American Home Shield was the first company to offer home warranties and after nearly 50 years in business, they have grown their customer base to over 1.8 million home-owners.
And here's the thing:
Whether you need a repair or replacement for an appliance or system, American Home Shield’s network of over 15,000 contractors is at your service.
Our American Home Shield Reviews:
American Home Shield was the first company to offer home warranties and after nearly 50 years in business, they have grown their customer base to over 1.8 million homeowners.
No company is perfect, however, which is why we put together this honest and unbiased American Home Shield Review.
Your home is your largest investment, and you deserve to work with a company that’s going to help you protect it. We’ll give you an inside view into what American Home Shield does well and where they can stand to improve.
Who Is American Home Shield?
American Home Shield was founded in 1971.
They quickly recognized that even though buying a home is a major stepping stone to achieving the American dream, it can also be scary.
Gone are the days of calling a landlord when something breaks and having it fixed for free.
Instead, new homeowners are often surprised when an appliance or system fails them.
Now, almost 50 years later, several competitors have entered the home warranty space, but American Home Shield is still the largest.
In addition to their 1.8 million customers, they also boast a $2 billion payout over the past five years.
This indicates that they don’t shy away from honoring and processing claims.
What Makes American Home Shield Different?
One of the biggest standout differences is that American Home Shield covers damages due to neglect and disrepair. Most other home warranty companies do not offer this level of comprehensive coverage.
Further, homeowners aren’t expected to present maintenance records to be eligible for service. This is important for customers who aren’t the original homeowner and might not have paperwork.
In addition to having generous coverage policies, American Home Shield also provides a $3,000 max payout for appliances. This amount is one of the highest in the industry.
American Home Shield (AHS) Pros & Cons
Below is a list of some pros and cons of AHS:
AHS Review - The Pros
AHS Warranty Review - The Cons
It's easy to see, the Pros heavily outweigh the Cons and honestly, isn't that what you want in a home warranty company? With a ton of different policy options, American Home Shield makes getting covered online very fast and very easy.
THE SIMPLY INSURANCE WAY
Home Warranties made easy.
Agents not required.
Get quotes and sign up online without talking to an agent. But, we are here if you need us.
Unbiased, expert advice.
Get unbiased insurance education from licensed experts and also avoid dodgy sales calls.
Coverage in minutes.
You can get a home warranty within minutes of getting your quotes and applying online.
What Does American Home Shield Cover?
Due to American Home Shield’s longevity in the home warranty space they’ve figured out a thing or two. They know how to provide the features that customers want without wasting resources on things that don’t matter.
These are the features that set AHS apart from the rest:
American Home Shield Warranty Availability
American Home Shield is available to homeowners in 49 out of 50 states. The only state where you can’t purchase a warranty is Alaska.
If you fall into one of these three categories, you may want to consider getting a home warranty policy with American Home Shield:
Homeowners
Many homeowners, especially first-time buyers, are surprised to learn that their insurance doesn’t cover as much as they thought. Appliances and systems are often included in the insurance exclusion list, which can be an unpleasant financial surprise.
Homebuyers
While a new home can be a dream come true, it could be a ticking time bomb. A home inspection might not detect aging appliances that are about to fail or systems that are on the fritz. These problems can be catastrophic to a cash-strapped new homeowner.
Home sellers
When you sell your home, an inspection can uncover a variety of problems that are a financial burden to fix. American Home Shield offers up to $2,000 for covered systems during the listing period.
INSURANCE WHERE YOU LIVE
Home warranties by state.
The average cost of a home warranty plan is between $25–$50 a month, or $300–$600 annually. However, with First American, if you go with the monthly price it includes a $3.00 type of service fee that isn't included if you pay annual. This means the annual payment will save you $36 per year on your plan.
American Home Shield Claims & Process Guarantee
You can purchase a home warranty online without any inspections, and you have 30 days from the day you sign your contract to cancel.
If you cancel within 30 days, you’ll get a refund. If you’ve already been a customer for 30 days, you can cancel at any time and get a partial refund prorated for the month.
The claims process is also relatively straightforward. As a customer, you can request service either online or by telephone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
From there, AHS will put you in touch with a contractor that will schedule an appointment with you.
One caveat: If your appliance or system is replaced, it is guaranteed to have the same features but might not be the same model or quality.
For example, a homeowner with a top-of-the-line stainless steel refrigerator that needs to be replaced might end up with a cheaper brand that looks entirely different than their original.
Further, many customers have noted that American Home Shield can be reluctant to replace an appliance or system. Instead, they may only authorize repairs even though an item is at its end of life.
On a positive, all workmanship is guaranteed for 30 days. If you’re unsatisfied for any reason, AHS will send a technician to your home for free.
And finally, it’s important to note that AHS does not pay for cosmetic damage that doesn’t affect the function, like a missing knob or hand, chips, dents, etc. This exclusion is fairly standard but worth noting.
THE SIMPLY INSURANCE WAY
Home Warranties made easy.
Agents not required.
Get quotes and sign up online without talking to an agent. But, we are here if you need us.
Unbiased, expert advice.
Get unbiased insurance education from licensed experts and also avoid dodgy sales calls.
Coverage in minutes.
You can get a home warranty within minutes of getting your quotes and applying online.
Let’s Address Their Reviews
Before we conclude this review, we do need to address some of the negative reviews that American Home Shield has gotten from customers.
These negative reviews come with the territory, unfortunately, when you’re working with a warranty company.
After taking an in-depth look at the reviews, we discovered the following:
The bulk of the negative comments were due to long wait times. The cause of the longer-than-expected wait times has to do with communication lag times between homeowners, AHS, and the contractors.
Many reviewers that expressed discontent did not thoroughly read their contract, so they didn’t have proper expectations. AHS does post a sample contract online, which anyone can view.
Before you sign a real contract, make sure you read it thoroughly.
The American Home Shield contractor reviews weren’t exactly stellar. Though you don’t usually have a choice of contractor, but you can request to work with someone you prefer or ask to work with someone other than their default choice.
For each negative review, we’ve noticed that a representative from American Home Shield personally reaches out to the customer, actively working to solve their problem.
This level of responsiveness is impressive.
How To Get A Home Warranty From AHS?
No other American Home Shield Reviews are as detailed as mine; however, I wanted to make sure that I gave you as much detail as possible.
American Home Shield has been around the longest for a reason – they fulfill on their promises. If you’re looking for a reputable company that you can trust, look no further.
There is no need to wait, just click here to see how much your home warranty coverage will cost with American Home Shield.