American Home Shield Reviews

I signed up with Choice Home Warranty. I got a deal which costs me $354.16 per year for 5 years, with the 6th year free. Service calls will cost me $45.00. I wish I had kicked out AHS years ago. Oh, and another thing- talk to the people who answer the phones at both companies. I won't say another thing about it, but you'll see what I mean when I say there is a marked difference in the quality of the call you will have.

Original Review: June 28, 2017

I can't get this company to call me back. I'm on hold as I'm writing this, and it's been about an hr - middle of the day, in the middle of the week. After a month of back and forth we had a site inspection for electrical issues - only to be denied due to price point provided by the contractor. Weeks later another scheduled assessment of the same issue, different company. Have not heard anything from anyone for 2 weeks now. My guess is they have approximately 2 people working @ AHS - 1 to answer everyone's calls, and another to go and get coffee for the office. We will be switching home warranty companies.

I called American home shield twice and long hold. They said they will follow up. Last few times I called service it's takes them some one to come out and fix the issues more than week. It's not worth the money we pay each month if we have to wait for more than week to service company to come out to location. Most of the time they pick really cheap not good rated company so they don't have to pay them lot.

So, if there's a leak in my system, something is going wrong with it. But they're telling me unless they can find the source, they can't really do enough for me that I had to keep adding in it, so they can locate the hole. That's crazy. Why am I paying for warranty if they’ll tell me that they’re not going to change the part I want to because they couldn't find exactly where it is? So, I just went on and paid the money because I got kids. I just can't be in a hot house with a two-year-old and eleven-year-old. I had no choice but go ahead and pay the extra $125 and the service fee to recharge my Freon. But I know the same thing is going to come around next year. Because if I had a refill last year and I had to do a refill this year, the same thing is going to happen come summer 2018.

A friend of mine had an issue with them too. They had American Home Shield. They sent shaky people. When she brought it to American Home, they were like, "Well, we got to go with what they say." In this business, people will tell you anything because they know you're desperate. I won’t recommend them to anybody. I've been with them since I bought my house, but I'm in the process of now trying to find another reputable company.

It was after two months when the problem was taken care of. He came back, he fixed it and said that the plumber missed a couple other leaks that would have been an easy fix. Things had to be tightened and connections had to be secured. We have not had any problems since he was here. The technician was very nice, thorough and explained to me everything that was going on and what had to be replaced. That part of the experience went fairly well.

But when I originally made first contact with AHS to file that claim, it was a very bad experience because I got auto replies, was asked to describe what it was and was told that the problem was not within their venue. They ended up connecting me with a furnace guy from Baker Sales who called to determine what was going on. I said to him that the furnace was fine. He said he was not a plumber and he was very rude. I told him that's not what I said the problem was but the automated system which was decribed as state of the art was not so complete. The next time, I sent an email and I finally got connected with a representative by phone. The other contacts were email sent to me. It was almost like their customer service was being run by robots and that was a new experience for me. There were good and bad experiences along the way, but I'm glad that we have the problem resolved.

Filing claims were pretty easy. Half of the time, they are professional and courteous. But a couple of times, we would just go back and forth. Also, it's a long wait to get on the phone and then it is still a long process once I get on the phone. They tell you what contractor they will send out to your home. From there I wait on the contractor to contact me and they give me the information of the contractor. I would then communicate back and forth with them if they have to order parts when they would be arriving to check out the AC. It has been a long process and right now, I'm not satisfied. I don't pay service fee after service fee and on paying my monthly fee as well. So, I need to get some type of credit back or need to get a couple of months free. This is an emergency and it should be up and running within at least a week.

Working with the contractors were sometimes a little rough. I had to call a couple of managers a couple of times to get the ball rolling a little bit. But even some of the managers were not professional enough for my experience because I put my wife on the phone and she was talking to him and the tone given out wasn't customer service tone.

That company, Air Supply Services, wrote down all the wrong information. They put me behind on one of my AC units, which is the upstairs unit by giving out wrong information. I told American Home Shield that this is a fraudulent company because they should give the right information. The system that I got in my house now is an R-410A, but they wanted to go back and put an R-22 system which is going to be outdated in two years. That's not the way to satisfy your customer. I tried to call their manager and I left a message. He never called me back, because I wanted to see where they’re getting the information because they took a picture of the model and the serial number and they were saying that they couldn't get the part locally. They can't come back to my house and service anything. AHS has to get more valuable contractors that provide better customer service.

I live in the county where no code changes have occurred. And the replacement is SO CHEAP I can hear it fire up and run every time I shower! That was never the case with the old water heater. And now to the A/C coils. After 14 years, they have failed. My tab is $$3300.00. AHS is covering $800.00. How is that replacement coverage if I'm out of pocket??? AND, each time I try and call, the wait time is over an hour. RUN AWAY FROM AMERICAN HOME SHIELD!

Furthermore, I was charged for the service calls. Was able to get one reversed but not the other. AHS is an awful business. I suggest you sock away your monthly payment for big ticket issues and if you need a repair shop around, they are usually the same price as the $75 service call. Finally, I tell the rep for AHS that I want to cancel my warranty and now I am on hold again 20 minutes. To cancel there is an admin fee... For what, this company has done nothing for me at all other than take my money so I guess it's fitting to end our relationship with you stealing more money.

Later on, I called AHS to complain about the issue. First phone call, wait 46 minutes on the line. Only spoke to the customer service less than 2 minutes and the call got disconnected. I specifically asked the CS to call me back if it's got disconnected. But nobody called me back. OK. Wait another 55 minutes on line for the second call. What I got was an apology and the customer service on the phone said they have no control over their vendor... I told her it took them almost 3 weeks and still unfixed the dishwasher, I need to take 2 days off to wait for the technician to come. Please note that the control board of the dishwasher was broken so I cannot use it at all for 3 weeks... She said she can do nothing here. I asked her to escalate the issue and have her supervisor to call me back. Still no one called me back. At this point, I guess they just don't care. How would they expect me to renew my service if thing works this way?

I have seen many articles on the internet on how to ground outlets, and it would seem to me that any competent electrician could do the work. Plus, this electrician NEVER told me contact my power company, which I plan to do. I believe the electrician AHS sent over just has no expertise in the particular job and I certainly believe that AHS just doesn't want to pay for it. Further AHS has the absolutely worst customer service I've ever experienced. I was on hold for hours due to high call volume, which tells me that there are a lot of people with issues, and there is no way to contact them expect by phone or snail mail.

These people don't even provide an email on their website. I cannot trust them to follow up on any other issues I have in my home so I plan on seeking out another warranty company and move on. I had heard some negative feedback when I first bought my home a few years ago but I thought maybe they had changed by then. I'm glad my investment is small for now.

On Tuesday the 27th I wait on hold for 45 mins. for an appointment for another compressor to be installed and told they will see if they have another compressor and call me back to install. I'm still waiting. 5 days without A/C. The reason I'm complaining about AHS is because they sub out this work to a company who is useless and they don't care who they subcontract with as long as they are the lowest bidder. I would be better off being able to choose an A/C company myself. I have tried to call AHS to see if they could assist in any way and surprise, they are no help. They already have my money.

Updated on 01/11/2018: I have written about American Home Shield a few times. Before I did that, I always tried to work with them and they left me no choice but to come here. After several weeks from my last review, they called me to ask what they could do and I said nothing - it took months to get my a/c resolved and it finally got fixed - 4 appointments later - and then I check back here and it says "RESOLVED" as if they had done something to help me or make me happy. Is this some sort of joke???

American Home Shield has just gone down the toilet. Every time you call you have to wait on hold for an hour. It's so disappointing because they used to be so good - I actually recommended them to so many people but they have just gotten so bad. I have a lot of experience with AHS, I had a warranty on 2 properties for over 10 years and this last year I have been so disappointed. Their service has declined to the point I refuse to ever use them again. I'm writing this review to help anyone who is considering them - DON'T DO IT. YOU WILL REGRET IT.

Most recently they auto renewed a home warranty for a property I no longer own. What upsets me is after I sold the condo, I was concerned about that so I sat on the phone for a very long time to remove this property from billing my credit card and they assured me they would... and here we are, billing my credit card and automatically renewing it.

I called again and spoke to sales who told me they would fill out a form and have someone call me from billing. This was over a week ago. I disputed payment with my credit card company because that was much more simple than having to wait on the phone for an hour with them. I have read so many reviews with people complaining about the hours of wait on the phone -- there's no email you can send, nothing. You have no choice but to wait for an hour. My sister-in-law who I recommended use AHS was telling me the same thing with her. It's taken 6 months for their ice maker to get fixed. AHS, you should be ashamed.

I think a home warranty is a great idea--but I would never recommend American Home Shield ever again, their customer service is a joke and their subcontractors are the worst. I'm looking for a different company, one where it doesn't take 3 weeks to get my dryer fixed, 4 appointments to get my ac fixed when my house is 90 degrees, 3 appointments to repair a hot water heater. This is not a reputable company. They say they are accredited by Consumer Affairs like they are legit--this company is a scam.

AHS is working with AC Company so they dont have to replace certain items. They "say" someone stepped on fitting but are unable to produce a picture and tech rep disagreed with this. AHS CLEARLY IS IN CAHOOTS WITH AC COMPANY SO THEY DONT HAVE TO REPLACE CERTAIN PARTS. AC company told me they never replace primary drain pans (the ones inside the unit). Hmmm. Did someone step on all of those, too? AHS is dishonest. I am going to cancel my coverage because I bought it 3 years ago as insurance. I have wasted a lot of money on AHS as they are not there to repair as promised. I can't afford repairs and that's why I went with AHS. I plan to write a warning in as many places as I can.

I called AHS three times to discuss the charges and find out when my Water Heater will be installed. I was on hold for 35 minutes, 44 minutes and 33 minutes. I was NOT able to get an AHS representative on the line. Pretty sad. However, they take my monthly dues on a timely fashion every month. Cancelling AHS is looking highly possible now. Doubt they'll fight to keep me as a customer being that they've taken my monthly dues for the past several years. I will keep you guys posted as to what happens with the installation of my water heater. The battle is not over. Home Depot says they will install a comparable heater in less than 3 days for $550.00. I'll let you guys do the math. Something is definitely wrong here with being the proud holder of an AHS warranty.

I email and all their office ~ no returned communication. At 6:25 I get a call from the tech Earl that they are running behind due to over booking and won't be here for at least on hour. It's now 7:30 PM and nothing again. FINALLY get a call at 8:20 telling me "The tires blew off my truck. I can't make it tonight". I understand he's waiting for a tow truck. I ask what NOW for us as our home is almost 90 degrees. He has no answer but promises he'll have the owner call me (at my request). Did I get a from the owner Andre as requested? NO.

As of 8am this morning, silence. I called their office. Why did they not THINK to call me since our appointment was cancelled? I was told their office was closed today but, they were tying up loose ends. WHAT? Earl told me last night they are open 7 days a week. Their technician Brian did show up in about 30 minutes and confirmed it is a Blower Motor just as my husband had diagnosed himself as an engineer. Guess what? They do not have the part, will need to order on Monday and HOPEFULLY be here to install by Tuesday! Brian was both professional and concerned about our situation. Unfortunately, he's having to deal with a mess others created.

THIS IS UNREAL! First, why in the HELL are you overbooking yourself? You know your capacity so overpromising and underdelivering is NOT acceptable and will do nothing but aggravate the situation more. Secondly, why does AHS not offer their customer multiple vendor alternatives? It is impossible for one vendor to handle the volume! Third, what are we supposed to do for 3-4 more days in 115 degree temps here in the desert? Fourth, it appears you are not properly vetting these companies to be able to deliver ON TIME service.

AHS IS BEING PAID BY YOUR CUSTOMERS TO TAKE CARE HOME REPAIRS! Your AHS service IS NOT FREE! To date, as your 25 year customer, we've paid over $20,000 to AHS in Contracts. We were just sold an upgrade to our existing coverage! Now this? It's clear that AHS is all about collecting monthly premiums but, don't care about customer service in the least. As with any business your contractors represent YOU, AHS. I cannot fault the contractors, I fault AHS for your process and requirements for your contractors.

In all our years as your customer, I can count the number of times we've needed to call AHS for service. We keep our home(s) in very good repair. We are not getting our moneys worth nor are other based on your horrible reviews. Had the technician been properly scheduled and arrived on time as promised yesterday, we would have gotten the Blower Motor and had it installed today! Instead, we will be going on 8 days until this is completed since our initial call.

We've rearranged our schedules to accommodate this situation for days and will continue to do so. NOW it's your turn. I am a business owner and this is MY BUSY season. I will need my time and expenses reimbursed for my business. Send my reimbursement check to the address on file. The reimbursements are the following: Labor Cost = $150.00 x 6 hours (5 hours of wait time for the no show technician + one hour to install the part this week) = $900.00. Lost business revenue (time away from my business) = $1000.00. Total reimbursement required from AHS is $1900.00.

Original Review: June 26, 2017

Last week I noticed that my upstairs was hot. I checked the thermostat and it seems that the AC was not working. I immediately put in a request to AHS via the online service request. I was able to secure a technician to come to my home the next day. Once the technician came to my house and I paid for the service fee he said that the two year old unit had bad coils and they would need to be replaced. He then said that AHS would probably not cover the full amount. I don't understand because AHS prides itself in if they can't fix it they will replace it. The next day the company called and said after discussing with AHS I will be responsible for $1,000 out of pocket!!!

I asked them to give me an itemization of why it was so high and they said $150 for the permit (which I called the city and the city said it was only $60 for a permit---and they said I would be responsible for their bond coverage---since when should a customer pay for a company to be bonded). This is ludicrous so I called AHS and requested a cash out to allow me another company to pay. AHS called back and said that they would pay me $200. $200! I am so disappointed because I have been a FAITHFUL customer of AHS for year. Never needed to use them other than the occasional fix my washer, fridge, etc. So now that I really need them they are not there. Thanks AHS!!!

To set some background information. I have had to call American Home Shield for my dishwasher, refrigerator, laundry machine and A/C twice. Clearly, I bought this condo on the brink of death. But not to fear, I have insurance! Well... kinda. The dishwasher was the first thing to go. Sparing the details of what was wrong with my dishwasher as it doesn't matter. It took American Home Shield 4 visits to fix it. One time they came out and literally left because the serviceman who ordered the parts ordered parts for an A/C unit. So, I had to wait another week for the parts to come in. This took a total of 5 weeks to fix and 4 missed days of work. American Home Shield found no problem with their timeliness when I called to discuss my frustrations. I didn't even feel like my issues was any of their concern.

Next to bite the curb was the A/C. Mind you, I live in Florida. The A/C took 3 days to fix. And let me be clear, when I am saying it takes 3 days to fix. I am calling off of work to sit at home for a 12-6 time slot to be available. The first A/C repair man to show up was a residential repair man. I live in a condo, requiring a commercial A/C contractor. First guy left.

Day 2. Commercial A/C repair men show up and they didn't bring a ladder to access the roof (of course, this happens on a Friday). Ahem. Yes, a commercial contractor didn't bring a ladder. Also, I called American Home Shield after the first repairman failure. Requesting them to come out with the correct repairman at end of day or on the weekend. It is hot, I live in Florida and boy is AC important here. But again, AHS didn't care. Finally, the third visit, Monday, the A/C repairmen were able to bring a ladder and put in some Freon. Which by the way, Freon is not part of the insurance. So, I had to pay for that out of pocket after all this hassle. Granted it was only 50 bucks or so. I was without A/C in May for 6 days in Florida.

Thirdly, my refrigerator broke. Absolutely just died. The compressor wasn't something they had in stock. So, I was fortunate enough to get a brand-new refrigerator. This interaction went fine. 1 day to come in and see if the refrigerator could be fixed. 1 day to bring in the new refrigerator and take the old one. Happy man, absolutely how I imagine insurance should work.

Fourth to have problems was my laundry machine. It wouldn't drain anymore. First repairman came in, and if you wouldn't believe it the dang machine worked just fine. We couldn't get it to replicate the problem. Stupid me played with the washing machine to get it to drain so I didn't have sitting water. So, the first day was a bust. I blame no one, these things happen. It broke again, had them come back out. Literally all he did was spray the inside of my machine with some solvent to clean it... never even heard of that being a thing. Then cleaned out the dryer vents. Which I didn't have a problem with my dryer, but I will take it. He left. It broke. Finally, the third visit, yet another repairman was able to determine the switch for the door was malfunctioning so it was shutting the machine off. Fourth visit, swapped out the sensor and BAM I have a working washing machine.

Now we are at where I am now. My second A/C breakdown. I am currently on day 3 with AHS to fix my A/C. The first visit consisted of them blowing water/dirt out of a pipe that runs to outside. I guess when it fills up there's a kill switch for the A/C. Sounds legit. Broke 45 minutes after he left. Side note to this. He did this twice. Once from my condo to shoot the gunk to the outside. Then he did it from the outside and absolutely covered everything on my sunporch with nasty A/C water. Whatever.

Same guy showed up the next day. Instead of blowing it, he used suction from the outside. Literally did the exact same thing as day 1, but used a vacuum instead of blowing. I didn't have much faith. But lo and behold. It lasted ~48 hours. It went out on Sunday around 4 pm. Got in contact with AHS and they said they would send out a repairman AGAIN on Monday. They are no longer sending out repairman on Monday. They are now sending a repairman on Tuesday. So, I have been without A/C, in June, in Florida, for 2 days.

What really gets me the most. It is the sheer lack of caring I am receiving from AHS. Here I have spent over 12 days at home to be available for AHS to send contractors out here. On average it requires 3 days for AHS to fix a problem. 12 days, I make 29.80$ an hour, working 9 hours a day. AHS has cost me more than $3,218.40 before I have even paid for the insurance, deductible or other fees. Shoot, much more time home and I won't need insurance. I would be able to pay for new appliances by not staying home and having AHS let me down time and time again. I will not be a returning customer.

1. Unexpected and unreasonable out-of-pocket costs - In 2017, I paid over $600 for two service calls (A/C and Water Heater). Be aware of AHS' (very) limited coverage for air conditioner refrigerant - only $10 per pound! Actual cost per pound is approximately $100 (AHS covers only the first $10). Second, although my hot water heater was replaced by AHS the plumbing connected to the heater was apparently not within specifications and had to be redone as on uncovered cost: $370, plus the $75 fee!

2. Poor Scheduling System. When service is required, AHS does not ascertain the nature of the issue and therefore cannot categorize as an emergency or otherwise, nor will the dispatched technician know what to prepare for (magnitude of the problem, safety concerns, parts likely required to have on-hand, etc.). Example: My A/C unit stopped working. This led to thawing of frozen coils. This led the rapid filling of my drain pan in the attic. This led to an overflow that damaged my ceiling with water. AHS response: "The technician will call you within 24 hours, but they have up to 48 hours if it is a weekend." I want to explain that this an emergency now and have the company tell me what to do and prioritize this. AHS: "That's up to you."

3. Bad Customer Service. The AHS customer service representatives (if utilized) appear to be reading off quick reference guides containing prepared statements and do not seem to care about nor understand the problems associated with home systems/appliances. They simply refer you to the company who will contact you between 24 and 48 hours. No sense of understanding of the product/service and customer situation. When I terminated my service with AHS the representative didn't seem to care and simply went through the motions to close my account.

I have been for these last 5 days back and forward with the insurance, they will tell me that they have not received the report from the technician, and the last thing they told me was that I refused service. Every time I call is the least 30 mins that I am waiting, sometimes is 1 hour and 20 mins before they answered. They won't help, they just don't care that I have a baby at home, and I live in Florida, imagine how it is in the middle of summer. What is the point of having an insurance that cannot help you when you need it. Initially I used to recommend them to my family my friends. I am definitely calling them back and tell them how this insurance work. If I could give them 0 stars I would.

Finally, AHS sent Tri Valley Home Improvement, which provides awful services. They told us it has issues and need to order parts. But AHS notes from Tri Valley indicated no fridge malfunctions from their report. We don't know what went wrong. It seems AHS can't find any capable vendor to come out as needed. Now, we couldn't get through the phone request service anymore. We are dying for services. Everyday, we called, it never can get us through the associate. Is that only us experiencing such an awful services from AHS? Who can help us to resolve issues? We paid home warranty to get a peace of mind. But, now, we have to worry and call AHS everyday. Getting ridiculous now!!! We are so frustrated now, but don't know what to do. Any suggestion or advice is highly appreciated from any consumer. The rating is zero if there is a choice.

Also, the electrician didn't show up the first day, was 1.5 hours late the second day so my husband cancelled, and finally came the third day. Again, I paid $75 for him to show up to tell me the service was not covered. It only added salt to the wound. I am paranoid now about scheduling future appointments as I don't know if the contractors AHS will send will be professional, show up on time, and whether the service will be covered. I am not sure what I am paying such a high annual fee for and what value I am truly getting from American Home Shield. I don't think I will re-new my contract with them. I am still on hold.

The person I was speaking with was Marily **. I was told that there is nothing they can do for 48 hours because they can't get in contact with the A/C company they sent out. It's a Monday at 12:00pm. This is the type of company they contract with? They don't answer their phone on a Monday during the working hours? And they send out A/C technicians that cannot diagnose or repair systems? I am thoroughly disgusted with American Home Shield. They have terrible customer service. They do not cover repairs for which they sell warranty for. Our A/C is still not working and our electric bill is sky rocketed. May of last year we used 50 kwh. This year 90 kwh with their A/C unit set five degrees higher. Our A/C is not working and American Home Shield is doing their best to not cover repairs or replacements.

I told the representative that wasn't accurate. I then explained that I was told when I signed up I would have the plan that covers my appliances. I requested that the call be pulled and to let me speak with a supervisor. I then was told no one was available and that I would get a call back from them in 7 days. It has been over 3 weeks and I have not received any type of correspondence. I've called in several times since then and have gotten the runaround. I have been paying premiums since April and yet I am not able to receive the service that I opted for. This is poor customer service and I'm highly dissatisfied!

AHS paid $10 a pound and the Freon was $127 a pound. I'm dissatisfied with the fact that I had to pay so much money. I was really excited at first because they got right out here. But I was not satisfied with the results that I had. The guy knew what he was doing, but the provider has to make the pronouncement that it needs to be replaced before they do anything. I'm going to have to do something but I have limited income and limited resources. I’m in a quandary too because I gave them the old serial number and they told me I had a new plan which I never received.

Also, it seems to me it's almost impossible to talk to a person sometimes. Sometimes I would rather talk to a person than to listen to a voice. When you find somebody whom you trust and know a little bit and you want to keep them somehow. I've even asked the guy to call and ask, and it hasn't worked. I don't understand that kind of system. Those aside, I had been satisfied with every time I've called AHS. I have one provider that has been working through American Home Shield that I really like. But one of the problems is you can't ask for that provider. I've asked for them and I got him once or twice.

The last tech that was out here was fine. But the ones that we’ve had in Delaware, especially with HVAC, sometimes are not the greatest. AHS doesn't have many people that deal with the area and they're an hour coming to Dover, which is weird when Dover is a major city. There are a lot of good contractors right in that area that does not deal with AHS. I’ve also had some issues with things being included. Lately, I've been getting to the point where I’m wondering if it's worth to have the policy. When I went in, I was with the understanding that things were being covered but sometimes some things are not getting covered anymore.

(4) Don't think that the service call fee of $100 (or whatever yours is) will cover your repair. The contractor that AHS sent added $1,000 (yes, one thousand dollars) in out-of-pocket charges that I would need to pay to have my A/C repaired in addition to my service call fee. I think this is how AHS selected contractors make up the money that they lose by accepting cheap jobs from AHS, by charging you...

My A/C repair has now dragged on for 2 weeks because AHS keeps sending 1-star reviewed contractors to work on my A/C and I'm now on contractor #3 who is starting from the beginning again. Contractor #2 turned my partially broken A/C into a non-functional A/C by disconnecting it completely and couldn't figure out how to connect it back. Contractor#1 refused to work on my problem because he was busy with other work. There is so much stress involved in dealing with these bottom-of-the-barrel contractors and adding a waiting time to talk to AHS of 30 MINUTES to 1 HOUR to all this makes me think I made a bad decision buying this home warranty. I was trying to make repairs less stressful by buying AHS but instead the level of stress and anxiety has been enormous so far. I could have called my own contractor, paid a couple hundred dollars and the problem would have been fixed in 1 day.

AHS will not allow you to get your own decent contractor so you have to deal with whatever incompetent contractor they give you. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the contractors are not even licensed as all the ones I have been assigned by AHS want to be paid in cash and have addresses in some of the shadiest neighborhoods. These bottom-of-the-barrel contractors that you get assigned curse you out, don't answer phone calls, don't show up on scheduled appointments, break your equipment to turn a trivial problem into a giant problem. This is what I am dealing with right now. WHAT A NIGHTMARE!!!

After calling and being on hold FOREVER!!! And going back and forth with customer service (Tanika, Tanisha, etc.) (us having to provide proof of payment and them having to call the sorry ass electric company)... We were finally able to go on the website and request service again but, it was too late for the company to come back out with the same 125.00 service fee we first paid, 30 days had passed.

Next service call was for the pool pump. WOW, this was alarming... Put in a service request, never heard from anyone (no calls from any pool company)... Went on the website about 2 weeks later and saw that we owed 125.00 for a pool service call and it said that I needed to call in and see what the pool company said. After calling I talked to Danisha. She told me that a man from a pool company (from Xact pools) came out to my house (I said, "What? To who's house?, I never talked to anyone from a pool company") and he checked my pool pump and it was working fine, that he said I had a fountain pump that was out and that was not covered. I was SHOCKED, to say the least! First off, I told her that I had NO fountain in my yard and he must have gone in someone else's yard. The lady said that she would call them and see what they would tell her.

30 minutes later... She said she spoke with a man that described my house and we would have to pay for the service fee. I told her that I never got a call from any company and I can't believe they do business like this. How do I know that this guy was really at my house? I felt like it was a scam. After many phone calls to dispute the service call (telling me someone would call me, or no supervisors were in etc.) the fee is still on there and I am unable to go any further with ANY service calls. My pool is still not working properly. I am now trying to find out how to cancel this company. I have looked this up online and everything I read says that it is nearly impossible to cancel. I'm sure I will have to pay for the guy that NEVER came to my house first... But I don't want ANYTHING to do with this company again. If you are thinking about this company for your home google AHS complaints first!!!

Original Review: June 24, 2017

When we purchased our house 2 years ago, we also purchased this home warranty which covered electrical, appliances, plumbing, garage door opener, and we paid more for the pool plumbing and pump coverage. I have since called in many service requests. Some I was happy with a couple I was completely dissatisfied with to the point I would say to you- "Don't bother."

My first complaint is that AHS advertises timely service. I would agree that if they can easily find you a repair service- like they have a contract with Sears for appliances, you'll normally have a serviceman within a week. However, two times I called about my pool pump not working and a week in the hot summer is just too long to wait- and that issetupbest case scenario. By the time they manage to find you someone your pool is green and you end up paying a lot more out of pockets for chemicals than necessary because they are beyond slow. They could never find me a pool repairman in my area. I would have to wait 24 hours for them to "try" then call back repeatedly.

It was a total hassle and in the end, I ended up paying someone out of pocket, myself, to fix it. This was $450 that should've only cost me 2 $75 service call fees. They tell you you can then find someone, but the hoops they make you jump through are ridiculous and my repairman did not want to hassle with them. Skip buying this pool package unless you like your pool green before help arrives. In fairness, I have had good experiences with plumbers and garage door opener repairmen. I did have to wait a week, which included listening to my drippy faucet while I waited. Luckily it was not a clogged toilet!

However, my last experience was so terrible that it has left a terrible taste in my mouth. My washing machine was acting very peculiar. Sometimes it would work. Sometimes it wouldn't. I called. Sears came. I paid my $75. They ordered a part. They came back a second week later to install. They said it was fixed. The next day I determine it was not. This started in May. I repeat the call. AHS calls them back. Same timetable of a wait. Again. After 2 weeks, they installed the same part. Even after I suggest something is causing this... there's a short, etc. Again they leave sayings it's fixed. Again it is not. I make a third service call. Now I am approaching the end of my AHS 2 year warranty. I assume since this is still dealing with the original MAY service request that the "30 day guarantee" they brag about will still hold. I mean, it only seems fair as THIS problem has never been solved.

Boy was I wrong. AHS sure knows how to drag their feet. Sears shows up yesterday. Breaks my washer knob. Fails to fix the problem. Claims it's working- now I can't get it to come in at all- and leaves. I CALL Sears within the hour. Oh no! They cannot come back. I have to call AHS. Let me tell you folks, that is easier said than done. I'm never on hold for less than 45 minutes before I finally speak to an agent. So 50 minutes later a very nice agent talks to me. Assured me she's called Sears and the guy will be back same day.

At 9 pm when I realized that wasn't going to happen, I called AHS BACK AGAIN and waited 50 minutes to talk to an agent. Agent informs me my policy expired and there's nothing they can do. I explain that this is still dealing with a prior service request. She says she'll talk to a manager. Comes back on the line. Says nothing they can do. I ask to speak to a supervisor- puts me in hold for 29 minutes and then hangs up on me. I realize AHS will do nothing to fix this situation. I'm defeated. I was scammed. Every time I had called and asked AHS had assured me that if Sears could not get this right, my washer would be replaced.

Yup. Spent 400 today out of my own pocket to get a washer that works. Not to mention- the 75 dollar service fee I originally paid. Mind you, this was the most expensive policy they offer. I believe it was $2500. Be forewarned- the long hold times, the slow service, etc is all a set up. They want to wait you out so you take care of it yourself. And sadly, it works. I will say that the internet service requests are much faster, but if you're calling about a previous service it lack of a serviceman then you have to call.

It took another 2 days, then a contractor (different than the other local contractor) came for the appointment. Before he did anything he asked how they were going to be paid, since they do not work with AHS due to payment issues. After diagnosing the issue, he attempted to call AHS for the authorization, he was on hold for 30 min and had to leave. I attempted to call to give them the information and was on hold for about 45 min, then it rang once and disconnected.

I called back and was on hold for another hour and 15 minutes before a very helpful employee tried her best to help me out but unfortunately was unable to. I was then transferred to her supervisor who informed me to have the contractor call AHS at any time to get authorization. I have no idea how they have been rated so high when they don't pay their contractors. There was no one in a 50 mile radius of me that would work with them. I feel like I am rolling the dice working with them as I have to pay upfront and they will reimburse me. I would not recommend them to anyone.

On day 6, Houston Comfort AC admitted during AHS conference call that no parts were ever ordered and a return visit was necessary to acquire equipment model information so parts could be ordered... “We'll send somebody out" - followed by 2 days of silence. Technician shows on day 8, gets equipment numbers. That's Nine days without air conditioning on the Texas gulf coast. Finally after much anger and coaching on my part, AHS agrees to transfer to a new contractor vendor - South Belt AC & Heat.

Today on day 11 I prepare to meet the new contractor who informs me that my dispatch service request has been canceled by AHS for an unknown reason. Spent 3+ hours today on hold attempting to speak with AHS to understand this now epic failure. I've been a 9+ year customer of AHS and invested north of $6k during that span and I'm struggling to understand what exactly is the benefit of our relationship. So tomorrow will be day 12...

They also have pool program and I've had a couple of repairs done. Though they cover it, they don't have any vendors in the area and then they said to submit receipts. The problem is I can't ever reach them. It'd be nice to talk to Home Shield every once in a while to figure out stuff, but everything is virtual. Submitting receipts and knowing where to send things become a very difficult process because they're not spearheading it, I am. Trying to have somebody to speak to gets to be very, very difficult. I have an extended plan with them and it's concerning to me. That's why I'm really glad that I have high end appliances and I'm glad that I have a good relationship with their vendors. By far the benefits outweigh the negative and it's been cost effective to have AHS. I love the service and bought it for another year again. This is my second year.

When submitting a claim you can't get a person because you're on the line too long waiting for one. And so, I've been trying to just submit it online. And then again, you don't really know who you're getting and it's not a popular name. I lucked out at last time, the guy found whatever it is right away but I got scared because I really know who these people are, but they must do work, otherwise, they won't be out there. The same thing seems to happen over and over and I have different people coming out each time and then one person finally got to stop doing whatever it was doing. And I don't know if it's fluke things and they're just figuring it out really quickly, not be anything substantial. But as the $100 deductible, I don't think it would have even come out $100.

The last time I had a claim at least it was two days and the people they're using are not big companies. They're just using like mom-and-pop shop more recently and I'm irritated about that because I am paying a lot of money. But I have to say, in most fairness, they do a really good job and I had home protection plan forever and it's always been with the same company. I've been with them for four years in this place but before that 16 years, and before that I had them on another home I had for 12 or 15 years. But in most of the cases, the homes and appliances are new like in my home now. For the most part they're good, I've had about three things done over the years that I've been there. They're decent except there is a very irritating one.

I was really irritated because it was so hot. And especially because I have an elderly parent and also have very young grandchildren. I have to have those things prepared right away. You don't like just waiting but for the most part, it's a good thing for people to have. It really is and I even bother and I have brand new everything except the air conditioner.

Another claim I had was with my trash disposal. Their contractors came out and fixed it so, I didn't have to buy a new one, which was good. The most important claim I had was for my furnace. There were a number of issues that they had to work out with that and so it got a little complicated. But it was fixed and AHS said that if it wasn't fixed after this last time that they sent people out, they would replace my furnace with a brand new one. And so, I was very pleased with their professionalism.

The other claim I had with AHS was for my dishwasher. I had a brand-new LG dishwasher and whoever installed it screwed it up and the dishes weren't cleaning properly. AHS' contractors found out that the hose had a puncture and they fixed that. AHS is worth the $50 a month. If I have a problem with an appliance, I call them. Within an hour, somebody that they assign calls me and they set up the appointment or they’ll text me then I just confirm it and they give me a time in the morning or in the afternoon. They show up, fix the problem and I give them my deductible. After that, they're on their way. Everything’s been pretty good and my experience with them has been phenomenal.

Also, whenever I've had any phone calls direct, it went well and the AHS reps were very polite. I had a situation last year where I was looking for my gas stove to get repaired. That one was back and forth because there aren't that many companies locally that handle repairs of gas units. But, it was not the fault of the operator I was talking to and everything worked out well. With the single payment that I had to make, I didn't have to pay anything extra. All in all, I'm very happy with AHS. The response time seems to be very good and I've had a good experience with the contractors that have come here. They have done quality work and were professional.

When I pointed this out the manager I was speaking to got belligerent and just kept reading the inspector's comments where he suggested we get it cleaned over and over again like that was going to prove to me that I had just imagined the AC working for the past 2 months. I wish I could retroactively go with anyone else. We will NOT be renewing our warranty with AHS.

After spending literally over an hour on hold over several calls, I never was able to get an explanation as to what the required repairs were and what AHS was and wasn't covering. (Of note, AHS does not have an email address posted on its website. Any queries that do not involve requesting service-- i.e., sending them more money-- require trying to contact them over the phone.) I ended up hiring a different company to diagnose the problem, and they reported that the compressor was no longer working. This is an item that should have been covered by the warranty, but wasn't. Still no word from AHS. I strongly recommend against doing business with AHS.

The AHS customer service rep. agreed that it needed to be replaced and would recommend it to her management. She said she would call back the next day. No call was made. On each subsequent call to AHS to determine the disposition of the matter, I receive the same response: "No conclusion has been reached and they will call me tomorrow". After two months no progress has been made to resolve the issue.

UPDATED ON 08/04/2017: After spending hours (more than 40) on the phone with AHS to resolve an issue with our refrigerator, the frustration I expressed in the earlier post has diminished very little. Finally, after weeks of trying to use the continually malfunctioning refrigerator we purchased a similar model from a different manufacturer in early June. Meanwhile we continued to pursue our case against AHS to obtain reimbursement. We attempted to donate the refrigerator first to a local church, then to Habitat for Humanity. In both cases, they would not accept it due to its problems.

In our continuing discussions with AHS, we learned that the latest report from the service tech had been altered somewhere between his report to me and the report AHS recorded in their customer service system. The problem was now described by AHS as cosmetic. It is unclear whether the service company altered the report to cater to AHS or AHS altered the report to support denying our claim. AHS wanted to send a fifth tech out for another opinion. I declined since it didn’t make any sense to me to get a fifth opinion on the same issues. At every step in this process AHS has thrown up road blocks and stalls to avoid “fixing or repairing” the refrigerator as their advertising proclaims.

However, shortly after posting the review to this site, I received an email stating they would follow up with a phone call. A week later I received a call from AHS stating they had reviewed my case and decided to compensate us for the replacement refrigerator. The customer service rep. said we would receive a check in 5-7 days. After 10 days, I called to check on the status of the payment, I was told we would receive it in 7-10 days. After one more week, I did finally receive a check. The bottom line, I guess is, all’s well that ends well. However, the extraordinary efforts it took to get AHS to live up to their slogan was absurd.

Also, I had a water pump go out and I went online and there was no live person to talk to so I selected "sump pump" as the issue that needed repair. I figured it was a water pump... What difference? Well, the guy comes out the next day and after a while says, "Oh, they don't cover those water pumps". And he leaves with my $125 without doing a damn thing! I call to complain and they said they'd refund my money. Nothing. I call again after several weeks and the guy gives me a BS story and says it will be refunded. No problem. Except... There's a problem. No refund. I quit these cheats.

Today, I had to call someone to come out and look at the dishwasher that wasn't draining. $40 to make a house call. Save your dough. Even when they replace something you'd better keep an eye on them... They'll put in the cheapest crap and you'll be paying more than just hiring a local handyman to do the repair. Put the $35 a month into a savings account for house repairs. When you need it, you'll be hundreds of dollars ahead.

My husband and I took turns calling the phone number listed. Each of the 4 times we called and spoke to a human being they told us that they recognized the issue and that they needed to put in an "AP correction form" to resolve the issue. I even expressed worry about the issue not being resolved yet again and it causing difficulty when putting in a future service request. Well, my nightmare happened. Went to schedule a service request for a broken dryer and I am unable to because it says I have an outstanding balance. So now here I am waiting on hold to speak to another person to clear up their error. We will not be renewing with this company because they are incompetent.

Original Review: June 23, 2017

I've used AHS for 15 years at $60 per mo, $720 yr, about $15000 plus service fees. They didn't stand behind the work of the contractors. And they used subpar contractors with poor skills and very bad consumer ratings. They patch work and don't replace anything. The contractors lied and said they did work. They didn't do and AHS said, "Oh well." I wished I'd used that 15k and bought a new AC and paid to have the work done myself. It's been a sham from my experience. They've fixed my AC each year because there always issues in the current year that won't be detected until the next year when I pay another 720 plus a service fee. So they aren't fixing all the problems yet they we won't give me a new unit. For 15k I could have bought a new unit twice.

A contractor didn't fix my washing machine, he couldn't find the part, I paid him 75, he told AHS he did work. I had to use my factory warranty to have it fixed. AHS said, "He told us he fixed it, oh well." I paid 1000 for Freon because it was leaking last August. It's June and it's leaking again. I have to pay another 900 for freon because the issue with the evaporator coil wasn't detected last june, although they replaced a part at that time. They send workers out who don't detect the issue or they say it isn't covered which causes another issue they have to fix the next year after you pay another 720. They have to recoup they money plus make a profit.

Wednesday, I follow up a number of times, am on hold for over 45 minutes with AHS to get the status, only to be informed my contractor that no answer has been provided after submittal of request for repair. Online I also see the claim is closed, which I am completely unaware of how or why. After another 45 minutes of wait time, another 15 minutes to figure out what is going on, I am informed by the AHS authorization department that the full claim cannot be covered as one part, the JBox is not of the correct size, this fan by the way has been in the house for more than 5 years and prior to us moving in. I am also given an option to take a cash in lieu payment which is for the claim amount minus the JBox cost, or to pay the difference to the contractor. Contractor recommends to take the cash in lieu and informs me he can do this for only $75, if we buy the replacement which we only need a new light that works and does not affect all other lights.

Calling back to AHS I am told authorization department is closed. Thursday Morning I wake up to an email of another company assigned to a new claim. Confused I reach out to AHS to communicate my decision only to be told that my claim has been denied, the contractor called very early in the morning and gave a recorded statement saying that the damage is not due to normal wear and tear, but not specifying what actually caused it. Reviewing my policy, I am shocked to learn that all this covered not covered has been a lie from the beginning, my coverage includes normal wear and tear in addition to any improper installation. I have been misrepresented my policy coverage and have had an incompetent technician come out, look at the problem visually from the outside and speculate what the problem might be but not giving details or honest conclusion what it is.

Another company has been assigned to re-evaluate as a second opinion. It has been 4 days without lights at night and a fire hazard otherwise, what company that you entrust your safety and wellbeing to would do something like that and contract a technician that cannot identify a problem, know policy coverage and handle the problem on the spot.

After long conversations with AHS and over 2 hours on the phone, the last individual in the authorization department, Justin, informs me he can resolve this issue, listens to me and tells me that previous days conversation with a cash in lieu offer was not recorded in the system, he was unwilling to expedite the new contractor to be able to come out same day to resolve the issue as this was my choice to turn the power off (not a choice but logical action to take with a fire hazard on my hands at my house threatening potential disaster ) and that he was not willing to transfer the call after all to a supervisor as I first requested and that only a callback within 48 hours was possible. When asked to file a formal complaint he said my call was recorded and the complaint will be filed.

In regards to coverage, again from the same people over and over being told that it might be covered but because the tech did not say why the fan is not working, only that it is not worn and tear, they cannot help me until second opinion is conducted. In regards to the JBox I was told that it was an incorrect box to have and might not be covered, completely negating the contractual obligation and the specific coverage description in regards to the whole system being covered. This is not just unprofessional but is dangerous to all consumers and customers of this firm that does not care about the issue and the impact it has on the lives of those entrusting them with a contractual promise to repair what is broken under the coverage.

At no point was I given a correct recommendation on what steps to take, not even the fact that if the fan overheats when it is in the off position, to completely shut the power off to it. I was ridiculed for doing that and pointed to that it is my choice to do that, really??? What would you do to protect your family??? Do not deal with this company, no compassion, no respect, no communication and no decency for clients. Going into Friday not knowing if lights will be on this weekend, depending on what the outcome is from the second opinion and what disputes would need to be done and what time will be wasted apparently for a ~$120 claim. PS, alternative repair methods are already arranged as this is ridiculous!

Original Review: June 23, 2017

Worst experience dealing with AHS after more than 5 combined years with them. End of May this year our A/C system fails, put in initial call to AHS and paid 75$ service fee over phone. AHS calls more than 12 companies in area to service unit (so they told me) and later calls me and said they must go out of area (60 mile range) to find an AHS approved company to service unit. No problem, we just want cool air as it is 100 plus degrees in the Arizona desert. After two days a company is located and AHS approved but is over 4 hours away.

Day 4 or so the first tech from Crispy Air & Heating show up (Mesa, AZ). Is honest and professional despite being late. States after doing some troubleshooting that we have a massive refrigerant leak due to a faulty valve as well as our compressor is near the end of its life. Unit is over 13 years old (most A/C systems last 10 in Arizona). Tech gives us two choices: 1) He fixes the valve which AHS will cover and refill system which if you read your contract carefully says AHS will only pay 10$ per pound of refrigerant. R-22 costs 85-90$ per pound. He said we would have to pay about 825$ out of pocket. Wait I thought we bought coverage for this reason. 2) Based on his professional opinion we should upgrade to a newer unit but would cost between 5000 and 6500 depending on type. Due to the 100 degree plus temps and the aging unit we chose option 2 and spent 6500$ of our own financed money to get it installed.

A week later a team of two techs from the A/C company show up to install newly purchased unit, and 7 hours later (which should have been at most 4-5) they said they’re done and have to come back to put furnace line on later. One day later I notice a wet spot on the carpet and water leaking from my attic crawlspace (where unit is located). I get a ladder and find out they never connected the drain lines that draw condensation water out of the house, causing 2-3 gallons of water standing on the attic floor. I call company (again AHS recommended and approved) and they state, "Put a bucket under it and we will be there as soon as we can.”

The next day another different tech shows up after he's been to several jobs already and stated the unit wasn't properly set up and also found a refrigerant leak outside on the condenser. He spent two hours correcting what should have been done right the first time. The company told me they will pay for attic damage for which AHS is not responsible. After install was finally completed I spoke with Holly (office manager) of Crispy Air & Heating, Inc. and she stated the claim was completed and the original tech put in the file that our unit was degrading enough to warrant a new unit. She also stated that once AHS authorizations reviewed it that we should be able to recoup some of the money we spent. I call AHS and speak to a gentlemen who tell me that as long as authorizations reviews the companies' notes and agrees that it warranted a new unit some of the money can be returned to us. He said authorizations is still reviewing.

I call one week later to AHS and ask if authorizations has reviewed and the lady said yes but that I would not receive anything back as I didn't follow AHS protocol and get prior authorization to install a unit. I asked to speak to a manager and get connected to "Escalations dept", interesting name for a dept. The lady tells me that there was no record of me talking to a male in their system, and that I’m not eligible to receive a refund. I stated that due to the heat and the time it would have taken to go through the AHS protocol, we had to act fast and would try and recoup some of the money with AHS. The lady on the phone had no sympathy and only stated the same thing (probably reading from the manual) over and over. I asked to speak to authorizations, they have no extension and was told that is only an internal contact.

I’m not asking for all 6500$ back, just what they would have paid for a unit of the same caliber as the old. I feel that a company that nickles and dimes service requests by spending countless hours and money to throw parts at a dying system and drastically avoiding the costs (despite being more economical over time) of installing a new appliance should be more customer oriented. I will be rethinking renewing after this contract is up. It’s no wonder they put arbitration as their go to in the contract so they don't have to deal with lawyers (Google class action suits against AHS).

It one thing if I was seeking money back for choosing a system I didn't need but, if the tech writes the notes documenting the need and submits to AHS what would it matter if it wasn't by the AHS book? Isn’t the best interest of its customers the concern? A/C in the desert is not a want, it’s a need. I was told despite that we installed the system that we should have just paid out of pocket for the refrigerant and fixed the issue. I stated that the tech told us that would only be a 2-3 day at most fix and it would leak again. Why spend almost 900 dollars that would last 3 days at most? I would only ask for the obvious-help us get some of the money back for what would have been paid for a new system. Be a customer oriented business, not one that monopolizes the home warranty market and is so greedy they explicitly tell their phone operators to deny any and all refund claims.

So I called AHS back and they told me that they can't help me. I asked to talk to a supervisor and they told me that I cannot talk to a supervisor twice in two days after I've asked for a supervisor the previous day. I told the rep that it is for two different issues, and that I'm not getting what I paid for. He told me that he can't do it, and I told him that he needs to talk to someone who can. He put me on hold for half an hour, and they finally told me that they'll redispatch the unit.

We were without hot water for a week. At that point, they got the second ticket and sent the plumber out, and then everything was done and fixed. He was great and I’d used him since I like the contractor, but it’s American Home Shield that was the issue. I said to him, “You know, I’m curious. Did you get screwed in this?” He said, “Absolutely.” He had to pick up the unit, install it, then uninstall it, swap it with a new one and reinstall the unit but he only got paid once. He did twice the work and twice the driving on top of the work. And the customer service was horrendous. The attitude of the person I talked to was terrible. I could not have been more dissatisfied.

In the end it was resolved, but I was taking showers at the fire station. The one thing that I would suggest that would have prevented such incident is that the contractor should be the one purchasing the parts because if he’s the one that purchased it, then everything would’ve been perfect. And I was told that’s the way their system used to operate.

The next claim I had was for a seal on the refrigerator that needed to be replaced on one of the doors. I submitted the claim online, which has been quick and efficient, and their website’s fantastic. The guy that came out for it was phenomenal. But the payment was a little odd. I got a bill in the mail and when I logged on to their site, it told me I was overdue. I was like, “Really? You’re telling me I’m 10, 15 days late or whatever it is because you sent me a paper bill instead of giving me a chance to pay sooner.” Not having a hot water heater for a week and having your wife extremely grouchy and pissed off affected me. It was not a good experience.

The second technician was able to say I needed a special order part. It took about two weeks for the part to come in and then the technician came back and installed it. I haven't had a problem since so overall, I was very satisfied. It was unfortunate the first technician didn't know what they were talking about but I didn't blame American Home Shield for that because the guy said he was certified to work on those kinds of washers but he wasn't. Also, my father told me that he contracted with somebody. I have a full house and he has a small condo. I feel that from what he's paying, which seems more, I'm getting good value for the service they're providing and they've been responsive to the two claims that I put in and sending people out to repair them. The other claim was for the furnace igniter. They sent out a questionnaire about the technician's competency and their service and I filled it out.

Some of the companies American Home Shield contracts with are better than others, and most of our experiences with AHS have been positive. Any negative experiences were usually on the side of the contractor, not AHS. We had a pipe leak in our basement a couple of months ago and that guy was awful. He told me he’d be out in 48 hours. I told him that it’s already been five days and he needs to get out soon. There's a leak and it’s ruined the wall. He needed to get out soon. I complained to AHS and they had him out at about 6:00 the next morning. He was less than happy about that. Overall, I like AHS, but they could do a little better in screening the contractors.

After another 45 minutes on the phone just found out that American Home Shield has put all of their AC providers on hold. Just to note the Average temp is 113 degrees. I asking all realtors and homeowners to please be aware of problems with American Home Shield and Consider using another company. They have problems. Probably not paying the vendors and vendors are refusing service. BEWARE...

Not normally the complaining type but this is atrocious service with no one able to answer for it. I would not recommend this service to anyone who expects to get a solid service for what they pay for. It'd be easier to save the $40/month and pay out of pocket directly with the companies rather than deal with the many break downs of AHS. We will be cancelling our service and never looking back. I've said the same to my neighbors who have AHS and the experiences they've had are the no different. Terrible customer service, poor quality work and poor quality of product provided. Save your money!

Last week, I put a call in for service, and they said my policy was canceled. After waiting on hold for a very long time, I was told that the contract automatically cancels after a year, so it had been canceled for about 3 weeks. (I have had AHS for 10 years, this has never been the case.) I was disturbed that I thought that I was covered, but I was not. So I had to pay back fees, plus this month's fees to set up, and go through a series of "on hold" transfers to request electrical service.

The service person came, and claimed that the blown kitchen outlet fuse from using an induction skillet in the kitchen was not normal wear and tear, so it is not covered. The service person wrote up that I had overloaded my kitchen circuits to dangerous levels, yet on a line with 5 outlets, I have an idle computer, printer, clock on a coffee maker on all the time (negligible wattage). Only occasionally is a 500 watt rice maker or portable induction skillet used (not at the same time). The electrician stated the entire line can handle 2200 watts. We did the math and it didn't add up. Regardless, this is an electrical problem, hence the reason to call the electrician.

He said he would recommend that I call an electrician to replace all of my kitchen wall outlets. Beyond the obvious confusion that he IS an electrician, and he HAS been called to fix the issue, and I DID take off work to be at home to meet him, I tried to clarify with him that AHS states that if we run into normal issues with home systems, they will cover the cost of any repair after the service fee. He stated I will have to talk to the company. When I asked him to also switch out an 18 year old dimmer switch because it was sticking, he also said I overloaded the dimmer switch in the dining room as well. I asked him what wattage the dimmer was rated for (300), and I did the math 9 bulbs at 25 watts - 225 watts, yet he wrote in his report that it was overloaded.

I told him that I would contact the company to clarify how things should proceed. He stated that wouldn't be necessary, that the company would call me, and he was out the door. I then had to wait on hold for 1 hour and 23 minutes to talk to the service department about the visit, only to be told that since the electrician wrote that I had overloaded the circuit, nothing would be covered. If they won't honor the contract to replace kitchen wall outlets, or a leaky hose bib, I am seriously doubtful they will honor a claim on an AC unit, or major appliance. If I had been putting the $4500 AHS fees in a bank account over the last 10 years, I would be much more ahead of the game at this point.

A week later, we have the same issue. I called AHS. I told them I needed someone to check if there is a leak as the system is not doing its job. They ended up giving the contract to the same company. I called AHS again and said the contractor doesn't have an incentive to test this as he is trying to sell me a new system. They did not agree and ended up sending the same company. They took a look at the system for 5 mins and proceeded to tell me the same thing. I had to follow up several times to get a response from the contractor. No follow up at all!

I don't have a problem replacing the system. But, I need AHS to tell me what's wrong with the current system. This has been going on since beginning of May. They think their job is identifying a contractor and closing the tickets. I don't see an incentive to fix the underlying issue. I just don't see a point paying them every month for what they offer. Poor service and absolute lack of care to do what they are getting paid to do.

Expect this with every call no matter what the issue. No accountability, no empathy, no urgency. All they want is your 700 dollars and after that kiss your money and sanity goodbye. Stay away - stay far, far away! Do not under any circumstance work with or pay this company a penny. They are terrible in every capacity. Far and away the worst service provider I have ever experienced. They are criminals and the BBB should shut them down.

The plumbing company said, “Just keep running the water and it will eventually not be brown anymore.” But after about a week or two, it was still brown. We couldn’t drink the water. We had to take cold showers. We called American Home Shield back and they sent them back. It was a couple of days before they came back. And when the plumbing company did come back, they said, “All right. We’re gonna replace the water heater.”

It took them two weeks to actually get us the water heater because, they said, they had to order the right water heater for our house and when we called back to check on the status, they said they didn’t get the water heater in. And they got the water heater in and they called us just to make an appointment but they never showed up for the appointment and we waited all day for them. And then I didn’t know that they had to go to city hall and get a permit. So they got the permit but they never told us that that they got the permit so we just got a random call from city hall saying that we owed money for a permit that the plumbing company got but never told us about, so we had to go and get the permit and we had to have an inspection. So it’s just a very sloppy process. Luckily, that plumbing issue has been resolved but now we’re on to their electric problem.

There was a problem with the lights and the company said that we were using the wrong bulbs. When we changed the bulbs to the kind that they suggested, the problem got worse so we had to call American Home Shield back. Now, they didn’t charge us another time for the deductible, which is good, but it’s a hassle because my wife and I gotta take off from work. They’re coming again tomorrow to investigate the issue. Though we requested that another company come, AHS still assigned the same company because they need a chance to redeem themselves, I guess, to come back and to try to fix the problem and if not from that point, then they would give us someone else. AHS customer service has a lot of good information. They help you along with the process but when it gets to the people coming to your house, they’re not really reputable. I don’t have that peace of mind knowing that the issue is being resolved.

American Home Shield then sent out some HVAC people and the guy looked at it right away. The process is not covered by American Home Shield, so we had some people come in and take some of the wall board off the ceiling and then wrap the vents with this bubble wrap for insulation. I understand that if it was a water leak, they were going to come back and have the ceiling wall board patched up and fixed. We've used American Home Shield several times and they saved us tremendous amount of money. I really love American Home Shield. They were great and efficient and everybody has been excellent. It's a great company to deal with and it's a great value.

Now, three months later I am still getting billed for the service I cancelled. I tried calling them today and was transferred to the retention department again. Almost an hour on hold and still no answer!! Avoid them at all cost. The coverage is spotty and the customer service is some of the worst I've ever seen. All I want is my policy cancelled and a refund for the three months they should not have charged me.

UPDATED ON 07/06/2017: Made a review. Then AHS calls and leaves a voice message and asks if my AC got fixed that AHS would not even get a company to call or repair. After a whole day of waiting in 115% heat I had to have my contractor fix the unit. Now they say no they won't pay because they would not answer the phone to give me permission to repair. Was on hold for 3 separate times 3 hours total could not talk to any live person. BAD service. Only 1 number to call for the whole country. Will never recommend AHS to anyone again! Even a bad canned response to my original review!

UPDATED ON 08/02/2017: This is a complaint on a previous complaint. I have an open work order since 6/12 with many problems displayed by AHS. When I wrote a ConsumerAffairs complaint they contacted stating they would work with me to get the issue resolved. A month has gone by and the work is still incomplete and I am having problems getting them to give me a timely response.

Once I get whatever diagnose I have to pay full price and they will reimburse it. Ha! And guess what? My guy who came out doesn't want to call and wait for 40 minutes to give them 1 minute diagnose. So my husband is calling this diagnose department and holding at the moment. Ridiculous amount of waiting and impossible to find any contractor who wants to work with this company. I understand who would want that when you have to wait 40 minutes for phone call. Who know how long will it take to get actual payment when simple phone call takes 40 minutes every time?

They eventually mailed me a check for $1,500 but it didn't get here. I called them to ask where the check was and they said they sent it and that they will send another one. Three days later I got the check, deposited it and it bounced. That was the first check that should have been there a week earlier. The following check came in and that was the check that cleared. However, I get stuck with a $30 return check charge.

Also, I had a garbage disposal that was not installed properly. It didn’t drain the sink properly and they’re telling me it’s too bad. They sent two different plumbers out and both of them said, “Well, you got a garbage disposal replaced.” But, it was not the same as what they took out. It also didn’t fit the same. Needless to say, I’m disappointed with the company.

No one from American Home Shield has since attempted to contact me concerning my service request which according to my account has now been closed. I pay $50+ a month for coverage and paid a $100 service fee to have my microwave repaired. My microwave is still broken. I should not have to spend days attempting to contact a representative to facilitate the completion of a service request. Moreover, American Home Shield should not close out a service order that clearly has not been completed. I feel that I've been ripped off and this is by far the worst customer service experience I've ever had.

So I got on the phone with AHS and was told that the contractor needs to call them and get the work approved and that the contractor should know this. Well the contractor that came out is claiming that they have no affiliation with AHS. The lady in the office that the company that AHS hired to come out is completely refusing to call AHS. She tells a different story every time we call, but insists that they have no contract with AHS, and don't work with them! SO WHAT NOW AHS??? This is a horrible first impression on the type of contractors AHS uses! This contractor denies even being affiliated with AHS all together, yet AHS sent them out to my house. What a joke. I need a new contractor assigned to my claim, and AHS obviously needs to call this contractor and get this figured out. I'm not paying AHS's bill that this company now wants to send me because they don't want to deal with AHS, even though AHS is the one that hired them.

When the technicians introduced themselves before they came in and their names were on their uniforms. They did fine work. They explained to me what was wrong and what they’ve done. They told me what to expect like if there’s a part coming and what to do with it, that it’s gonna come to the house and that once it’s come out, it’s not gonna come out by a certain date. I also gave AHS a call because they had to redo the appointment. And then they made the next appointment to put in the part. So, no stone is left unturned with AHS.

I have recommended AHS to others. However, there’s only one thing that I found odd. The records that they keep on the repairs don’t seem to be very good. I keep a file and when my dishwasher had problems, I ended up having to replace the dishwasher. Their techs came out six times. And from the second time on, each repair person only knew of one other time that somebody had been out. So, when the guy came the sixth time and I told him that he was replacing the part that someone already did two sessions ago. He said, “I only have one session down here that we were out for.” There was a communication gap somewhere and it took me almost a year to get a new dishwasher. A dishwasher is a luxury for me and that’s a big deal.

In the call before that, I had a problem with the water tap on my washing machine. That service was excellent. They sent CKC and within 10 minutes the guy had determined what the problem was. He replaced the tap and that was all done within three days so I was happy. I sent them an excellent review for that guy. This company with the microwave, I wasn't so happy with because it took them over a month to get the parts. AHS is an insurance if you have a major problem. Plus, you don't have to try to figure out who's a good repair service to call. Especially when you're a woman living alone and you don't know who they are. In that case, it works fine. And as soon as you send a request to AHS they respond very quickly. It’s who they delegated to that causes more of a problem. So overall, I'm quite happy and I would recommend them.

When I didn't hear back from them for a week, I called back for an update and the lady puts me on hold to speak to her supervisor because she was clearly clueless and tells me that they have 1 month to go back and review that phone call. So, for no fault of mine, in spite of paying my dues on time and promptly, I have to wait without my fans working properly with such poor customer service. One day of mine was wasted where I tried to arrange my work schedule to get this done and it wasn't done and who knows how long they will take.

Now this isn't the first time AHS has messed up, so even before I placed this order on 6/5/2017, I had already asked to not renew my contract which was expiring on 7/2/2017. I asked the lady, that since my contract is expiring 7/2 and technically they have till 7/5 to review the telephone conversation, will they be honoring the request to get my fans repaired? Then she put me on hold again in spite of me asking to speak to her manager/boss and then tells me "No, since your contract will have expired, we won't be able to help". Such poor shady service is simply disgusting. I am glad to be taking my business elsewhere. I will be leaving this review on their website as well.

Original Review: June 20, 2017

AHS is a typical scam company. It collects money for warranties then never pays up with various excuses. I was on hold for over 30 minutes before giving up. I went to their website, filled out a service request for a pool pump, which was covered. I was given the name of a service provider with an "F" Better Business Bureau rating and an expired license. When I told this to the customer rep "Victoria" in chat I was told that I had to use them. I said I would get the pump replaced by a decent contractor and send AHS the bill. She told them they wouldn't pay for it. Nice scam they got going.

Three weeks later I received another e-mail notice that my service fee was overdue. Again, I called back. I was disconnected once, and I waited on hold over 30 minutes this time. The rep told me that all the notes from my previous call were there, but that it takes up to 30 days for the processing to happen. She told me it should be cared for very soon. I was very happy with the service I received from the repairman through AHS; however, for a nationwide company, the extremely long wait times seem ridiculous. It seemed as if they hoped I would give up before having a chance to speak to anyone. To be very clear, my only dissatisfaction comes from the AHS customer service -- not the service of the repairman.

Original Review: June 20, 2017

On May 21, 2017 I placed a request to repair my AC unit that was not working properly. The first contractor that was sent out stated the unit needed to be replaced and left without giving me a clear explanation besides they would contact me. A week goes by, and I still haven't heard anything. After giving them a call, I find out that a new contractor was called for a second opinion. It is now June, and my claim still has not been resolved. After calling them a number of times today, I find out that they denied my claim. I have a less than one month old baby in the home, which I have had to temporarily relocate due to the high Texas temperatures.

I have paid into this warranty plan for the past 8 years, only for them to deny my request for repair. They are claiming that the damage to the indoor AC unit is not considered normal wear and tear and suggesting that someone within the home has damaged it. It is impossible to damage it, as the part that the repair guys removed had to be taken apart and put back together which would take a professional. Any issues have always been handled by the AHS contractors, so if there was any damage, it would have been committed by the company themselves.

I am highly disappointed that they would not replace my unit, as I have been a long time customer of theirs. The main reason for me purchasing a home warranty is so that it may cover situations such as this. It seems as though AHS will cover small items such as maintenance, but when something major goes out they will find a loophole or badger the contractors to call in their favor. If you are purchasing for home repair security, I would advise you to look elsewhere. I will be cancelling my contract with them and search for a company that has better business practices.

I called on Friday to get a resolution to an issue and received poor customer service. I had to call 4 times on 2 different days just to get a resolution. It has been resolved since then thanks to Brittany and I greatly appreciate her customer service. On Friday I called and spoke with Justice. I told her that I just had my dishwasher serviced and paid the $75 service fee even though I received an email from Dispatch saying that there was no service fee. She chatted with a supervisor and said there must have been a computer glitch causing me to receive that email because there is always a service fee due. I told her that I would be happy to forward the email to whoever needs to see it but even if it was a computer glitch it should still be honored.

She was very rude, offering nothing but "It was a computer glitch. The $75 is always due." I asked her to speak to a supervisor and she put me on hold. After a total phone call of 26 minutes, she hung up on me. When I called back I was connected with Latisha. I had to tell her the situation all over again, including how rude Justice was and that I got hung up on while waiting to speak to a supervisor. I told her that I just want to speak to a supervisor. I don't have a clue what she was doing. She asked me a couple questions, put me on hold for 10 minutes, got back on and asked me one more question, put me on hold for 5 minutes, got back on and asked me one more question then back on hold for 5 more minutes. This happened a number of times before she said that she would look into it, speak with a supervisor and give me a callback.

I asked her when I can expect a callback and she said that if I haven't heard from her by Tuesday afternoon then to call. That phone call was 43 minutes. Wednesday morning I called and spoke with Shameka. She is the definition of poor customer service that drives away customers and referrals. I told her the story AGAIN, including being hung up on and expecting a callback. She, too, told me that she was told that there was a computer glitch but the $75 is always due. She would not let me speak because she missed the lesson in customer service about DO NO TALK OVER THE CUSTOMER. If I was talking and she decided she had something to say, she said it but louder than me. She told me that if I give my credit/debit card info for the service fee and the funds are not in the account then I will still get an email saying that it has been paid. I did not give any card information when requesting service on my dishwasher.

I told her that I want to speak to a supervisor and she said that one will get back with me in 24 hours. That's not acceptable because #1 I have been waiting since Friday, #2 I had already been put on hold for a supervisor and not told that one would have to get back with me in 24 hours. She eventually stopped talking (finally). However, she would not speak. I said "Hello?" She said "Yes ma'am." I asked her why she was not speaking and she said that she was only speaking when asked a question. I told her that was the first time during this whole conversation that she didn't feel the need to speak over me and that I have never called somewhere and received the SILENT TREATMENT!

I asked for the call center supervisor and she would not let me speak to one. I asked for the AHS supervisor and she would not let me speak to one. I told her that I would wait for a supervisor, she was welcome to put me on hold. After 26 minutes of utter disrespect she hung up on me. In case you're not counting, that is over an hour and a half of being on the phone that has added up to being hung up on twice. Then I called back and unfortunately I didn't write down the name of the lady that I spoke with. Alisha maybe? Regardless, she was very helpful. I told her that I did not want to tell this long story again to someone that was not a supervisor. She understood and asked for the quick version so she could tell the person that she was transferring me to. I gave her the quick version and she read the notes as well.

She read something about me being double charged. Not the case at all, I never even said that. Whoever is taking down notes needs a lesson in that as well. Anyway, she said that she can transfer me to the next level up, they are in between the supervisor and her. I told her that's more than anyone has offered so far and that would be great. She transferred me to Brittany. Brittany (nicely) said it would be great if she could see the email. I said that I offered that on the very first phone call and I would be happy to send it to her. So I sent it right then. That was the first pleasant phone call, and I don't even care that it was over 20 minutes as well! Brittany got it resolved for me after speaking to her superiors and we were refunded the $75.

I cannot believe how ridiculous the phone calls have been. Why did it take 2 hours total and 2 days to get it handled that quickly and simply? It was simple- I got an email saying not to pay the service fee, I paid it because AHS told him to collect it and I am not going to waste his time and argue with him. There was a glitch or something but the email should be honored. The superiors agreed, and it was. The end. Maybe the call center should close for a week and have customer service lessons. It would be money well spent, BELIEVE ME! If these phone calls are recorded it would be in the supervisor's best interest to listen to them to see who became rude first (the customer or the representative), how disrespectful they were, how inappropriate the things being said were, and the names of the representatives so they can be reprimanded.

I haven’t had to use my air conditioning for a couple of weeks because of the weather. It wasn’t working again so AHS had to send somebody else. I called up and AHS told me they had to send Alpine again. But Alpine wasn’t coming to me in a timely manner so AHS gave me the name of somebody else. However, that other person never called me back. I called American Home Shield and that’s when they sent the last people out and they were good. But I have to call AHS back again because I’m going to give the repair the benefit of the doubt. The last days were in the 90s, but my air conditioning is still not keeping cool as much as it should be.

I got excellent people and contractors from American Home Shield. Their work is excellent, the customer service people have been very responsive and noted correctly what the problems were. I've had one contractor a few years ago who tried to spam me so I called and reported them. Other than that, I like the company and have been with them for several years now and referred them to so many people. Our house was built in 1975, things are going to break and it's something especially if you own an older house like we do. I dealt with them for several years and the ones I've been getting have been very good and made sure that I have my paperwork and documentation. When they're trying to find a contractor, I help them out and tell them which city to look instead of sending somebody that might take 45 minutes to get here.

It's been a great experience and expedient service. With the one I'm paying now, it was such a cost-savings. You can't even compare it to what the bills that I would have had if I went straight to a contractor. They're professional with excellent customer service and response time. I will even use them on personal projects and I'm just very happy with them.

They sent out an air-conditioning unit system that one of the technicians came to my house 9:00 at night for the first visit and walked into a party by 11. I don't know if that's a testament to his tenacity or a testament to their incompetence. But that technician probably did the best work than all the ones that had come. AHS should find the company that they sent because they never send the same guy out every time. Ecotech probably has always sent their excess of five different technicians and then I try to explain to each of them what the other technician did previously.

I had issues with them with a stove I had as well. The stove in my kitchen costs $5,000 and so does my refrigerator. I got a built-in sub-zero stuff and they don't want to pay the cost or the stuff to get it fixed. They showed me some clause that said they were only going to pay up to a certain amount and I had to pay the additional to get my stove put back in my house. So overall, I'm not too satisfied with AHS.

When I called them to take my refrigerator out of the plan, they took my well pump too even though I never gave them permission to do so. They said they added washer and dryer to my plan, which I didn’t have at the time. So when I went to file for the claim because I was not getting water in the house, I found out that I didn't have a well pump on the plan for about three years. I have been paying the same amount of money yearly and I didn’t know that I didn’t have it. When I spoke with them, they said that it was due to the phone call that I made when I changed my refrigerator. That I gave them permission to take that out also, which I never did. But they said that they were going to listen to the phone calls. They told me they will get back to me but they never did. I’m still waiting for them to let me know what happened, what was the mistake and somehow get me reimbursed.

I have been paying three years in a row for washer and dryer that I don’t need which was about $5 difference from the well pump. I ended up taking the washer and dryer out of the contract this week and add in the well pump back on. AHS reimbursed me for this year but they didn’t reimburse me for the past two years that I paid for. I also ended up on making some expenses since we paid out of pocket to get the problem fixed for my well pump. It turned out it wasn’t the well pump, though. It was the little control button that goes on the well pump that had to be changed because there wasn’t electricity to pump the water.

I ended up having to call another company out to get it fixed. I have a friend that works for Angie's List and she gave me one of their contractors' number. We're able to have maneuver to come out within 24 hours originally. They came, looked at it and they cleaned all of it. They cleaned up the vents which AHS is telling me is not covered. But there was a problem with the mechanism on the computer and it was sucking more lint out of the dryer than anything. I was told that it would have had a fire and if I didn't get it fixed. Also, part of the job had to be done outside and they couldn't do it in the rain because it would be dangerous if they let it out in the rain due to electricity. But they promised me they will be back the next business day and they did in the morning and fixed it.

After about six hours on the phone with AHS, this other company never called me back when I called. Also, the people that you get to before you get a supervisor straight out lie to you. One girl told me that they would get back to me within four hours and it was 48 hours, big difference. I was getting ready to call American Express to view my claims. Then, I had to pay the $100 with my service fee and they did not have anyone else to come out and service my dryer at least for about a week. That wasn't gonna work for me. They should have been able to fix it or tell me it is not covered but that they're there and it's something they handle. I would be happy to have an additional if that's what it is and if it's not covered, I get it.

I'm not happy at all and I was more frustrated by the fact that it took so long to resolve with AHS. This really turned me off to them. That was my second task that I gave them after I had one bad experience and this experience would surpass all the others. I'm not paying for someone to monitor monthly especially with six people in the house. But I have other fantastic experience with them that I also posted about. I found the garbage disposal people and certain electrician services or services for plumbing to be excellent. I would use those providers again but I would not feel bad not recommending AHS. Also, be cautious whatever you do.

But I ended up being out of pocket of almost $400 for some charges which were not on the contract because it doesn’t cover everything. My responsibility was only $100 out of pocket for the initiation fee or call fee. But then, I have been told that’s another $400 on the top of that so I called American Home Shield back. At that time, I just wanted it fixed but I need to get to them to explain to me why I have been charged another $400 for the installation of water heater.

Also, it looks like they have a limited amount of people who are serving the areas. I have another instance about two weeks ago when the pool equipment went bad. I called them up and they assigned somebody who is 70 miles away and that person did not reply back. I didn’t hear anything for two days so I called American Home Shield back and they sent somebody else. But they said that’s only one person and they don't have anyone else. So there is a limited contractor who sign with them and it’s kind of unexpected. I thought they have a vast network of good people but it looks like they don’t.

I’ve been with them for about 5 years and the issues are always fixed a long time. It's only once when the guy came within two hours and all other experiences always take days. They do the job but it’s not like where you call somebody independently. From what I see, the contractors tend to put everything in the back burner and it looks like any request coming from American Home Shield is not very important for them. Maybe because American Home Shield is not paying enough.

With that said, in my logical mind I said if the R22 is being replaced then why would he tell me that he needs to find the leak and I would need more freon? Then my thinking is if I have a leak and he put more freon in the system, wouldn't the freon just leak out again? I quite didn't understand his theory. In my thinking if something is broken and it possibly can't be repaired then shouldn't it be replaced? I just need some answers and clarity from American Home Shield.

We tried to contact AHS to report this problem and had an extremely difficult time contacting the agency to express our discontent because the website did not include a tab to make such an action and we could not make contact with an agent on the telephone. We waited on hold for over an hour and a half (in 2 calls). This was frustrating and waste of our time. After so many years of being a customer, we are exploring another provider.

Now summer of 2017 and a new AC vendor is saying the problem for all those years was the initial AC vendor removed my Mastic tape and I need new mastic tape to stop all my cold air from escaping in the attic! Really, 2 years later, countless AC repairmen and $$$ going in my attic. This AC person also states I have a problem with my downstairs unit! I'll talk about downstairs unit on a later post! He was very dishonest! When I question the repairman about all the out of pocket cost mounting up for me, he gets furious. Another repair person from the same company sees things differently however he is told to pack up, leave and not talk to me anymore.

This company flat out lied to AHS however AHS told me that they have to listen to the vendor NOT the homeowner. I asked AHS if I could send them pictures that clearly show this vendor is lying, they didn't want to see them. After hours spent on the phone, mostly on hold I get a customer service rep that listens and not just insist on being rude. She hears my logic and sends a 3rd AC vendor out. The 3rd vendor is in shock of what he sees! This time I am in the attic filming since it is clear AHS doesn't value the paying consumers' voice. My AC unit was literally cut up and metal parts thrown into the insulation of my attic! It is not repairable. How did the numerous vendors before him miss this? It has to be replaced and my cost is over $900! AHS said it was normal wear and tear! An AC vendor cuts up your unit and AHS said it's normal wear and tear!

I escalated my concerns and am told I was correct about the 1st vendor however my unit worked great for over 2 years! OMG, AHS is horrible. They look for any possible out even though it is in the notes the number of times I called in the past 2 years regarding that unit. AHS agreed to pay $336 of my $900+ bill AFTER I pay. No compensation for the two years of high electricity bills, hours of phone time and numerous days taken off work! Not to mention the insults of dealing with the disrespectful vendors and customer service representatives that put you on hold and forget about you! This is the worse customer service experience I have ever encountered. My next post will include pictures and receipts for each unit to be verified.

The customer service representative also said that they "don't go off of online reviews because they are hearsay". I brought up the fact that no company in the area has a license or public website with that name. They said "Again we don't go off of what the internet says". I am extremely concerned about having this service request processed by this company. Based off of everything I have read I requested they switch me to a guy that was one of their certified contractors who had been out here to work on our heater. They said no. The only way to switch is after the initial visit. But last time we had an issue with initial work preformed with one of their subcontractors they told us the only way they were sending a new company out was for another service fee!!!!

I'm not asking them to move a mountain. Just cancel the original dispatch and pass us to a reputable contractor in our area. I'm tired of getting the run around from a company we pay a decent amount of money to in case an issue arises and then when something does they try to send the bottom of the barrel to railroad us. Since they don't "Care about reviews on the internet" we will see what they say about this review. Or as they call it "hearsay".

And so, I called AHS and told them the situation. I said, "I pay $50 every month and I make only one call a year and this is the service we get?" Whoever answered the phone at AHS was extra nice. She made sure that my issue was taken care of in a fast manner and did an outstanding job. And so, the second contractor came in, got everything done and put everything on a piece of paper. The repair was good and now my sink is working the way it's supposed to work. While the contractor they send is not always good, American Home Shield's service is good overall.

They said they’re gonna send me another service tech. I asked them, “For what? Your first one that you sent was your service tech that condemned the unit. Are you trying to suggest that he didn’t know what he was doing and you’re looking for a second opinion?” And they said, “Well, no. Just wanna make sure that it’s correct.” I told them to send me whoever they want. Then they told me who they were sending and we’re against it because we checked and they had a very bad reputation for taking advantage of people which was off of social media. But I still allowed it.

They came over and said that two of the units were no good and that one was questionable. At that point, it’s about 90 degrees out and I told them to put in their notes so that we could at least get two units operational and they can come and replace them or whatever it is that they do. We called again a week later and nothing happened. We got bounced back and forth and they said that the second servicer didn’t say this. I told them my kids were dying upstairs of heat. I already had to go out and purchase two window air-conditioners for their bedrooms. My house was a hundred degrees and I told them to send back the original service guy because he knew what he was doing. I’ll accept whatever he has to say.

This was over a month's time already and they sent back the original guy. He said it was exactly what he told me on his first diagnosis. All three of my units are dead and none of them are working. He put up the gauges to all three of them, had no Freon, and whatever was wrong was wrong. He said he’d call it in that night. We were even on a two-way conversation while he was calling it in. We finally got someone that was very kind and courteous but that person disappeared. She was the first person that understood us but nothing transpired over it. So it forced us to cancel our contractual agreement with AHS. I called my credit card and asked for them to reimburse me whatever the three or four months I had with them. After that, I immediately hired someone and spent around $30,000 to replace all my units. I have invoices and receipts for all of that but it is what it is.

Unfortunately, I needed three units and AHS didn’t wanna make good on any of it. They didn’t repair nor replace them, and they didn’t give me my cash value, which they promised. Even on the first service call that we had for which I paid $125. They told me when they sent the second service call that it’s free and that they would reimburse me my original $125. I never received a penny from them and I’ll laugh if they dispute that I went back three or four months with my credit card company to dispute my monthly payments of $67.

In my eyes, they just saved themselves $30,000. I went on and we looked online to see how many complaints were lodged against them and I was amazed. I always tell my wife to always check thoroughly before she hires people like this. But they’re scam artists. They tried to wear us out for two or three hours on the phone. I recorded some of the conversations and they lasted an hour and it was so frustrating. It just went around and around in a circle and got nowhere with them.

I’m in the wholesale/retail business and I deal with people every day. I’m with the Better Business Bureau with an AAA social media five-star rating. I’ve been in business for about 26 years and I’ve been doing what I do for 35 years. I told my wife to not even bother with companies like this because they’re good for small stuff like fixing the washer or dryer or dishwasher. But if they’re not reputable, they always scam out of it. They tell you one thing then tell you the other. These people are bad news and it's very sad. Don’t do business with a company like this. I hope it catches up with them because someone’s getting very wealthy over there at American Home Shield.

The guy was very nice, though. Whatever was needed to be done, he did it and it was within the $75 so, it worked out. Other than not being able to tell me if something was covered or not, it’s been good. Also, with the sump pump, the tech showed my husband what he was doing and explained it to him. It was the same with the other two plumbing problems where my husband was right there and he explained the whole bit. After the repair, everything has been good.

I filed the claim online because I could never get through to a person at AHS. They put me on hold for 45 minutes to an hour at a time. I absolutely could file a claim on the phone, without question but then they sent out incompetent people who are not even trained to do an HVAC repair. They work on refrigerators but they were the ones available so they sent them out because that's who American Home Shield contracted to in our geographic area. I live in the suburb of Philadelphia and it's remarkably frustrating that they can't find competent providers.

AHS sent people out three and four at a time to try and fix things. With the HVAC, I knew that I needed to fill with Freon but it took them four visits for them to say that I needed Freon and that it's $100 a pound. I could go online and buy it for $35 a pound. They ripped me off there and I paid $75 for the service call. The guy who came out to fix our air-conditioning had no idea what he was doing. He had never repaired an HVAC system before. I couldn't believe it so I sent him home and told him to get out of my house. So I'm not a happy consumer.

I stick with them only because I have a big house with four air-conditioning units. I know eventually, they're going to go since they're 17 and a half years old But at some point, there's going to be a tipping point where I just say that it's not worth it. I'd love to hear from one of their executives. It would be my pleasure to give them feedback directly to give them an idea of what a ** job they do. I don't like using bad words but there are no other words that could be used to describe their poor service.

If a friend would ask me about AHS, I would tell them to run the opposite direction and to put the $100 a month in their savings account, so if God forbid they needed a repair done, they pay it from that account. I pay $111 a month but try picking up the phone and calling somebody to express your complaint, concern, or frustration with that organization. They're a warranty company, not an insurance company. All they do is process calls. They don't know anything about any of the repair work that they're doing and they don't have the capability. They're probably appealing to a more of a blue collar base that they know they can take advantage of. They're incompetent liars.

I’ve also had a plumbing guy come out and tell me I needed work, which was completely unnecessary to fix the actual problem. They're just looking for business, which I wouldn't mind so much, but it was sort of a racket in that they started referring to other people. The job was very simple, my bathtub needed to be shimmed. But the plumbing guy proposed ripping the entire thing out, which was crazy.

Also, I've had someone that they've assigned to unclog a drain in one of the HVAC units but they didn't unclog it. And I've had the same problem twice because they came out and they told me it was fixed. But it was something as simple as blowing the clog out of a pipe going to the pump. Someone that I know, who has an HVAC business, came and said that whoever did the work didn't know what they were doing. That actually caused flooding in my basement and I had to get the rug replaced. So, I had bad experiences there. Having American Home Shield is a form of insurance, which is relatively inexpensive. However, I'd tell others not to expect their problem to be fixed properly and they should expect to wait.

I've submitted several claims in the past months as my microwave, garage door, oven and even my refrigerator went out. All were very good and easy experiences. The techs that came for the oven and the microwave were very nice. They did what they had to do, explained what they were doing and what needed to be done, and when I had to have accommodations with my cabinetry before they could install the oven, they were very good about getting back to install it.

The guy that came to look at the microwave and oven initially said that they both needed to be replaced, and on the next day, I got a call from AHS to buy my appliances. We went online, looked at stuff and I picked my appliances. It blew me away how quickly it happened. And then they said it would take 7 to 10 days to get the microwave and the oven, but it was less than five days. I ordered them Thursday and they were here Tuesday. The guys that brought them installed them also, and did a really awesome job. They were very professional and efficient. They didn't make a mess in my house and leave me to clean it up. I was very happy with all the services. Usually filing a claim is like a nightmare, but with American Home Shield, it was so easy and everybody was so accommodating and helpful.

I also had a very good experience with the garage guy because what was wrong with my garage door was not covered by my contract, and he went out of his way to make sure I understood why it wasn't covered. He explained what was specifically wrong with my garage door opener that was not covered, and that meant the world to me. It's what keeps me with American Home Shield. Now my garage door is working excellent.

I recently filed a claim with American Home Shield for my refrigerator, and it was the second claim I had filed for that because whatever they did the first time didn't fix it. The guy from GE was very nice and professional. He was in and out in less than 45 minutes and fixed the problem. He also explained to me why it didn't work and what he did to make it work this time, and it does seem to be working, but I'm going to give it another day before I load it with groceries. The only suggestion I would have is to get someone here quicker, especially if it's a refrigerator or heater in the winter time, and air-conditioning in the summertime. But other than them having to come back for my refrigerator, I've been very satisfied overall.

Since it’s getting warmer, I don’t need the heating person anymore. I asked American Home Shield for an AC person to come because the cooling isn’t good with our air conditioning unit. They scheduled that person and one week later, he came on time, checked our AC, and solved the problem. That was very good, but they told us that I need to pay another $100. We just used their service once. We paid them once but I don’t know why they asked to pay another $100. When we purchased, they didn’t tell me to pay a $100 for each service. Also, for the first two appointments, their technicians didn’t come. Everything’s fine but they continue sending me emails and letters saying that I owe them $100. So, I printed out from my bank that around May 27, we paid $100. When they asked me $100, I mailed the letter to them as payment. But they haven’t replied yet.

Two months later, my AC quit blowing cool air. We decided it might just be freon, and cancelled our request with AHS. A local company could come on a Saturday, which is a plus with our busy jobs. The determination was a part that cost $300. At this point, it was 92 and we had been without air for four days. We paid for the repair thinking we'd just submit a claim to AHS and they would reimburse us. They denied the claim the day I submitted it. I resubmitted a request stating that I have MS and that it causes heat related fatigue-- and since being hot is dangerous with my disease I paid for repairs instead of waiting another 11 days for them to get a guy, get approval and do the repairs. They denied citing no evidence was submitted that was showed proof of my need to pay claim without prior authorization and denied again.

In the meantime, my toilet cracked. They sent another guy. The rep on the phone stated that it would be covered because it's normal wear and tear. He took photos and submitted a claim to approve repairs. Two days later, I got a letter stating they only cover normal wear and tear, and this was not. My toilet is from 1984 or so. In fact, I think it's the original toilet. I called the call center and was told by a rep, that normal wear and tear is not true. It has to be total complete mechanical breakdown. So since my cracked, wobbling toilet still flushes they will not replace. I called and escalated. They refunded my service fee-- and then invoiced me for it a week later. When I called to ask why I am being billed for a refunded fee-- they state they see no bill. I am holding it in my hand as I speak to the rep. They clearly believe I need to pay them for the service fee.

In short, save your $90 bucks a month, or whatever you pay. They are not a reputable company. The left hand does not know what the right hand is doing. If you make multiple claims,they give you the bottom of the barrel companies for service calls-- and it appears their primary goal is to do as little as possible-- and assist with denying the claim. Maybe they get paid more if it gets denied. Who knows. Take the money you save and pay someone who actually cares to do a good job to fix your home when it needs repair. That way you can hold them accountable-- and since they want to get repeat business, they will truly do a good job.

We got the contractor we wanted and he called me initially then we set up the time. That was a quick and very pleasant experience. He showed up a little bit early. But before he got at our place, he called and said he had a job that ended a little earlier than expected and asked me if it was okay if he could come earlier. I told him it would work for me so, he came.

He talked to me for a minute to ask me exactly what was I seeing. Then he asked me to show him a couple of areas of the house like where the switch is and what that switch powered then he wanted to go to the circuit box to see what was going on. From there, he started running some tests then after maybe 20 minutes, he said he might know what the problem is. He brought me upstairs and showed me what he was seeing. He fixed it then he told me to try the switch. We tried it and everything was good and he closed everything back up. Since the repair, it's been great and there were no further issues.

We would definitely recommend AHS to a friend. Here in the DC metro area, we’ve been happy with at least 90% of the contractors AHS sent. I think we’ve only had one that we didn’t feel like it was 100% stellar performance. The problem that we had persisted and we ended up going to another route to get it taken care of. But since then in every encounter and with the claims that were worked on, like the furnace, hot water heater, outdoor water spigot and electrical, the people who have come out have been great.