what they told me but now they are telling me to pay either $1600 out of pocket or wait another week for them to find someone who "may" come here to fix it. This is totally unacceptable. I have been waiting here in Texas weather with no AC trying to get a service from them.


D
Dick M
7/5/2017
Useless!!! Repeat Fidelity is a scam. A 30-minute delay to speak to someone who is not competent. They have raised the per call charge from $65 to $75. No way to email directly or chat. They threaten to call back if you sendf them a message thru "contact us" but never do so.


A
Abe
6/27/2017
They don't deserve half star. I have waiting for nine days to fix my AC in Phoenix with temperature approaching 118 and I am still getting the same message (waiting to get pricing from the vendor) ! They are horrible. Reached the manager and they are not helping either. I had the worst experience and definitely I am not renewing The contract with this company !


D
Doug S
6/27/2017
This company is the WORST and operate as virtual scam artists. Our AC quit and when we requested a repair were told that their "authorized" contractor would take 5 days before they could come out. It was 110 F out and already over 80 F inside the house. They said we could get outside 3rd party contractors as long as the assessment was less than $100 for the first hour. When we got a contractor on site they only approved 2/3 of the quote because, "We don't pay retail" prices for parts. I asked how much they paid for the parts that the contractor quoted but they had no price list, no previous quotes, nothing. They just arbitrarily pulled a number out of the air and said that was all they... Read More


Joe D
6/20/2017
They hired a horrible mom and pop repair company to fix my AC. They offered a cash out option but it didnt cover the costs of the quotes I received from other AC companies, by in most cases $3000. When I asked to speak with a manager, a person named Monica answered, turns out she isnt a manager. She was rude, ignorant, and constantly spoke over the top of me. I will no longer be their customer in July when my contract come up for renew. I highly recommend going some where else, these guys just dont care.


J
Jessica M
5/31/2017
To start off I can honestly say Iwould not give this company even 1/2 a star!!! Their business practices are unethical. I recently purchased a new home, and had an inspection of the property done of which the air conditioning unit was working. After turning it on on Friday, the AC was not blowing cool air, mind you the heat index was 107 that day here in Texas. So I contacted Fidelity National Home Warrant of which was purchased during the purchase of the home. They told me they would put a rush on the service order and would have someone come to the house that evening or the next day, Saturday being that I have small children in the home. After sweating it out and not hearing from... Read More


Kathy D
5/30/2017
I have had issues with my A/C for over 2 1/2 months now and each time they have sent vendors out that either won't or aren't capable of fixing the problem. This weekend I had to have an emergency company come out as FHW said it would be Tuesday before they could get anyone out (this was on Saturday - have not had A/C since then and in Texas that is unbearable). After 3 hours the tech said what I knew all along that I need a new A/C. I found a very qualified contractor that quoted me almost half off of what the emergency repair company did and they have declined an "outside" contractor to do the work. They would prefer to send one of their own - one that will put a band-aid on the issue... Read More


E
Emily
4/10/2017
I've been a customer with Fidelity for over 10 years. I was told there was a change in ownership around 2015-2016, that would explain a lot, if that's actually the case. Previously I did not have issues. Today -- I believe their male rep was sexist, dismissive and rude to me as a customer and as a woman. Plumbing issue was not resolved, have to pay out of pocket, terrible plumbing co was sent over, they forgot about my appointment. I had to call to remind them an hour after 10am to 12pm window to show up has expired. Plumber -- beyond rude. Fidelity rep-- not polite or helpful. Didn't have issues with Fidelity for years, but not much was broken, so I figured they were fine. Now looking for... Read More


Shan S
1/3/2017
I have been working with Fidelity on the same issue for almost a month now and it is getting ridiculous. The first time we called them, it was to request service for a faulty water heater because the pilot light would not stay lit. After looking at the heater, he concluded that a part needed to be replaced. Here's where it gets confusing. He tells my clients that he'd need to order a new thermocoupler to replace the broken one. When I called the plumbing company the next day, I was told that it was already fixed and that there shouldn't be another problem with it. I was a little confused, but figured the client misunderstood. Fast forward a week -- water heater is broken again.... Read More


M
Michele
12/1/2016
Fidelity is a shady company that sends out substandard companies for repairs. I have had to use their services a few times now, and the last time it ended up in a fiasco. I had a heater replaced through them in February 2016. I discontinued my warranty with Fidelity in July because the work that they do is unprofessional and has resulted in me needing to hire professionals outside of their network to resolve issues. The heater, brand new in February, is already faulty, November 2016. I needed to call out a repairman and the circuit board on the unit is faulty. I approached Fidelity with this issue and they refuse to assist. I called the company, Air Serv, that installed and they said... Read More



Top Rated
Our Partner

🔥 SALE: $150 OFF + 2 Months Free

  • Free Roof Coverage 
  • Multi-year discount available
  • No home inspection required
  • File claims online or by phone