American Home Shield Reviews

I think people should think twice before spending $300 on a home warranty that won't cover the most common and basic problems.

AHS called to schedule a second opinion appointment so my husband, a doctor, took an afternoon off to wait for this company. No show, No call, No surprise. When AHS called to schedule this second opinion appointment, the customer (no)service representative said if the replacement is supported by them he would need to have a conversation with me about policy limitations for the a/coil piece.

I inquired about the incompatible SEER ratings if the other two parts are not upgraded as well and he said compatible SEER ratings are not necessary. This is interesting to me in that my fine print clearly states AHS will not cover HVAC systems with incompatible SEER rated pieces.

When the fan motor and blade went out, the tech found a part locally but AHS refused to pay the extra $75, instead searching the US for the part. They did tell us we could purchase a room cooler for up to $60.00 and get reimbursed! So that was a difference of $15 for to them, but a loss of 4 days of work and finding a place for the kids to stay for us.

They are now refusing to pay for leaking air ducts, citing improper installation. They continually finds reasons to deny or delay service.

My air conditioner has gone out three times; twice they claimed the evaporator coil needed to be replaced at $300. Each time the local contractor had to come back, after the so-called repair, two or more times. The local guy's answering service refused to contact the a/c company over the weekend without a request from AHS, and AHS only offered excuses everytime I demanded help with what is supposed to be a covered item. The only thing they ever did in the 4 years was repair my garbage disposal, and that was primarily because the plumber worked around their can-barely-skirt-the-rules-laden system.

Every contractor called out to my house under an AHS warranty said the same thing -- it's not worth the money or aggravation.

The repairman said the a/c needed a coil, but of course AHS had to see if they could find one. It is now Wednesday morning and we have heard nothing. We can't leave or go anywhere else because we have about $3000 in exotic birds that need care and can't be taken to a motel.

I feel that the medical conditions should have taken priority over other things and a new unit should already have been put in.

I called and was told how sorry they were and they would cancel it immediatly. I had the additional payments taken out of my checking acct through bill pay. I started receiving collections notices stating I never paid. I called and was told sorry AGAIN but 2 payments were submitted to your Washington address. I advised them that contract was to be cancelled as I never wanted that contract.

That was when I was told, "Oh, the person who opened the contract probably saw an opportunity for additional commission". Wow I could not believe their own rep said that!

He told us he would order the part. He left the old gasket dangling from the door and left!!!! The refridgerator was left gaping open and we had to put tape on it to keep it closed. I called for 2 weeks straight to get a status on the repairs and finally received and estimate for the shell, $329!!!! That is almost the cost of a new fridge! So I called AHS back to argue my claim and asked that they at least send a professional tech back out to try to reattach the new gasket and they wouldn't even do that!!!! What a rip off!!!!

AHS could not give me a reason why my claim was denied other than lack of maintenance, when this was done.

We had to pay out of pocket for something that they were supposed to cover. I feel it is unfair for them to offer a contract and not honor it.

Another plumber was sent and he asked us to change the shower head. We did and the problem remained. By this time 6 months were gone since each visit from AHS will take a month and it takes a month for us find somebody to do what they asked us to do. Finally I got frustrated and arranged a local plumber to come and look at the problem. He came and immedietly said the problem was due to a washer and he fixed it next day. Only thing is I had to spend $400.

Now that the problem is fixed, I called American home shield to close the walls since it had to be opened for fixing the problem. It is almost a week and still no end to the problem. It is almost 9 months and I still have open wall in the kitchen and masterbath.

a) It took 9 months during which using Masterbath was restricted b) I had a open wall in the kitchen. I could not invite any business associated to home since it looked really bad. c) I had to spend close to $600 to fix the problem.

AHS will not even give me another company to use. They advertise "call us 24 hrs a day" but their service is slow as a snail, and nothing, not even extreme heat and small kids, is considered an emergency.

Their warranties are worthless and I will not be using them again.

I called the air conditioning company back and they put in a larger amp fuse to hopefully fix the problem! Two hours later the fuses blew again.

I then called AHS to report the same problem was continuing.They scheduled the air conditioning company back out for the third time. I was very adamant how important it was for them to resolve the problem due to the extreme heat we endure in Southern Nevada. By this time we were experiencing 110 degree temps and I have a two year old and three pets to worry about. They assured me that the situation will be taken care of.

During the third visit the tech condemned the unit and requested a new one.

We are now entering the second week and I had to buy a portable air conditioner, portable swamp cooler and several fans to try and keep somewhat cool. I had to send my 2 year old daughter to my friend's home to insure her well being. The third week was still not productive and all I was told was the part was on order.

I'm now entering the fourth week and still no cool air. I have had to call another air conditioning company to resolve my problem. The new system is costing me $7500 plus all the portable units & fans. AHS is only willing to reimburse me $60!!!!

I will not renew my Home Warranty with AHS. I also plan to contact an attorney to help me recover some of my out of pocket costs and unnessasary suffering!!!

Within five minutes of the phone call my bank account had already been debited and the amount of the payment had been deducted from my available balance, causing three items to overdraft.

The bank has charged me, and taken out of my account, $99 in overdraft fees.

AHS sent out a local plumping company that came up with a cost of $235 + my $45 deductable (extra charges for electrial parts and an additional expansion tank,all which are not covered). They even had a document with all the little parts AHS refused to reimburse. I spoke to a support rep and a supervisor that both kept repeating the same ole "not covered routine".

I was expecting a $45 repair and it turned out to be almost $300 bucks. When I asked about the point of paying $400+ a year, they suggested I check the amount of the new water heater + labor and I could find my own contractor!

I won't be renewing this year.

I have had AHS for 11 years at $539 a year and have used them three times for a minimal amount. They will not tell me the name of their regional supervisor. They sent me a letter stating that my insurance covering the ac was cancelled until I got it fixed.

I been without AC since April 2006 - AHS does not seem to under the law of contracts.

As it turns out I was having some remodelling work done on the home and had a HVAC person my builder uses in the home. When I asked him to review the AHS technician's costs he could find no basis for the $1200. He also said that the AHS technician's plan for the install was incorrect and would lead to potential problems down the road. I went back to AHS and asked for a cash sttlement. They came back with an offer of $432. A total unreasonable amount by any stretch of the imagination. And totally non-negotiable according to AHS.

I have been without heat now for 1 month. And am now having to get bids to have the work done myself. I will never deal with AHS ever again. I suggest anyone reading this do the same.

Replacement unit was installed and the cooling was acceptable. That fall the heat was turned on for the first time and the unit produced no heat. Called AHS again and, after several days of discussion, they sent a repairman out. He determined that I had been given a cooling unit ONLY with NO heat capabilities. He installed an auxiliary heat unit in the air handler. Heat was produced but electric bill doubled.

After many phone calls to American Home Shield, a heat pump was installed and the repairman disconnected the wire to the auxiliary unit but did not remove it. The “new” unit appeared to be used, was very noisy and not very effecient. I was dissatisfied with the service received and did not renew my annual agreement with AHS.

Because the unit was especially in-effective in winter months, used small space heaters instead of using the heat pump, installed ceiling fans and bought supplemental cooler for summer months.

Recently contacted A-Quality Air Conditioning and after a thorough inspection, determined that outside equipment was a 3.5 ton unit and the air handler was a mis-matched 3 ton. The estimation was that the outside units would continue to be a problem and may have to be replaced every few years due to the mis-match. Also determined that the auxiliary heat unit was a potential fire hazard as the wiring used to connect to the electrical service was inadequate to handle the voltage.

I will need to replace both inside and outside units with an estimate of approximately $5000.

The impact is I spent 95 bucks so far and have a broken humidifier to show for it and I don't know what to do next.

Now,everytime we use the new washer, lint gets all over our clothes and in the washer drum. I complained to AHS and they told me I would have to deal with Whirlpool. Whirlpool sent a repairman out who told me nothing was wrong with the washer and I needed to sort the clothes better. I'm 63 years old and I KNOW how to do laundry. I've owned many washers and I've NEVER had this problem. I insisted that Whirlpool give me a new washer or correct the problem and they hung up on me.

I called AHS and told them they are the company that sold me the washer and took my money and I needed them to make this right and help me resolve the problem and they said I'd have to deal through Whirlpool. All of this is very difficult for me because I have MS which has affected my voice and it's hard for me to talk a lot and especially to argue with irresponsible merchants.

We felt the costs were excessive, but were caught between a rock and a hard place. The cash out option was certainly not enough to cover a furnace and labor. AHS has specially contracted rates with suppliers, and it seems quite unfair that the cash out option equals AHS's costs, not a reasonable portion of ours. AHS should at least let us get the equipment at their cost, and then allow us to pay for our own contractor.

AHS would not allow a second contractor to give us an estimate. Essentially, we are at the mercy of AHS and their preferred contractor. We have to agree to whatever estimate their preferred contractor comes up with. AHS and the contractor are in a win-win situation here, and hold all the cards.

Anyway, after my wife got home that day I told her about the outcome and she told me she had saved the handle. So I called, emailed and wrote a letter to AHS and they never responded. I made multiple attempts by phone and they just gave me the run around.

It's a good warranty, if nothing goes wrong.

I wrote letters and sent Faxes but to no avail. Then I get a letter from a collection agency for the full amount of the contract.

I was ripped off and now have a collection on my credit report! Beware!

We are out $600.00 with a new hole in the wall.

I called AHS and they sent out a plumber who seemed to find everything he could do to deny the claim for AHS. He told them that I had used pliers so they told me they would not pay for the repairs because there was human action involved. They said there was nothing that could be done and transferred me to two differnent managers that said exactly the same thing.

The service company informed me that my furnace was beyond repair due to basic wear and tear. Three days later, as I was trying to get information on my claim, I was told that AHS would send a contractor out to give a second opinion. The new company came to the same diagnosis with the exception that they added an elaborate $4000 venting system that is not covered.

AHS told me they would not allow me to get a second opinion on the non-covered costs and would not authorize the work without the extras. The first company told me the extras are not needed. AHS told me I can get a cash payout of $1426.07 which will not cover anything.

Then he reported that the liner of the microwave was damaged which voided their responsibility to fix or replace.

I called the service number, got several very snotty people and when I said to cancel my policies they indicated it was a "legal" contract. I told them the brochure I had said all I had to do was call to cancel. AHS said cancellation had to be in writing and probably wouldn't be cancelled. I faxed in a cancellation and have not heard back from them.

They sent out a contractor who wrote up the work order stating that the compressor needed to be replaced, the circuit board was burnt (he said it was black), there were caps leaking, and the shrader valves needed to be replaced as well. After AHS gave the company a runaround playing phone tag and lying to us twice about ordering the parts to fix the problems, we were finally restored with air after THREE WEEKS.

The only thing AHS would allow them to replace was the air compressor (simply because that would get it running, to say the least). When we contacted AHS to ask why they did not allow them to fix the other problems, they told us that was the only thing the company told them about! WRONG! AHS was avoiding a higher bill.

We also had to pay a $150 "non-covered" charge for the company to remove the old freon. Now, less than six months later, the unit died again. It is still under the warranty, but is about to expire. AHS assured us it would be covered because the service request has already been submitted, but we expect this to be quite an adventure!

A technician came out, said my heat pump couldn't be repaired and I needed a new one. Estimate for new system and installation was $5520. AHS said they would send out external unit only, or they would 'cash-out' for $620 plus labor for installation. The local Heating company told them and me that their unit was not compatible with my inside unit and would not work. AHS told me that was not their problem, the inside unit had not failed and they would not replace it.

They are already determined NOT TO PAY before they ever cross your door. They lie about damage or lack thereof; do not address the issue you called in for repair; and above all you have no "say" regarding the "arbitration" on your problem.

So far it's been an air conditioner ($650 + $90 service call) and an oven ($800 + $45 service call) that have been denied.

In June 2005, AHS sent a technician to repair my cooktop. After waiting 1 week for the part, the technician tried again to order and said it would take 2 weeks to get spare parts. I had to leave Hawaii so I just waited for AHS's call back - they never did.

Four months later, I called AHS again, and they declared the "back-order part" was no longer available and the "control unit" needed to be removed and sent back for repair, taking 4 to 6 weeks to process. Then AHS tried to convince me they could pay me just $200 (actually $150 after my $50 co-payment) because the unit is "repairable" if I chose not to repair it.

I checked the replacement costs and it would be $1500 for similar features of my existing unit. So I let AHS try again, and after 6 weeks' waiting, the technician brought back the same old part (neither of us can detect any traces of repair) and installed it to no effect! The technician now declared the unit "non-repairable" and AHS went into another long delay to "research my unit".

AHS finally got back to me offering the cheapest model available for replacement, ignoring any and all of the features of my existing unit. AHS can determine, in its sole discretion, what replacement unit to offer".

In following up with our own private repair people, we typically always found out that the problem was nowhere near as bad as we were lead to believe. And in fact it should have been coverable by warranty. I truly believe that American Home is behind this because when I reported these behaviors to AHS, nothing was done. They didn't even bother to return the phone call.

I am a branch manager for a mortgage company and have in the past referred many clients to AHS for home warranty needs. Never again! We are going to change to another more reliable home warranty company for our properties.

Apparently, the entire warranty is full of loopholes that apply to most, if not all, the major reasons appliances or major home systems fail. I feel like an idiot for falling for it, and I've spent more time and money with them than I would have if I had just paid a real plumber to replace the water heater.

First, there is a shortage of contractors who will work for them and they don't get the cream of the crop. I had to tell AHS not to send one contractor out again, as he was just plain nasty & rude. In another situation, I had to go online & find the part needed for my wall oven because the contractor couldn't find it.

We've had totally incompetent electricians who, of course, took our fee but nothing was covered under our contract. Plumbers who whined & moaned about having to repair our toilets, asking my husband why he didn't do it himself. And the final straw was our hot water heater. It took them over 24 hours to get back to us and then when we requested that the contractor install an energy star rated water heater, with a higher water storage capacity, (with us paying the difference in price) the contractor not only put in the LEAST energy efficient water heater on the market, but he also cracked one of the water pipes while installing it.

My husband called to complain about the pipe breakage, the owner of the plumbing co. denied that his worker could have done it. When my husband persisted, the owner became quite nasty, asking him if he was a plumber.

American Home Shield is NOT worth the money.

Damages: We finally paid Drain Doctor to take care of our plumbing problems.

Damages: Have spent over $400 for a warranty that denied my claim for unknown reason.

We are canceling and will try to get a refund on what is left of our contract.

Damages: NOTHING WAS DONE. We will have to get a plumber on our own if we ever want the problem fixed.

Damages: I'm not sure how quickly I can get out of the worthless contract, or at what expense. I will have to locate my own service company and find the money to be able to pay for the repairs.

Damages: We had to order new units at a cost of about $3300.

Damages: I purchased a new dishwasher to replace the one AHS promised to "fix or replace".

I think it's time the Attorney General for the state of Florida receives my complaint to save other people their time and money.

I would like to email ALL title companies to discontinue doing business with AHS!

I was told that they talked to the plumber who "stands by his diagnosis that there was no wax ring" and that they have to go by what the plumber says, not by what the customer says!

As far as I am concerned, home warranty companies, and AHS in particular, are an absolute fraud. I think they use deceptive trade practices and are a total waste of money.

Damages: I had a loss of income ($900) when AHS told me to wait for service that never showed up on three different occasions and $7,800 out of pocket expense.

To my dissatisfaction we were only refunded $120 with no explanation.

Today, my kitchen sink backed up and, as I have no operative dishwasher, dirty dishes are piling up and so is my frustration.

Damages: I had a damaged ceiling from water. I now have a hole, that was not there before, in my damaged ceiling from a fairly minor water leak.

Needless to say, the day went by and the plumber never called -- so our toilet is still clogged. I am absolutely appalled at the treatment I received from this company.

The technician that American Home Shield (AHS) sent to look at the unit told me that it was old (30 years old) and inefficient. He said he would have to get an authorization to repair it and it might be more reasonable to replace it. The technician said he would get back with me on Monday and charged me $50.

AHS denied the claim because the unit needed to be cleaned. This is an outside unit and it has been windy, rainy, and hot and muggy. This is August in Texas. My family has been at each other's throats because we are hot and uncomfortable. And I still have to buy another unit that I thought was covered under the warranty.

We are furious because we feel that it could cause potential damage to the value of our house. Beside the $60 service call, I find that I will also have to pay $225 for the disconnect and recapture of the Freeon. I am a Realtor, I have had AHS since the 1980's. I have sold AHS to clients, and I can say that I am probably not going to renew.

I have been calling AHS almost every day for 2 months - yet the customer service reps seem clueless as to my situation. I have, however, received at least 6 letters in the past 2 months reminding me that my policy will expire Aug 31, 2005 and to send me my payment for renewal. I will not be renewing. I would like compensation for my suffering, the time spend on the phone and waiting at home for companies (that AMS selects)to look at the old unit, the loss rental income, and out of pocket expenses. Please let me know if there is anything you can do for me, in the least make others aware that AHS is much more trouble than it is worth.

Consequences:

I lost an upstairs tenant because the 97 degree temperatures were too much for himself and his cat. The rental income is $750 per month. I spent over $300 on window AC units for the back of the house (not permitted in the front due to home owners association rules) and fans. I have wasted at least 20 hours between phone calls and waiting for AC companies to give a "second" opinion to AHS.

The damage to my plumbing was so bad that my husband and I just called Roto Rooter who came out, immediately took care of our needs and charged us $3500 bucks! At least it's fixed.

Three weeks later AHS sends me a bill for $45 saying I owe Heritage Plumbing for their service fee. I call AHS and tell them, look this guy came out and looked at it and didn't tell me anything I didn't know already, stayed less than five minute, didn't even give me quote on the work, didn't ask for any money over the phone or while he was here, didn't call me back for almost a week while water is running in my house, blamed the slow progress on you guys, and didn't even fix the damn leak. Over my dead body, he ain't getting a red cent from me. She gave great customer service and told me I had to pay it anyway. She wouldn't give the phone number to their dispute department, only the address. She told me I had to submit my complaint in writing and still refused to give me a phone number for that department and stated all complaints were handled through her department. Then she got tired of me and put me on hold for 15 minutes.

My husband contacted AHS and he was then told that we didn't receive a call from the electrician because the ones they contract with didn't offer emergency service on the weekends ... they had faxed them our contract order that day but the fax machine at the electrician's office was broken. My husband informed them they needed to have someone out that night Monday April 28, 2003 -- they said they could not and it was basically our tough luck we were not able to stay in our home. We then informed AHS that since they were not able to meet the contracted requirements we wished to cancel our policy and he was informed we could not. The contract clearly states I would hear from a contractor within 48 hours on a weekend or holiday and 4 hours during the regular work week. Now I am not able to stay in my home, I am out the money for a place to stay, the repairs and the home warranty!

I asked for both a refund of the $35 service fee and the contract amount, but they refused.

When the air conditioner began leaking, they sent someone out who cleaned out the line and said that if that did not fix the problem we probably needed a plumber to check the pipe. Two weeks later it began leaking again. When we called Home Shield and asked for a plumber they decided it was "IMPROPERLY INSTALLED" because is was OLD PIPE and they "only cover PVC pipe" ...

They told us we were entitled to a second opinion but if the second tech agreed with the first we would have to pay yet another 50.00 for the "service call". Since we were being told it was the pipe we declined. When I complained to the head of customer service that I felt this "improper install" business was a scam his response was to ask why we had kept Home Shield for over 5 years if we thought it was a scam and started reading me the history of our service calls...

When our water heater went out the guy they sent us wired it wrong. It shorted out and caused a fire. This was on a weekend so they refused to call it an emergency. When our dishwasher went out (the door catch would not lock to start the machine) the guy they sent was rude and said that because my husband had attempted to fix it first he was reporting it as "dishwasher abuse" and it would not be covered.

They came out several times on the dryer. It never stayed fixed and we ended up also buying a new dryer at our own expense.

Our home is still without air. We have contacted another A/C company to repair the unit. We will spend $300 trying to get our unit serviced. That is the reason we invested in the warranty service to save money.

We have paid $200 to speak with a lawyer who advised us to write to AHS asking for them to honor their warranty, rather than spend $2500 to retain the law firm. From the numerous complaints found online here and on other sites, it seems a letter will do nothing other than cause more delay and frustration. We are now out $45 for the second opinion and $200 for the lawyer, and still no heat or AC. We have also spent $80 for two small space heaters so we don't freeze during the cold spells.

AHS refuses to pay for the repairs, and contrary to their promise, did not send out another technician. When I called, them they claimed to have contacted another local HVAC company. When I called that company, they denied being contacted by AHS and claimed this "happened all the time with AHS." At this point, the temperature was dropping to around 5 F so I contacted another contractor to have the furnace fixed. I paid that contractor myself. AHS refuses any responsibility for anything, including reimbursing me for the covered repairs. It appears their tactics are to delay until the homeowner has no choice but to fix the problems themselves, and then claim no responsibility. I wish I had my $399 back!

Don should probably pursue the Small Claims option.

This position, in effect, negates any benefits under the contract which may otherwise be available to their customers when losses requiring immediate attention occur during weekends, holidays, or nights. The American Home "Shield" is activated less than 50% of the time.

Our food was at a neighbor's house, which is really inconvenient when you have children who are always hungry and one who is hypoglycemic, requiring frequent food and drink. Our neighbors are orthodox Jewish people, therefore, on Saturday they observe Shabbat. Much of their day is spent at the synagogue and not at home. We were unable to access our food. Most of our plans for the day had to be cancelled waiting for calls from this company with information about someone coming to look at our refrigerator, which never occurred. Our old refrigerator was worth 1200.00, the refrigerator that we bought was 700.00. The policy has cost us 820.00 to date.