American Home Shield Reviews

I called American Home Shield back to say that a hole was forming in it again and they said they would need to send someone back out. When the technician came, I told her she had been out before and had fixed my dryer previously. She looked at the same area again but didn’t explain what was wrong with it. She just said I would get a call back. When asked what was causing the issue, she repeated that I would get a call and then walked out. No follow-up was ever received after that. I called American Shield and told them I want to know what's going on with my dryer. Somebody got to fix it. They said my claim was denied because I abused the dryer. I have had it for 14 years so I asked what caused it to happen.

American Home Shield sent another company out and the technician said that because of the way my dryer was, it hits against the washing machine. So, I didn't have space between it. Even though the first technician replaced it, she didn't tell me that I needed to have space between it. The problem is, when she replaced it, it already had the damage on the wheels that were never aligned back. So, whenever she replaced the drum, it just went back onto the same cycle. The wheels and the belt weren't replaced. I also found out that the vent needed to be vacuumed out, and it was why I wasn't getting any heat. So, multiple things were going on with the dryer, but I wasn't told until the second company came out and explained that there was nothing that I was going to be able to do with this dryer now because it had run its course. It's old, and it's going to break eventually.

The second company was more straightforward. They explained that repairing it wouldn’t be worth it because it would likely break again, and it needed to be replaced rather than patched up. But it’s a washing machine and dryer set so I didn’t want to replace the dryer. They said I’m going to keep having the same problem. They gave an estimate for what the dryer was going to need to be replaced. They told me it was going to take time for these parts to come in, but there was no guarantee that once we replace them, it's not going to happen again because of the age and because of the damage that's already been done.

If the first technician had told me that, I would not have been going through this. Instead, she only took the dryer drum out during the first visit and didn’t say anything else. I gave it the benefit of the doubt and reduced the load size and temperature, but it still wasn’t working properly. I started making the load lighter because maybe I was putting too many clothes in the dryer. But my husband said we weren’t overloading it, since the dryer says it can handle up to about 10 towels at a time. So it didn’t make sense. It just kept breaking, and something inside was clearly worn out from age. It wasn’t heating, so even small loads like three or four t-shirts weren’t drying and I had to run it multiple times. It just kept running without drying anything, and I was wasting electricity.

When I asked for the reason why the claim was denied, I was told it was due to abuse and that I was supposedly putting sneakers in the dryer. I explained that I don’t put shoes in the washer or dryer at all. I clean those by hand. I was pissed off and I called American Home Shield to ask if there was anything else that could be done because I wasn’t sure what else to do. I shouldn’t have to go to a laundromat since this is exactly what I’m paying the service for. I was livid but I had to remember that American Home Shield is just licensing people out to contract these jobs. So, my being frustrated with them wasn't the problem. It was the original people I was supposed to be frustrated with.

American Home Shield sent me a quote of how much my refund would be if I wanted to get the dryer repaired, or if I just wanted to get a cash out. So, I said I would do the cash out because I took the advice of the people who told me to just replace it. American Home Shield told me how much it was going to be and I found an appliance store that had a dryer that was comparable to the dryer that I had. It had a scratch on it, but it was brand new, and I got it at a discount. I had a one-year warranty on a new dryer, and I still get the warranty with American Home Shield. Plus, I was able to put the dryer on my current pedestal. I’d recommend American Home Shield to anybody. They stand by their customers. But they have to be wary of the contractors. The money that American Home Shield gets from me monthly cannot equate to what I went through. The $25 I give them every month covers all of my appliances.

At 5:00 in the morning, I went back into the system and selected the earliest possible appointment again, which was that day. It didn't give the computer enough time to reset, figure out and postpone it again. So, the guy showed up. He said the part wasn’t necessary and he was able to clean out the existing pump mechanism. The washing machine has worked happily ever after. That first service call was by a guy who was not competent enough. Because if the second guy had come the first time, I never would have had to put up with all that hassle and delay.

I don't wanna do without American Home Shield but I've had other frustrations. I had a toilet that was smelling and I couldn't figure out how to get rid of the smell. So, I reached out and said I need a service call for the toilet. And they said okay and took their $100 fee. But when the plumber arrived, he said they don't do smells. It was the first time I heard about it. If there's something having to do with the toilet that they don't do, then they should say they do everything except smells. I went back to American Home Shield and told them I wanted my $100 back. They said no to that and that it wasn’t their fault that the contractor doesn’t do smells. I understand that things happen. Nothing is perfect. But I was shocked that they would not give the $100 back.

I've recommended AHS to neighbors and family members. And we have a condo at the beach that’s old enough now and I'm considering signing it up. Plus, when my son moved into a townhouse in Gaithersburg, which is a town near where I live, as a housewarming gift, we gave him a year's worth of the warranty with AHS for his benefit. So, I appreciate the service. Most of the technicians who come are excellent and courteous too. They tell me what they're doing. It would be nice if they would give me the same contractor.

Recently, I had a plumbing problem under the kitchen sink and historically, AHS always sent United Air Temp. They were spot-on. But this time, when I had a leak under the kitchen sink, they assigned me to this other company. On the day that he was supposed to come, I got a call from the company saying the technician called in sick. I asked if they only got one guy and they said they only have one who comes to my area. They called me the next day and said the technician had to go to the hospital and so I asked to be released from them so I could get someone in here.

Finally, that guy came the following Monday. He was excellent, so I don't hold it against him personally. But if you don't get prompt servicing, then American Home Shield should have a mechanism to notice that or have me let them know. It might be good for them to send out a message to me within a certain amount of time, such as 48 hours, and ask about the status. AHS is a needed and wanted service. It’s generally well executed with some flaws that could be improved. But I'm not dumping them. Also, when we started with them, the monthly fee was less than $100. It's now $159 a month. And that rankles a little bit.

AHS handled things quickly and efficiently. The technicians they sent have resolved the situation. I would have every intention of renewing with AHS. I've already recommended them to a couple of other people because I've been positively impressed. I told them, "These guys are very legit. They've done everything they've said." I have always shied away from these kinds of home repair warranties because I always felt they were unlikely to be legit or serviceable. But my experience with AHS has been very good. If I never have another claim with them, I would still be happy with the service I've received so far and the peace of mind and saying, "If something goes wrong with one of the sort of infrastructures in the house, I know I have somebody I feel pretty good about relying on.” I've been turned into a non-skeptic.

The last claim, our washing machine stopped. It didn't stop working, but it banged around and made a lot of bad noises. There was something wrong. I went on to American Home Shield's app and I filled in relevant lines. It said, “Do you want to report or make a claim?” I said, “Yes.” It showed of a menu of the things that they cover. I checked an appliance, and from there, it gave me a menu of what was the appliance in question. They said, "Okay. A technician will be in touch with you in the next 24 to 48 hours." The following day, I got called by a local appliance repair company, and they made an appointment to come the following day and look at it.

The tech had to call us back and reschedule because another call he was on was running late, which is understandable. Things happen. But he came when he said he would come for the rescheduled appointment. He immediately went to the machine, looked at it, and judged the issue within minutes. He realized the gravity of the problem. He said, "If I try to repair this thing, it's probably going to cost $900 to $1,000 and you could probably replace it for around $700. So, I have to condemn the machine, because it's not worth the price of repair." I said, "Okay. Whatever is the appropriate thing." He said, "We'll let American Home Shield know." They did it that day, because I heard from AHS by the end of the day. They gave me my options, which included ordering another machine through them or a Lowe's gift card or just a refund of the value that they assessed the machine to be.

The problem with ordering a new machine through them was it would take a week and a half to get the machine. We have four people living in the house. That wasn't practical for us. So, we just took the money, which I was a little skeptical about because I thought, "We go out and buy a machine, how do we know we're going to get the money?" But we did go out and bought another machine, and it was delivered within a day. A day after that, we got the money that AHS deposited it into our checking account for what they claimed as the value of the machine. The machine we bought wasn't the same amount, but I was very pleased. We had to pay a little over $800 for the machine with the delivery. They gave us $791. It was seamless and quick. It paid for our membership. Sign up for AHS. If you have concerns about the longevity or the state of repair of your home's various systems, AHS seems like a good plan.

I moved away from American Home Shield briefly, and I went to HSA, which is an AHS back company. I have different vendors from straight up going through AHS. Maybe the same company, but I get a different set of vendors, and that makes all the difference. It's cheaper, and I get to get my systems fixed. The garbage disposal with the sink needed to be changed. The tech came out and looked at it. He had to order a part. He came back and did something. It wasn't quite fixed, so I had asked for them to come back out. They closed out the order and said that they came back out, and that I wasn't home. That was a lie because I worked from home. I'm home all day. I have cameras all around my house. I had to reopen the claim. That took a month of me going back and forth, and still not able to use my part.

This year, I had to get that same garbage disposal part that was supposed to have been fixed with AHS. I did it through HSA, but when I moved over to HSA, they had better vendors. I use the same vendors, but I never had the same vendors that AHS would send out that I had with HSA. And there are some subtle differences.

AHS outright kept increasing the deductible. Based on the poor merchants, it wasn't worth my payment. I will pay for service and quality all day long, but the waits were too long. It only happened at the end of the year. My theory is it grew so much in popularity that it made it hard to handle the workload. But with HSA, it's a cheaper price per month. I get a military discount. I don't care about the deductible because I seem to have good vendors. Even with the open claim, I've never had a bad report about a vendor. They come out, something else happens, or they have to come back out, but they kept in touch. They called and showed up on time. They were always nice and courteous. They took time to explain what's going on.

Going through HSA is much simpler, and maybe it's the different pool of vendors that service that side. Also, I like the fact that with HSA if I have three plumbing issues, if I put them in one claim, I pay one $100. With AHS, it will be $300. If a plumber was out here and he checked a leak, a toilet, handle or something, and maybe one other thing, it's just one $100. With AHS, I gotta pay $100 for the toilet, $100 for the leak, and $100 for the sink. I don't like the individual deductible per item. But with a good vendor, I could have dealt with it. If somebody fixed it right, hopefully, they didn't have to come back. I love the fact that if the repair is in the same system, I just pay one fee on the HSA side.

Within the contract itself, AHS had a limit on Freon. After that limit was reached, I had to pay out of pocket. For HSA, I don't. I pay the $100 deductible, and if it needs 300 pounds Freon, they take care of it. There's no limit. I always get the upgrade. Recently, I had an issue with both of my units, and I tried to put in the claim, and I didn't see them located on the online. The vendor said, "AHS said that they gave you a payout, and you didn't get something fixed." I said, "I absolutely got something fixed because I paid an additional $4000." It was a cut off, so I took the money, got what they told me to fix, plus some additional upgrades for the code, and I had to pay the difference with the Freon. I got wet switches put on the unit. I kept having problems with the same unit. When I had AHS, the vendors seemed weren't doing what they're supposed to do.

I added lightning protection on the outside. I paid 4 grand out of pocket. AHS tried to say, "You didn't fix it, so therefore, what you're trying to fix is not covered." I said, "That's absolutely a lie. And see, this is what I mean." I sent that paperwork in, and I still had to call in the claim to put it out there. It was, "She did get that done." I was able to get both units serviced.

Recently the garage door wouldn't open. There was a disconnect between the button on the wall and the sensor. The tech changed out something with the wiring and the thing that goes all the way down. He made everything communicate and talk. He was amazing. He even tightened up the other ones on the other side.

On a second occasion, miscommunications arose when I rescheduled a repair. Despite personally contacting the same technician, the system hindered the reconciliation process, leading to delays as personnel needed time to adjust shifts and routes. Unfortunately, this caused drawn-out delays and created the need for additional calls.

I have a refrigerator that’s dying. The freezer part leaks into the refrigerator part. I keep a large bowl and a small bowl inside to catch the water. I don’t have a packed refrigerator since I’m just one person, but the first time it happened it soaked everything, and I had no idea what was going on until I figured out where the leak was coming from. After that, I called American Home Shield. A young technician came out, and he was great. He unpacked my freezer, took a picture, and packed it back up. He said there was some tubing that he cleared out and told me it would be fine, that it happens sometimes and it’s not really a problem. And for a while, it was fine. But about a month later, it started leaking again.

So, I called AHS again, and another technician came out. He said the first guy didn’t do it right, not to knock him, but just that it hadn’t really worked. He fixed it, and everything seemed okay. But about a month later, it started leaking again. I called AHS and told them I needed a replacement because it’s old, and that’s what people have been telling me. But they told me that if I need a replacement, I will have to call within 24 hours after they fix it if it’s not working. The problem is it’s a slow leak. It takes a while to show up, and it’s never going to fail within 24 hours. So, I just let it go because I’m fine living with this refrigerator, even though I have to be careful.

Sometimes, if I’m not paying attention, the large bowl fills up and overflows. It takes up about a square foot of space in my fridge, which wouldn’t work if I had a family or if my husband were still here and we had it full of food. To me, that’s a stupid policy, because there are plenty of things that are slow leaks. Now I’d have to pay another repairman $125 just to come out again and lie, so I can call within 24 hours and say it doesn’t work, or he has to lie and say it’s unfixable. Meanwhile, it works fine for about a month before it starts leaking again. I just don’t think that’s a great policy, so for now, I’m just living with it.

There was also an incident with American Home Shield when attempting to purchase an induction stove that took over three weeks of back and forth because the store didn't have it in stock, despite scheduling my delivery. While these complications weren't directly related to American Home Shield, having to use their Lowe's gift card increased that burden. I eventually planned around the delay by investigating other buying possibilities; however, the obligation may deserve a reevaluation as well to allow for broader compatibility.

When reflecting on the service costs, it has significantly increased, currently standing at double the original rate, now set at $50 a month, with a service fee of $125 for calls made. All things considered, American Home Shield provides adequate service, especially by way of the friendly, patient technicians once they arrive, though accommodating incoming information comes more slowly. Overall, I would rate my experience a 5 for service and a 4 for cost. I understand, especially given the numerous experiences I've had over four years, that there's plenty of potential left should improvements emerge in these areas.

To make matters worse, the vendor has terrible reviews online, which unfortunately reflects poorly on AHS. Other customers have received the same poor service by the same vendor yet AHS continues to keep them on contract. The poor reviews aren’t just current ones, they go back at least seven years. It’s now April 8, and we’re still without resolution. I’ve asked AHS to send a new vendor, but they keep telling me they need to “give them a chance.” As someone who pays monthly for this service, it’s unacceptable to wait months without a resolution. When I need customer service, I expect prompt action, not endless delays. I’m currently looking into what my options are to include a new home warranty company. Which is unfortunately because I genuinely like AHS, but, the poor customer service recently is unforgivable.