American Home Shield
ConsumerAffairs Accredited Brand24604 American Home Shield Consumer Reviews and Complaints
I filed claims with American Home Shield for my dishwasher and refrigerator. I called in and set up the claims for both appliances. The claims representative that I spoke with was professional, considerate, and she worked on my claims quickly. The contractor was polite, professional, and thorough. But I had a small problem after the service and I have to call American Home Shield eventually about the issue because it has becoming annoying.
The technician repaired the dishwasher and the refrigerator, and he had to replace a panel for both the dishwasher and the ice maker in the refrigerator. After he replaced the panel in the dishwasher, the dishwasher was working. But inside the dishwasher, there’s a little door that I can open and close to put the pod in. It used to be that once I started the process for the dishwasher, this door opened on its own to release the pod. But now, this door sticks all the time and the dishwasher is not opening it. I can open the door manually but it doesn’t pop open anymore when the dishwasher is on. Other than that, however, everything else has been fine.
I submitted a claim online to American Home Shield for the icemaker which wasn't making ice in the refrigerator and dealing with the contactors was a good experience. They had to come back several times to get it to work but they were fine. They've been coming out since November for this issue and put a new one in and it still wasn't working. Then, they took a pump and found out that it was a plug that they forgot to plug in. When they put something back in, it might have knocked it out loose.
My AC wasn’t cooling and I submitted a claim with American Home Shield online. But the first contractors they sent out, I had a pretty poor experience with last year. I was chatting online with an agent and told her that I would rather not have that company back in my house. She said that they usually would not dispatch without legal stuff in our records but since we had been a client for 14 years, she would make this change as an exception this time. Then I told her that I had a better experience with the next company and she dispatched them. And though it wasn’t the same person I had dealt with, I was pleased with the service that resulted. Their contractors are good when they’re good and when they’re bad, they’re awful. And you wait until you’re ready to spend another $75, and hope you get somebody better. But recently, the last several contractors have been really good and I still recommend having American Home Shield.
We've had AHS since February and recently we had a mini refrigerator that wasn’t working. I submitted my claim over the phone. I spoke with a representative who was very friendly. Within a day or so, American Home Shield had somebody scheduled to come out to look at it. We were out of town for a couple of days so it was a week before a contractor came out. They scheduled us right away when we got back and then the contractor had to get a part. That was another week to get the part and come back to fix it. My husband talked to the contractor and he seemed very nice. He was quick with what he needed to get done.
This is my first time being a homeowner, and I'm not inclined to be able to fix plumbing or air-conditioners. And all of my family are in California, so when I moved in here, I looked around at various home warranty providers and decided on American Home Shield and I've been very happy with them. It's very easy to file I claim. I just call them and they normally text me the name of the contractor within the next two hours. A lot of times they may have texted me and I didn't realize it, they would say the name of the contractor and the timeframe that they will come out. They're always very polite and very nice. And everything gets done fairly quickly. It's nice to be able to call American Home Shield and know it's not gonna take six months to get things done. And every time I called, they're very helpful. They're reliable and trustworthy. And I have never ever had any problems with anybody that came to the house. So it's been good.
Good evening Ms. Coffey,
We would like to thank you for the feedback that you have provided us with regarding your overall experience. At American Home Shield we aim to provide you with great customer service and contractors that will serve you in a timely manner. We hope that you continue to have a good experience!
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I did my most recent claim with American Home Shield online for my garbage disposal, and the contractor was very personable. He gave a recommendation before he did the job on what would flow better. He could just replace the actual part that was there but he said that it’s gonna break again so he was able to give us what would actually work better for us. Now, our garbage disposal works great. And I tell everybody all the time to get American Home Shield.
I had an electric cooktop where two of its burners did not work. I submitted the claim to American Home Shield online, and it was very agreeable. The contractor was very good and the timing for him to come out was very reasonable too. We are not getting a repair, but we are taking a cash back and replacing it with a gas cooktop. The decision to replace it was very fair. However, I thought that the cost of the service call was considerably higher than some of the other home warranty companies. Nevertheless, performance-wise, I would recommend AHS.
My AC unit was not working. I normally submit claims with AHS online which is very convenient and helpful because I don’t have to wait a long time to talk to someone. But with my AC, I had to speak with someone because they had sent someone out before, and I had to state the situation where the people didn’t do the work, so they had to take that off of my account in terms of me having to pay for a service call. The AHS rep I spoke to was wonderful and the contractor did a great job repairing my AC. AHS was willing to pay for the services that needed to be done in terms of the repair and services.
On the other hand, sometimes, it seems that some of their clauses don’t allow you to get some of the services that you need to have fixed, especially if you’re a new homeowner. They’re covering certain things such as wiring, but they said they wouldn’t cover wiring, so that was the issue for me that now has to be an out-of-pocket expense. But other than that, I’m satisfied with the service that I’ve been receiving from them.
My friend that told me about AHS. I used it twice within three months which was unusual but I was glad it was there. Most recently, I used it for my dishwasher that was not draining water. The technicians sent got it fixed in a day or two. I filed this claim online through my cellphone, which was much easier than over the phone. A few months prior, the water heater went out so I called them over the phone at that link because I didn’t know how to do it on the cellphone. It was more convenient to do it that way. Both contractors were very good and they called in less than 24 hours. The dishwasher has been working since which is important for my pre-teen daughter, more important to her than to me. People should get AHS.
I had a plumbing issue and it was my first claim with American Home Shield. I did it over the phone and it was easy. The first guy who came to fix it was in a hurry but he didn’t get it done. I had to call AHS back because the same problem was there. The second guy was the one who solved the problem. Everything was good and I'm very satisfied.
We filed a claim with American Home Shield for an appliance rescue. The experience was very nice. The technician had found a little piece of something in the dishwasher. Our problem is all not done but the tech has done everything that he can do.
I have two American Home Shield protection plans, one for my daughter and one for myself, and I have never had a problem with them before. I called them for a heating claim and they sent a person who thought that the ducts were loose in the attic and American Home Shield wasn’t going to pay to have those repaired because it was caused by a pest in the attic. I told them that I didn’t have any pests in the attic because I had had it closed off because of birds. And so they sent another person who determined that it was the protective cover that were damaged and not the ducts. The ducts are metal and they weren’t loose. So, we fixed them. But I’m still having a problem. My electric bill has been over 500 and 400 the month before that, and I'd be consulting another company to see what exactly is wrong.
The stove was over 10 years old and the issue came down to improper wiring. The contractors that American Home Shield sent came out several times and they were great each time. They put hours and hours into it, but they just couldn’t resolve the issue so we ended up getting a new stove. They gave me the choice of either getting one through them of comparable value or x amount of dollars then they’ll reimburse it at one point. I bought it over the weekend.
Doing the claim was no big deal. What was frustrating was I knew that I was gonna be getting a replacement but nobody followed up with me on it. It had been several days, so I called. I literally waited on hold for 45 minutes just till I got through a representative. It was unreasonable. I don’t have that time. I work nights and I work two jobs. We’re all busy. That’s my biggest frustration and my only frustration so far. Once they took my call, they were very helpful, expedited the process, and explained to me exactly what I needed to do. My issues have been resolved. It took a lot of time, but the stove is electronic.
My over-the-stove microwave went out and te serviceman American Home Shield sent out was great. He checked it out and said that there was too much wrong with it for the parts and that they would have to replace it or I could get a new one, take the money and figure it out myself. He said that they would be calling me with all the options, which they did. I went through the process with the warranty and chose a microwave and they were wonderful about that.
Two delivery men came out to put the microwave in. One of them reached up and stepped up on the stepping stool and opened the cabinet. It’s an empty cabinet that is above the microwave. I live in the desert and there was a dead lizard up in the cabinet. He freaked out and went, “Oh my God! There’s a lizard up here!” I asked if it was moving and he said no but he can’t get it out of there and he can’t work up there with it. I picked up a paper towel, got the lizard out of there and then told him to go do it. He was talking to his partner while I did that and he didn’t get back up on the stool.
Then he said that he noticed that my screws are stripped up there. I told him that they are not and that they are tapping screws. They go in and they’re made to do that. He went, “No, they’re stripped. I can’t change the microwave.” I told him he hasn’t even tried and I asked what he was going to do. He said that he can leave the microwave or he can take the microwave and they can send it back out again. I didn’t want them to take the microwave and he said that I can refuse to have somebody put it in and I can have whoever to put it in, but he was not changing out the screws.
I got back up there and took a picture of the screws and sent them to my husband. My husband is an electrician and he said that the screws are not stripped. The tech got on the phone and his manager asked to speak to me. I got on the phone with them and the manager that backed them up was very rude on the phone. The first thing out of his mouth was, “My people don’t work with dead animals.” I told the manager that I didn’t ask the tech to pick up the dead lizard and I took care of it. And that I didn’t understand why he couldn’t change out the screws. The manager said, “My guy knows what he’s doing and he says the screws are stripped.” I told him that what was going on was that his guy got freaked over the lizard and he refused to go back up in the cabinet and do the work. He said, “Well, I don’t believe that. He thinks they’re stripped. I believe they’re stripped.”
Then the manager said that they could send out two other people if I’d like, but they were gonna say the same thing. And I said that I didn’t want their company to come out again. I told him I would call American Home Shield and let them know I wanted another company. He told me I couldn’t say something bad about them and they were doing their job. And I said, “I’m sorry. You’re not doing your job and I am going to tell American Home Shield not to send you again.” And before the tech left, he told me that I didn’t know what I was talking about and that I have never changed appliances myself so I was just badmouthing them to badmouth them. So I went, “Okay. Thanks for not coming back to my house ever again.” And he went, “Whatever.”
A tech from Garrett’s Appliance had come out before and changed the icemaker in the refrigerator and it was a good job. I asked American Home Shield to send Garrett’s Appliance out again which is also local in the area. The tech came out two days later, changed out the microwave right away, and stayed for about 20 minutes. So, I like American Home Shield and they took care of my issue right away. I’ve only used the warranty twice and they have been great on both times. I have also recommended American Home Shield since then.
My air conditioning for the playroom wasn’t working right. I submitted a claim and the first contractor sent by AHS was awful. He gave a few suggestions that AHS didn’t cover and said it would cost me $6,000. I said, “I don’t think that’s what’s wrong” and he said, “Nope, that’s definitely what’s wrong.” They then submitted their own claim for the same thing. I had to resubmit another claim, then another contractor came out and told me the real problem, but they never came back. They forgot to submit the claim for payment to AHS and they forgot they were at my house.
AHS tried to bill me twice and then they realized no one ever came back and that I had never gotten any service for it. I called them about a month after I saw that my claim was closed out with AHS, and I said it wasn’t closed and they said they would take care of it. The problem has been going on since January but the contractors are gonna come back on the 24th. Other than that, I’ve called AHS for other stuff and they were fine.
I put in claims over the phone for American Home Shield as I usually prefer to talk to someone. When I submitted the claim for the spa, the process was easy and it took a few minutes. I prefer Pool Buddy for my spa and pool stuff, so I requested them a couple of times. There was a time a different company was sent and they weren't aware of what had already been taking place so I had to explain it to them. I wasn't happy with their service, not because they were bad but I just know that Pool Buddy knows my system.
I've had Pool Buddy out quite a few times for the spa and each time, the issue was something different. It had been leaking and then the whole spa went completely dead. A tech came out and the leak wasn’t actually fixed like it should have been. Then they found out it was leaking from another part, so I had to have them fix that too. While fixing the first leak, they realized that it was another piece that they would have to order for the other leak. So, I had to do another request to American Home Shield for that. Now, everything seems to be working well.
Every time I work with American Home Shield, it's fantastic. I've had so many issues with my new home and they have been great with getting people out here to fix things. It seems the vendors call quickly after I put in the request, which is nice. I had problems with the dishwasher, and also with the pool and spa a few times. And American Home Shield also sent someone out for the electrical. But it happened to be something that was SRP, so I had to call the electrical company and they fixed it. Having American Home Shield is the best thing I've ever done and I'm gonna renew every single year.
Something major on our air conditioner was broken. My husband submitted the claim with American Home Shield, and the repair would cost so much, so the outside and the inside units needed to be replaced and we had to buy some of it. The new air conditioning unit is good, but it's not as good as the one we had. We also had to have the ovens and the dishwasher replaced, and we had to pay a whole lot more to replace what we actually lost.
But we’ve always had good luck with the contractors. Sometimes when the air conditioner is broken and we have no air, if American Home Shield calls out one company and that company tells us they can’t get here for five days, then we call back and they give us another one. American Home Shield handles it pretty well and we have recommend them. People have heard some really bad things about home warranty companies but we've had American Home Shield for years and it's always been really good even though we pay about $1000. But the cost that we save is well worth it.
Our air conditioner was out and my son told me that if I had taken American Home Shield out, they would have helped me with that. He had it but I hadn't thought about it and so, I thought I’ll just call and get it, and I did. So far, I’ve never called for anything that they haven’t covered. My doorbell broke and I called them to submit the claim and it was very nice speaking with the rep. I know what’s covered and I just tell them what it is and then they’ll assign whoever to it. And then, within a couple of days, they were out here fixing it. Normally, the company that American Home Shield turns it over to contacts me but they didn’t this time. They have contacted the company and I called and set it up. I have no complaints about it and I’ve never had a problem with them. They’ve been excellent in the repairs and they fixed whatever they had come out to fix.
There was one contractor who came out and he was pushing that something would not be covered but we need to do things and I told him no. It was just too shady and I didn’t care for that one. He had a young girl with him and she was doing the writing and I did not feel comfortable. But any other time, AHS has been Johnny-on-the-spot.
I always get good service from American Home Shield and I've been with them for over eight years. I had an electrical issue and it was my microwave and my ceiling light. I always call in my claims to AHS and it's easier if you deal with a human. The rep was very pleasant as always. They had to send out two contractors because one thing seemed to be a little bit different from the second. Both guys were really good. The first guy fixed all of the electrical issues and did it quickly. He was in and out in 25 minutes. He had to come back the next day with the parts and that time he was in and out in 5. He was very polite and very clean. But he had to call in for the microwave. We thought it was a breaker thing but there was something wrong with the microwave so they had to send out an appliance guy.
While the appliance guy was fixing the microwave, he broke the bulb, which could happen anytime. He fixed the microwave and then came back with the bulb two days later. He was in and out in about 15 minutes. However, we had to warn AHS about the people they send out. For a while, they were sending out this one company and there were a bunch of trickers that worked there. But I called AHS and they dropped that company right away and I never saw them again. Other than that, I recommend the warranty to everybody who gets a new or used home. And half of my friends have them.
My dishwasher wasn’t taking the water out of the dishwasher so I called American Home Shield. That was my first time dealing with them because I just bought a home and moved into it. Someone replaced the garbage disposal and poked a hole through the thing so it can get all the water out of the dishwasher into the garbage disposal. A super friendly technician came out and the dishwasher has been perfect since the repair. I would recommend AHS.
The garage door opener was getting stuck. It would go up a little bit and then it wouldn’t come down and wouldn’t go up so AHS replaced it. I submitted the claim over the phone and it went really well. I got good responses and got emails right back. I didn’t really think the first contractor was fair but the second one that AHS sent out for a second opinion was very honest and accurate. The garage door now opens and closes like it was before. I would recommend AHS to anybody. They stood up to their word, were very professional, reliable, and responsible.
My husband filed a claim at American Home Shield because the toilets were gurgling and when we would flush, it would come back up. Usually, the septic tank alarm goes off and lets us know that it has reached its point where it needs to be emptied but it didn't. It turned out a piece was broken. We weren't sure how long it would take for someone to contact us so I called AHS to make it more urgent because my husband had an event for his work at our home. We couldn't have guests with my toilet overflowing. So I told AHS the day of the event and that we needed to get the repair done ASAP. It was morning when I called and by evening, AHS called us back and told us that they had someone in the area to come and check the issue out.
The contractor they sent was great, helpful and patient. They explained everything and let us know that there was a piece that was missing and that they would have to come back since they didn't have it with them. The next day, I had to call and remind them that it was urgent and that we needed someone right away. But since the repair, we haven't had any issues with the toilets.
The plug in the wall was out and we couldn't figure out what it was. I called American Home Shield to submit the claim and the representative was fine and real nice. The electrician came down and plugged the washer in the garage on the same circuit in the house that was in between the wall. It was so fast and he fixed it. Another time, I called them back for hot water. When we got the refrigerator and they put in the ice maker, and then it got crossed to something, we weren't able to get hot water. When we moved here, we had hot water, then all of a sudden, we didn't have. The contractor that came out couldn't get it and said that he had to run a whole new line, and I couldn't figure out why it had to be like that. But the contractor was nice and I'd recommend AHS. Everything we called them about, they've made an appointment and did it. The contractors also came on the time that they were supposed to.
Hi Lawrence,
I would like to thank you for the feedback you have provided to us on behalf of your recent experience with American Home Shield. I am pleased to hear about the electrician to completed the repairs. It is our goal to provide you with the best customer service representatives and contractors to fulfill your experience.
My son had American Home Shield in South Carolina and he suggested AHS to me because I’m by my 70’s and I don’t know anything on what to do. The most recent claim I filed was when the washer was not washing the clothes properly. The water was there but would not turn the cycles. The process took a long time because it was given to Sears who came and looked at it. Then they said that we have to order some parts. However, the tech didn’t tell me that the parts will arrive at my place and that was a bit of a surprise. I don’t live there continuously because I lost my wife last year and my family said that I shouldn't live alone here. So I live either with my daughter or with my son.
The tech came again and my son was there. But my son was not much concerned about what’s happening. The tech said that the job was done and that it was fine so both of them left. But then, I came back and I tried to run a small load and it still was not spinning. I again called American Home Shield and they called the Sears people. Another person came and at that time, I was home. The previous tech did not notice that the bell in the machine wasn’t balanced but the second tech pointed it out. Then he said, “You have to help me lift it.” I said I could move it but not lift it. He asked for some gummy seals and we had some leftover from some work so I gave him that. He then put some wooden pieces which I only have to push with a rod.
Since then, the washer has been working well although it’s not being used occasionally, I go if I have something to do. But I tried to use it when I was there for about four days and my looked fine. Overall, my experience with AHS was wonderful. I had been with them for five years now and the only thing I would recommend is that they should give some more credit for senior people because it is $75 to $80 which looks quite high.
My older refrigerator died a month and a half ago. Allstate Appliance, the contractor AHS sent, was very excellent and I was very pleased with them. They’ve worked on our appliances before so we’ve tried to use them again. The refrigerator was un-repairable though, so the repair person recommended to get another one. We got to look at other refrigerators and my husband picked one out. It was a bit hard with the people that delivered it because at first, they didn’t wanna take my old one, but we asked as far as one was delivered, one would be picked up. Nevertheless, the new unit is working well.
We are pleased with American Home Shield. We have it for two locations and we haven't had to use it a lot but when we did, we were satisfied. Plus, the contractors are professional. In a recent experience, we have a contract with the air conditioning company that American Home Shield uses and so when they were doing the inspection, they found the capacitor was bad. They contacted American Home Shield and replaced it. I had called ahead of time to American Home Shield to get the name of who they use because we live in Arizona and it's really important that the problem is fixed quickly. As it turned out, there was a problem. I submitted the claim over the phone and it went fine. Now, my air conditioner is working.
Our house is only a little over a year old but I started hearing problems with refrigerators and air conditioners. We live in Florida now so a lot of things aren’t made as well as they used to be because of all of the computer components. I’ve heard the air conditioners don’t last as long here as they would up north so we opt to go ahead and put a warranty on our house. I was a licensed realtor in Ohio from ’84 to 2005 and when I moved to Texas, I was licensed there for five years. As a realtor, I’m very familiar with American Home Shield.
I used American Home Shield for a lot of issues over one company I was with that had their own home protection. They didn’t like it but I was an independent contractor. I really like American Home Shield and I never had any problems. When a water line on our refrigerator wasn’t releasing any water, I called them to submit a claim. The interaction I had with their claims rep was excellent. The technician that came out put a small heater on it and it's working great now.
I've used American Home Shield for four times now and never had an issue at all except for the hold time when calling. Talking to a representative was almost impossible. The last time I called was an hour and 40 minutes on hold. It was a bit long and awful. If I go online, it only takes about three minutes, so the online process was very easy. I had a claim for the A/C that was not blowing cold. The contractor who came out was great and wonderful. Everything is working now.
My water heater was not working and this was my second call with American Home Shield for the same problem. But their agent was concise and to the point. She was professional and pleasant at the same time. The contractor that AHS sent had a trainee with him and handled all of that very well. The trainee paid very good attention to what was going on and at times, did some of the work on it which was pretty cool. Also, I wanted to know what the technician was doing and he shared that information. I was very satisfied with him.
But the technician had to call American Home Shield for a part, which was an unusual part and proprietary. I then had to reschedule him to come back. When that new part was made, he came back and that part was not the correct part. So, we had to order the part directly from the manufacturer which took a while to get as well. Then I had to schedule the appointment and finally, the water heater worked without any problem. It was very frustrating as it took about three weeks for it to be done and I had to go over to my mom’s house, so it was not pleasant. When it becomes more expensive to repair something, AHS doesn’t replace it until it finally breaks. But American Home Shield was very quick to respond and in this case, they sent out a qualified person who knew what he was doing.
Hello, Audrey. I apologize that you had to deal with the back and forth of parts being ordered before the repairs were complete. Glad to know the issue was resolved for you and thank you for your patience with us.
I'm very happy with American Home Shield. I've been with them since 2002 and they've always been on time and did their job. We had a problem with our refrigerator and it needed a motor because the freezer wouldn’t stay cold. I called to put in the claim and it was a very easy process. Then, the contractor who came was mild-mannered and very respectful. He replaced the fan and the unit is now working well. My experience with AHS has been wonderful and very professional.
Good evening Terry,
I would like to thank you for over 16 years of patronage to American Home Shield. I am glad to hear about your experience to have your refrigerator repaired and I hope that you continue to enjoy us as your home warranty provider.
American Home Shield expert review by Michele Lerner
American Home Shield (AHS) was founded in 1971 and is part of the ServiceMaster family of companies. AHS provides warranty coverage to 1.7 million customers across the United States, and the company has paid out $2 billion in home warranty claims since 2013. The company offers customizable plans to meet most consumers’ needs and budgets.
High coverage limits: AHS covers up to $3000 in repair or replacement costs for many covered appliances and the company will spend up to $250 to obtain needed permits or to correct code violations.
Choice of plans: Customers can choose to cover just their systems or appliances or save money with a combination policy; completely customized warranty programs are also available.
Accessibility: Customers can call for service 24 hours a day, seven days a week; service requests are typically filled within 48 hours.
Service fees: Consumers choose between policies with a $75, $100 or $125 service fee. Warranties with lower service fees will have higher premiums, so customers can select the plan that works best for their budget.
Service providers: AHS works with over 14,000 local contractors to make service repairs. The company monitors consumers’ reviews of contractors to ensure AHS warranty holders only work with qualified service providers.
Best for: home sellers, first-time homebuyers, owners of older homes and real estate agents.
Mortgage & Real Estate Contributing Editor
Michele Lerner, author of “HOMEBUYING: Tough Times, First Time, Any Time”, has been writing about personal finance and real estate for more than two decades. Michele writes for regional, national and international publications in print and online for a variety of audiences including consumers, real estate investors, business owners and real estate professionals.
