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Old Republic Home Warranty Review


ConsumersAdvocate.org Rating: 2.2 / 5 (Average)
156 Customer Comments & Reviews - see all comments
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Old Republic Home Protection, formerly called Dependable Home Warranty, was founded in 1974 and became a subsidiary of Old Republic International in 1982. The California-based company has since undergone management changes that have contributed to its growth and expansion beyond California. It is currently considered the third largest home warranty company in the United States.

How is Old Republic rated?

Breakdown

0.0/5
Transparency
3.5/5
Claims Processing
3.5/5
Coverage Options
0.0/5
Additional Benefits
4.0/5
Customer Experience

Overall Rating: 2.2 / 5 (Average)

For 40 years, Old Republic Home Protection has remained among the three largest home warranty companies in the industry, providing comprehensive coverages for homeowners, home buyers, and real estate agents alike. Although their plans offer full protection for most systems and appliances, they can be rather pricey depending on the area of coverage and size of the home. Overall, Old Republic is a reliable option for anyone looking for enhanced protection and round-the-clock claims processing.

Coverage

Key Facts

Plan Types
Combo Plan
Build Your Own
Benefit Limit Type
Per Item
Typical Appliance Benefit Limit
$250
Typical Systems Benefit Limit
$1,000

Coverage Options - 3.5 / 5

Old Republic Home Protection offers three home warranty plans, the Standard Platinum, and Ultimate. The Standard coverage protects all main systems and most appliances, and clients can build on that coverage to customize their plans. The company also offers optional coverage for certain less usual items such as salt water equipment and ornamental fountains. On the downside, Old Republic's typical appliance benefit limit is $250, and their systems limit is $1,000, which is less than what other home warranty providers are currently offering.

What does Old Republic cover?

Covered Built-In Systems

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

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
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Exclusions

For a full list of Old Republic exclusions, check out this page.

Specialty Items

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

Contract & Price

Contract Details

Annual Premium
Starting at $295
Minimum Contract Length
13 month(s)
Online Quote/Application

Contract & Price - 4 / 5

Old Republic plans are on the higher end in terms of price, with annual premiums ranging from $260-$500 depending on the state, size, and condition of the home. Contracts with this company may be cancelled upon mutual agreement, in which case the customer would be entitled to a pro-rata refund of the paid plan fee minus a $50 processing fee and service costs.

Sample Contract

Old Republic provides a sample contract for potential customers on its website: Old Republic Sample Contract

Cancellation Policy

This Plan is non-cancellable, except for 1) nonpayment of fees; 2) fraud or misrepresentation of facts material to the Plan or a request for service thereunder; 3) upon mutual agreement between you and ORHP; or 4) if you harm or threaten the safety or well-being of ORHP, any employee of ORHP, a Service Provider, or any property of ORHP or of the Service Provider. If Plan is cancelled, you shall be entitled to a pro-rata refund of the paid Plan fee for the unexpired term less service cost incurred and a $50 processing fee. If a refund calculation results in you owing us for services rendered, we will bill you the net amount due or the unpaid Plan Contract fee, whichever is less.

Claims & Service

Claims

Maintenance Records Required for Service?
No
24/7 Claims Department?
Waiting Period
30 days

Contractors & Service

Contractor Selection
In-Network Only
Service Recall Period
30 days

Claims Processing - 3.5 / 5

Old Republic charges a different trade call fee, ranging from $55 to $100, depending on the state, size, and condition of the home. They have the standard 30-day waiting period before coverage can begin, a 30-day recall period on labor, and mostly restrict customers to their network of contractors, unless they have been previously authorized by the company. Nevertheless, Old Republic does have a 24/7 claims department, which many customers find convenient and isn't offered by all home warranty companies.

Old Republic Reputation

Company Details

Year Founded
1974
NHSCA Membership
Number of Employees
550
BBB Rating
A+
BBB Positive Reviews
11
BBB Neutral Reviews
3
BBB Negative Reviews
113

Reputation - 5 / 5

Old Republic Home Protection is NHSCA-certified and accredited by the Better Business Bureau. The company holds an A+ rating with the BBB and a composite score of 3.81 out of 5 stars based on 140 reviews. There have been a substantial number of complaints filed against the company, yet they have resolved each issue and seem committed to providing a good customer experience.

Contact & Additional Information

Homepage URL
Company Phone
(800) 445-6999
Mailing Address
P.O. Box 5017, San Ramon, CA, 94583
Year Founded
1974

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156 Customer Comments & Reviews

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M
Mahmoud H
8/19/2019
This company makes you pay a whole lot of money and does not resolve your issues when you need it. Paid a whole lot of money and when I needed repairs, they never resolved the issue. And still they called on the weekend to ask if I want to renew...........SCAMMERS! DO NOT PURCHASE ANYTHING FROM THEM!


myinfo.sheikhuddin
8/16/2019
I was recommended by my realtor that the Old Republic is a good warranty. Guess what, they came out as the worst warranty company I ever used in my life. My HVAC evaporation coil went wrong. One of their department said if the coil is under warranty we will not pay for the coil but we will pay for the labor. When I submitted the charge they even the service is not covered!! Great paid 1500 out of my pocket. Next, it came the freon is low since the system lost freon from the years of service and it needs a refill. They again brought up their not covered protocol saying is one thing in your HVAC system is under warranty, we will not pay for the damage in the other parts of the HVAC system... Read More


J
Joe M
8/8/2019
Terrible communications. Once you are assigned a contractor they will discuss nothing with you. Then they feed incorrect info to the contractor knowing he will ride the heat! All talk, no action!


T
Tim W
8/2/2019
Old Republic sources the cheapest repair contractors that do horrible work. Should be able to leave no stars. Over the past year we have had a handful of issues that need repaired. Most of these have needed the same or different contractors to come out multiple times. The most recent repair took over 2 months to fix a dishwasher and then we find out the first repair company didn't hook it up correctly and water has been leaking, destroying our wood floors. Thank God for USAA homeowner's insurance. Their account receivable department is also horrible. One of the other repairs needed multiple contractors to fix it and we paid the trade fee of $75 to the first, but Old Republic... Read More


dattnina9
7/26/2019
Poor customer service and cheating consumers. Poor representation of what the company actually stands for . Simply taking advantage of the consumers AND making money for themselves.


J
jason
7/23/2019
Wow, what framework does consumer advocate use to rate Old Republic (OR)? The whole model of OR being a gatekeeper to technicians is seriously flawed. It would be much more efficient to contact the technician directly. I called for a work order. I waited for 20 minutes on the phone, then requested a callback. The callback, 1 hour later, disconnected on me. So, I had to call back again and wasted the better part of the day just getting a live operator. They referred to a technician, who called the next day but did not have availability. I had to call OR again and asked them to filter for technicians that had availability that matched mine. They said their system could not do... Read More


anthonyandnoother
7/9/2019
Any time I filed a claim with Old Republic, they said parts, labor, and installation were covered. And every time there was at least a $500 fee for "other." When the technician they sent recommended replacing my whole AC unit, Old Republic would only approve a single part. The technician told me that it probably wouldn't work, but they replaced it and it cost me $500+. It didn't work. Old Republic then agreed to replace the entire unit, but it would cost me another $600. When I complained, Old Republic lied and said they were only doing what the technician recommended and would not budge on the costs. Overpriced services are bad enough. Telling me lies about it is simply reprehensible.


L
Lisa
6/23/2019
Do not use this company!!!!!! They will screw you!!!!! They will send folks out that really don't know how to fix anything and then they will cancel you knowing that that your item will fail. I have just days left with this policy with a very sick mother. When they start this job and if they don't complete it..... I will have a lawyer. I found a way to leave a half star and that is way too much.


Chris B
6/19/2019
Old Republic is a company of weasels looking to get out of covering any issue you report, even if they have to send multiple technicians to find some excuse. We had an issue with our garbage disposal. Old republic sent a plumber and then reported to us that it would be covered. When we tried to schedule a time to make the repair, old republic said we would need to have an electrician make sure the disposal was wired properly. We did that and Old Republic called and said that the disposal was still covered. We tried to contact the original plumber to finally come do the work at long last, but Old Republic called and said they would no longer use that plumber and that we would have to... Read More


Sally B
6/10/2019
I wiah I could give less than one star. My issue was that they sent a plumber to my property to unclog a drain (covered problem) but the plumber was not capable of performing the relatively basic plumbing task. He was at my house for approximately 10 minutes. So I had to call a differnt plumber the following day (not through Old Republic) and pay him to unclog the drain, which he was able to do in less than 15 minutes. Then I get a bill for $100 from Old Republic for the "service call" by the first plumber who couldn't fix my basic plumbing problem. It's pretty much a racket; send a technician out, technician states he's unable to make a basic repair, then charge a $100 service call fee.... Read More



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