First American Home Warranty Reviews
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About First American Home Warranty
First American Home Warranty is a home warranty company that’s been in business for over 40 years. Its plans protect homeowners' budgets from unforeseen expenses due to normal wear and tear of a home's major systems and appliances.
- HVAC tuneup coverage available
- No age limit on appliances
- Discounts on related products and services
- Not available in all states
- Does not publish detailed pricing
First American Home Warranty Reviews
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Reviewed July 6, 2018
First American does not care who they contract with. Just plumbing, their plumbing contractor sucks. Still waiting for a water heater. It has been a month. They have come out three times. They now want to charge me over double what the parts are new. They want an extra 400 for a flue kit and gas lines. You can buy all that at Home Depot for a hundred bucks. Just ridiculous. Both companies should be ashamed at their business practices.
Reviewed July 6, 2018
We have had First American for two years now and we have not had a good experience yet. First, we have a geothermal system and each time we need service, they continually assign somebody who does not work on geothermal systems. Each time we have to go back and request that we contact the company ourselves, submit the claim and get reimbursed. There is only one company locally so it should not be this hard. This is now the second instance in the last 35 days that our AC has gone out. It is 104 heat index but once again they do not guarantee service in less than two days despite the fact that temps are dangerous and our thermostat is reading 83 inside. I would like to say that they have great customer service but the fact is we have not experienced anything positive about First American and with our upcoming move to a new house and city, we will not be going back with First American.
We appreciate your feedback and look forward to being able to address your concerns directly with you.
Reviewed July 6, 2018
We bought our house and got First American with it. Submitting a claim for service has been great. I call them and they have been helpful. There have been times as well when I didn't like the company that they sent and they got me a different one. Also, the techs usually fix the problem the first time. One time, they didn’t fix it the first time but they came right back out and got it going. However, I wish that First American would also cover our sprinkler systems.
Reviewed July 6, 2018
I've been with First American for over 20 years. I pick up the phone and call when I submit a claim, and the contractors do the job and leave. And their work has always been done very well. But I'm waiting to hear from First American. I had an electrician here and he didn’t know whether or not what we had to do was covered and that was over a week or two ago. I was gonna call the company to find out what the delay is, but normally there's no problem at all. First American has been wonderful and I have recommended them a number of times.
Reviewed July 5, 2018
First, oven was hot on exterior, blistered my hand when I used handle to open. Called. Paid $75. Was told exterior temp was legally within spec. New baby on the way, that answer did not fly, replaced myself. Air goes. Went to Costco, because these guys are shady, expected a $4k unit. Costco would have a team out in 5 days to replace. Took this warranty company over a month from complaint to installation. I can only conclude they have one contractor for the entire state of Michigan.
After it was finally installed, upstairs doesn't cool down like it did with the old unit... from 1991 and it has to run constantly to keep up. I googled the unit provided. Suspect reviews, cheapest available, $958 online. I give it a two year life max. This thing is running nonstop 24/7 to keep up with what my unit from 1991 could output. Meanwhile I paid for the warranty, a $75 fee to contractor, a $300 NINJA fee for unknown reasons, and $315 for a window unit to keep said newborn happy for over one month. This company is total scumbags. Pissed me off enough to take the time to warn future homebuyers. Stay away.
We appreciate your feedback and look forward to being able to address your concerns directly with you.
Reviewed July 5, 2018
My cooling system was malfunctioning. First American Home Warranty (FAHW) arranged for a repair co to come diagnose the problem... A week's wait. He concluded the need for replacing the unit. It couldn't be done immediately because the repair co. had to wait until First American bought the system and had it shipped to them for install. That took over a week again. The repair co wouldn't book the install appointment until the equipment arrived. FAHW does not supply them a tracking number.
The day finally came for the system to be installed, and the repair guy finds that another part is malfunctioning. That was on Monday. Again, the part had to be sent by (FAHW) to the repair co. Did they ship it overnight? No, another frickin week! I contacted FAHW and both Edwin and supervisor Rick told me they couldn't overnight it. It's 96 degrees outside and it will be over a month without air conditioning. So, you decide, is it worth a month of no air conditioning to deal with this? I don't think so.
Reviewed July 5, 2018
On February 1, 2018, I placed a claim with FIRST AMERICAN HOME WARRANTY regarding the loss of air conditioning for 2 upper floors in my residence. On these levels, I have a heat pump that provides both heating, and air conditioning. This house is about 10 years old, and these repairs should not be a major, lengthy or complicated process. However, following my call to FIRST AMERICAN, you dispatched a technician from ECCO TECH HOME SERVICES to diagnose the origin of the malfunction on February 5, 2018. A delay of four days. The young man and I met, he was an inexperienced technician; but after examination of the unit, he determined the origin of the malfunction was a missing ‘heating strip’ in the heat pump, and a ‘plate’ that was missing on the side of the unit, which allowed cold air into the unit. He charged me $75, and was on his way in a matter of minutes.
FIRST AMERICAN then sent me an advisory letter stating that my contract contained the following provision(s). * "Under the section marked Limits of Liability, Number 2, Repairs or replacements required as a result of missing parts, fire, flood, smoke, lightening, freeze, earthquake, theft, storms, accidents, mud, war, riots, vandalism, acts of God, damaged from pests, lack of capacity, or misuse are not covered by this contract. Based on this information, FIRST AMERICAN has determined that the item failure is not covered under the Contract and is denying this claim."
After I secured another opinion from a reputable, long established company (NEESE HEATING AND AIR) on May 11, 2018, they determined that the unit will heat and cool without heating strips (they are optional). However, what is more disturbing, is that there are no missing ‘plates’ in the heat pump unit. In addition, they discovered a different issue (apparently overlooked by ECCO TECH HOME SERVICES’ technician), it appeared to their technician that the thermostat wasnot functioning properly, and it needs replacement.
It also appeared that the compressor was tripping the breaker switch when turned on, suggesting the compressor needs replacement. Asper the NEESE technician, the mechanical system fails and locks up. This company’s resolution is to replace the thermostat and compressor and update to new 410 A unit. (Oddly enough, these ARE repairs, covered under my Warranty with FIRST AMERICAN, were deliberately overlooked, and ignored, by the FIRST AMERICAN technician.)
When I called FIRST AMERICAN to report the obvious differences between the two technical reports, your representative stated you need to have another company come out and look at the A/C unit. This decision simply continues to shift FIRST AMERICAN’S procedure or policies to place me at continued discomfort, and inconvenience, while FIRST AMERICAN searches for yet another reason to deny my claim. While I am sure your business model is unique to your company, you have a very disreputable history on-line from many prior consumer complaints. It seems, you have a continued pattern of denial of claims, which denials push your insured’s essential repairs off as far as you can, thereby allowing you time to continue manipulating data and information to make sure your company’s Warranty fails to cover the actual loss.
Meanwhile, the weather has been extremely hot, and I am having to live with NO AIR CONDITIONING in my bedroom, and bathroom. Apparently on your request, someone from J&S MECHANICAL has called me, being extremely rude and insistent that they will come out to revisit the issues on which I have filed my FIRST AMERICAN claim. Why do your offices need a second inspection? Your offices had a previous inspection, you selected that previous company.This procedure, once again to check my heating and cooling equipment at my residence, is simply more delay. Your surrogate inspection company NOW appears to employ policies that are onerous.
For J&S MECHANICAL, there needs to be no rain in the forecast for the day, and my immediate needs have to be scheduled around their overbooked schedule. This is entirely unacceptable and representative of your manipulation of company selection, data and information to deceive me! Your new technicians have stated “they will not be able to come out until Saturday June 2, 2018” (I work during the week and need a weekend appointment), butwhat they have also said is “if it rains or if there is a chance of rain they will cancel and they would not give me a time.” This whole process (entirely controlled by your offices) is designed to frustrate and obfuscate the failure of my air conditioning unit, to delay, and to concoct yet another false reason to deny coverage. How many more technicians do you plan to send out?
I have done my research and needless to say, your company has multiple complaints against you from the BBB. There seems to be a pattern of deception, a pattern of manipulation, to achieve a desired result, ie: denial of the insured claim for repairs. I don’t need another technician’s opinion, since the first inspection was done by your choice of companies. If it was performed poorly, with substandard care or experience, it simply creates a delay. This selection of yetanother repair company to do an inspection, is onerous and unnecessary, just another delay, and waste of time, and money. I did not purchase a Home Repair (Warranty) Insurance Policy to stand around and wait for your company to find a reason to deny my coverage.
I would like this issue resolved immediately, by replacing the compressor and thermostat at my residence within the next 2 weeks from the date of this letter. If I do not get this result, I will turn my complaint and the technical reports over to the GEORGIA ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE for review. Unless you are unaware, this is the state agency that enforces the Georgia Fair Business Practices Act (O.C.G.A. Sections 10-1-390 et seq.) Under this state statute, your unfair and deceptive acts or practices in your insured warranty work, are prohibited. This law applies to consumer transactions involving the sale, lease, or rental of goods, or services for personal, family or household purposes. The GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF LAW'S CONSUMER PROTECTION UNIT will pursue a case, whenever the Attorney General’s office determines there is a substantial public interest.
Simultaneously, I will also file a complaint with the GEORGIA INSURANCE COMMISSIONER’S OFFICES. This agency supervises your insurance license. It has an obligation to prevent misleading insurance claims, and false representations, as to the use of an insurance policy guaranteeing home repairs. Their complaint process is lengthy and will likely give your offices far more problems than fixing my air conditioning unit may create. In your case, you have previously represented in your Warranty that you cover certain repairs and yet, you directly make every effort to deny reasonable, necessary repairs, finding and using a company that has sent out a poorly trained technician. These circumstances you choose to take advantage off, thereby damaging an insured consumer. Forcing the insured consumer to incur expenses, be inconvenienced, and charged for repairs your insurance policy, your ‘Warranty’ is marketed as covering. This is a deception.
In addition, I will also send my complaint to the US FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION, as your offices transact business over state lines and are covered by that agency. THE BUREAU OF CONSUMER PROTECTION is the division that protects the US consumer. This agency has a complaint portal through which I will file my complaint. The business and trade practices your company engages in are fraudulent, misleading, deceptive, and illegal. So while you read my letter, I want to assure you, I am not going to stand idly by and watch your disreputable practices cause me more and more inconvenience. Why would I buy an insurance policy to prevent the loss of a vital heating and air conditioning component, if all I now receive is your excuses, denials and delays?
My demands and requirements are simple, my air conditioning system needs to be immediately repaired, as I have clearly described above. Trying to offer me $1500.00 to close my case is not the answer. A new Lennox unit costs around $6000.00...why would I accept $1500.00? This has been a back and forth routine with the wrong equipment ordered and then telling me after the fact that I need to take down a wall, when J&S originally stated that the unit comes in pieces and can be installed.
We have had unbearable heat and my upstairs stays at 90 degrees, which is not tolerable. First American told me to buy a window unit, which is not allowed in my complex!!! They could care less and are only interested in taking your month and running. BUYER BEWARE AND DO NOT... I REPEAT... DO NOT BUY A WARRANTY FROM THIS COMPANY IF YOU WANT ANYTHING REPAIRED. They will make is a horrible experience and you still will not have the issue resolved.
Reviewed July 5, 2018
I think the fact that I am paying $492 with First American Home Warranty per year and getting poor service from the washing machine technician just irritates me. So in on March 3, 2018 Sebastian Martinez Repair Appliance was assigned to my washing machine issue. I purchased a GE top load washing machine from Sears in 2016. In March the machine wasn't spinning the water out. I had to take the soaking wet clothes out and take them to a laundromat to finish my laundry. When Sebastian Martinez came he just said I needed to hold down the start/stop button for a few seconds to restart the machine. He did not change any parts. A week later the water did not spin out and I held down the start/stop button and that "fixed" the problem.
July 2, 2018 the same problem happened. The washing machine stopped working and the clothes and water was in the machine. I tried holding down the start/stop button and that did not work. I unplugged the machine and that did not work. I took my soaking clothes out of the machine along with 2 kids' clothes and took it to a laundromat. Then next day Sebastian ** called and said there was no availability until July 5th. Then he calls on July 5th and said he has to go to the hospital and doesn't know when he can reschedule for. I asked him if I can call back First American Home Warranty to assign me to another GE contractor. He said yes.
I called FAHW and they told me that I would have to pay the $75 service fee again since it has been over 30 days. I asked them even if it is for the same problem that happened back in March and they said yes. Somehow, I feel ripped off with First American Home Warranty. I have to keep going to the laundromat since I cannot have a technician come out in a timely manner. I have to keep paying $75 for the same problem that they seem to cannot fix on a relatively new 2016 washer. Sears technicians were the best. No $75 charge to fix a problem.
They came out within a 2-day turn around time. If they couldn't fix the issue after a 3rd attempt within the year they would give you a new appliance to replace the one they could not fix. I was even thinking if I did not renew my contract with FAHW back in April. I should have taken that money of $492 and the $75 service fee to get another washer. I am just not happy with the service and I will have to reconsider my options when my Annual Premium expires for FAHW :(
Reviewed July 5, 2018
When we bought the house 17 years ago, the warranty for the first year was paid for by the seller. Then, there were several pamphlets in our folder and I picked First American as it had coverage for our swimming pool. Whenever I submit a claim to them, I do it over the phone and their claims representative is nice. Their technicians were professional and courteous, too, and I had a good interaction with them.
Right now, I’m going through a claim as we’ve been without hot water since Saturday. We are trying to get a hot water heater, and the plumber could not get a whole new heater yesterday. First American will provide the hot water heater to the plumber so it is very inconvenient for the homeowner. But if I had been able to get my own plumber, they could have gotten a hot water heater yesterday. That aside, having a warranty is valuable and it’s okay. But, you are at the warranty company’s mercy for when they are ready to repair. If you can pay out of pocket, to begin with, do not get a home warranty.
Reviewed July 5, 2018
Calling in a claim to First American was very easy and they were there 24/7. Their reps were very nice and knowledgeable on their services as well. One time, we had a problem with our garage door when one of the bolts had a bad place in the metal. I was just gonna call and leave a message since it was night time already, but I was amazed that someone answered. They told us who would be calling and the next morning, that company called and were here in three hours. The guy looked at it and put the new bolt in one of the roller assemblies. Also, several months back, one of our springs broke. The contractor was also here within hours and replaced the spring.
But before those, we had a problem with our fan motor in our heating unit and the closet was making some noise. And that was kinda touchy with the company that they sent out to do the work. The gentleman came out and fixed the cage. Then, the fan motor was making a lot of noise and vibration in the wall. They repaired that but then the noise came back after a few days.
We called the contractor back and they came out and told us that the gas line in the closet was not up to code which was strange because it was up to code when the house was built. The service company wanted to $600 plus to repair it. And so my husband went to Lowe's, bought the material needed and did the repairs. It only took him $29 and half an hour to fix it. So the service company wasn't too happy because they really wanted to charge us that extra money. First American was sorry that that happened, but for the service fee that I had to pay for with them, it was a no-brainer. We got the upgraded plan that covers everything which is amazing. We're glad to have First American Home Warranty.
Reviewed July 4, 2018
We were advised to get a warranty on our property when we first purchased a house 15 years ago, and we’ve been with First American ever since. I usually submit claims on the phone. It's fast and my interactions with the reps have been okay. They are very professional and they help me right away. And they answer all the questions I have. But I got the spring of my garage door broken and now I realize that they don’t cover for it. Also, once we had an issue with a technician. The claim was for our microwave plate and he needed to lower the microwave, but he didn’t want to so we had to do it ourselves. They were really bad with their job. So now I’m waiting because I have the issue again with my microwave and they’re supposed to go in on Tuesday next week. Other than that, everything’s been okay at home. Overall, I will recommend First American.
Reviewed July 4, 2018
When I bought the house nine years ago, First American Home Buyers Protection came with it. Our experience with them has been pretty good except for this last time. We have an air conditioner that stopped cooling. The contractor who was sent out here didn’t really want to be here. I don’t feel he was here for our best interest. He stayed for 10 minutes and told me the issue was because my filter was clogged. He told me, "Change the filter out and that would fix the problem." It did not. That was on a Friday. He then came back on Monday and told me it was frozen up and there was nothing he could do that time either. He came back on Tuesday and told me that there was nothing he could do to fix it and left. He also said I needed a whole new air conditioning unit.
First American then sent a second person out who charged me $325 to clean my coils and said that may or may not fix the issue. I'm still having the same problem where it's not cooling like it normally has. My air conditioner runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and it's struggling to hold the temperature. Basically, there's nothing that anybody said they can do about it anymore.
We've found out that the contractor that First American used does not have a real good reputation. They've probably done it because he's got cheap prices but he's been known in the past just to push customers to the side and spend a little or no time. He is a contractor based out at Fort Worth and he's the only tech they have here in Amarillo. I'm not real happy with who they chose to use this time or the outcome of this claim but they’ve taken care of us in the past.
Reviewed July 3, 2018
I pay money monthly and not once they help me out with my problems and the people that answer the phone are not capable of doing their job. Don't seem to understand the nature of the problem when you explain to them. The companies that they hire are really poor at their job. They are there for a quick buck. My AC went out and they said it was not emergency. Living in south Texas in the summer time it gets very hot. My garage door kept messing up and the same company they set me up with did a quick fix and not once they replace it with a new one. I will never deal with them again.
Reviewed July 3, 2018
I bought my house In January 2018 & have this home warranty. Two weeks into moving in I noticed half of the house didn't have working electricity so I filed a claim, they sent a electrician out and look at it submit it a report claiming there was so remodeling being done. I told them we just bought the house and no remodeling is being done and they denied the claim and then two months later my Plumbing started acting up. Call them. Made a claim that got denied. Now here in June 2018 my air conditioner goes out. I file a claim so they send a company out and looks at it. It says air condition has 50 watt hooked up to 30 watt and they deny that claim so basically I'm paying their $75 deductible each time just to be told that is getting denied. So what is First American Home Warranty good for if they denied all claims. So I advise you to look for a better home warranty than First American.
Reviewed July 3, 2018
I purchased a First American Home Warranty for our high rise condo in Las Vegas in Oct. 2017. The first time I attempted to use it was May 30, 2018. The company assigned 4 different vendors to come out & service my oven. Each vendor cancelled before even attempting to come out, as they said they didn’t meet the insurance requirements of the condo HOA for admittance to the building. I spoke with a supervisor, who said she was able to get me an exception, so that I could hire my own contractor & First American would refund me up to $125. Why do I need a home warranty, if I have to do all the work?
I contacted the salesperson who sold me the home warranty. She was not very sympathetic or helpful. I’m trying to get a full refund, but the company is not very responsive. You can only email the cancellation dept. Even though they provide a telephone number, when I called, the representative said that dept. doesn’t accept calls... I feel like I paid $600 for nothing. If they can’t service high rises, then they should graciously offer a refund, instead of making me jump through hoops.
Hello Maureen,
We apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced during the handling of your oven claim. Please be advised, at times we may be unable to locate a contractor to service your claim and will request that you contact an independent licensed contractor. You may refer to your home warranty contract under Customer Service, Number Three. On July 6, 2018, we contacted you requesting a copy of your invoice for review. However, you refused to provide the requested documentation.
As for the cancellation request, you must submit their request in writing to cancellationsupport@firstam.com. You will be entitled to a pro rata refund less a $50 administrative fee. Please refer to your home warranty contract under Cancellation.
Please be advised, we consider this claim closed.
Reviewed July 3, 2018
When I bought a place, I wanted a home warranty and First American Home Warranty was recommended when I was signing the papers. I don't live there and when things go wrong, I want to get it fixed. Submitting a claim takes a while sometimes but I understand. Their claims reps are polite and knowledgeable. They'll check into things to see if they are covered and the technicians that they send out are usually pretty good. If they don't fix the problem, they get a callback. So far, I have been perfectly happy with this company.
Reviewed July 3, 2018
When we bought the house, the homeowner had First American and we kept it as we felt as though we needed it. It was just $50 at the time and now, I hate the fact that our copay has gone up to $75. We submit our claims through the phone and it has been easy dealing with their reps. Although if something happens on a weekend, it’s hard to get somebody quickly. We used them the other day for some electrical outlets. And then, one time my microwave went out and it was about six months before I could get the microwave replaced. It was a microwave that was built in over the stove. And it took a while after they sent a couple of people out because it kept breaking.
Around five months ago, we had a leak so a plumber came out and did something. It’s been a couple of times when the person really hasn’t fixed it. When they came, they looked at something but did not do all that they were supposed to. We had to call back again within that month because it started leaking again. And when a different person came out, they fixed the problem. Usually, people get it done on the first try but there have been a few times when we’ve had to call back. Also, the air conditioner was auto heating and the guy did something and they were saying the switch was getting bad. Instead of fixing it, the next person had to come out and replace it. But other than that, it’s been pretty good.
Updated review: July 14, 2018
1) I have had the company for 4 years and only filed a claim twice. Both times the claims were initially denied. Only one of the two was finally honored.
2) FAHW has a very limited base of available contractors. (In my area? For both of my claims I ended up having to locate my own contractor.) If they can't provide contracted contractors, it becomes my responsibility to locate, schedule and PAY them..... then wait for reimbursement.
3) Based on my experience, potentially more expensive repairs are far more likely to fall outside their 'Normal Wear and Tear' umbrella. I took out the 'warranty' mainly to have just that sort of a repair covered. Knowing that coverage is so 'iffy' gives me no peace of mind whatsoever.
It gives me no pleasure to write a 'negative' review for any company. I have done my best to fairly detail my experience with FAHW, and, because the claim was resolved to my satisfaction, I will upgrade my 'star-rating' from one to two stars.
Original Review: July 2, 2018
We had their 'service' for over four years. In all that time I have only had to call twice. BOTH times after paying the $75.00 deduction, they have refused to honor the warranty. The last time, for my AC, when I questioned their decision, they said they would follow up with the contractor and 'get back to me'. After two weeks suffering under an average outside temp. of 107 degrees, I had to call them back, and was told that they were STILL WAITING for pictures from the contractor. Disgusted, I told them to just cancel my contract. NOW in order to stop paying for supposed services, (that they refuse to provide) they are having me jump threw 'hoops' to cancel. I feel that I have wasted my money for four years on a warranty that is so full of 'loopholes' that the provider never actually has to honor anything. My next 'challenge' now will be figuring out how to get rid of them.
Updated on 07/07/2018: On 03 Jul 2018 I was called by the First American Claims Department. They advised me that they had received my complaint and would like my permission to send a technician from 'another provider' out to take pictures of the frayed wiring. (Since the first company had not done so.) Of course, I said yes. However, because their call was made to me at approx. 3:00 pm my time, the claims 'resolution' specialist said that with the HOLIDAY, she probably would not be able to contact /schedule the replacement tech. until Thursday, 7/5. It is now Saturday and I, like Consumer Affairs with my initial complaint, am still awaiting a response from First American Home Warranty. My 'CLAIM' is now being carried forward well into its THIRD WEEK. My outside temp. yesterday was 111 degrees. This is NOT the type of 'Customer Service' I expected or deserve.
Reviewed July 2, 2018
This is how they work: once the client reports to FAHW any "covered" item in his/her household, they will send you a technician from their network at a $75 charge, who will only visually inspect the damaged item for 3-5 minutes, will leave saying he must speak with FAHW for approval (no further details are given) and then the client will hear nothing for days. When client decides to call FAHW and ask for a status, they will just reply that technician reported something (anything) which is not covered and allegedly caused the damage.
If client disagree, client must hire at his/her cost his/her own technician to get a second opinion, which, if different from the original technician, then FAHW will send another technician. This other technician will come out and do the same as the initial, and client is back to square one. Most people at this point will just get frustrated and quit and get the work done by they own technician.
Hello Zoltan,
Our records indicate the failures to your pool pump has been repaired. At this time, your claim is considered closed.
Thank you.
Reviewed July 2, 2018
We’ve used First American Home Warranty forever. We always wanted a protection and even when we lived in Connecticut, we had it and we had always known it was good. When I submit a claim, 90% of the time it's a great experience, although sometimes I get people that don’t speak English very well and that's very frustrating. The reps don’t seem to put in the notes that there are two companies we don’t wanna deal with because we’ve had terrible experiences with those companies. So, we have to go through the whole process of asking if they looked in the file and that's also frustrating.
One of those companies is banned as when we had a very bad leak during a 75th birthday party, the technician said we cracked the toilet but we kept saying we didn’t and we said it needed a seal. The bathroom was flooded and I had 20 people with towels in the guest bathroom. After fighting with the technician, we paid an independent person to come to find out that the toilet needed the seal at the bottom. We should have gotten a new toilet. It was a mess but we decided to stay with First American because we know they’re better than the others. Also, other than the two companies, the technicians who came did good work.
Reviewed July 2, 2018
When I bought the house, it had a warranty, but I let that go after a year. Then, I needed one, as a single woman. My ice maker and dishwasher were not working and I submitted a claim with First American Home Warranty by phone and it was easy. They sent someone out to tell me what was wrong and to price it. Then, they called about an hour ago to set up the repair. A couple of years ago, First American replaced my heating and air system. The service price, however, goes up about every year. When I first started, it was $50-something for somebody to come out and repair. Now, it is $75. That tells me that I probably need to look and see what options are available. Nevertheless, First American Home Warranty is reliable.
Reviewed July 1, 2018
It’s a peace of mind to have an insurance. If I have any problem, the contracting company can come and fix it for just a minimum amount which is the service fee. When we bought our home, my agent told me that First American is a good insurance so I bought it. When I submit a claim, sometimes I have a good experience. But sometimes I also have a bad experience because First American doesn't cover what they are supposed to. On the other hand, First American's technicians have been fine. But sometimes the contractors don’t come on time and that's annoying. When my AC was not working, the contractor came after two days and then it took them two weeks to get the parts. So it was two weeks without an AC running in our house. And then the water compressor was not working and they said that it was not covered. I had to pay out of pocket around $1,600 which was annoying as well.
First American is also raising the service fee every year and it is not good. They do this even with the customers who have been with them for 10 or 12 years. I've been a member for 12 years and every year, I think of canceling the insurance. I’m paying so much money every month and then they say, “This is not covered.” My friends tell me that there's a company that's good and I should switch to that. And for some reason, I’ve kept my First American warranty but I'm going to think about it this year.
Reviewed July 1, 2018
I got my warranty with First American as a part of the closing when I bought my home. The previous owner covered it for a year and then I had maintained it ever since. I like the fact that it’s there. When my air conditioner went out, they replaced the outside unit. And while I came out of pocket $800, I know that I have that safety net and I’ve never really had too much of a problem anytime I’ve needed something done since it’s been fixed. For example, when the guy came out about my electric the last time, my outlets in the backyard were not working and it was all related to a pool light. He didn’t spend any more than 10 minutes here for even that. But I found out what the problem was and it was something that he couldn’t do because it’s not covered with First American, and I understand that.
The last interaction I had with First American, however, was not very positive because I had a complaint about the service. And instead of transferring me to a resolution department, they just told me that my warranty was invalid because of what a contractor said. And I told them that the problem was I was disputing what the contractor said. They put me on mute so they didn’t have to say anything. And then I asked to speak to their supervisor, which they put on. And then he acted like he couldn’t hear me and said he was disconnecting the call. I was very disappointed. I had a problem with the pool company that was sent out because the gentleman didn't know what he was doing for the issues that I had and he had no equipment.
All the company contractor brought were some test strips so I asked, “How can you test anything?” I told him, “You’re not evaluating anything. I can sit there on my salt system and run through the diagnostics as well as you did.” I took my salt cell and had it tested and it was not functioning. He said that it was working fine. All I needed to do was add salt. I told him that the reading was 2900, which is within normal limits, so I asked why would I need to add salt? He didn’t seem very knowledgeable and all he was here for was to collect $75 and go on.
He also said there was a wasp nest in the heater, which I don’t believe since I’ve had an insect company come out here. And yes, there are some wasps that fly around in the backyard but for him to say that there was a wasp nest inside the heater, that then my warranty was invalid. So I asked him, “How can you say that when you didn’t see it?” So I’ve been very discouraged with the pool people. But I finally spoke to someone at First American and they are sending someone out today.
So, sometimes the First American customer service department is not real helpful. I understand that their only job is to take the complaint and assign a contractor. But when it’s something that they cannot handle, instead of trying to tell me about a resolution department, they just blow me off. And it wasn’t until I called back a few days later that someone told me about it; so some of it is just education of the customer service specialist. Also, sometimes the contractors are iffy to me and it’s hit or miss whether you get a good contractor or not. But I’ve had good dealings with them, and I told that to my neighbor who asked about the company.
Reviewed June 30, 2018
I don't know how their employees sleep at night knowing they are ripping off families. I began my claim May 25th 2018 and today June 29th 2018 it is still unresolved. They have accepted liability and are going to replace my unit after they sent 6 ignorant technicians to my house. Every time somebody came out all they did was add freon. Nobody ever wanted to detect the leak. And when I pressed for the leak to be fixed their technician lied and made false claims about my air conditioner. They send companies with 1.5 star ratings and aren't accredited by the BBB.
One of the technicians actually told me they are putting a band-aid on the situation and all his company wants him to do is put more freon. For over 2 years I have been making my monthly payments on time and paying $75 service fees for them to lie to me and continue to collect my money while there were bigger problems. When the bigger problem was addressed they denied my claim. So I have been paying for 2 years on an air conditioner that they will not cover. Mind you in 2017 they sent 3 technicians to look at my air conditioner and none of them made the ridiculous claim their last technicians made. I had to fight for them to overturn the denial. Now I have to deal with their company they sent and they aren't responding.
The lady who is handling my claim was more than unhappy to tell me that the denial was overturned. They act like I am a problem for making a claim. Nobody helps, nobody calls back, nothing has been done in over a month. I have notified them that I have 2 small children and we live in Sacramento California and it is over 100. All they did was offer me $150 for assistance like welfare to go get at window unit when the window units cost over $300. Every time I call I get attitude and nobody wants to connect me to a supervisor until I demand it. Every time I call I am on hold for 20 minutes to one hour and a 1/2. I highly suggest you look elsewhere for a home warranty. This company is in the business of denying claims and don't care about your home or your family.
Hello Carrie,
Our records indicate your air conditioning system is working properly. At this time, your claim is considered closed.
Thank you.
Reviewed June 30, 2018
I got First American protection when I first bought my house. My real estate agent suggested it, so I signed up and she took care of everything for me. I've submitted plenty of claims and I do it online because it's easier that way. They would issue a ticket number and services are done after that. For the six years that I’ve had the coverage, I’ve only had problems with one or two contractors that came out. I had called First American and they went ahead and replaced them with other companies and it usually worked out okay. First American has been doing an excellent job and I've been satisfied with their service, so I renewed the contract every year. They saved me a lot of money on certain repairs that had to be done, so I usually tell people that I haven't had any bad issues with First American and to give them a try.
Thank you for your continued business Tinaka!
Reviewed June 30, 2018
I’m on a reoccurring account with First American which was transferred with the purchase of the home and so far, I’ve had good luck with them. They kind of go with a cheaper company for their retailers and they probably aren't the best. But the guys from Yuma Appliance that came out last time and did my dryer were the best. They went up and beyond what they needed to do. The issue was with the fuse in the dryer and they fixed that. They also noticed that there was a lot of lint in the tube that went out of the dryer, so they cleaned all that, too. I submitted that claim on the phone because it was too hard to do it online and as soon as I called in the claim, the lady from the appliance company called me within an hour to schedule, and the techs were out the next day. They also followed-up and asked me if everything was going okay. Nobody ever calls you back these days and that was good.
Other than that, First American's service fee has gone up since I started with them and that's the worst thing. From $50, now they’re at $75. There are other companies out there that have service fees that are less for the initial technician to come out and that’s what hurts First American the most. I also think that the service fee should be inclusive in the $600 that a pay for a year.
Reviewed June 29, 2018
My husband first called about the air conditioning in our home on Friday, June 22 of this year. He was told he would receive an e-mail concerning service by Saturday morning. When he did not get the e-mail, he called again. The phone number he had was for a phone clearing house. They told him they would get back to him. He tried to call again and the same thing happened. Someone was to get in touch on Monday but never did.
In the meantime, we spent over $200 to pay for lodging since without air conditioning, we could not stay in our home. The weather was over 100 degrees in this area. The next Tuesday, June 26, was given as the day someone would be available from SILVERADO AIR CONDITIONING to check our unit. We were later told they could not come out until Wednesday because First American had not filed the necessary paper work in time for them to come on Tuesday. Wednesday, June 27, a repairman arrived and we were told that we would need a new unit which would come from Las Vegas and be installed on Saturday, June 30. This morning we received a phone call stating that the job cannot be done until Tuesday, July 3 since First American once again got the needed paperwork to Silverado too late and the air conditioning unit must come all the way from Phoenix!
If this is an example of prompt service and 24-7 customer support we are NOT impressed. I am well aware that the loss of one service contract means nothing to this company and so will not bother to mention this loss. I also will not thank you for the previous service we have received from First American Home WARRANTY as this incident more than makes up for it in the lack of concern and responsibility you have shown. We will be employing another home warranty company as soon as possible. The reason for this review is so perhaps someone else will be saved from the same aggravation, non-caring attitude and waste of time that we have experienced.
Hello Linda,
We apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced during the handling of your air conditioning claim. Please be advised, our records indicate your condenser was installed and working properly on July 6, 2018.
At this time, we consider this claim closed.
Thank you.
Reviewed June 29, 2018
I've had a warranty previously in another company and we had problems with the company. But with First American Home Buyers submitting the claim was smooth. It was easy to put the claim in and the technicians were good. They provide good service. But sometimes they say, "Well, you may have a $300 item but all we can do it give you a $10 item and replace them," and that doesn't make any sense to me.
Reviewed June 29, 2018
We purchased a home warranty to have peace of mind. Like I read elsewhere the ease of filing a claim is challenging in itself because of the website. It is setup to sell warranties and not user friendly to file for a trade visit. Even when calling their 800 number it is not efficient with all the prompts. I first set up a request online. That was on a Sunday. When they called on Tuesday they said someone would be getting with us in 24 to 48 hours. Three days later they show up for two minor plumbing issues. One, was the undersink kitchen trap and both bathroom shower diverters weren't fully working.
So Pedro shows up with Quality Plumbing and starts working on the kitchen sink then says he has to leave to go get parts. He leaves and doesn't come back all day. When I called the plumbing company the next morning I am told they are waiting for authorization from First American. Then when I call the warranty company they tell me the color is not covered and typically all they offer is chrome. Whattt??? This is not a high dollar spigot but is bronze in color and it needs to match. After several more days of calling both parties I get continued finger pointing and excuses. During all the calls I am told I could get a "Cash Out" for the spigots at $150 each.
Again more calls are made and several times I am told a supervisor will call me. I am told this on at least three different occasions. Never received one call. Today I spoke with Jonathan in claim resolution department and was offered $100 total cash out. I was willing to accept a small reimbursement since I had already grown so disillusioned I contracted with another plumber to get the job done without warranty involvement. The more I spoke with Jonathan the more I realized it was just more of the same runaround. I'll take the hit because I didn't do my research with this company and also had a major service failure with American Home Shield as well.
I am requesting all three of my contracts to be cancelled with First American Home Warranty. My thoughts are most warranty companies want to pay low ball prices to the different trades and customer gets put in the middle. Terrible industry. Not only about the money but all the frustration, time and energy invested with few success stories. That's all Folks.
Reviewed June 29, 2018
I needed a warranty on my house and First American fell on my lap, and I'm glad that I chose them. I usually call or do the automated thing when submitting a claim. And I prefer to talk to a person than to talk to the machine because sometimes the machine says, "Did not hear". But both times, it always has been a great and a positive outcome. Also, the techs who came over have all been good and very professional. Typically, they are able to fix what needs to be repaired. And then sometimes, they have to come back out twice but that's understandable.
Reviewed June 28, 2018
A friend of mine had First American and recommended that we try them. We had a new home built and I started to worry about all the possible things that could go wrong as they got older so I got the warranty. 12 years ago I used to call to submit a claim but now I go online if I have a claim. I always get a very prompt reply with an email saying that it has been received and with the company that it has been assigned to, there's always follow-up to make sure that it's moving forward. And then if I call, everybody I speak with is very professional. Even if I don't know my claim number, they're able to help me and find it very quickly and with no frustration.
But I have an open claim right now that's been going on for a while because of complications. Like my father had a stroke and had surgery for pacemaker so I wasn't able to meet with them when they needed to meet because I had to go across country to Indiana. But every other time, they're always contacting me within a day or two. And then they're always out here promptly and taking care of things. They've always done high quality work. We've never had to have anything redone.
Reviewed June 28, 2018
I own 13 of First American's policies. It's easy and convenient. I'm a realtor, so I sell them or put them on homes that I lease for sale. On Monday, a family moved in to a property in Columbus, Pennsylvania. I called First American to get the two Fisher and Paykel dishwashers, Dacor downdraft, the Sub-Zero and the microwave repaired. I did that on a Wednesday and the contractor was supposed to show up the next day at 4:00 in the afternoon. I checked with the tenants by 8:00 to ask if everything was fixed but they told me they never called nor showed up. So I called the headquarters and the lady on the phone acted like I'm the guy who was wrong. She told me that they are not supposed to be checking in with the contractors at 8:00 PM since they have certain laws and rules.
But she got hold of the guy and came back on and told me that the guy ran into conflicts and wouldn't be making it that day. I asked her what happened and she told me that the guy didn't tell her. She then told me that the guy can come out at 10:00 AM or 4:00 PM the next day. I called my tenants and they told me to keep the same time. And the guy came out. In that same house two years ago, the tenants were without a dishwasher for a month and a half. I called First American then and would give them grief. I told them they don't care.
Then, I also submitted a claim for the AC in my home in Athens, Georgia. I did that on May 12th and the contractor just finished the job on July 1st. Five people live in that house and they're tenants, so there were times of the week they send different people down there to schedule it and they're college students. But I got a call one morning and the guy told me that he was trying to get in the house. He told me that he has an appointment and the front door was supposed to be unlocked. I asked him with whom did he make an appointment with and he told me he didn't know and to ask the office. Later on I was told the front door really was unlocked, but the guy went around behind and he saw somebody in the house. My guess is the guy was down in the lower level because it was cooler rather than being upstairs in the master bedroom where he lived.
I called a neighbor and asked them if they could unlock the door and she left the key in there. But by that time, the tech has left. I assumed he was coming back later that afternoon but he didn't. He came back two days later. Then, one time in our own house, the guy they sent for our bathroom set our house on fire. My wife came home and she smelled smoke. She asked the guy about it and he told her that it was fine and he put it out. She called the fire department and when they came, they told her that it was a good thing she called them because it could have smoldered up in the attic. It could have resurrected itself and we could have had a fire.
A hot water tank also went back and they came and took it out. I had to take care of some other problems first because we had mold. Then when we were gonna put the hot water tank back in after I got the place ready to put the hot water tank back, they went, "Oh, no, we can't cover this.” I asked them why and they told me that it was because it’s a commercial hot water tank. I told them that it was residential, but then they insisted it was commercial. I then said, "Well, even if it is commercial, that’s what was there when you took it out. That’s what's been covered the last seven years. So, how can you now say it's not covered ‘cause it's commercial? You're the one that had the opportunity to come look at it."
So, I called two different plumbers and those guys took their time and got on the internet and then sent me an email showing me why they said it was commercial. And they sent an email showing me in the residential portion of the book that it was residential. So, I had to spend six hours finding people, imposing on other people to get them to finally approve it.
But they've been able to solve some problems. I had an air conditioner in Naples, Florida and the man came out. He looked at it and said that the blower motor is bad and that it was gonna be $800. Okay, fine. But he told me that if it were him, he would just put a new air conditioning system because it's throwing money away to put a blower motor on a 25-year old system. I told that to First American and they brought in another technician. And the guy basically told me the same thing. But they came back and St. Clair’s Custom Air came in and put the new blower motor in the system. But two years later, we have another problem.
And then, this time they put in about a $15,000 air conditioning system because the blower motor was fine but something else went wrong. The guy before told me that First American would never replace my system, and they did. Then, once, my garage door opener wasn’t working right. I called it in and the garage door guy called me and within 15 minutes he agreed to come out before the end of the day. He called me around noon and he was there by 3:30. He fixed the garage door opener. That’s the way it's supposed to work. It was wonderful. But they don’t all works that way.
I also have been trying for 10 years to go and give First American an email. They can only take one email. So I need to give my email or I give them my tenant’s email. If I give them my tenant’s email, they don’t have room for two emails. I told them again and again that they need room for three emails. But that didn't go anywhere. They'd tell us that their techs didn't allow that. We also got a double in German Village and we put a home warranty on it. However, nine months later, I called in for something and they didn't have it on that. They had it on my own house.
I said, “Well, I already have one on my own house.” They went through their system and they confirmed it. So the one that I bought for the double really wasn’t covering the double, it was covering my house. But they did go ahead and honored the one that was on my house that was supposed to be on the double. Another time I spent an hour and a half on the phone because some of the names on the contracts are wrong.
Reviewed June 27, 2018
There have been things I like and there have been things I didn’t like, but for the most part, First American has been good. I usually submit my claims on the phone as I don’t like online stuff and I like to talk to somebody. Sometimes the reps are hard to understand because they're probably in India or Afghanistan, but I generally don’t have to wait very long. I get on the phone with somebody, tell them what's going on, and they send me an email with a confirmation and generally say, “If you haven't heard from somebody within 24 hours, call.” which we generally do.
Also, the service call charge keeps going up. First American completely messed up my air conditioner which was absolutely awful. They didn’t personally do it, but the companies they contracted out almost ruined it. But that's been fixed. I have my own guy for the AC and he has gotten that all fixed up. Also, six months ago or so, we had the dryer looked at, and the guy came out within a day and fixed it. And then a month ago, they had sent somebody out again and that technician said that the guy didn’t tighten stuff up and that's why it stopped working. But every other thing like with the washer and dryer, there's somebody there in a day or so.
I have stuck with First American simply because I've been with them for a long time. They are probably a great company and they’ve been around a long time. But when you contract, you're reaching out to contractors and not always the top-of-the-line contractors are willing to take stuff. There have been some really horrible contractors and then there have been some small mom-and-pop contractors that have come out and they have been so good that you're like, “I'm keeping your card because you guys are great.” They need to do a better job making sure their contractors are topnotch because not all of them are, but other than that, First American is all right.
Reviewed June 27, 2018
I had another home warranty company and it switched over to First American. I submitted a claim over the phone however, they have raised the rate again by 25% and it's way too high. It used to be $50, then it was $60 and now, it's $75. Even so, the interaction with the rep has been good but the electrician they sent out was rude and horrible and it just so happened that the problem has been fixed when he got there. I showed him something and it worked. And so, they reimbursed me.
Also, all the companies First American have used usually suck. I had a problem with the AC over the years. It has ruined my ceiling and I said it's not my fault because I kept telling a technician what the problem was. And then, finally, somebody good came and he named every company that sucks and that was every company First American has sent out. The tech did half the job and he said it was years of clogged water that’s why the AC was leaking. I wouldn't recommend First American to others.
Reviewed June 26, 2018
People Pay Warranty for Peace of Mind and to solve the problem and cover un-expected expenses. First American Home Warranty is the worst experience and scared of technicians coming home. It's my story and suffer of 6 years old daughter at 92 degrees from past 60 days. My Refrigerator stop working and it's been more than 50 days. Keep sending technicians and never get fixed. They advertise about repair it or replacement. Whole family suffered 60 days. Too many new faces visiting home and the technicians are not professional. I don't think they do background check. Taking home warranty from First American Home and inviting troubles - only when the problem arise the need comes. It's my personal experience. We suffered and I am not writing entire story. Honestly we suffered a lot buying this Warranty.
Hello R,
We apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced during the handling of your kitchen refrigerator claim. Our records indicate you accepted a cash payment in lieu of the kitchen refrigerator replacement. Please be advised, you will receive your check in seven to ten days. At this time, we consider your claim closed.
Thank you.
Reviewed June 26, 2018
Submitted claim on May 21st. Total Air Care is the company that First American sent out. They came out on May 25th. Total Air Care told me I needed a coil. When I talked to them on the 29th of May 8 am I was told they had not even ordered part yet. The technician that came out called around 4 pm. I had to go up in the attic and get the part numbers for them since he took it down wrong. They made an appointment for June 5th between 8-12 since I was told I would be the first appointment, when they were not here by 9:30 I called TAC and was assured they were coming. At 12 pm I called again and was told they did not have part. They were ordering part again.
I called First American Home Warranty. Told them what was going on. They called the company. Assured me it would be resolved and said it would be expedited. Was called 2 days later on the June 7th by TAC. Was told the part came in. I questioned the lady because I couldn't believe they already had part. She verified they had the part. They scheduled for June 12th. So the morning of June 12th a technician called me and told me the part had not came in and he was told by leaving us in over 90 to over 100 degree heat in Florida!!! First American Home Warranty to come back out and verify what was wrong with my A/C unit. I asked him if they didn't believe the first guy that came out. Which he said he was the first guy. They wanted him to look at it again. I couldn't believe at almost 3 weeks they want them to diagnose it again. I called First American and asked what was going on.
They said they didn't know. Would call TAC and find out. Meanwhile the technician never comes out. So when I called TAC they sent someone else out. He came in. Took the whole coil and pan and left with coil. I was told they were going to fix it cause now there is a crack in the pan too. Would be back out Saturday 15th June. They never came or called. June 19th I called TAC. Still don't have part I'm told. I called First American Home Warranty. I told them they had snatched the part out and told me FAHW company wanted them to fix it and not get a new part. Of course FAHW said they don't know anything about that. They called over there. Still can't get me any answers. I told them I want a different company.
So they finally gave me a new company on that day. which was June 19th. The new AC company called First American on June 22nd and was told by First American Home Warranty that they had to get the coil back from the first company. I was told this and called FAHW on today June 26th. Of course they needed to call TAC and of course they have no idea where my original coil and pan are and will get back to them later today. SO nobody wanted to call and get it back to me on the 19th when I told them they took the coil. Or when the new company called them on the 22nd. They know nothing and do nothing but give you the runaround. I talk to the supervisor. He says the same thing.
I finally got to a manager but of course I had to leave a message. Somewhere in here I will say FAHW did have someone call and give me $150.00 towards a window unit. Which only will buy a unit that cools 150 sq ft. Which does 1 bedroom. That does not help much when it's 3000 sq. ft. house. I switched from American Home shield to FAHW. That was a big mistake. If this is ever resolved I will let you know. This is the first time in at almost 50 years old I have felt I need to leave a bad review. for both companies.
Reviewed June 26, 2018
I had been a customer with First American for several years. When my AC broke down in the middle of summer, the company sent out a contractor with unilateral one star reviews. The contractor charged A $75 service charge, which was expected, and $180 to clean and "fix" the unit. The unit worked for 15 minutes and went out again. First American refused to send out a different contractor, despite the failure of the technician to fix the problem.
Another appointment with the same contractor was scheduled days later-- with a promise to arrive between 9 am and 6 pm. The contractor never called and never showed up in the designated time frame, and First American representatives REFUSED to send out a different company. I have now spent nearly $300 and still have no working AC Unit. It's hard to see the value this company offers. If you want a company that is responsive to customer concerns and works with competent contractors... look elsewhere.
Updated on 07/05/2018: I recently had a horrible experience with First American's customer service representatives and contractors. The experience was so unproductive and expensive, I ultimately decided to cancel my policy with the company after being a customer for several years. I was told twice by First American representatives to email my cancellation request to claimreview@firstam.com. Which I did, in addition to informing a customer service representative, in writing, of my intent to cancel.
On this very website, the company acknowledged my request to end coverage. Yet First American continued to withdraw money from my bank account the following month. When I called to figure out why I was still being charged, I was told that I didn't send my cancellation request to the correct email account. Even though claimreview@firstam.com is the email address provided by multiple customer service representatives over the phone.
I have been struggling for weeks to resolve my issues with First American to no avail. It's very evident at this point that the company doesn't provide their staff with the information or training necessary to effectively serve their customers. The conflicting information I continue to receive from the company's customer service department gives me very little hope that my issue will be resolved any time soon, or that I will ever recover the money that the company has taken from me. It is unethical for this company to continue to take my money after I have made repeated attempts to end my policy.
Updated review: June 26, 2018
This has been resolved to my satisfaction
Original Review: June 26, 2018
I have placed a service request when my LG clothes washer is broken and they have sent 2 contractors to repair the unit so far (it's been 40 days) and both of them said it's cheaper to replace than to repair it. When the repairs were expense First American delayed in addressing the problem (happened with my Refrigerator as well, they took 2 months and finally I bought myself with payout of 20% of the cost of the similar refrigerator). Very frustrated with their service, customer service person finally put me on hold for 28 minutes to look into my service request case and scheduled another contractor. I regret being their customer for about 10 years and when it really matter they are not helping at all.
Hello Putta. We appreciate your loyalty and continued service. Furthermore, we are aware that a resolution was obtained in regards to your clothes washer claim. Thanks, Shanee.
Reviewed June 26, 2018
I have First American HB Protection for years and they’ve always done what needs to be done. I call them for claims and their customer service has been good. The technicians they sent have always done excellent work and if I got a problem that I need to get fixed, I get it fixed quickly. So, I'm gonna stay with First American. I also keep giving out their numbers to everybody else I can think of that needs a home warranty. Everybody should have a home warranty.
Reviewed June 25, 2018
Found a pin hole leak in my basement, ceiling tile was brown. Called First American Home and then sent out a plumber to fix the hole. This guy comes out on a Friday to view the problem. Meanwhile I had place a clamp on the hole to prevent further damage. Plumber takes out further tiles and notices that the copper pipe has green spots in other places as well. Informs me that he will come back on Monday after informing the warranty company of what has to be done.
Monday afternoon after taking off to wait for him never shows. I call him and he says he is busy and will be done in about 1 hour. I call back and get voice mail. I get a call back after 5 pm stating that the plumber wants to reschedule. I never hear back for two days. First American wants me to continue to wait, I request another vendor and he comes and states that since I have placed a clamp on the pipe it is repaired? Then I cannot get me money back until the first company provides invoice? This is going on for about 5 weeks?
Reviewed June 25, 2018
When we bought our house, the homeowners already had First American and they were great. Then there was a dip in customer service for a couple of years. They were sending out some poor contractors. I didn’t feel comfortable with the contractors in my house. They were some shady-looking dudes. One was somebody who came to fix my dryer who talked bad about the brand. And then, another guy with the water heater that I had to call back twice, but that was three years ago.
Now, I feel like they're back on track again and recently submitting a claim has been easy. In the last two years, the previous four times someone came have been good. Those guys were great. They come back here all the time. The most recent one came to fix my garage and they were awesome. They came in ready to answer a lot of questions. I told them what they needed to look at, they looked at it, repaired it and were out of here. They were really fast to respond too. They were what I expect from First American.
Reviewed June 25, 2018
A friend recommended First American a number of years ago when I was unhappy with the other one I had. When submitting a claim, some of the reps were good and very efficient but some were not. It depends upon who you get on the other end of the phone. I like that when they find someone local and one you can become familiar with, they attempt to send those people so that you can get in touch with them and make arrangements personally if you need to. In the past, they've sent people who were 200 miles away. Also, some of the contractors would come back several times and still not fix the issue but for the most part, they’re very good.
Reviewed June 24, 2018
In all the paperwork that we've gotten from First American when we renewed every year, it directed us to go to their site. I opened their pamphlet up to the first page inside the cover and it says, “How you use your warranty,” “Visit fahw.com,” or call the 800 phone number any time it covered on sales. But when I went online and to their online page, it directed people on how to get a quote but there was no place on the website that said, “File a claim,” or anything about claims. You have to call. But the phone number on their website also only directs you to get an estimate and not to file a claim. And when I put in FAHW on a search page, my search engine brings up their internet ad for a free quote and that’s my problem.
And when I call their automated system, it's a little cumbersome because it can't always understand when I say, “Yes” and when I say, “No.” I don’t mind keying stuff in. But you have to say yes or no. If the automated system can't understand you, you have to start all over again because there's no, “Press 1 for yes, press 2 for no.” And then I call in, I get a claim number, a work order number and it gives me the phone number for the company and that the company should call me within 24 or 48 hours. But that's too long. The problem could have been in my kitchen and my refrigerator. I'd have lost all my food in my refrigerator and my freezer in 24 hours.
Also, I'm always having to call the company to let them know that I have filed a claim, that it's coming to them, for them to be on the lookout for it and I have to ask how long I have to wait. Usually, they tell me it's between two and five days before someone can get to me and that’s a long wait for a service call. And so I usually wind up having to call in, ask for a representative, and say, “Okay. I got a work order number but they can't get to me in three, four, five days and that’s unacceptable. Can you find someone who can service me sooner?” That has happened several times.
It's usually 100 plus degrees during this time of the year here in Texas. My air conditioning went out and I waited for the repair person to show up. They called me in the morning and they said they’d be here at 10:00 so I didn’t know if it meant between 10:00 and noon. But the repair person was great and understanding. He's gonna be back tomorrow with the parts needed to fix the AC.
Reviewed June 23, 2018
I moved into a house that was built in '87. I decided to get a home warranty to have peace of mind that if one of my larger systems went down, we wouldn't have a ton of out of pocket expenses. I got First American and I’ve been with them for six years now. But they've been hot and cold when we submit a claim. The reps read off a sheet and I can't get anybody on the phone so I deal with them via email. But they just give me the standard pat response. They just copy and paste their prepared response and not even read what my concerns are.
Sometimes, they could be very receptive and get things done fast but other times, when it's a little bit outside their comfort zone, I would give them an F. I went without a refrigerator last summer for almost three weeks because they were not on it. We tried to get somebody on the phone and I got tired of waiting. I ended up solving the problem for them. I was able to find somebody and got them over in two hours. He got it fixed and replaced the part. He did a prime job. I submitted the bill to First American and they paid the $150 part.
Reviewed June 23, 2018
I've been with First American HB Protection for 12 years. I'm a single woman and I don’t know a lot about repairs. Plus, my house is almost 60 six years old, so I thought there might be issues. My selling agent told me about home warranties and talked about two. I read their contracts and selected First American. They had more things to offer and the way that they offered those options, it was a better deal. So far, they’ve been stable to what their contract said. When I need things fixed, they come and I pay for the visit. And they don’t use the term “preexisting conditions.” Because everything is a preexisting condition. If it didn’t exist already, you wouldn't phone them and tell them you have a problem.
I told my sister about how great a deal First American was, but she never came and received the information. She just went online somewhere and had gotten a company and decided to use it. That was when I first learned the term “preexisting condition.” They would not fix the problem so I've not tried to venture away from First American. When I moved in, I bought a new refrigerator, a microwave, and my washer and dryer. They were under warranty, so I didn’t have those items on then. But as time has gone on, those warranties have expired, and I've added things on across the years.
Most of my technicians have been excellent. But eight years ago, my air conditioner was not cooling and somebody had already been out a couple of months earlier. This one man came out and said that there was too much Freon in my air conditioner so it was not working. I told him that doesn’t sound right to me. He took more of the coolant out, and then we were really, really hot, there was no cooling at all. So I felt like he did that, so he could come back. We were really burning up. We live in Texas and it's hot as heck out here. So, he had to come back and work on my system. As a layperson when it comes to air conditioning, if that sounds crazy to me, he should have known that that was not a good thing to do. So I told them, “No. He can't come back.” He was the only person I've really had a problem with.
Then about three years ago I was having work done and the technician did not take all the precautions he should. There was a lot of dust and debris that got through to the air conditioner because the whole house was dusty. I tried to block that area off but it was getting too warm in there and he wanted to pull everything down and have all that dusts go through my intake. The system froze and was running continuously.
The tech said to turn the system off and everything that was frozen would run out through wherever the liquid goes in our air conditioning system. However, it ran into the bathroom and there was water all underneath the floor. Fortunately, the flooring that I have was water-resistant, so I didn’t get any molds. I was very upset about that because as it was melting, maybe I could have done something, but he gave me bad advice. I could at least have run the fan in there and maybe that would've helped. Nevertheless, I would recommend First American to friends.
Original Review: June 22, 2018
Don't bother paying for the Air Conditioning rider on this Home Warranty. This company will do everything to not pay the claim. They list a deductible, but that only covers parts. They referred us to a vendor that was charging us $2700 dollars before they would do any repair work for the Air Conditioning and would not give an itemized list of what the $2700 was for. The First American Home Warranty was willing to pay $940 to install and replace the Condenser and Coil. Which was not even enough to get our own vendor. So in the end, they referred us to their Corporate Web site to start Arbitration...Worthless as the piece of paper they printed the warranty on. They then claim they are not governed by Insurance regulations because they are a Warranty, not insurance. Don't waste your money! This is the Home Warranty that came with the home we bought the first year. Realtors, don't bother going with this company. It won't help your clients.
Hello Tomas,
We apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced during the handling of your claim. Our records indicate your condenser and evaporator coil have been replaced. Please be advised, we consider this claim closed.
Reviewed June 22, 2018
I've been with First American HB Protection for 10 years and had several claims with them. Their price keeps going up and I'm not too crazy about it. But I like their service. Usually people come out pretty quick and in a timely manner. When we call customer service the reps seem to be knowledgeable. We have had problems a couple of times but that was alright. We just either call back and get a different rep and it goes smoothly.
Their technicians also seem very knowledgeable. They just come in, do their job and they're out within two minutes. I'm just hoping and praying that the $75 that we have to pay every time they come out doesn't go up anymore. It's a lot. Other than that, I am happy. I have encouraged a couple of people to come their way. First American comes out whenever they're needed and you don't have to worry about high prices when you call a person individually.
Reviewed June 22, 2018
My family and I have been dealing with a broken air conditioner for 6 weeks and counting. The warranty states if you choose them as your home warranty company you will have peace of mind knowing your home is in good hands. This warranty is a joke. They have sent a HVAC company that does not show up to scheduled appointments (3 separate times) does not show up with tools/ladders (a ladder was provided from my neighbor's home). The warranty company apparently only has one company in my area, so now I either put up with the 3 ring circus or I find my own company.
I paid for this warranty, so when something went wrong, I was protected. You can call First American, but they won’t help you. I don't understand why a customer calling over 10 times and pleading with First American for help with the claim, still can't get helped. They continue to tell me the HVAC company has been dispatched and will contact me within 24 to 48 hours. They don't care that the claim is not fixed. This warranty company cannot be trusted to get your problem handled. I would highly recommend choosing someone else for your home warranty needs.
Reviewed June 22, 2018
First American was given to us as part of our home purchase and we renewed it after the year was up. I go online when I submit a claim and their online submission process is excellent and fairly easy. Most of my interactions with their techs have been positive and the work done has been good for the most part.
Reviewed June 21, 2018
Last week our stove control panel went out. Contacted First Warranty on the 12th and they sent out a technician on the 14th. He was very nice. Since there is a continuous beeping we haven't been able to use the stove/oven. The technician stated that either they would replace control panel if they could locate the part (it's an older stove), or replace it. It is now the 21st of June and have yet to hear anything. It was turned over to a claims specialist, but he has yet to contact me. I have called and left a voicemail message for him to call. It shouldn't take this long to at least get an update on what's going on. Very dissatisfied.
We appreciate your feedback and look forward to being able to address your concerns directly with you.

Reviewed June 21, 2018
First American Home Warranty has very bad customer service. I called to report an emergency on my A/C because of a sick child living at the house. The A/C had been repaired by a company which was dispatched by this warranty company a year prior. When I called to place the new service. 1st American said they have no service providers and would get back to me in 24 hours (again for an emergency).
24 hours came and went without 1st American getting a service provider. When I called they told me they did not have a service provider and gave me a number to call it was the same number I was talking to them on. I asked to speak with a manager. I was transferred to another customer service rep. This happened three times. Finally I was told the managers don't talk with customers. He said I could speak with a supervisor I said please. After an hour on hold I was disconnected. First American should not be called First American. I never spoke with anyone in the Americas. Only India and Pakistan. I am looking to change my warranty do not use them. Also my daughter ended up in the ER the next day I am now staying in a hotel. For the repair they stated they had no one to do the service.
Hello Michael,
We appreciate your feedback and look forward to being able to address your concerns directly with you.
Thank you.
Reviewed June 21, 2018
The seller of our home purchased the First American Home Buyers Protection and it was done through the company that did the closing on our paperwork. So far, we've had them for five or six years. The first year, we shopped around and First American best fit our needs. We usually submit claims online and sometimes over the phone but I've had English issues, so I usually do it online. My recent claim experience with them was with the fridge and it was good. The guys came out and looked at it. They got here timely and got it done quickly but ordering the part took some time.
I had an issue with the microwave several years ago where I talked to one guy who didn’t really wanna do anything extra or help me resolve an issue. But most of the technicians have been good. A lot of them just popped in and out as quickly as they could and they get the job done. I've only had one issue with one company that was hard to get a hold of. They were used twice and the second time, they never even called us. So, I ended up calling First American and got that taken care of and got someone else out here. I have recommended First American Home Buyers Protection .
Reviewed June 20, 2018
Our microwave, and stovetop oven went out at the same time. Immediately we contacted First American Home Warranty to get items fixed. Sent All Brand Appliances out to our home, paid deductible $75. No items were fixed this day, was told parts had to be ordered. Now it's almost a whole month and items are still broke and parts still have not come in. I asked why wasn't our claim submitted to another contractor? We were told if another contractor comes in it may be delayed even longer. Okay, can I get a guaranteed our items will be fixed by the end of this? No, was the answer we received. Then both customer service reps were rude and belittling me and even stated, "Maybe you misunderstood me." Then I repeated exactly what the customer service rep said to me back to her. Stated, "Maybe you misunderstood me by asking why can't we be guaranteed our items will be fixed by this week?"
To me it seems that First American Home Warranty provides false advertising on their warranty. If the warranty states items that are covered are suppose to be fixed and not fixed seems to be a legal issue to me. Our problem isn't rendered yet the contractor took the deductible and no one has been back to fix issues yet. No one has any answers to any of my questions, and we basically get the run around in regards to our claim. If the Government reviews these complaints would you please consider looking into the warranty right for the consumer regarding First American Home Warranty?
Reviewed June 20, 2018
I have had First American Home Warranty for 15 years, I had a very good experience with them up until a few years ago. It seems they have changed how they do business. I have had the last few claims denied for various excuses which really didn't make sense but I dealt with it. The straw that broke the camels back was this week I had my downstairs AC unit stop working. It was due to a faulty logic board. They blamed it on the pigeons! I went to the unit and no pigeons were around the unit. Of course they didn't believe me. Spoke to a supervisor, named Amy ** and she was very condescending to say the least. I had enough and canceled my contract. Cannot do business with companies who work in bad faith.
Reviewed June 20, 2018
We have been with First American for over 10 years and the experience has been SUBPAR with many times refusing to fix our washer/refrigerator. However, we have continued to remain loyal. Our most recent repair needed was our water heater which was leaking and in need of replacement. The contractors, DrainGo, and First American on initial visit did nothing to remedy the leaking from the water heater. This caused SERIOUS LEAKING damage onto our kitchen ceiling from the attic. We have been without hot water/showers for OVER A WEEK.
The contractors REFUSED to come during the weekend and First American REFUSED to send another contractor. When they agreed to replace the HVAC they said there will be an additional modification charges up to $300 on top of the service fee!! As we are desperate at this point we have agreed as they will not send another contractor. For homeowners looking for a insurance warranty company First American is terrible working with their customers on serious home repairs and will lead to other serious home repairs. On the end of our warranty we will be changing companies.
Reviewed June 20, 2018
Moved into our home, and had issues four separate times. Called First American Home Warranty on each claim, and EVERY time, the claim was dismissed and we were told “that item was not covered”. We had a massive water leak from our sprinkler system and didn’t know if it was coming from the main line; was told, “we don’t cover sprinkler systems”. Attempted to start gas fireplace, and could not get the unit to start, but could smell gas. The fireplace was installed as part of the house, and we were told “we don’t cover gas fireplaces”. Hot water heater quit working. Tried to file a claim, was told that a repair technician had to come out to evaluate the problem, and then file a report, then First American would decide what repairs were necessary.
When First American called us back, we were told that the earliest a repairman could come to the house was 48 hours. So we were expected to have no hot water for two days, and then still have to wait for First American to decide what repairs would be covered, only to have to re-schedule the work to be done. Called Roto-Rooter, and had a technician at the house within 2 hours, and the repair done in an hour. Fourth claim. We have a two car garage, and one of the garage door openers stopped working altogether. Made the claim, and a service technician arrived and in 10 seconds said, “the motherboard is fried on the motor”. First American denied our claim saying, “it could have been caused by a power surge” which was not covered.
I still had to pay the $75.00 service call, but would have to pay the entire bill if I wanted to have the unit replaced. The warranty is not worth the money. Each time I called, the customer service person would run through a litany of questions only to say “that unit/appliance is not covered”. I would recommend either setting some money aside for a rainy day, or do your homework and find another warranty company.
Original Review: June 20, 2018
Tuesday, Jun 19, 2018 @ 7:29PM. This is the 3rd attempt we have made to use our warranty service and FAHW has failed. This was a recall appointment because the dryer stopped working hours after the tech said it was fixed. It’s been two week and now 4 attempts to fix our dryer. Again we waited all day only for the tech not to show. Our appointment time was between 1-5. I called at 4:30 to confirm he was coming at which time I was told he was on his way. At 6:20 the tech called and then did not show. This is violation of our contract. I am lodging a complaint with the BBB as well as posting an review of your company and lack of service and repair. When you call the repair service it is inevitably in the Philippines or Costa Rica and they have no ability to solve the situation. We pay on time every month only to receive lousy to no service.
We appreciate your feedback and look forward to being able to address your concerns directly with you.
Reviewed June 20, 2018
I use First American Home Warranty for my own rental properties, as well as recommending them to clients. I also have a couple of warranties from their big competitor. The service level goes up and down with different warranty companies, so when I start experiencing some difficulties, I generally will change a couple of them over and see how things go and pick a direction based on that.
Submitting a service request with First American is pretty easy. I just have to log on and it takes about two minutes. Then I usually reach out to the contractor before they reach out to me. Some of the contractors are very good and some of them are not so great. But I am fortunate because I have a number of properties with them and I have a portfolio manager, so I don’t have to go through the normal customer service queue if I have issues. The First American Home Warranty has some pluses and minuses, but overall, it’s a good product and they do their best to provide a good level of service.
Reviewed June 19, 2018
We have been customers of FAHW for nearly 7 years and have previously filed claims that have been handled satisfactorily. However, the handling of our current claim has been far from satisfactory. We filed a claim immediately upon discovering that two of our HVAC units were not cooling the house, and after more than five weeks, nothing is fixed.
The first company they sent out to assess the problem was required to visit a second time to confirm their initial report. We were told the parts were ordered and shipped to the HVAC company. Then, we found out - from the HVAC company - that they no longer worked with FAHW. We followed up with FAHW and learned that our claim had gone inactive without anyone at FAHW realizing it. We got it reactivated, only to be told they had to start all over with the assessment process. The parts had to be shipped back, re-ordered, and re-shipped after another HVAC company visited. The second HVAC company visited and confirmed the issues were as the first company had reported. We were told by FAHW that the parts had been ordered, only to be told one day later that the parts hadn't been ordered - they needed confirmation that we would pay a $100 labor cost. That was five weeks after filing the initial claim.
Today we were told that instead of the two parts they and the HVAC companies told us were required (and ordered), only one part is needed. We are awaiting confirmation of this new information. We were offered $150 toward a fan for temporary relief, and they refunded a service fee of $75. Our primary complaints are with FAHW's inefficient process, unreliable communication, and inability to expedite service when their process breaks down for a longstanding client.
Reviewed June 19, 2018
Filed a claim for our a/c system. They could not get anyone to come to our home to fix problem. Told us to find someone but no one would work for this company. Been paying monthly premiums for over a year. Making promises. Don't know where to turn.
Reviewed June 19, 2018
First American Home Buyers Protection was who my mother used so I went with them too. We’ve been really happy with them however, sometime May, our AC broke and we put in a service call on a Wednesday. On a Friday, I still haven’t heard from the contractor they assigned to us who was Mason’s Heating & Cooling. I tried calling multiple numbers as well as the number that First American gave us but there was no response. A lot of the numbers were out of service.
I called First American and they said they were assigning us to another contractor. The man I talked to said that I had an appointment on that Tuesday with Reliance. I tried to get a hold of them just to confirm what time and Reliance said that Tuesday was their first availability but that was not when they would actually be able to come out. They said that they had an issue with First American people saying, “When is your first availability?” And then telling the customers that that was their appointment time.
They did finally come out and the contractor did not have a refrigerant and said he would come back. This was on a Friday. I called repeatedly and they kept saying that they were supposed to get a Freon in a few days which obviously, an AC company should probably have that. So finally, I called at First American, trying to get another contractor and they referred us to somebody called Bell Cow. But the First American lady told my husband that she had put in an emergency ticket. But then, when I called Bell Cow the next day, they said they had received any emergency ticket and they were paused from receiving tickets at all.
I ended up calling repeatedly to have somebody to come out. I have two small children. My daughter’s 4 and my son’s two, and he has some breathing difficulties. So, a house without an air conditioning is really not great especially since I had the windows open and all the pollen coming in. The lady I talked to on the phone, even though I just talked to Bell Cow, tried to tell me that they did have the ticket. I asked if I could speak to her manager. And she said, “This isn’t an authority issue. He’s not gonna be able to do anything I can’t.”
Anyway, I called and after holding for a very long time, her manager answered the phone and sounded like he was asleep or eating a sandwich. It was very garbled. He told me that he'd call them. And then he put me on hold for literally 40 minutes, and then told me he had problems communicating with Bell Cow, and that when he finally got a hold of them, they couldn’t tell him anything. So, I think he just put me on hold just to see if I would hang up, with what I could gather.
So, I said I needed to make a complaint and speak to his manager. First, he told me that they were only a two-level call center. So, there was no one he could put me up to. And I was like, “So, you don’t have a boss?” And he was like, “Well, I do. But he doesn’t have a phone,” which seemed odd. So then, he finally gave me an extension. And I can’t remember the name of the person that -- Lewis I think it was. That was his boss, which I don’t even know if it was or not. And he said that he only had a voicemail.
Nobody called me back. But Alex [unclear 07:32] told me that he was calling Cow Bell, that they would try to find a contractor and he would call me back in an hour. Well, it looks like 4:04:00. And I said, “It’s already 4 o’clock here. Are they even gonna be there?” And he was like, “Yeah, they’ll be there.” Then I was like, “Well, what time do they close?” And he was like, “Well, I don’t know. But they’ll still be there.” So, when I hadn’t heard back from Alex in an hour, I called back his extension. Nobody answered. So I called Bell Cow and they did close at 5:00. It went to their answering service.
Finally, I called First American and I got kind of ugly and I probably shouldn’t have. The girl who referred me up to Alex said they could give us $50 toward fans. And then, all of a sudden, it was $150 towards a portable AC. And I said, “I just want somebody to fix what I have.” They authorized us just to hire our own contractor and we ended up having to do that but we still have to wait. It ended up being three weeks from the time we made that service call to First American. So, Arctic came out and they fixed our AC. It was a 20-minute fix and it really just needed to be recharged. We’ve never had this issue before. We normally just put in a ticket, we get a contractor and they'd fix the issue. I felt like I was being lied to in this whole incident. I emailed First American and I haven’t heard anything back from anyone in customer service.
We appreciate your feedback and look forward to being able to address your concerns directly with you.
Reviewed June 19, 2018
Since I’ve been with First American I have been given good service. We like how they work. Say I have a problem with my plumbing, I just call it in and they'd give me a date when they could do it on a certain day at this certain time. And then I wait until they call and I’ll pay my $75. But if their contractor can’t fix it, then I’ll call again and they replace it. And even though I’d get a tech that might not know what he’s doing, not doing what he’s supposed to do, it's very seldom and most of them are good. Their service is excellent. If I had any issue, they would take care of it.
Reviewed June 18, 2018
Super disappointed with my most recent claim with First American Home Warranty. One of our air conditioning units stopped working on a Friday afternoon and we submitted a claim right away. It was the air conditioner that services the upstairs of our house where our bedrooms are. It was about a 90 degree day and I have two small children, one of whom was sick. Thankfully we were able to keep the temperature to about 74/75 with fans and running the downstairs air conditioner on overdrive. The gentleman I spoke with on Friday was great. He was so nice and said that since we have small children he would "upgrade our claim to an emergency". He told my husband and me that we would hear back within 8 hours.
The next day we still hadn't heard anything so I called back. The guy I spoke with said that someone would be out Monday. I asked told him that I needed to have it fixed sooner than that, and he said that he would "escalate it to the highest priority". About 5 hours later I got a text that we had an appointment. The link didn't work so I called. The gentleman said that I had an appointment booked for WEDNESDAY... two days after the original appointment. Of course I was upset and basically said, "What do you mean?" I already had an appointment for Monday, why would they cancel that and book me something later? He was so rude and said "Well, you shouldn't have cancelled a good appointment. I am just here to tell you what we have." So I proceeded to tell him that I didn't cancel it and tried to explain what had happened and he transferred me in the middle of my explanation without saying anything to another lady. He was the worst ever!!!
But anyway... the next lady was so helpful and told me that she was escalating it to the highest priority (haha already heard that one). She said they would contact me as soon as something was set. Finally I called back on Saturday night and again heard that it was escalated and they were doing something... I asked if he could just give me back my original Monday appointment and he said I never had a Monday appointment and that it was for Tuesday... At this point I was so frustrated and upset that I didn't even care and I just wanted to be done with this company. Thankfully, we didn't pay for this service, it was included in our home purchase but if I were you, I would go with another company that can actually help you out in an emergency because clearly this company has no concept of what that word means.
Reviewed June 18, 2018
When we bought our house, the previous owners gave us a warranty and they knew First American. The response time's been good, but I was particularly irritated when our air conditioning system broke years ago and it wasn't covered under my warranty to replace it. It was a 10 year old AC unit and the building codes changed for the AC, and my policy didn't cover a new one. They tried to install another one so I ended up paying 15 grand for a new AC system. There's also something wrong with the dishwasher and the guys that came told me it was just not installed correctly. I get the fact that the insurance adjuster has to minimize the payout and the claims but sometimes they get a little bit ridiculous on the fine detail. I stick with them because the other companies I see out there get even worse results. I'm not overly impressed with it but it's always good to have peace of mind.
Hello Nick. We are aware that you have indicated failures with your dishwasher. Please place a claim so that we may have a contractor diagnose your unit. Thanks, Shanee.
Reviewed June 17, 2018
I've had First American Home Warranty for many years. I've got 3 houses under this warranty. But I'm thinking about finding another company. When I call in and talk to the recording, it'll ask me a question and I answer it. Then it gives more options so I'm constantly having to repeat myself and it's just very confusing. Often, the people I talk to on the phone don't speak English and it's very frustrating.
In terms of their technician's professionalism, some of them had been good and some hadn't. Some of them make appointments then they don't show up and it's not ideal. I reported them to First American but talking to someone that doesn't speak English is a process in itself, too. It's not just user-friendly at all. I often went through my local rep but now she's retired so I don't know what to do. I'm a realtor so I refer a lot of people. But I'm starting not to refer them. And if a friend of mine asks me about First American, I'll tell him to look at a different company.
Reviewed June 17, 2018
When I submit my claims with First American, I do it online. They would usually call me within a day after I do that and somebody would come out within the next day, when I can get off work to see them. I've had good and bad interactions with the contractors they've sent. Sometimes, they come out and they won’t find the issue and I hate that. They have to come back. I don’t like that because one guy never came back and just took the fee. I had the follow-up on that. They were able to track him down after a couple of days but they didn’t send me somebody else. They made him come back and that was awkward. But he fixed the unit, which was the ice maker in my refrigerator. I would have preferred they just send someone new out the next day to fix it, for the trouble.
But the biggest issue I had was with the claim for my refrigerator. It was going out and making a loud popping noise. They told me that they don’t fix noises and that they won’t fix it until it goes completely out and stopped cooling. And that could take two days or two years! So, we listened to that for months. I refused to get another refrigerator without them replacing it because it’s gonna go out. I think they're waiting, thinking that I probably will just go out and buy one, but I want to wait it out. So I’m counting down the days when it goes out. I don’t wanna companies at this point. I’ve already invested a lot of money, and I feel like First American should be the ones responsible for replacing my bigger items like my refrigerator or my A/C unit because they're very old. Also, they stayed around the same monthly fee.
Reviewed June 16, 2018
First American started out with good rates which weren't too expensive. I’ve filed a claim several times already now and they've been fine and professional. When I'd submit one, they would walk me through what I needed to do. Also, the technicians they've sent out have been of good quality. It would be better though if they get rid of the service fee and just have the monthly fee.
Reviewed June 15, 2018
I had American Home Shield and they were a piece of crap. I needed a company that was going to cover the items that I had in my home and First American did. It was exceptional service and I was very pleased with it. It was easy submitting a ticket online. However, when I have had to call in, I've never gotten any responses. The communication from the time I submitted the ticket to the time I know the contractor's coming was not reliable. I've had to go back in myself and look. I wish there was more communication there. Also, I've had trouble issues with my tub. The contractor that they sent out the last time didn't do anything. He said it was the heater that was bad. I had to wait six months for him to come back and repair it. But when he came back, he didn't do anything. I spoke with several agents trying to find out where the contractor was and I felt as though everybody was making excuses. Six months is too long to wait for a part to be repaired.
Reviewed June 14, 2018
My husband and I recently purchased a new home to move our three, adopted boys to the country and to be closer to my family. Our realtor encouraged us to purchase the premium home warranty package during the time of closing in January 2018. On May 24, our HVAC unit stopped working, and we opened a claim. A service technician came to our home on Friday, May 25 and determined we needed a new circuit board and fan motor. FAHW finally ordered the parts he recommended for our model on Monday, June 4. However, they were not shipped to our service technician with a tracking number. Therefore, they could not tell us where they were.
The service technician showed up at our home on Monday, June 11 without calling to schedule an appointment; but fortunately, my husband just happened to be home. Once he installed the parts, he came to the door and said, "It's fixed. You're good to go." Then he proceeded to walk to his car. He never came into the house to turn on the unit to see if it was working properly. My husband turned on the unit, and the fan would not blow. He caught the service tech getting into his car and told him it wasn't working. He checked it again only to determine that the wrong fan motor was ordered.
Our service tech found the correct part locally and requested authorization from FAHW to purchase the part and install it same-day. It was declined because they needed a serial number from the part. After arguing with their service tech for two days, FAHW ordered a new and different part with a UPS tracking number on June 13. After receiving the email verifying the order, I contacted our claims manager Dawn ** at ext. ** and left a voicemail.
I have never been spoken to so rudely by a business professional in my life. After we exchanged formalities on her return call, I said, "Dawn, I hope you have some good news for me." Her response was, "And what kind of good news would that be?" She was so incredibly rude and disrespectful. I started to explain our very lengthy plight with this ordeal, and all she kept saying was, "Yes, I know." When I explained how hot it has been in Arkansas, her reply was, "I'm in Phoenix, so I know about hot." Really?
I then explained to her that she needed to rethink her career because she was failing miserably and that if she could not adjust her attitude enough to speak to me with respect, then she needed to find someone else for me to speak with. She then attempted a half-hearted apology with, "I'm sorry you do not think I am empathizing with you enough." So she technically apologized to me for my own thoughts? A good claims manager would have said something like, "I am so very sorry this has happened to you and that our company doesn't seem to be assisting you expeditiously."
Dawn then actually suggested that it was not FAHW's fault but our service tech's. Really? I did not choose him. He is a contractor and, as a result, a representative of FAHW. This company contracted him. I would have chosen someone else - a mainstream, notable HVAC service company. I had no voice in whom was selected to service my unit. I was told who would service my unit.
I feel like we've been taken for a ride by a company with no integrity. Our boys were the ones suffering through the heat. Arkansas may not be Phoenix, AZ; but our heat it is not a dry heat. It's humid here - so much so that your walls will sweat with moisture when it gets hot. Dawn didn't care and obviously didn't want to hear anything about my family's suffering. We borrowed two AC window units from friends and purchased four box fans for our 1,900 square-foot home, and our house temps would still reach 85 degrees.
Dawn's AC would have to be out for her to empathize with me. I wasn't asking for empathy. I was asking for kindness, respect, and some encouragement - the basic necessity of any human, but especially one in temporary distress. Three weeks is too long for any repair, but it is most assuredly too long for one that disrupts the structure of a home with children and elderly pets.
Reviewed June 14, 2018
I have had First American Home Warranty for 5 years at a previous home and 2 years at my current home. I have only had to use them on 5 occasions. 4 of the 5 were bad experiences! One wasn't a covered service because the plumbing pipeline fell so many feet outside of my home (it was less than 2 ft away). On the other 3 times, the wait time was horrible. A/C went out, had to wait 3 wks to get fixed in middle of summer with 3 kids and 2 dogs. Heating element needed replaced on furnace. Never even got it fixed.
The repairman told us he couldn't get to us for at least 2 to 3 wks, so I called First American and was told they would find another contractor and call me back within 4 hours. After 5 hours with no call, I called them and was told they will call me at the end of the day, guess who never called? Yup, I had to call them the following day and was told they could not find anyone. I paid the $75 service fee online and told them to just cancel the request and refund my money.
Took several phone calls of complaints and 45 days later, I finally got the refund. Once I got the refund, I called to cancel my contract and was told to go online to my account and remove the credit card info from the contract so it won't charge my account and it will automatically close account when no payment is received. I did this immediately and guess what? They still charged my account the following month and when I called them, they said even though I pulled my CC info out of my account, they can still use it and the only way to close the account is to send an email or fax something in writing! Refused to refund me the money so I had to file dispute with my bank to get the money back.
I will never use them again and best part is my new home warranty with Choice has a lower service fee. Instead of $75, I only pay $50 and the yearly fee all together was cheaper, but best part is they have an average turn around time of 24 to 28 hours and if not satisfied, will pay you back to use another contractor of your choice! Way better deal!
Reviewed June 14, 2018
I've been with First American since 2012. I had a little problem one time and I called First American and it was taken care of. There was a time where one technician was lousy. There was a problem with the heating. Something had gone over that it froze on the outside of the PCT, and when it came up, it starts dripping down into the other bedroom. The technician said that I needed a new hot water heater. And so, I called up the renter and asked if there was any water underneath the hot water heater. The renter said there was none, and so I said that the problem was not the water heater.
I've had hot water gone bad and when they were so bad, water would diss in the pan underneath that and it exposed around completely out. So I said that if the can is dry as a bone, then this technician knows nothing. Even if I'm just a woman, I know that stuff. And so, that technician was out and I got somebody else immediately. But when there was a problem with the air-conditioning, the renters called First American, the technicians came right out and it got fixed. My renters were happy about that. First American should keep up the good work.
Reviewed June 13, 2018
My water heater burst flooding my home. My warranty company, First American, was to have a tech come out and diagnose the loss and determined it had to be replaced. First American promised to cover the loss and scheduled to have the plumber out on Tuesday to complete the repair. By Wednesday, I heard nothing from anyone. I called my warranty co and the guy I spoke to was rude and said that I would just have to wait and did not offer a new date or any information.
I asked if I could have another vendor do the work and he said I was not allowed to have anyone else and I am not permitted to get my own vendor out unless I wanted to wait even longer or cash out for less costs than what it takes to make the repair. So basically me and my children suffer without water for however long they want me to. By Thursday, I chose to just accept the small cash out offer to have my own vendor replace the water heater because by now, it's been a week since it had burst and have had no running water. I spent my own money to have the water heater replaced and the check they sent to me says that if I cash it, my warranty is void.
Now let me back up a little on this. Their vendor that first came out and diagnosed the damages and wrote the estimate, claims that First American is demanding "code upgrades" and the pricing is not the plumbers and is in fact, First American's pricing. He said that he has no control over the prices that First American wants him to charge for the upgrades however if I go to them without First American involvement, the regular prices will apply.
The code upgrades by my warranty co pricing is $1,700.00. Without my warranty is $600.00. Both of these figures from the vendor they retained to replace my water heater. On top of this, these are not really code upgrades at all as I called my city building code officer and he confirmed that what I am being told as "code upgrades" is false and not necessary for my home. I confronted First American and attempted to resolve the matters, however they continue to be rude and ignore my concerns. Therefore I am alerting everyone of their fraudulent activities to their customers.
I am not even sure why or how they have any say in pricing of code upgrades since they are not covering this anyway. I am in the insurance industry myself (claims) and I have never seen an insurance company do this to their customers. If I were to do this to my customers, there would be constant court cases. I used to promote home warranty companies and in specific, First American, to all of my customers that did not have a warranty. Not anymore...
Reviewed June 13, 2018
I’ve had First American from a previous home around 14 years ago. I got it mainly for the air conditioning unit in case it didn’t work in the summer. I called them when I submitted a claim and they had somebody call me back the next day. The technician that came out looked for the problem and he told me what the issue was, and I gave him a go on that. The quality of work performed has been good.
Reviewed June 13, 2018
I've been an agent for 32 years and I've had good and bad experiences with First American. Generally they step out and meet our needs, though I've had instances where they didn’t but I'm still using it and it seems to be working. Also, I don’t know how the techs prioritize and how they get paid. They seem to have a little bit of an attitude when handling some stuff but it's fine. Insurance companies are designed not to meet claims up front, and you got to hold their feet to the fire to meet up with their demands.
Reviewed June 12, 2018
When I first moved to Texas, the homeowners people gave us American Home Shield which wasn’t worth a damn. I prefer First American's quality of work. If they don’t have the part for a repair and it’s outdated, they’re not gonna be trying to go look for it. They just wanna replace the problem that’s at hand and that’s what I appreciate about them. With AHS, they looked for the obsolete part and put that damn thing instead of replacing the item. So we dropped AHS and came over to First American and we’ve been with them ever since. I have had a great experience from then on and I’ve been with First American for 17 years.
The claim process is very easy. But I had one little problem before and it was a misunderstanding how everything worked as far as claims were concerned. I thought that when we replace the item, I had to go back to the same people that replaced it and come to find out I'm supposed to call First American back every time if the problem persists and they dispatch them back out. I had a problem with the refrigerator and First American sent Sears out here. And I kept calling Sears because Sears was never fixing the problem. But other than that, the claim rep and everything else are wonderful.
However, I have nothing but negative things to say about the contractor who came in to repair the water heater. We were without a water heater for a month and a half. And the problem was everybody kept blaming other people. First American said the plumbing company has been doing the job and this is what has been done. But the contractor said that First American was supposed to be doing it. The person who was affected was the one in the middle. I wasn't gonna debate that about First American when they said that the plumber signed up for the contract and they get paid to do whatever they need to do. They were supposed to be handling the business. Everybody knew the contractor dropped the ball and no one wanted to come back up again. So I called back First American and then they dispatched another plumber out who took care of the problem. Their work quality was pretty awesome.
Reviewed June 12, 2018
On Monday May 28 2018 , my water heater went out so I called and made a claim. The tech from a plumping co came out. That company who was named Air Pro Master along with America First denied the claim stating the gas meter was too close to the water heater even though there was no code on distance. Approx two days later they sent out another plumbing co. The Right Guys Plumbing. The tech assured me there was no problem with the gas meter. After a couple of days I contacted the plumbing co. and was told that the claim was again denied, so I looked up any codes on water heater installation. So I called the gas co and had a tech come out. Even though he and his boss said there was no problem they extended the venting pipe.
The next day I called the plumbing co. They told me that they would do the job but I would be charged extra. They charged me to get rid of the old water heater though I would have thought that should have been a charge the American First Warranty should pay. In fact every charge I had to pay should have been paid by the insurance policy such as the drip pan, new water lines and a new gas line. I know nothing will be done but I will let everyone I know on social media that this warranty of won't pay up if the job will cost more then they want to pay. Also they deal with very shady companies because I was even charged for items they never used.
Hello Frederick,
We appreciate your feedback and look forward to being able to address your concerns directly with you.
Thank you.
Reviewed June 12, 2018
First American was part of the deal when I purchased the home. I could call them and they would tell me before I even get off the phone which company they’ve selected. The only thing I don’t like is I can't choose who I want. It comes up automatically, and I would imagine that everybody does that. Once in a while we get the same technician that has the original warranty, but nobody has ever been a problem. They always respond and get the job done. They keep going until a claim is fixed. They tried to fix my oven and various people worked on it. Finally I said, “You spent $800 of your own money trying to get this thing fixed, and a new one only runs about $800, so why don’t you do a new one?” and they did.
Reviewed June 11, 2018
They REFUSE to correct an electrical code violation-- my outlets in the kitchen have been approved to be replaced with regular plugs but they say it's an upgrade to go GFI. I have disputed this and had 3 calls to customer service that transfers me to a dead supervisor's extension, I cannot leave messages, and they won't call me back. I will never recommend this company to any realtor or homeowner. I have also gone on their website and I didn't get an answer there. Awful company!!!
Reviewed June 11, 2018
First American Home Warranty- more like First Indian Home Warranty. There is nothing American about this company. I couldn’t understand any of the customer service reps. The process of getting a water heater covered was the worst. I switched out a water heater because it was leaking badly and was over 12 years old. They would not let me continue with my claim because they had to send someone out to see the old one leaking. I had to physically put the old one back in. And then put the new one back in again. I would not go through them again. Save your time and money!!
We appreciate your feedback and look forward to being able to address your concerns directly with you.
Reviewed June 11, 2018
First American HB Protection was recommended by one of my friends and I had a great experience submitting a claim. I didn’t have any difficult time with them. Once in a while it’s a long wait to get to talk to them. But otherwise, the claim process is pretty fast. Plus the claims reps were awesome. But the previous contractor for the pool that we just had, I feel like he was kind of rushing through everything. But from the other times that we had a claim with the pool, my husband said he was extremely helpful. He answered all the questions. Now they say there has to be some kind of a change to the motherboard. The contractor said he submitted the claim to see if it was gonna be approved or not and we haven’t heard anything from it yet.
Reviewed June 11, 2018
We had a little bit of a nightmare on my dishwasher and First American had to send about eight different technicians over, and the last two that were here finally decided that they couldn’t fix it, and they have to replace it. But instead of replacing it, First American is planning on giving me a cash check for it because they wouldn't be able to put a KitchenAid in. The check is supposed to be $665.33 and I'll take that and buy this KitchenAid which would be a few bucks more. I'm waiting now for the check and they're supposed to deliver it, so we should have this thing ended by then. But it's been an exhausting couple of months.
The first contractor that they sent out was horrible. They sent an outfit that didn’t even know what the heck was going on. Then they sent another outfit out and they said they couldn’t work on double dishwasher. Then the third one came out and jammed the drawer, and I think that’s what screwed things up. He jammed the drawer on the thing, and then these other technicians from Sears weren't able to repair it.
But the claims guy has been very, very nice. And they tried real hard to fix the dishwasher. They got some new parts in on a couple of occasions, and they finally decided and threw in the towel and said they gotta replace it. But they couldn’t replace it with the double-drawer KitchenAid. They wanted to put in a Kenmore from Sears, and I'd rather match this stuff because I bought it for my wife. I wanted to match all of the KitchenAid stuff here in the kitchen. But overall, I've had First American since 2007 and they've always been pretty good.
Reviewed June 10, 2018
I have been renting a house that has the First American Home Warranty for almost 3 years now. The first summer was great no issues but last summer the A/C went out twice and both times the technicians they sent out said they could repair it but since the unit is so old that it really needs to be replaced because it's going to go out again. Well sure enough the Thursday before Memorial Day it goes out and they send someone out and same story but this time it's a temporary fix that may last a week because the unit really needs replaced. Of course each time someone comes out I report back to the property manager and the home warranty and the property manager lets the homeowner know.
Well sure enough not even a week later the A/C goes out on 30 May and here we are 10 Jun and it still hasn't been fixed. Best part is the house is in good old Phoenix Arizona where the coolest day has be 98 since it's went out. I call the home warranty every day several times a day along with my property manager doing the same thing and every time it's a different excuse. The only thing they do offer is "temporary relief" of 150 to go get fans or a portable A/C unit, which let me tell you is about as useful as using a kids water gun to put out a forest fire. My wife is 4 months pregnant and I have a 2 yr old and 4 yr old at home which I have explained to them multiple times and their reply, "Well all of our technicians are busy and every call we get is urgent when it comes to A/C so we will get there when we can." At the end of the day the A/C still isn't fixed and this company is a scam.
Hello Michael,
We appreciate your feedback and look forward to being able to address your concerns directly with you.
Thank you.
Reviewed June 10, 2018
I’ve had First American since I bought the house 10 years ago and they’ve always done what was needed. Occasionally, there have been a few deviations but I’ve been well pleased with it overall. I normally call on the phone to submit a claim and my most recent experience was about two weeks ago when my clothes dryer quit. I called them at about 10:00 at night and at 9:00 the next morning, the guy called. He had said he would be here between 9:00 and 12:00, and he was in my driveway. So I had a very quick response and that was good because I had a washer and a dryer both full of clothes. That was a very good experience.
But it has not generally been that quick in most situations, particularly for air conditioning. It was in the heat of the summer when our air conditioning went out, and it took about two weeks to get technicians out here. We were a little uncomfortable. But we bought a couple of windy units and put them in our bedrooms, and that covered us for two weeks.
Updated review: June 14, 2018
After all said and done, I am actually quite impressed with First American. They covered the Heat Pump as quoted on their website. I would recommend First American Warranty to anyone interested in having a peace of mind for a year.
Original Review: June 10, 2018
Before I purchased the home warranty, I thought to myself like many others well the low star reviews must be people who are claiming things that are clearly not covered. However, based on my own experience I can say now that this is not true. We were denied for coverage on repair of an HVAC heat pump which is clearly covered based on our contract. Below is our story:
DO NOT BELIEVE WHAT FIRST AMERICAN PUTS ON THE WEBSITE. They false advertise (period). They advertise that you do not need an inspection prior to purchase of the home warranty. However, when our HEAT PUMP broke they asked for a inspection from a licensed HVAC professional as of day one of the contract which the website specifically says is not needed.
Also, First American advertises that "the age of appliances does not matter". We purchased the warranty because of that particular statement. We wanted a warranty to cover our older system and protect our budget like most people who purchase a home warranty. However, when we submitted a claim for HVAC for the heat pump they said the issues must have existed before the contract date and pre-existed and without a inspection on day one they would not cover it.
Hello Tucker,
We want to express our sincere gratitude for being a loyal customer. In addition, we want to let you know that we are truly grateful that you have allowed us the opportunity to continue to serve you. Have a great day!
Reviewed June 10, 2018
When there was a leak at the bottom of a refrigerator, I called First American Home to let them know what the problem was. I am the property manager for the house and the owner had given me the warranty company's information so that in the event that anything ever happened in the house, I could just call them first. The person I spoke to told me which company they would be dispatching and who I would expect to get a phone call from. She also told me that if the contractor didn’t call me within 48 hours, to call First American back. But I got the call within that time period so there was no problem. Submitting the claim was a positive experience. The contractor came out last weekend and took care of the issue. This was a good experience and I was happy with it.
Reviewed June 9, 2018
We’ve been with First American for a long time as a safeguard for appliances going out. We’ve shopped around and we seemed to get good service from First American. We file claims by phone. We let them know what the problem is, they set up and schedule a service to come out and then we pay them the deductible. We’ve had some refrigerator issues and we had air conditioning issue one time. The most recent was an icemaker problem. The tech who came was very professional. He walked in, fixed it and left. This is the third time that we’ve had it worked on and it looks like this particular technician figured out what to do to solve the problem. I’d recommend First American HB. I'd tell my friends that it’s a good insurance policy. It could save you big money out of your pocket in the long run.
Reviewed June 8, 2018
I have First American Home Warranty for years. I wanted people to fix my stuff when it's broken but I had some experiences where they didn't. And sometimes, I had to call their contractors. One time, the lady told me I had to pay another trip charge just for them to come out. So I called First American and said that I didn't want to work with those people. First American then called the contractor back and it turned out that the contractors weren't charging me additional money. So there was some confusion. Also, the surcharges have gone up consistently every year since I've been with First American. Eventually, it would not be a good deal and would be so high just to get a contractor out. I'm not happy about that and would love to see it stop happening. Nevertheless, First American's reps did their jobs and everything has been fine.
Reviewed June 8, 2018
I've been with First American close to 10 years now and it's worth it. If something goes wrong, I call them and they take care of finding the contractor and getting them out to the house a day or two after I submit the claim. And all I have to pay is $75. But when it’s a large repair, the service takes a very long time. When I filed a claim for my air conditioner, the repair took two weeks. If I called someone on my own with no warranty and they came to my house and fix my AC unit, they were not gonna keep me for two weeks with no air conditioner. But I called the warranty company and it took longer because they were waiting for the cheapest price, trying to get things approved, and they didn’t have parts.
I would never have tolerated that and I would have expected the work to be done within days, not weeks, especially in the heat of summer in San Antonio, but I went through that three times. So, I had some frustrations with them but for that repair, I simply paid my out-of-pocket cost rather than $8000. Also, in terms of the contractors, most of them are really good, but some are too busy, so they don't have time. On my recent swimming pool repair, the contractor was supposed to be out between 1:00 and 5:00, but they came after 6:00 and they didn’t stay very long because they were in a rush. Then, I had to get my own electrician when I needed one because there was nobody available in San Antonio. So, First American needs a bigger pool of contractors. Other than that, getting a home warranty with them is a good idea and it will save you money in the long run.
Reviewed June 7, 2018
First American Home Warranty the absolute worst customer service I have ever encountered. They and their contractors delay your service to the point that you become so frustrated, that you end up having issues repaired by someone else, outside of warranty. Hold times are ridiculous. Each time you call, you are placed on hold for 10-20 minutes. They sent out an incompetent company (North Star Mechanical) to replace my A/C compressor. The tech from North Star Mechanical took my unit outside apart, and left it that way for over 3 weeks before they finally came out to replace it. I called First American every day and they would say they would intervene, but obviously did not. The A/C company finally replaced my compressor, but never replaced the dryer filter plus some faulty wiring, which caused it to malfunction less than 6 months later. Compressor was covered but I had to pay $800 in "non-covered" items.
I have now been without A/C since May 7th (one month) and it is still not repaired. They have sent out 3 different companies to fix and all were so incompetent that they did not fix it. Finally, North Star agreed I needed my compressor replaced. First American told me that they had to issue a PO for my new compressor. I called 2 days later, and there was "no PO in the system" and was told they would submit. I called 2 days after that and was told for some reason they still had not ordered the compressor. Waited 9 days and finally was told they had the compressor. I was scheduled for repair today. The tech showed up to pick up the compressor from First American, guess what? No compressor. So still I have A/C. This is GARBAGE customer service. I am beyond frustrated and cannot even imagine how this company is in business.
Reviewed June 7, 2018
I first heard about First American from my daughter-in-law and I got it so I could get appliances fixed in my home. I checked into it and they seemed good, and I always had a good experience with them. But I'm not happy with them right now because they've been out twice to fix my ceiling fan and they have not fixed or replaced it. They said that if the guy came out and he couldn't fix my ceiling fan, I would get a new one but it would be a basic fan. But when the guy came out, I didn't get a new fan and I still don't have a light in my bedroom. They kept saying that it's a different case, but when the ceiling fan was purchased, the light and the fan were all in one box.
Reviewed June 7, 2018
I have had two major failures in my home. The main water line broke first going into my home. It was after the city water meter so it was my responsibility. Called First American and they assigned a contractor. He called promptly and promised to fix the leak within two weeks! I had NO water to my home! No running water, no toilets and I was expected to "tough it out". I promptly called another plumber who fixed it within hours for $150. Not a bad price. When I tried to submit to FAHW, they said since I didn't have prior approval, so it's all on me!
NOW I have been dealing with them with NO AC! My AC has been out for a month now and they can't find a capable contractor to come and repair the issue. All the contractors are coming from 1-2 hours away because I live in a rural community. Not my fault, they made the contract, however they don't have any capable contractors NEAR me to repair the issue. They have offered me an allowance to buy window air conditioner to alleviate some of the heat, and I give them credit for that, but over one month and they STILL don't have the AC fixed is UNACCEPTABLE!
Reviewed June 7, 2018
For the most part, First American's response time has been pretty good. And they usually handle everything. However, we had some contractors that didn't show up and sometimes, we had those that did show up and we got a lot of talk, but there was no action. Then, they'd be gone and not come back. So, we move on from there. Nevertheless, First American's all we've ever been with and so far, they've done well. In fact, I've recommended them to people before.
Reviewed June 6, 2018
First American seemed to have the overall better coverage. Although they have now degraded themselves by keeping on raising the annual fixed rates. It started off at $60 and now it’s up to $75. Also, I file my claims over the phone and it takes a while to get the professionals. They don’t have too many operators to answer the phone, so it takes an excessive amount of time before they answer. Then, I find out the name and telephone number of the repair center that they’re gonna send out and I call the contractor directly. That saves two or three days. And the companies they've recommended seemed to be okay. First American needs to lower their rates and their annual service charge. Otherwise, next year, I’m thinking about dropping them.
Reviewed June 6, 2018
The people who sold the house to us had First American so I thought to just keep it. Whenever I submit a claim, I go online and it is easy to navigate their site and file the claim. The rep sends a contractor out quickly but there was only one issue this year, back in January, wherein the contractor took long to come out and every person who came could not do the job and there was a poor follow up from First American. The only way the issue was resolved was after the district manager here in Memphis got involved. It took almost three months to resolve it. The technicians who came, in terms of service, were consistent. But the guy who was sent in January called and said that he will come out but he didn’t. And he did not sound professional at all even on the phone. First American had to dispatch three different companies to get the issue resolved and the 4th company got it fixed.
First American was good and everything was fine. But I would recommend that when we’re putting the service online, instead of automatically choosing which company will come out, First American should let the consumer choose online and have options of the company that could come and do the service. I like that better because there were several companies we worked with before and I know some of them and heard feedback about them. I would rather choose them than being with some other company being chosen for me. But I would recommend First American.
Reviewed June 5, 2018
When we first bought the house 15 years ago, we had First American for $250. When we submit a claim over the phone, the experience is very pleasant. Their representatives are very kind and courteous, and they know what they're doing. No problems at all. Unfortunately, when you call in a claim, you’re usually landing up in the Philippines and some of the representatives' English is not good as it should be. But they expedite the service and they will allow you to use a contractor that you want as long as the contractor is in agreement with First American or on board with them.
Over the years, I've had different contractors in and I've had instances when I've taken contractors off the job and called First American and refused to pay them. I gave them very valid reasons and then they had the contractor call me and then I cut loose on the contractor and I got what I wanted. I would never use them again. But some contractors come in and you like the work they do and you like the personnel so much that you want to use them again. So far, the contractors I've used have excellent workmanship and they cared for the house as if it was their own.
First American has been very, very excellent in their service and understanding of a problem that might be. They are also urgent in getting the repair done quickly. In fact, I've had instances where the heating system has gone out during the winter. During the winter it gets down into the 30s and it's really cold. I've also had an instance where the heating system has gone out and the parts that they needed had to be flown in and they authorized me to go buy a couple of heaters to tide me over until the repair could be done. They are outstanding. I get in the mail a lot of times inquiries from other companies or advertisements from other home warranty people, but I wouldn’t switch.
Reviewed June 5, 2018
My banker had First American and he said it was a good product that worked for him, so he recommended it to me. I've had some claims that worked pretty smoothly and did pretty good, and then some that I wasn't happy with. Speaking with the claims reps is difficult because their English isn't very good. Most of the time, I would get somebody that's foreign-speaking and I could tell that English is their second language. But the technicians that have come in have been good.
Original Review: June 4, 2018
Never had home warranty before, the house that I bought, came with it, because seller offered it. Worst home warranty ever. I have a tenant who lives in my house, AC broke, so I called a local AC company. When they came, they said it had a leak, because I wasn't sure if it was serious or not problem. It was 100F outside, and Memorial Day weekend. So I called home insurance and the customer service guy told me that, "It's ok to let them add freon, submit a claim through claims and you will get reimbursed." I wasn't let my tenant be without AC in the hot days and especially over the weekend, because he has small children there, so my option was to patch it or wait for them to get someone. I knew that nobody would come that day or even over the weekend because everyone was so busy. Guess what, I paid and when I try to get reimbursed, they denied it.
On top of that, I also opened a claim, for them to come and take a look at the AC, they couldn't come for a week, that is how busy they were. Will not renew the warranty and definitely would stay away from First American Home Warranty, if something is broke, you will be waiting a long time to get it fixed, some things you can wait and some you cannot. My experience with customer service and the whole company was negative, I would avoid them and you still decide to give them a shot, good luck!
We appreciate your feedback and look forward to being able to address your concerns directly with you.
Reviewed June 4, 2018
Some people at the claims department are very nice, but the last time I called, I had a guy who was rude. He didn't wanna listen to what I was trying to explain to him. He was trying to stay with his opinion. Sometimes the people in the call center don't get the point that I'm trying to explain. For example, I requested a fix for my pool pump and the service provider they assigned had a voicemail saying that he only works from Monday to Wednesday. I called the call center back and asked for somebody else that can work five days a week because I need to get it fixed.
The rep said it would take two days to get in contact with the person. So I explained to him that if the guy just works three days a week, he wouldn't contact me next week, so it wouldn't work for me. Some of their contractors are good but the other ones are a little light on their work. One time, I requested for my furnace to be fixed and they sent this really cheap company that fixed it wrongly. First American needs to find better service providers in the area. But overall, it's fine, and the system works.
Reviewed June 4, 2018
I'm not very handy and I didn't know any other warranty company other than First American. So, I went with them. When I filed a claim, their process was very easy and my experience was very good. The technician who came out did a great job as well.
Reviewed June 3, 2018
We've been covered by the service of First American for five years now. It's very easy submitting a claim to First American. I just get online and submit a form. I am an introvert and I avoid phone calls. So I love that I can do everything online and not have to talk to anyone. However, I spoke to their reps a few times because of not hearing back from contractors. But the reps were great and all the contractors that they've assigned to us have been great, as well.
Reviewed June 3, 2018
Submitting a claim through First American is generally horrible. It's a total pain in the ass to get anything done. It’s a hard to get a hold of somebody and to get anything escalated. It’s sent to offshore call centers and just completely horrible. Though their reps are courteous, they’re just reading from a script and tell you the same thing over and over. Each time is equally frustrating. Then the three days it takes to get somebody out to fix something, it’s them not wanting to work with you. When I had to get a stove replaced, they said that they would only replace it with a white one when all my other stuff is stainless steel. And I have to take a payout of $400 for a stainless steel one.
Also, the contractors are shady, half the time. When my refrigerator broke down, the first guy who came out said he couldn't fix it so he took the $75 and took off. They had to send another guy out and he didn't fix it either. Then the third guy came out and the issue was something that was easily fixed. I only paid the $75 once but I was without a refrigerator for two weeks. Then when I had broken plumbing and flooded a couple of rooms in my house, the first guy couldn't fix it and they had to send a second guy out.
Reviewed June 2, 2018
I had First American Home Warranty for 2 years, during that time I had to call them on 7 different occasions to fix our Air Conditioner. It continued going out over and over again until our warranty ran out. I called a different air conditioner company to see what the problem really was, only to have them tell me they quit making parts for this unit and this unit should have been replaced a few years ago. The unit is completely broke and the home warranty refuses to do anything about it.
We also had a water heater that went out during this time with the home warranty company. They STILL charged me $700 dollars (for additional parts) even though everything was "supposedly" covered. Come to find out I could have bought and had it replaced myself for less than $700 total. I would stay away from this company if at all possible. Biggest scam of a home warranty company I have ever seen!!!
Reviewed June 2, 2018
I've been with First American Home Buyers Protection for 13 years. It was part of the deal when I bought my house and the previous owners paid for it for the first year and then I just continued it. Whenever I had to submit a claim, I called in and the interactions I had with the claims representatives were very well. I just had two, back-to-back claims with them and both of them were fabulous. I had an AC issue two months ago and then I had another AC issue last Wednesday. I wanted to use the same person because it makes more sense that they already knew what they did. The reps were gracious about allowing me to select and to change the provider that was sent out. The guy that fixed the garage door was nice. He fixed it again and it works. Everything is good. I would recommend First American and I recommended them to my daughter who just bought a new home, so she is now part of their family there.
Reviewed June 2, 2018
When I called First American Home Warranty, they were cheaper than the other company so I went with First American and I've had them for some time now. I filed my claims on the phone most of the time and the reps were good when I speak with them. It took two to three days for them to send someone out, depending if it was a weekend or not, and the technicians they sent out were good.
Reviewed June 2, 2018
When I bought my condo, the lady transferred the contract with First American Home Buyers Protection over. I had a claim a couple of months ago for my GE Whirlpool and they didn’t have anybody to look at it at all so I had to go out and look for one myself. And then, they had to come out and they reimbursed me for the fee. First American needs to have a little bit more companies out there for everything that they offer to fix and that customers can work with. Also, I had one or two occasions where the technicians weren't too professional but recently, I called them for an electrical claim and the electrician was awesome, communicated well and knew what he was doing. I didn’t have any light in certain areas of my house so once he repaired it, I got electricity back in certain areas in my home and it was great dealing with him.
Reviewed June 1, 2018
My Air Handler needed to be replaced. First you find out that almost the entire installation cost is considered a modification which you get charged in addition to your deductible. Then it takes a while to have them come out with contractors that don't do a good job, but worst of all is the Lennox Air Handler. First American Home Warranty provided the installer has been part of a class action lawsuit because it typically breaks in 2-5 years. Contacting their help department gets you no help for the air handler. I do not recommend anyone use this service. Save you money.
Reviewed June 1, 2018
First American Home Buyers Protection has worked for me and it always helps me save money. I’ve been with them for more than 15 years. They moved to an online system for submitting claims. So you have to keep track of your password or your account number. But it's just a lot easier when I get to call and talk to somebody. Also, 80% of the technicians they sent out have been trustworthy but sometimes, they try to upsell you. I had a few who tried to sell me a new air conditioner but it wouldn’t be covered at that point. So if something comes up and it's not covered, I don't necessarily always trust the technicians to be the person to deliver the service. I'd like to know for sure that I could trust the people that First American employ and that they would give me a good deal. Other than that, I haven’t had a really bad experience with First American. I’d tell people to get it.
Reviewed June 1, 2018
We bought a home and we wanted to have a warranty with it. We learned about First American through our realtor and we decided to sign up with them. We have the warranty for nine years now and I feel like their prices keep changing a little every year. But when we submit claims with them, our experiences were okay for the most part. But sometimes, it was kinda frustrating that after we contacted them, it took a while to actually get someone to come out and do the work. And the last time we used their automated system, the speech recognition was not that good. But the reps we talked to were pretty good and the tech who came out was great. He was in and out in 30 minutes.
Reviewed May 31, 2018
When I bought the house, the people that lived there had First American Home Warranty and I figured that if they had it as long as they did, it must have been good, so we just picked it up. Submitting a claim was easy and the technician that they sent was a nice guy. He introduced himself and I was really pleased with the quality of his work.
Reviewed May 31, 2018
The people who owned and lived in the house that we moved into had First American and we picked it up. We've had them for 12 years and we stuck with them as everything worked out well. Recently, we made a claim by phone for our freezer and we had to have our condenser replaced. We didn't have a freezer for a week since the technician had to order the condenser but we got it going now. He was excellent and all the technicians that we dealt with have been very good. I've checked with a couple of other places but they can’t compare to First American. We've been very pleased with First American. They have more coverage, easier to communicate with and their service is very prompt.
Reviewed May 30, 2018
I have had great experiences over the years using First American Home Warranty but not so this time. I put in a request for an air conditioner repair and have had two different contractors not show. I have reached back out (we are going on two weeks now) and have gotten no further than people promising me that someone would get back to me in 4-12 hrs. (It has been 24 hours now). I have sent emails and called but just keep getting the runaround. I have asked for an outside authorization at this point because I have lost faith in their contractors and would rather find someone on my own and because it is REALLY hot and I need the air conditioner working. My last phone call with Carla Employee ID ** told me that no one was going to authorize an outside authorization and that the only thing anyone could do was to keep rescheduling. When I told her I had been told differently she hung up in my face. I am at a complete loss.
Reviewed May 30, 2018
I've got First American Home Warranty on one of my properties in Las Vegas and year over year, they worked out mathematically and it's usually efficient. I have looked at changing. I've evaluated and everything else was close enough. But it was easier to stay with the company so I stayed with the same company. I've called in for a number of claims and I've given them the property address, pulled up every contract number and First American has been supportive. They told me who was going to call me back the next day. For a warranty process, it's the least hassle thing I've ever dealt with. My most recent claim was for a plumbing situation for clogged drains. It's a rental house and for me not to have to deal with anything, it's super easy. When I put in the claim, they ended up referring me and that person came out and handled everything. The last technician I had was wonderful.
But one time, I had to place a service claim for a plumbing issue and there was a miscommunication. So, the contractors came out but they wouldn't take care of the problem because they claimed that they had to have some other subcontractor come out and inspect. It was a leaky toilet on the second floor and they're worried about mold. And so, they gave me a reference. I called and had the mold people come out who told me there was no problem. They checked the moisture and it was no big deal. Without First American's interaction, I called back that technician and told them the problem with the mold problem is fixed.
I was out of town, but a subcontractor doing other work in the house let them back in. But the technician refused to fix the toilet 'cause he claimed that it was still a problem with the moisture inspection. I got on the phone with the guy and I told him I called his exact guy but the technician still wouldn't fix it. So, my subcontractor ended up fixing the toilet. It was the wax ring at the base of the toilet which needed to be replaced so it was no big deal. First American sent me the bill for the $70 service fee. I called them up and explained to them the entire situation plus the fact that I had to pay my subcontractor. The rep that I had talked to told me they'll take care of it and dropped the call. But I got another bill three months later saying my account is delinquent and they're going to turn me over to collections if I don't pay it. And this was also in between switching contractors from year to year which was also the other weird part.
My account has gone to one of those intermediary collection people who were threatening so I finally called First American. We had to go back and forth and they told me I needed to submit paperwork about my guys fixing the toilet because their technician said another thing. I told them I should be the customer in this situation and they should deal with the technician and not me. I have also submitted the paperwork. I had to call a third time before they finally dealt with it and took off the service fee.
It was uncomfortable but I still ended up renewing with them because it was easier than switching. Also, Old Republic was not taking on new clients at that time and this was right at the break period. Plus, I had somebody else moving in. Old Republic got an exception to be able to bring me on but by then, it took long enough. My experience with First American has been good but it wasn't flawless. Overall, I'm happy and it's been a smart investment. It has worked out to my advantage and now that it's turned into a rental property, it's a saving grace.
Reviewed May 30, 2018
I've been with First American Home Warranty for about 10 years and I'm happy with them. They're very helpful and the technicians are very qualified. However, it takes so long to put a claim if I don't go online. Sometimes, I'm not home and I'm not on a computer, so I'd call up then go through a million questions. In addition, when we want to go back when something is going on, they ask all the time who was the representative and if I can recall the extension, and I usually don't have that information. Also, I have some higher-end appliances and it takes a while for them to get a contractor to come out.
Reviewed May 29, 2018
Our washer has been broken since 5/7. Now we are being told that the repairman will get the part by 6/17. Every time we call we are placed on hold forever and then assured someone will get back to us same day. And then no one gets back to us. The service is supposed to be within 24-48 hours. This company is unreliable and essentially absent when they are needed.
Reviewed May 29, 2018
My HVAC system malfunctioned on May 1, 2018, the approval to replace the unit was finally granted on May 17, 2018. (2 weeks later) I am still waiting on this timely, qualified contractor to replace my unit... It’s May 28, 2018. (Now a month later) Still no word, still no progress and it’s still measuring 86 degrees at night in my house. I have to go to relatives homes and drive around in my car in the daytime to keep my kids cool. My payments are auto drafted and have been for the past 6 years. I’ve done my part, why can’t they? One of my children suffers from asthma, which has resulted in an urgent care visit for an attack since the air has been out. The temps here are expected to soar this week. This is a crime of what’s been allowed to happen by this company against me and my family. The disvalue for the consumer that has been exemplified by First American Home Warranty Company is horrifying and criminally cruel.
Reviewed May 29, 2018
I've had First American on my house for four years now. I submit my claims online. However, when I speak to their reps, it feels like I'm speaking to someone in a different country. Also, they should have better communication. Once, I had a technician come out. And it took five days for them to call me back and tell me it wasn't under warranty. Only to find out the item was like $114 and I just would have paid it if the technician was present. But their technicians have been good and the quality of work performed has been good, as well.
Reviewed May 28, 2018
They hesitate to replace anything and when they finally decide that a part can no longer be replaced after 3 to 4 weeks and you bugging the hell out of them and being without a refrigerator or heat pump they finally replace it. Though I have had 2 heat pumps replaced and water heater, now my refrigerator needs replacing but keeps insisting on rebuilding the control panel that has been discontinued as well as the parts.
Reviewed May 28, 2018
I've been covered by First American for four years now. Submitting a claim to them is fairly simple but recently I've had some things that have gone wrong with the house and they had to send people out and I was paying $75 for the service fee every time they come out. When they checked for the leak in the filling in the bathroom, they found out that it had to do with a vent of some kind up on the roof. And that circular thing that goes around the vent apparently is broken or is leaking. The contractor came in and went up into the attic area and looked up there. And he found out and said the leak is coming from the roof. He was quick to give me the results of his investigation of the problem and I gave him a check and that was it.
First American told me that, "If the problem turns out to be something that needs to be handled by something else, we just pass it on to the next contractor. But you're still covered because you paid the $75 fee and we haven't resolved the issue yet. But now that we know what the issue is, we go on to the next ones." But I haven't heard a word from them and it's been going on for a week. I don't know why they haven't called me and why they aren't checking into this and getting the next person out here.
They're friendly and good. They get what they believed would be the best contractor to come out. And the contractor seems to be decent people too. They get the work done and they know what they're doing. But the only issue was following up and making sure everything is resolved and done. They could probably be a little more proactive sometimes.
But when I had an issue with the garage door, it was ridiculous that everything went out all at once. So they sent people right away. In one day I had three guys come by, look at things and determine what the problems were. So the garage door's fixed and working great. Everything's good with that. He's a very nice guy, did a good job and got it done fairly quickly.
Reviewed May 28, 2018
Submitting a claim with First American has been outstanding. I sometimes go online and put in an order for something to be repaired and there has been a couple of time that I’ve called. Their claims representatives are very effective and they work with you to get you the information you need right away. Then the techs are out within less than two days, most of the time, and sometimes on the same day. So it works out great. The techs are very thorough, knowledgeable and respectful. They come here and take care of business for me and I've been very pleased. I've had First American for several years and I couldn't ask for a better plan.
Reviewed May 27, 2018
So far, First American has been okay. I have a second home in Atlanta and if anything happens, it needs to be fixed so I looked into getting a home warranty. First American was the first one I saw and I figured it was something I could use there. I've called in many claims and sometimes, it takes a little while to get through. But after getting through, they set it up. Most of the time, their reps are very good. I only had one person who wasn’t very good to me at all. However, sometimes the company they send say they don’t do this or that. They have to call back and find somebody else. It's a little bit frustrating sometimes. One time, they sent someone who doesn't service my brand of refrigerator. I really think they should know which brand the techs service before they send the techs out.
The technicians they've sent are okay and the work being performed is good. I had a problem with the AC. Somebody came out last year and found that it was working okay. By the time they left, we had to call back. It wasn’t working well at all. They came back, put some Freon in it, but it only worked for last year. It’s like I’m calling them every year since it just works for the one summer. After the summer and I shut it off, it doesn’t work again. First American costs a lot of money but it’s a good service to have. I recommend First American to others. I recommend somebody to them last year and she finally end up buying it.
Reviewed May 27, 2018
We have submitted two claims with First American and they were very quick and efficient with the claim process. It was easy to get hold of somebody when I called. They sent somebody to fix our pool and it was done efficiently. We’re just waiting on who’s going to come and do our electrical stuff.
Reviewed May 26, 2018
I can vouch for First American. Our home agent initially told us about them and we went with them because their prices were okay and it sounded like they covered everything that we needed to be covered. So far, they've been great. When we have a claim, we submit it over the phone and the people that we talked to were knowledgeable enough to get things done quickly or point us in the right direction.
We had a problem with an indoor air conditioning once, but it was just low on Freon, so that was a simple problem. We also had an issue under the sink which was fixed quickly. Then there was an oven item and the tech who came out said they didn't work on that and that it wasn't covered. But he suggested how to go about getting it fixed. We had a plumbing problem as well and the guy that came over for that explained everything and fixed the garbage disposal. All in all, things have gone smoothly with First American.
Reviewed May 26, 2018
I am in the process of moving into a new home in Frisco, Texas. I went over to the new house a couple days ago and realized to A/C unit downstairs was not cooling the house. I called to schedule an appointment. I received an email the next day from the repair company. No one ever called me, all I got was an email with an 8 hour window. Once the AC technician walked in he said he knew what it was and it probably wasn't covered. He did a quick test and said I had a Freon leak and he told me that it was not covered. He was on the phone with the warranty company and he asked the warranty company to talk to me since I was clearly not happy.
The warranty company stated they did not need to talk to me and that it still was not covered. There is no way to know if this Freon line broke before or after I purchased the house, but their website states pre-existing conditions are covered. Why else would you get home warranty when you buy a used home? The technicians were friendly but you could tell that they were just going to do whatever the warranty company told them to. My realtor got another A/C technician over within an hour, he located the leak, and had the unit running again in a few hours and of course First American Home Warranty refused to pay his bill. I could tell within minutes of them entering the house that they would find a reason to not cover the claim. I would check out some other companies before going with First American.
Reviewed May 26, 2018
I've had First American for so long and everytime I needed something, it really hasn't been too much of a headache. The only issue, if there has been any, would've been with the contractor and not with First American. And it really hasn't ever been that big of an issue. First American sends out a different company every time with only once or twice that we had the same ones. I used to submit my claims by calling in but recently, I've been doing the online thing, and it was really easy to do. I had two claims and one company was very quick to get with me. The other company took a couple of days and then they came out. They're a little slow but it's not a giant deal. It's not like things in the house are malfunctioning to a point where I can't live in the house. First American has been easy to use and I like it easy and not having to worry too much about it.
Reviewed May 25, 2018
Got a letter to renew my warranty on a rental and it is the only one that covers what I need or I would drop them in a heartbeat! I called them and was told I could not give a checking account to debit my monthly payment from and that I would have to use a credit card and pay three dollars a month more each month for the "privilege of using my card'! They collect $36 extra dollars a year for my use of my card when doing an automatic debit from my checking account would cost NOTHING.
Forcing people to use a credit card is WRONG in my book. As a landlord, it made sense to take it from my rental account, but instead I have to pay extra. RIP OFF of their customers and giving them more money in their pockets. It also takes them 3-4 days to get a service call to my area... and that's with me following up till I get one! Giving them a 2 star only because they cover everything in my rental but if there was another company, they would be lucky to get a one star!!!
We appreciate your feedback and look forward to being able to address your concerns directly with you.
Reviewed May 25, 2018
When we bought our home in Aug 2017 we went with First American Home Warranty after doing some research into reviews. They didn't have the best reviews but it was the company the sellers used and we went with them. For 6 weeks now, we've been dealing with FAHW on attempting to get our AC repaired. Initially it was leaking water and we filed a claim and a contractor came and replaced a transponder battery unit. 10 days later the AC was leaking again and I called FAHW again. They sent same contractor back out and they determined it was a hole in the evap coil and quoted us 1800$ fee to repair.
2 weeks goes by with no contact from FAHW or contractor so I called again. The contractors had failed to send report to FAHW and when I talked to FAHW I asked for a 2nd opinion since the bid for the repair was 1800$. FAHW sent out another contractor who also confirmed it was a hole in the evap coil. Mind you, almost a month has passed and we still have not had the issue resolved. Another contract was made and the bid for the job would be 260$ out of pocket for us. Much better than 1800$ from the 1st shady contractor who wanted 60$ under the table to add Freon to tide us over till it could be repaired.
We agreed to the 260$ charge and thought we would be scheduled for repair. 4 days goes by and no contact from FAHW or contractor and I called back again. That same day our AC stops working. After 3+ hrs on the phone with FAHW it is found out that the contractor called 3 days before and called off the job due to flu which FAHW documented in their system but failed to issue a new contract for service to be completed. Now, we have no AC in summer, in central Texas with 97 degree temp outside and 90° temp inside.
It is now Fri before a 3 day holiday weekend and we are still without AC. I spent 5 hrs on the phone with FAHW speaking to several different supervisors all to find out that they are not going to do anything to help our family of 8 to alleviate this horrible situation that their lack of follow through created. So basically, we're stuck in a 90-95 degree home for another week before anything can be resolved.
This has been the worst warranty company I've ever dealt with and their system of speaking with claim agents and never getting the same one puts you in a seemingly never ending frustrating cycle of having to tell the situation over and over and over to every agent. I would stay away, far away from this warranty company. They are not professional, they do not care about you or your situation. They are out to scam. If you choose to get a home warranty, use any other company but do not trust First American Home Warranty. I write this after 5 hrs of phone calls in my home that is 90° inside. It is miserable!!!
Reviewed May 25, 2018
First American was included when I purchased my home in 2011 and I've kept it ever since.Filing a claim with their rep has always been smooth. The only difficulty I've ever run into was there was a part that was on back order across the board, but that was no fault of First American. And then there was a time when I had to get a third person in just to take the dishwasher out from the cabinet because the people sent by First American didn't want to get involved in doing that. That cost me extra because it seems that wasn't under the warranty. Other than that, the quality of their work is good and everything else is fine. I'm glad that I have First American and I would recommend it to others.
Reviewed May 25, 2018
When I bought my house and was moving in, the garage door opener broke. I called in to file a claim and First American sent out someone who said that there was a missing part. Apparently, when that part came off, the opener was broken. It was a small lock with three tiny pieces joined. I found a piece of it on the roof of the van that was parked in the garage when it broke and another one on the floor of the garage but we weren't able to find the third one. I gave the contractor the pieces but First American denied the claim. They didn't even call me about it, I had to call them. They told me that they don’t cover missing parts but the part was there or else the door wouldn’t have worked in the first place.
They told me that I could appeal it but I was in the middle of moving and have all this other stuff going on so I didn't have time to fight with them about it. Back then I was going back to Northern California to get another load in two days and I couldn't leave the house unsecured, so I had to pay out of my pocket to get someone out here and take care of it for me. That guy even said that it was absolutely ludicrous and he told me that the part was missing because it flew off. First American is useless and and my experience was aggravating and horrible. If I could cancel the policy and get someone else, I would.
Reviewed May 24, 2018
I will never purchase home insurance from this company again. When they realize that replacing our AC unit costs too much, they called me and gave me excuses why they couldn't do it and said they have to cash out and send us a check for 1/8th of what it actually costs to replace our AC unit. It took weeks to finally get an answer from them regarding our replacement. In the end, they copped out and gave excuses on why they couldn't replace. Don't ever buy home insurance from this company.
Reviewed May 24, 2018
Moved into our house and discovered the water heater barely produced hot water. Fortunately (we thought at the time), our realtor had given us a home warranty when we bought the house. Six weeks and three contractors later, we still have a 50 gallon water heater that produces a very small amount of hot water, but they now claim there's nothing wrong with the unit. Giving up on the thought of getting them to pay for anything.
Reviewed May 24, 2018
I have had to call many time and still have not been able to get resolution with this company. I have a nice Carrier AC unit and the air handling unit (and coil) is bad. They did agree to replace the unit with a new unit that is an off brand and 1/6 the price of replacing like kind. That is where the problems started. They then wanted me to agree to pay over $1000 for modification to fit in this new system. Even when the contract says "when replacing a central air conditioning" they will cover this modification, they claim that it is only talking about when they replace the outside as well. Even when everything they talk about is only to do with the indoor unit.
When you call and try to talk to them they with tell you central air conditioning is not defined in the contract and they mean that they are only talking the about the entire system. Lastly your only option is for arbitration which they delay the how process forcing you to get it fixed. They did offer we $747 instead of fixing the issue. I got a quote for a identical replacement for what I have and it was $3,850.
Reviewed May 24, 2018
The First American Home Warranty is for my condo in Texas and I currently live in Virginia. There was a point where it took them a few weeks to respond to a claim that was submitted by the property manager. Usually, they never have a problem. They call them and they come right out. But at that time, the property manager actually called me to try and call First American to get someone out because the hot water heater wasn't working right. First American wasn't responding to their messages, and they couldn't get ahold of anybody. But that was one time. Other than that, I haven't had any problems. Their quality of work was good as they have repaired the water heater, the dryer, the garbage disposal and the air conditioning as well.
Reviewed May 24, 2018
When I was buying my fourplex, my realtor told me about First American. I read about them and it seemed like it was a good deal, so I went with them. I’ve owned that property since 2005 and I have First American for about 12 years or more. I normally submit my claims over the line through their automated service and I don’t like that. It takes a while to get through it, it's voice-activated, and it’s annoying. If I say something like, “My toilet is leaking,” it says, “I don’t understand.” So, I have to wait until a representative comes through and it's not very easy as opposed to speaking to a person.
Other than that, my experience with First American has been very satisfactory. Aside from the regular red tape that I have to cut through, the warranty has been great and very useful. The technicians that they sent out have been fine as well. Sometimes, some of the techs would work for me directly and I wouldn’t go through First American. If that works better and it’s a small issue that I don’t wanna pay the $75 service fee for, I'd go straight to those persons and it’d be a little cheaper.
Reviewed May 23, 2018
Every repair has been a nightmare for the 2 + years I have had these people. They takes weeks to repair anything, send technicians who appear to be on the job for the first day ever, and they repair things that should be replaced. For example, my washing machine has been out now for 10 days. Technician said that the board has to be replaced but it is no longer available. Rebuilding is not proper way to fix but that is the only thing that FA will approve and it will take several more weeks. The don't want to fix anything properly. The replacement guarantee if it cannot be fixed is a joke.
Same washer was down about 4 months ago for a pump and the clown they sent put my machine on its side and left it like that for over a week. Came back and replaced the pump 7-8 days later but the machine was so bad out of balance from being on its size for so long that it danced across floor and ripped my dryer vent out of the wall. Electrical repair ticket done last summer resulted in me doing the work myself because the contractor they sent was so ignorant and wasn't able to identify a loose ground wire. I am a 56 year old single female and I figured it out and did it. Had to fight with FA over the $75 copay for that idiot to come and say he would have to come back later. I could go on and on with the bad experiences I have had over the 2 years I have had these guys but bottom line is I AM DONE with throwing good money after bad. Don't waste your money. Out of pocket is cheaper and far better.
We appreciate your feedback and look forward to being able to address your concerns directly with you.
Reviewed May 23, 2018
I'm living at my daughter's house and she bought the warranty from First American. So far, they have been really okay and they’re pretty reliable. But I had a couple of problems with some of the plumbing people they sent out. Also, when I needed a new tank for our hot water tap, the contractor came with a very cheap tank. I told them they couldn't put that in there. We had a stainless steel tank so they need to give us a stainless steel tank. The person that came to the house said that it was all they could give us. But when we called First American, they understood the problem. They sent the issue to somebody higher, and they are giving us a stainless steel tank. But it’s been over two weeks now and we still don't have it.
Reviewed May 22, 2018
I put in a request to have my AC unit serviced. The tech made it to my house in about three days and in twenty minutes said he found the problem and would have to reschedule for a day over 75 degrees outside. I then didn't hear from them for two weeks while we had a few days hot enough then get scheduled a week out passing more days that were hot enough. Just to get rescheduled again for another cold day while hot days pass. Yes you guessed it rescheduled again. Now being over 40 days past being rescheduled calling time and time again being dissatisfied asking for managers then giving my case to special case worker all to be told to keep waiting. I almost feel like if they wait another 60 days they will have gotten paid for a year's worth of service without doing anything.
Reviewed May 22, 2018
I live in a house built in the 70s. Outside drain caps were not installed then. You have to go through pipe on roof. OK so I developed a blockage in kitchen sink and the only fix is to go through the pipe on roof. First American covers blockages alright but, they only cover going through drain cap on outside which older homes don’t have. I asked them to make an exception because this is the only fix and they cited the fine print in the contract that states they cover blockages and cover going from outside drain cap, but don’t cover getting on the roof. So now I had to pay First American a 75 service fee for diagnosing a stoppage which I already knew I had (they won’t refund by the way) and the plumbing company 300.00 to go through the roof pipe. I pay all this money to a warranty company just to get denied service. Don’t waste your money with this company. You will be sorry.
Reviewed May 20, 2018
We bought a new home and First American was the home warranty that the seller furnished us. We’re still in the first year with First American and we filed a few claims. The house was in shambles and they rejected many of the claims because they were outside of the insurance. They fixed one and three of them are pending for the last eight months. There is one right now that they have been trying to fix since last October. And every time, they tell us to give them a call pay. We pay their call pay and they haven’t fixed it yet.
At first, there were three technicians who came. Then, they had no idea what they were doing. And right away, they said they just came to look at the issue and they asked us $75. I said, “No, way.” So finally, somebody came and he took out a part and said that there was a part missing. And he asked us $75 to order it, which we did. Then about two weeks later, he came out, assembled it, and it didn’t work. So he said another part had to be sent. So far, there have been eight people in here and the last one, which was about four weeks ago, came and fixed the issue and said, “Call me if it doesn’t work.” Two hours later, we called him. He said he’d order the part so I told him to call the insurance company and explain to them. That was two weeks ago and nothing has happened.
Also, when we had gas leaks inside the house, First American sent someone to tear up the walls and then they fixed half of it and for the other half, they said, “Oh, no, this is outside the perimeter. We don’t touch it.” It happens quite often. And nobody wants to get it done. It seemed like everybody pushes the buck to someone else.
Reviewed May 19, 2018
I use First American for a rental property and the rep I have spoken with is good. He had a technician come out after I called them for a plumbing issue, but as it turned out, there was no plumbing issue so we paid them $75 for nothing. But the contractors have been fine and I'd recommend First American overall.
Reviewed May 19, 2018
I’ve never written a review before... so this is the exception. Everything went smoothly but it took awhile to get my double wall oven replacement. Initially Chilly Willys Appliance repair came and took out the control board but they were unable to repair it hence the new oven which was dropped at my house by Sears. I am out of town a lot so First American wanted to close claim asking me if it would be alright to get a quote from Chilly Willys their authorized representative to install the oven. I said ok and they got back to me stating Chilly Willys would charge 300.00. I said fine and they sent me a check albeit to the wrong address. I scheduled a date and two guys showed up as it was a double wall oven and it was a two person job. They came in and took one look at the job and called their boss and told me they couldn’t do the job.
I said why and they replied worried about damaging my floor and it’s too heavy. I said didn’t you bring a dolly or any floor protection to which they just kept saying we can’t do the job and they left. I called and complained to First American and they wanted absolutely nothing to do with me but for the last month they kept calling me to renew warranty for another year. I told them I would once my claim was handled with satisfaction.
My complaint with them was I accepted the 300.00 payout on the premise the company they called could do it for 300.00. I was hung up once by First American. I called back and insisted to talk to s mgr. They put me on hold for 30 minutes. I explained my story and they said they would re-open my claim and get a few other quotes and get back to me in 24 hrs... They never got back to me. One week later I called again and got same runaround, "We can’t help you because we paid you out." Finally spoke to another mgr and got the same answer, "Not our problem anymore." Do not use this company as there are a lot better companies out there than First American Home Warranty.
Reviewed May 18, 2018
The realtor bought our First American warranty for us. When our garage door opener was not opening, we called them and they sent somebody within two hours. The tech was very pleasant and he fixed it. It was awesome.
Updated review: May 31, 2018
Thanks to this website, I was contacted by First American to resolve this issue. Once I was contacted, the claims analyst was extremely helpful and was able to help move the issue toward resolution. It's unfortunate that First American Home Warranty is unable to provide a similar level of service via their call center. I don't blame the call center operators, they clearly have limited visibility into claim process. It's a shame it took a less than favorable public review for First American to properly address this matter. However, because of the help provided by the claim analyst who reached out, I am increasing my star rating to two.
Original Review: May 17, 2018
Absolutely horrible company. Sends bottom of the barrel contractors for repairs. Zero communication. Parts take weeks to be ordered, even though I could get the same parts from manufacturer or distributor within 24-48 hours. Still have a broken appliance. Can’t wait to be rid of them. I would never wish this on our worst enemy. Total waste of money and hands down the worst company I have ever dealt with.
We appreciate your feedback and look forward to being able to address your concerns directly with you.
Reviewed May 17, 2018
Very, very unhappy with First American and the contract company, put in a service call on April 22. Got a call from the contractor on April 25 to diagnosed the problem and said they would write a report and send it to First American so they could order the part. On May 7 called First American to get a status on the service call. They haven’t received the report from the contractor so they called them to find out where the report since it had been 2 weeks since they came to my house.
On May 8 got an email stated the part has been ordered so this week on the 15th I called the contractor. The lady that answered the phone (the technician’s wife) said she didn’t know if the part came in and she would have to get with the tech and get back to me so after hanging up I called First American. They then called the company and she told them that the part was already picked up and the tech was going to call later that evening so he could come out to install the part.
Still to this day tech have not called or nothing so I called First American to speak with a supervisor. He then called the contractor and she said I would have to wait until the tech call me, mind you it’s been 3 weeks since I heard anything from this company. At this point I am very unhappy with First American and this mom and pop company they use, they had no problem cashing the payment for the service fee the same night on April 22 but can’t call to install the part for my washer. I have been with First American for a number of years but after this service call I will be taking my business elsewhere and I will never recommend First American to anyone ever again.
Reviewed May 17, 2018
I had a leak in my sink back on April 25th and placed a claim for it. I called and I got an email with confirmation and my claim number. The technician contacted me a couple of days after. I had to meet hours of work and be there for them to collect my money, gave me a diagnosis and did nothing about it. It was not cool. I paid the $75 for the deductible and then he disappeared on me. Till now, I haven't heard from them. I kept calling them, I left voicemails, nothing. They only took my money and they were gone.
So I called First American Home Warranty to let them know about the situation. One of their specialists contacted me, they promised me to follow up but it hasn't happened yet. Nevertheless, everybody at First American was very nice and polite. They seem like they care. But at the end of the day, nothing has happened. I’m still waiting for a refund or for someone to fix the leak. I don't recommend First American. My experience with them was really bad and it is a waste of time. Lately, I got a letter to renew my warranty, and I said, "No. Thank you."
Reviewed May 16, 2018
My Realtor got my First American warranty for me as a housewarming gift when I bought the house. I've been a customer for three or four years. I just go on the website to submit a claim and then somebody calls me back once I submit the ticket. It's all pretty straightforward. The contractor comes, then usually they'll do an assessment and then they’ve had to order parts. They'll come and they'll look at it and say, “Okay. Well, we need to replace this part,” and then they'll order a part and then call me again to reschedule. It's been good every time. I haven't had to have anyone back out. I've been very happy with them. I got a good return on my investment.
Reviewed May 16, 2018
I was moving out of my home to do mission work in Guatemala and I was renting it out. I looked into a home warranty in case there was any repairs, I was not gonna be around to do it myself. At that time, First American was more affordable and their deductible was less. Also, the technicians and the quality of their work have been fine. However, since that time the rates went up and then the deductible has gone up terribly. It was $50, now it's $75. I have had a few claims through the years and they went fairly well but it seems like there's a lot of loopholes in the total fees, so I always ended up paying more than the $75 for the most part Usually something needs to be brought up to code in order to repair it and that’s not covered, so I end up paying a third to a half of what the repair is. I'm disappointed in the way that works. I plan to drop the warranty soon.
Reviewed May 15, 2018
First American was transferred with the property when we bought it. Whenever I submit a claim, I called the number and listened to the little song and eventually got to speak to somebody and it went smooth. Sometimes, there was a little confusion when you try to tell them what the issue was because the system was automated and it can’t understand. They just give you the selection you’re trying to get and it sometimes could be so much frustrating but we got through eventually.
Their representative was quite professional. But recently we had an issue with our pool motor and we requested for someone to come out and take a look at that. Unfortunately, the contractor didn’t fix the problem. They did something different that lasted for less than a day and then we tried the company for about a week, leaving messages but never got a return call. So we decided to go back to First American and reported that we were having a challenge with the contractor. When I did that, First American wanted to have the same contractor back out. We gave them plenty of opportunities but they didn’t have their customer service. It was not so much of the person coming out necessary with the issue but it was the customer service if they’re not returning calls and why we want to continue to deal with that department.
Unfortunately, First American wanted to charge us for a new person to come out but after my persistent and elevated blood pressure, I finally got through a representative who went back to the supervisor. She had to go back twice because she didn’t come back with the answer I wanted the first time. When she went back the second time, we finally did the override to have somebody come out and fix the issue the first time. That was just the call because the girl on the phone had only so much authority but she told us that there was no way they can override the fee. She explained that they’d definitely be looking for another representative. We just moved on because we have choices but it didn’t seem to face a whole bunch.
Eventually she went back one more time and she never apologized. She just said that they won’t be charging me and somebody else will be coming. I had to make sure that they were not charging us the second time for the same service. We really like the people from 24 Karat Pool for our pool service but they were no longer in First American's selection of contractors.
We have dogs, gate issues and we also work. It’s hard to find strangers coming in and out and get it all coordinated. But for whatever reason, they went out regained and when I’ve spoken with them it sounded like there were other people who were willing to underbid and who would get the job done. It frustrated me when I heard that. That aside, things got taken care of but sometimes it was a matter of calling and trying to get to the next level. And I just find that in this stage where there is competition there are other places that you can go to. Overall, I had good and bad experiences with First American.
Reviewed May 15, 2018
Having a warranty on the property is very valuable. My friend told us about First American and he gave me a good reference about them. One of my friends told me he had a problem with his microwave. I complained it to the claim system but they told me that they cannot replace it with the same brand name and they tried to replace it with a different cheap brand. They said, “If you wanna replace it with the same brand, it’s gonna cost you more. We can reimburse you only some money, $300 something.” Then they sent a check and he got some money from his broker to buy the new microwave. On the other hand, the technician that came was good.
Reviewed May 14, 2018
First time home buyer, had the warranty written into the contract, and I am soooo happy I didn’t pay for this garbage! I have been hung up on, lied to and let down. Two different plumbers came out, one charged me additional money (which he shouldn’t have) and when I called to ask about it I was LIED to and told I would get a refund check. I had a second company come out and they were horrible, they were here for 5 minutes before saying, “you should just call the city”. WTF! Totally useless. They left, yadda yadda I call First American again and they say if I want someone to come out again it has to be the second company, I complained and I got hung up on! I begrudgingly made an appt with the second company again and the guy calls me at the very end of the appointment time window and says he won’t make it! What is going on?!?
I ask about the refund check and another person says, “oh yes we will contact your husband and let him know when the check will be sent out”. Okay, cool. Weeks later I call back and inquire and this time the guy says he sees no record of us suppose to be getting a refund and he was going to call the company directly and ask then call me back. I asked, “why did 3 other people say that I would indeed be getting a refund check?” He said, “because I’m being honest with you”! So your company is just full of liars?!? I haven’t even heard back from the guy who was going to call the first plumbing company and then call me back. I ended up paying out of pocket for Roto Rooter because they actually were competent, polite and quick! First American is a waste of money. They have garbage contractors and their warranties don’t cover half of what you need as a homeowner. Stay far away from this trainwreck.
Reviewed May 14, 2018
Since I'm a single mom and I own my house I bought a home warranty. However, I'm not happy with First American. I have had some bad experiences and I'm considering searching around for another provider. My sprinkler system was out and I told them when I called that it was my sprinkler set. They sent someone out and they tried to charge me for the on-call $65 fee for sending someone out. And then they later stated that they do not cover anything outside the house, and I didn’t know that. But when I placed that initial call and I told them it was my sprinkler set, they should have said, “It's not covered. We can't send anyone out.” Anyway, they waived the fee, but I shouldn’t have gone through all of that. The other problem that I had was my water heater went out and they sent someone out here and told me that it's not gonna be covered, that it's not up to code. They ended up just paying me for the actual water heater, which sucks.
Reviewed May 13, 2018
I called for service on my dryer and then my fridge. The contractor that First American sent out said that the seals on my fridge were damaged and he said that it seemed like we did it. I didn’t wanna argue with him, so I paid for something that they never fixed. They were supposed to come back and take care of it, but they never did. Also, they were supposed to change my icemaker's motor. They went back and they said that they couldn’t find the motor and they were gonna order another piece, but they never came back so I had to buy another fridge. Then I called First American because I also wanted to see if I can cancel my warranty, but I still got to work on that. I had not a good experience with First American.
Reviewed May 13, 2018
The company that I was with before did not cover appliances so I acquired a home warranty from First American instead since they do cover appliances. The experience when submitting a claim with First American was good. I called them, then they scheduled an appointment and was able to replace our garbage disposal right away. The tech talked us through and explained what the problem was. He told us what he was gonna do first by looking at the garbage disposal and assessing it to see what the problem was and if he could fix it. But then, he determined that it needed to be replaced instead. We had a good experience with First American and I’ve already recommended them a few times.
Reviewed May 12, 2018
Navigating First American's website and submitting a claim was pretty easy. I did it all online and it was either done on a holiday or a Friday, so it was at least three days before anybody could come out which I expected. The technicians were all nice and they were good personnel. The first one didn't say much and just came out and replaced the power switch to the disposal. When I had to call them back out, the next technician explained what the actual problem was which wasn't what they fixed the first time. The last technician came out and replaced it again, and again, it wasn’t at all what was wrong. I figured out that it was the light switch, so I replaced it and fixed it. It's working fine now. Overall, I found having this warranty to not be very valuable at all and probably not worth it.
Reviewed May 12, 2018
I found First American to be very professional but their customers always have to call back for feedback as far as what the status is, where we stand and what’s going on. Last year, one company First American sent took six trips to get my AC right and I had to get a second opinion. I brought in another company on my own dime and found out it was a whole different scenario and a whole another type of problem that was wrong. The company First American selected that came out was inexperienced and they didn't know how the problem happened. They said I needed a whole new unit but when the technician from the second company did the diagnostics, it turned out to be a bad thermostat wall control.
The guy from the company First American sent told me on this last trip last week said that he would collect the $75 on his return visit which made me feel better because I wanted to make sure that I was paying him for something he did and not just for him to come out and tell me the problem. I knew the problem. I never could figure out why we were paying them before they did anything.
We got another claim put in for the same problem on the same unit. This time, it was supposedly a bad control board on the unit. They had to order it and they’re waiting for this part to come in. I was to hear from them today or tomorrow because they said it took a few days to get in. I had to call on Monday to get a status on that because I never heard back. It was like the customers are in the dark.
And I don’t understand why we, the customer, do not get a choice of who we can select on First American's list. They should let us decide who we wanna use instead of picking somebody for us. They should let us call on the selection they send us. We should talk to them, ask questions and get a price. It’s like shopping for a house or a car. But First American told me I had to use the company they picked for me instead of me having a choice as a paying customer to them every month.
But what if I didn't like them? What if I didn't like the way they did something? What if I didn't like the answers I got from the questions I asked them? Those are the things that I don’t like about First American now. Also, how come we have to call them to find out the status? Where’s my follow-up email and phone call? We were gonna go with American Home Shield but they were a little more expensive. From experience, when we had American Home Shield with our house back in Georgia, we had a better experience with them. But we switched to First American because they were a little cheaper.
Reviewed May 11, 2018
Had a ac guy out 3 times, they said it was fine and now summer is here and no money left, I'm sweating my ass off. Am Home Warranty is not worth the $1000 a yr. If your ac goes out you can find someone to fix it cheaper than $1000 a yr plus $85 service call fee. In a whole these people don't want replace your old unit. They lie and tell you it's fine. Am Home Warranty is a joke. Be smart. Don't give them your business.
Reviewed May 11, 2018
Terrible... Go somewhere else, save your money and effort. AC went down. It's been the 3rd day and no repair yet. They quoted over $2,000 to repair out of pocket. Even my AC is fully covered under warranty. Things not covered under warranty like disposal of bad part ($120) when we could put in in the trash bin for free... just make me sick.
Reviewed May 11, 2018
When I bought my house in 1999, First American Home Warranty called me and asked me if I wanna get an extended home warranty on my house because if something happened, they would fix the problem. So, I said, "Let me check it out." I did that and I stayed with them. Then I got married in 2005 and I sold my house and moved into my husband's house. I told my husband, "Let's get First American's home warranty" and so we did. It's difficult now to submit a claim with First American because everything is done via computer and when you get to a certain age, it's a little bit harder when you do things with a computer. But I made it through, although I'd rather talk to a person.
I just submitted a claim a couple of weeks ago and I didn't have a problem with the claims reps at all. The only thing that I had a problem with was this one time when I didn't like the work that the contractor was doing and I told the reps not to send me these people ever again. But other than that, I like First American Home Warranty and I would recommend them to other people. The good part is that they would pay a certain amount a year and then they just have to pay their deductible, and the warranty is worth the cost because sometimes their stuff is gonna cost way more than the deductible and what they pay in a year.
Reviewed May 11, 2018
I bought a house and the sellers provided First American as coverage. Submitting claims has been good. I call them to submit claims and their reps are very friendly and helpful. The technicians are dispatched within 24 hours and they're very professional.
Reviewed May 10, 2018
There is no urgency in getting something repaired. They contract out to unreliable repair companies and do not hold them accountable for the completion of work. We have been waiting over 2 weeks for a dishwasher repair when we were originally quoted 3-5 days. There is no end in sight, they are still unsure when the proper parts can be ordered and delivered. They said they would follow up with us and they do not. We have to call them daily for updates.
Reviewed May 10, 2018
Our dishwasher is not cleaning dishes. Repairman came out twice to repair it. It still did not work. We waited too long after the second visit and was told we would have to file a new claim. We spoke with Roland employee #**. He hung up on me when I asked to speak to his supervisor. My husband called back. Spoke to the same guy. Roland told my husband he does not have a supervisor. Every claim we have put in through this company usually does not get a complete fix. They do the bare minimum. Very frustrated. There must be better home warranty companies available.
Hello Mindy,
We appreciate your feedback and look forward to being able to address your concerns directly with you.
Thank you.
Reviewed May 10, 2018
I retired from real estate and I knew about First American as they helped me with any small problem I had with customers. The timeframe of getting a tech is generally very good, with the exception of when I had a very serious problem. There was sewage going into the apartment and I called First American on a Friday and they said the techs would be out there on a Monday, which was ridiculous as it was an emergency. I don't get to talk to the person who does the work, and if I call in, there's no communication. I am in California and work was being done in Arizona, so there should be better communication with them.
Also, I don’t think the tech's quality of work is that great. I feel like it's all for the money and it's not about making the renter or the homeowner happy and doing complete jobs. There was a round circle metal with the T-shape in the plumbing drain. They knew that the round part wasn't there and it broke out the T part. Jeff, the person on the phone said that they can't replace something that isn’t there. They wouldn't know that the part wasn't there unless they take it apart and see if it's there or not. So, they were always full of excuses. Also, when I called First American about an air conditioning problem, I told them the air conditioner is on top of the second storage. But when the techs came, they didn’t bring their ladder. So, I had to wait for another visit. That happened multiple times.
Hello Carol,
Our records indicate the plumbing stoppage in the hall bathroom sink and shower was cleared and is draining properly. Please be advised, we consider your claim closed.
Thank you.
Reviewed May 9, 2018
On May 5th my refrigerator wasn't cooling properly, so I file a claim, and paid my $75 deposit. I received an email saying Sears would call me within 24 hours. Well Sears never called, so I called them. They had no idea what I was talking about, they had no order from First American. I call the insurance company and spoke to Stephanie, who said my claim was escalated, and a supervisor would call me... no calls, call today get Airel on the phone, she transfers me to manager, but her answering machine picks up at 3:30pm... All I can do now is file a Dept of Insurance Claim against company, and take them to small claims court, which I will.
Reviewed May 9, 2018
I considered getting a home warranty for everyday things that needed to be fixed and for the security of having that possibility, I have the option to do so without having such a huge cost. First American has been good for the most part in the past years that I've been using them. However, my last experience was a little upsetting. I called to file a claim because of an issue with my water softener. The plumbers didn’t tell me it wasn’t gonna be covered, neither did First American. Then something happened with my toilet and they said that wasn’t covered either, so they charged me around $70 plus the fee to come out which was $70.
I have the list of what they cover and my toilets are covered. First American was blaming the issue on the water pressure and they said that it wasn’t normal wear and tear because of it. I wasn’t even aware that the water pressure was a little high, so did that mean that nothing is gonna be covered and I’m paying $65 a month until I get that corrected? I wasn’t told about that before and I wouldn’t have done the repair through First American. I would have just looked for a plumber who would have cost me less money without going through whoever First American chose because then I was forced to use them, not knowing that I wasn’t gonna be covered. I’m thinking of switching.
Reviewed May 9, 2018
First American HB Protection came with my house when I bought it and I wanted to keep it because the house became a rental property. However, sometimes submitting a claim is very difficult because the people don't speak clear English. But they can be helpful, depending on who you get. And you can get a tech within 24 hours if it's on a Monday through Friday. But when it's on a weekend you gotta wait all weekend. We have techs come out quite frequently because we have lots of issues all the time. And the quality of the contractors First American sends work has been good. But the last call I had was canceled somehow by someone at First American and I was notified by the company that was coming out at 8 o'clock in the morning. I have no idea what happened, but stuff like that happens frequently.
Reviewed May 8, 2018
The lady I bought the house from already had First American and I've been with them now for three years. I submitted my claims to them over the phone which was easy to do and my experiences with their reps were pretty good. When I had a problem with my microwave, their tech had to come back out a couple of times for it but he was good. I would recommend First American.
Reviewed May 7, 2018
I purchased this warranty when I bought my home so that I would have peace of mind. I got anything but that. My washing machine broke and when I placed a claim at First American they assigned a contractor who never contacted me but yet said that they completed the job then assigned another contractor and this one would not take the contract. But no one from First American where the contractor decided to let me know. I had to call numerous times to get this information. I have now put in a cancellation notice for my contract. Let’s see if they can handle that.
Reviewed May 7, 2018
I have had nothing but frustration and disgust when dealing with First American Home Warranty. They treat customers poorly even when asking for supervisor. Their contractors (I've had 3) bad mouth them for being so cheap and not covering anything. The last experience I had, they sent a Dishwasher repairman who did nothing but come in and press a button on my dishwasher and said since there were no error codes he couldn't do anything since it couldn't be mechanical and that is all that was covered. I tried multiple times explaining the problem then just hired someone with good reviews off Yelp.
The new, competent repairman came and said the motor assembly and control panel had died. I called FAHW and they said I had to submit a claim review and it could be weeks before I get a new dishwasher. No apology for sending someone incompetent to my home, wasting my time and suggesting the only thing I needed to do was pour pool acid in the dishwasher and run it and that should fix it. I should have known better when it took 23 days to get my oven repaired using this company. Thank goodness my warranty expired today, and no surprise, I did NOT renew. I am very disappointed and recommend you stay away from this company.
Reviewed May 7, 2018
I had a plumbing claim and while I was in the process of scheduling the service online, I was also on the phone with First American's rep. He was a nice, friendly, and very informative guy. Then I told him I figured it out online so our interaction was brief. After that, First American got the tech out the same day and gave me text updates. They also provided the number to the plumber who was gonna come out and things went pretty smoothly. The $75 was a bit pricey and I don't know if the work was worth $75 but it was better than paying the plumber directly.
Reviewed May 7, 2018
The First American HB Protection rep that I dealt with was very helpful. The last technician that came out was also very professional and the experience was perfect. But it takes a really long time to get a person out depending on the service. Sometimes it took weeks. Any appliance with Sears tends to have issues. First American has been inconsistent and I would not recommend them.
Reviewed May 6, 2018
This not the first time it happens. Few months back I had plumbing issue. They gave me run around and then the plumber never showed up from BS plumbing and they had the nerve to tell me that they will charged. They charge me a plumber visit fee which the plumber never showed and then said they will waived the fee, it took 2 week for them to give me run around to got it fixed. No apology.
Now I called today to have tech come out to check my A/C not cooling which was checked by their tech few weeks ago and said it's working fine. Same problem happen again. No cooling. So it's a recurring issue. They told me, "It's been a month so we cannot have tech come out." Then the men they also told me that my policy is been cancelled, I ask them why. Normally it's automatically renewed every year but since I called for recurring issue I think they decided to cancel my policy without my permission and not letting me know. The lady rep I was talking to when I ask her why my policy was cancel and who cancelled it said she don't know but she will find out.
After hold for 15 min... the guy came over the phone clueless what I was dealing with (typical First American Home warranty customer service) then ask me how can he help me. He told me he was not about anything, then I ask the same question why and who cancelled my policy. He said it was a corporate decision and when I was asked why I was not told and sent letter about the cancellation, Rep. said the letter was mail 2 months ago to me. But I called a month ago to First American Home Warranty on 03/30/2018 and had a A/C tech to my house. Nobody told me about the cancellation of my policy then... Now I need help to get A/C fixed they cancelled the policy. I really need to consult.
Hello Asif, We will like to apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced. We dispatched the contractor to further diagnose the failures to your air conditioning system and am aware that your system has been repaired at this time. Thanks, Shanee.
Reviewed May 6, 2018
The warranty of First American came with our home three and a half years ago and we stayed with them throughout that time because they kept soliciting for it. To submit a claim, we just called and let them know the issue, then they had one of their contracted companies get in touch with us to set up an appointment. The claim reps have been knowledgeable and they've answered questions, and the work quality of the contractors have been excellent. First American provides the service that they're selling.
Reviewed May 6, 2018
We submitted a claim over the phone with First American recently and the experience was straightforward. The claims reps were helpful. It took at least a week to get a contractor to the property. But the first technician didn't resolve the problem and that left some frustration. He thought that the issue was not a normal wear and tear. Plus the moment he fixed the thing and left the house, the problem came back. Somebody should be coming out today to probably look at it again. When I call I'm looking for solutions but if I don't get one then I'm not happy.
Reviewed May 5, 2018
I bought a home and First American happened to be the first warranty provider that I came across with. I have them for three to four years now and so far, submitting a claim with them has gone real well for me. The process has been easy. I'd call them and schedule the service, then I'd always have a good experience. In fact, I never had any trouble with anybody. But their prices keep going up. Still, I'd tell my friends to go with First American.
Reviewed May 5, 2018
The house I was purchasing was inspected and needed some work, and First American handled the work. At that time, my realtor advised me to get a home warranty. I moved in January and since then, I have been with First American. Submitting the claim for my garbage disposal was very easy. The rep was very nice, professional, friendly and helpful. She walked me through everything and made the arrangements on who the contractor would be. Then the contractor called me within a couple of hours and came the next day. The guy was professional and kinda friendly as well which was nice. Because the garbage disposal turned out to be burnt out, the contractor replaced it with no cost to me. I would recommend First American as they do everything they can to help you out with your home and they don't try to cheat you. They are inexpensive and provide prompt and courteous service too.
Reviewed May 4, 2018
I have mixed feelings about First American. So far, they took care of my refrigerator and they are replacing the garbage disposal, which are both good. But there were a few moments that I was really frustrated with them. When the gas company shut off my water heater because it was producing carbon monoxide, I did not have hot water and gas for three days. Also, the vent was not working. I called First American and I had to wait until someone answered. The lady I spoke to said that the work was covered and sent out a plumber to fix it. When the plumber came, he looked at it and said that the water heater was covered but the vent was not. That didn't make sense because the vent was part of the hot water tank. He also said that he was gonna charge me $450 to fix it and that was robbery. So, I called my plumber and he cleaned it instead then charged me 90 bucks. I wasted three days with First American and got nowhere.
I called them again yesterday because I had a leak in the faucets in the bathroom. They said that it was gonna be a new claim and I had to pay them another $75. So last night, I called the plumber that I knew to get to my house and fix the leak. When I bought this house, there were a few major issues which were part of the inspection and I have a document showing that, but neither my agent nor First American informed me that each time I placed an order, it'd be a new claim and I had to pay $75. If I did, I would have taken a note of all the issues in the house in the inspection, then I'd call and get someone and pay the $75 fee one-time.
Per your home warranty contract, under Water Heater, Not Covered, vents is listed.
Anytime a claim is placed, a service call fee of $75.00 becomes due. Please refer to your home warranty contract, under Customer Service, Number Two. Thank you.
Reviewed May 4, 2018
I have to tell of a nightmare situation with FIRST AMERICAN HOME WARRANTY so none of you ever use it! On 12/28 our heater went out, it was 10 degrees that week. Pipes froze and dishwasher pump busted because of the freeze in the house. The warranty company told me it would take 3 days to send someone out to diagnose, then they'd have to order parts and come back for repair. Unacceptable since house was uninhabitable. The rep instructed me that I could find my own repair company to come out and submit my receipt with my work order# for a reimbursement. I followed instructions. Called local company and had successful repair same day!
For the past 4 months, I've been fighting this fight as they say there is no record prior approval was given for reimbursement. (How the F did I get a work order number and the instructions on what to send in if they didn't tell me when I filed my claim?!) I had to fight to speak with a manager after trying to get resolution through an extremely rude rep who told me the manager wouldn't talk with me. Manager gets on phone finally and is super nice (April 6). Told me he'd take care of everything and call me beginning the following week (this was Friday). He didn't call. I tried to reach him. He wouldn't respond. Company has been completely ignoring me now since April 6. I opened a BBB claim against them this past Monday. FIRST AM response was they didn't give prior authorization for me to submit reimbursement. They did though! I just sent a message to the Director of Operations in California. I will next contact my attorney if BBB can't help. Do NOT sign up for their services!!!!
Reviewed May 4, 2018
The real estate agent usually works with the title company that they trust and the title company suggested that I get a home warranty and so I got First American. I had a great experience with them and the plumber was fabulous. I submitted a claim last week and somebody returned my call after I left a message. I told them my address and what the problem was. They said that they'll have a plumber here and they happened to give me the number so I called the plumber directly to set up the appointment. I was lucky because the plumber said that he was about 20 miles away so he could get in that same day. He came out, diagnosed and fixed the problem. It happened very quickly and I was very happy that the water heater worked.
Giving me the name of the person to contact and contacting them directly was the best but I would recommend that First American give us more than one option available just in case there was a problem like the person not being available on the same day. The home warranty was offered to me on the purchase of a new house so I would recommend that someone do that because it takes a lot of hassle and owners don’t know when things are gonna break once they sell the house.
Reviewed May 3, 2018
My AC unit broke. Three weeks later still no resolution. Customer service is horrible. They say when you sign up that there will be a $95 service fee and that everything is covered. BS. I'm being asked to pay $425 on top of the $95 service fee for modifications which the contract clearly states that all modifications are covered. I believe that the First American Home Warranty pays their contractors little or nothing so the contractors make up services they know aren't covered so they get paid. Since I live in VA. There is the Virginia Bureau of Insurance who handles these types of issues. I will be calling them now.
Reviewed May 3, 2018
First American Home Buyers Protection was the home warranty that the previous owners of our house were using. It was included in the purchase and when it came time to renew the warranty, the price was good so we went on and did it. Submitting a claim was also incredibly easy and they were very quick to respond. They contacted me the next day and we scheduled a time for a couple of days after. The technician took care of all of our problems, and was very polite and helpful. We were really pleased overall with all of the help.
We appreciate your review Taylor!
Reviewed May 3, 2018
Submitting a claim with First American has been very easy to do. The reps and everybody who came to the house have been nice. But getting the actual claim resolved hasn't worked out for me well yet. I called them for two things--one for the plumbing and then for the air conditioning. The plumbing issue wasn't resolved because they didn't cover the plumber getting on the roof to hold the pipe. Then with the air conditioning unit, it needed to have a part replaced which First American also didn't cover, so I ended up buying a new air conditioning unit. With this, I won't go with First American again unless they have a better home warranty package. If every time I call, I'm spending $75 to pay for somebody to come out and tell me that First American doesn't cover it, then I'm just wasting more money at that point. And if someone asks me about them, I'll tell them to look for another home warranty company.
We appreciate your feedback and look forward to being able to address your concerns directly with you.
Reviewed May 2, 2018
Our first claim with First American Home Warranty (FAHW) is a joke. They send a plumbing contractor out for the diagnosis and repair. The first two things out of the plumber's mouth (Emergency Plumbing Rooter Inc), "Yes it is leaking and It's a gonna cost you about $400." I asked why because I have replacement coverage, the plumber said all the lines need to be replaced (two water lines and a gas line). We went back and forth on this issue because the lines are in perfect working order and do not show any signs of wear or damage, they actually look brand new and there are not any leaks. I disagreed and asked the plumber for his business card and he said no. I asked him to write down his position and why he needs to charge an additional $400 and he said no, then got in his truck and left.
I contact FAHW resolution department and after a couple days they sent an email saying that a Hot Water Heater has been ordered by the plumbing company and they will call me to make arraignments for the installation. Too good to be true. I did not hear from anybody for 2 days so I phoned FAHW again. They told me that I needed to agree to the plumbers additional charges if I wanted the water heater replaced. My warranty specifies "All Parts, Except." Under the exceptions there is nothing about water and gas lines. This is where we stand. Speaking to representatives from the company is the same broken record over and over.
Reviewed May 2, 2018
Five years ago, we had another warranty company but they didn't cover anything at all so I cancelled it. Then my friend recommended us to First American Home Warranty. We are retired persons and we may be needing it someday. We'll be able to recommend some of our friends too to make time so they don’t have to struggle with some minor problem. Filing a claim was not difficult at all. We called First American up and the representative was nice and very friendly. We paid the co-payment which is $75 and they sent somebody. The technician came in on time and fixed the refrigerator. Now, the fridge is working.
Reviewed May 2, 2018
Our realtor suggested that we use First American and it came with the house when we bought it since the previous owners purchased a year. It’s pretty easy to submit a claim although some of the contractors that they have on record may not fully be able to work on issues like a hot tub or a whirlpool bath which I have. And pretty much contractor that they have can’t work on the issue itself or what’s going on with it. But it’s a great company and the contractors are very professional and usually get here in about a day.
Reviewed May 1, 2018
After talking to several different home warranties, I liked the package that First American offered and the rate was good. The claim process was simple. I called in and the representative was wonderful. I told them what my situation was and a couple of hours later, they texted me a contractor. They gave me his number and said I could also call them if I wanted to. I called him and got everything set up real fast.
I had a technician out here but he was not what I expected. I wasn’t happy with the work done at all. That guy was in and out of here in two minutes. I asked him what he did but he didn’t speak in English. He wanted me to communicate with him through Siri on the cellphone and I've never heard of anything like that. That was awkward and I was disappointed because we couldn't really communicate. This guy didn’t do anything but collect the $75 basically. But as far as what First American did for me, I'm good.
Reviewed May 1, 2018
My wife Carol had a condo and she was very happy with First American Home Warranty. So, when we got married, she moved in with me and then we put First American on as a warranty with the house. I haven’t had many issues with them, but when I've had, they’ve been very prompt in taking care of it for me. In my most recent claim, I called First American and they set me up with a plumber. Then an appointment was made. The guy came out, did the work on time and was done very timely. He was excellent and very professional. But the guy who does the billing said he messed up and overbilled it. It was supposed to be $75 for the service call. I gave my debit card and they took $105, overbilling me by $30. I got a receipt yesterday and they apologized for it. Hopefully, the $30 will show up in my account tomorrow.
Other than that, I’m very happy with First American and I’ve had good luck. They’re one of the better warranty companies. I worked in the swimming pool business for nine years, so I know having someone where I couldn’t get them to fix anything. All they did was put a band-aid on stuff. But with First American, they'd come up with new parts or whatever is needed. I would recommend this company and tell other people what my experience was.
Reviewed April 30, 2018
I’ve had First American Home Buyer’s Protection for 15 years and we've had four contracts with my daughters and granddaughters. We have to call in to submit a claim and though we might not get somebody to come out for 5 days, we’ve had a good experience with them so far.
Reviewed April 30, 2018
My landlord uses First American, so I only use them. When I have a claim, I do everything online and it's fairly easy. I'm savvy when it comes to their website's interface and I've never had any issues with it. When I submit my service request, I get an email saying it has been attached to the contractor. Then First American usually sends out a technician within 24 to 48 hours but I'm typically more proactive in reaching out to the contractor myself before a contractor calls me to schedule.
Sometimes the companies that First American uses are nice and respectful. But in the past, I've had some frustrations with some of them. One time, I had to call in and request a different technician to come out from a different company because the customer service end of things wasn't the best. Still, I would tell others to check First American out. That issue was not a reflection on them but more of a reflection on the contractor that they assigned the ticket to.
Reviewed April 29, 2018
Getting a home warranty would be a good deal for the things that we had going on in our home and so we got First American. The experience was really good when submitting a claim and I had claims for the refrigerator, microwave and washer/dryer. Then, I also had a very good interaction with the technician who came to fix my washer and the quality of work performed is very good as well. We're very pleased with First American and they're the value for the money.
Thank you for taking the time to leave your review Suzy.
Reviewed April 29, 2018
I pulled First American HB Protection up using a search engine and when I called them, I liked their price compared to other companies so I decided to work with them. I specifically said I wanted a sump pump covered. We have lived in the house for seven years and made it a rental so we didn't want to have any sump pump issues just as we moved out. So I asked about sump pumps and the person said that sump pumps are covered. It turned out that even though we call it a sump pump, the actual name is sewage extractor, but I didn't know the terminology. What they cover is something a cabin would have in a well and it pumps up the water.
When the sump pump did go out, I submitted a claim and put in the note, "Sump pump is running non-stop". They didn't interrogate me if it was a water sump pump or a sewage extractor. The tech that came there charged me $75 for his time, called it in and said that it was not covered. He could have just said to cancel because the sump pump thing is in the waste in a tub.
I called First American HB Protection to confirm. It just happened to be on my 30-day review so I was gonna cancel. But I couldn't because there was another call in there for the refrigerator's compressor. The company that the home warranty had recommended ordered the part but didn't pay attention to something. So they needed another part and that second part took another week. They brought the part back and were due to do the installation on the day I called First American HB. First American HB said that if I closed my account, then they're not gonna pay for the refrigerator's repair because that hasn't been included. I'm like, "Make a note. Do not renew with this warranty." Now that the refrigerator is fixed, I'm going to be looking into what my refund thing is. Maybe I'll just use it full. It’s a 12-month thing and just prepare myself for the next 12 months.
They know the customers don't know all terminologies, so when somebody says sump pump or some other vague or dual-meaning repair, they should educate their vendor to double check. One other claim that I put in a call for was a pool water feature pump. I told the vendor that it wasn't working and I don't know if it was part of the pool equipment completely. They said, "If it's designated for the fountain, then we don't cover it. If it's designated for the filter, then we cover it." That helped me avoid paying $75 for that vendor.
I have two other home warranties with First American HB Protection but I'm just gonna take my time and look for a warranty that covers sump pump extractors. That's gonna be one of my questions to future warranty people. I upgraded my policy just to be sure everything was covered. Now, I'm like, "Do not upgrade and just take the minimum warranty." I'd tell friends to forget First American HB Protection.
Reviewed April 28, 2018
A bad outlet caused a power surge. Power surge fried my stove. They covered the outlet being repaired but won't cover the stove because they don't cover "consequential damage." Complete rip off. DON'T GO WITH THIS COMPANY!! Then I called to have it explained to me, and was told by Roland that they won't do anything about the stove. I asked for a supervisor and he said he was the highest rep in the company, and they don't give out call reference numbers.
Reviewed April 28, 2018
Our friends said that they had bad experience with another insurances. So, we decided to try out First American Home Warranty. So far, I've only done one claim and I went online to file it. Their online process was easy and straightforward. Also, our technician was fast. He came, he fixed the issue and he left.
Reviewed April 28, 2018
I was spending too much money taking out warranties per appliance at Sears and my daughter recommended First American home warranty to me. She thought it was something that we could probably benefit from and wouldn’t cost as much. I usually call First American when submitting a claim and they tell me they’ll get back with me in about 24 hours, and we’ve never had a problem. The most recent claim was my refrigerator and it has been fantastic since the repair. First American performs, and they call back and they get right on it which really pleases me. They’re dependable, truthful, and they do excellent work.
Thank you for your business June.
Reviewed April 27, 2018
I have home insurance and when I call them, First American is the one I would have to call to get a work order completed. I had a fine experience with them and submitting a claim is simple and easy. My home insurance told me that I could either call First American directly or they could contact First American to let them know and First American would then reach out to schedule an appointment. I ended up calling First American directly, left them a voice message, and they called me back within less than an hour, which was really quick. The guy I spoke to was one of the plumbers who came to my home and he told me that they were on the road and that they can make it the next half an hour, which was convenient and worked out perfectly.
The guy who did the toilet flushed the toilet then he told me to test it a couple of times. I only tested it once and I told him that the water was still going down slowly. He told me that that was fine and that's the way it should be. I told him that the other toilets in my house don't work like this. They're faster. He didn't leave any room for negotiation and said the toilet is fine and maybe the toilet is just older. He even put his hands in there to show me that it is working. I didn't have problems with the unit after but I was just concerned because I didn't wanna have to call them back again later.
Also, the guy's demeanor put me off. But it wasn't that big of a deal because the guy with him who I spoke to was friendly. His customer service skills were great. He told me that if I still have issues with the toilet in the next couple of days, I can claim a warranty, they'll contact me, and that they'll take a look it. It put me at ease that they'll still come back for free in the next couple of days to fix it if there's an issue. Another thing is that they should have change on them if someone's paying in cash. They should also have cash in order to reimburse appropriately. But again, that's not a big deal.
Reviewed April 27, 2018
The sellers of the home had to buy a warranty for me when I bought my home. First American was the one I chose just from looking online and they're the recommendation of my realtor. I submit my claims online and it's been fast and easy. I’ve had a few claims with them including the most recent one for two ceiling fans that were out. A couple of claims took a few phone calls as they were more complicated issues. And the quality of the work done by the contractors who have been sent out is good. My experience with First American has been good and the warranty has more than paid for itself.
Reviewed April 26, 2018
I'm a new buyer of a home that has a pool and spa so I asked for the pool and spa equipment to be covered. The policy with First American Home Warranty states that the circuit board is covered under the pool and spa. And then when you start reading what is not covered, it says any computerized, pneumatic or manual management systems. Management system tells the pool pump when to go on and off, and run the filters. So, when the circuit board went bad, First American automatically resisted, "No, we don't cover it." And I said, "Well, I don't understand why because if we have a computer and the circuit board isn't working, the computer doesn't work once I put a new fuse in the system." The circuit board booted up and when it was plugged in to the non-manual circuit board, or the manual circuit board because evidently there's two, it blew the circuit board again.
I asked them, "Then what circuit board do you cover?" They couldn't answer me that question. And I said, "Well I need to know because the policy said you cover a circuit board. How am I supposed to know what circuit board you cover." So after being on the phone for two hours and 15 minutes, with multiple representatives, it was an absolute fiasco. They came back and said, "The only circuit board we cover is for a variable speed pool pump." I said, "Then your manual or your policy needs to be specific." Nonetheless, the rep of company that they used to come out seem to be very nice but I would never recommend this company, ever. There's absolutely no way as a consumer, regardless of who paid for the policy, that the company should not specify exactly what circuit board they are covering. And they wouldn't even give me a second opinion.
Now I am very concerned because we have a recirculating heat pump in our house. And it says it covers the recirculating heat pump. What happens if it goes out and I get the same runaround. Underneath all the items that they cover, it specifically says circuit board. When in fact, a circuit board runs a computerized system. Now, I'm manually going out there flipping a breaker because it's gonna cost me over three grand. They don't allow even manual management system. It's nonsense and it's stupid.
Hello Pamela,
We apologize for the inconveniences you may have experienced during the handling of your claim. Please note, per your contract electronic, computerized, pneumatic and manual system management and zone controllers are not covered. The failure was with the control board within the management system and therefore not covered. We recognize that your last experience fell far short of your expectation, and we want to let you know that we are truly apologetic.
Please note, your claim remains denied.
Reviewed April 26, 2018
I had a leak in my sink and I couldn’t find it underneath. I called First American and the guy who came out here was a real good guy. He told me what it was and because we have hard water in Nevada, the leak was inside the actual faucet. But it was internal on that and it had eaten up the stuff inside, almost some of the metal. Mine was a Moen and he said he could take care of it in 15 minutes. So I paid the $75, which I always had to pay upfront. That was also the first thing they'd asked for. Then he couldn’t do anything because for whatever reason, First American didn't cover a faucet and he was not allowed to work on it. So I ended up having to call another plumber. Then, I went to Home Depot and bought a new thing because the water had set down on the bottom. I had to firstly do the demolition, which hurt my right leg, then I went back to Home Depot to get the new boards because the ones I had had been soaking in water.
So, my suggestion to First American is that it’s stupid not to cover the faucet. My son has another warranty company and they cover faucets. The whole thing ended up costing me $400 and some for a new faucet. That’s an expensive thing if you have to call a plumber to come out on a Saturday. And the plumber took 20 minutes tops to replace the thing because he knew how to do that stuff. First American's rep told me the other day that they're gonna refund $75, which I appreciated, but it was kinda frustrating because it was such a minor thing.
Recently, I had a thing in the garage with Ideal Services. They replaced my water heater and were supposed to put a drip pan in but they never came back to do it. So I called them and they told me that they were no longer working with First American Home Warranty. I paid extra money to them and I didn’t get a drip pan. And in order to get another drip pan without making a claim because Ideal wouldn’t do it, I had to call a whole new plumber because First American wouldn’t do it. But it was not the warranty company's fault because the people that put in the water heater forgot to put the drip pan. Other than that, everything else has been fine. I have First American for nine years now and 90% of the time, my experience with them has been great.
Reviewed April 25, 2018
I have had my warranty on my main house for over 6 years and this house for 2 years. I got my 2 brothers and my parents with this company including friends and neighbors! I've been sent to claims resolutions but we always worked it out. Minor stuff! But now I have a major problem with the outside a/c condenser. Around July 2016 we had a service (Air-it-Cool) call and they fixed a leak by spot welding the coil. I thought that was substandard practice but it was blowing cold so I was satisfied. Then in Oct. 2017, another service call (Air-it-Cool). This time a faulty start-up capacitor. Worked until April 2018. Started blowing warm again! We called for another service call (our third) and they sent out their tech (Total Air). This time he said the the coil on the condenser which sits out in the backyard had a pin hole leak due to pet urine. The claim was denied. Damage by pet urine is not covered.
We said to FAWC that our 2 dogs which are 13 years old are both female and don't lift their legs! So they sent out another company (their choice) who came out for a second opinion and stated that he felt the corrosion was due to water sprinklers and not pet urine. They once again denied the claim because water from sprinklers are not allowed to spray water on the condenser!!! Ridiculous!! Call Resolution dept and left a message for Maria or Mary, could make it out but her extension is **. I left a voice mail asking her to return my call. Gave her the claim number # ** and left a detailed message and asked her to return my call because once again the claim was denied! I also found on the internet that Lennox had recalls with their coils from 2005-2007. I submitted this article to the claim resolution dept. So before I had called Maria ext ** the gentleman Brandon told me now they denied the claim because they don't cover recalled items!!
So it was denied for pet urine, then water sprinklers, then they don't warranty recalled equipment! I called Lennox to find out what it was about. The recall was on evaporator coils NOT CONDENSER COILS and starting in the year 2005. Our condenser was built in 2003 so we are not under the recall!! The bottom line is that our system is approx 12 years old and the coils are corroding due to the elements of the Florida climate! In my other houses all the condensers are hidden by bushes with sprinklers in them. Also why would they fix the unit the first two times if it shouldn't have been under warranty due to corrosion! This is absurd! It's ok to warranty for a quick zip fix with the welder and a start up capacitor but no to do the job correctly by replacing the broken part from the get go!! Now to top it all off Maria Ext ** never returned my call and is hoping I will just disappear!!
I am a businessman and I know how to treat customers right! I am not going away!! If I don't get this fixed I will FedEx this letter to the President and CEO of FAWC. When they tell me that it's not covered then I will stop but also I will cancel on both my homes and my brothers will also. And my new home which they just sent me the letter to start up. I'll hold off on that right now! Seems to me they'll take care of the little minor stuff but when it comes to a major claim they look for anything to deny it! This is not the way they advertise their business and I'm not going to accept this answer until the CEO or President deny it!! I'm going to the top. I want the service that I paid for and was promised.
Reviewed April 25, 2018
My water heater broke 2 days ago, this company is full of liars! They said in the contract if an emergency happens they will respond within 24 hours, it was almost 48 before anyone came to the house to even look at it! Called after the first day and they cancelled an appointment saying they wanted to find another vendor so they could get water back to my home, they didn't find anyone else but since they had already cancelled the appointment I had to wait longer for someone to come. I called AGAIN and the guy on the phone said bluntly that they didn't honor the contract terms and would be there when they got there. I don't know if these positive reviews are employees, bots, or just liars but this company is terrible and I wouldn't recommend them to fix my dog house!
Reviewed April 25, 2018
I just recently purchased a home, and the homeowners purchased supposedly the best warranty that was offered through this company. I have experienced nothing but dishonesty and frustration. I had a major plumbing issue where my shower wouldn't turn off. The water was constantly running. It took them two days to send a plumber, who was incompetent and not a license plumber removed the shower handle, and then told the warranty company that the handle was broken. The warranty company then refused to fix my shower handle or replace it stating the item was broken. I had to send pictures and practically prove to the warranty company that I didn't break the shower handle. The plumber took it off to "see what was wrong with it". Then the company had to send another plumber to confirm the shower handle wasn't broken. That item was proven and the shower handle was fixed.
The second plumber came in my house complaining about the first plumber calling them incompetent, and stating they were not plumbers, and had to be the second opinion on their work at least 3 times a week. Everything the first plumber fixed either broke or wasn't fixed from the beginning. I had to argue with the warranty company extensively take extra days off from work meeting different contractors to prove to them the legitimacy of every claim. I then sent the issues regarding the leak in the kitchen into arbitration with the company because they said the sink was preexisting.
Well I just bought this home a month ago, had an inspector thoroughly inspect items, and a signed due diligence from the seller, as well as a walk-through prior to closing on my home. The company is saying things that were fixed were not fixed properly therefore the warranty that was purchased for me to cover the home after I became the owner was not covered. The representative requested that I get receipts from the sellers of the contractors they had in the home. This company tries to prevent from repairing anything at all cost including being dishonest. I was told to get a second opinion to confirm the problem was not due a preexisting issues and I was told to pay for the contractor, and they will then replace the sink faucet.
When I sent the second opinion diagnosis in the representative stated, "I don't know why you were told that" and refused to fix my sink and it was some other problem, and even they had documentation a representative told me to pay for a second opinion. They did not even offer my money back for the second opinion. The company is only good with the least expensive cost, and attempts at all cost to weasel their way out of paying for anything costly including contracting dishonest contractors and standing behind dishonest employees. Additionally, as I was attempting to complete an arbitration dispute with a representative, who hung up on me three times. This is absolutely ridiculous. I closed on my home March 6, and this has been a nightmare working with this warranty company. I am going to have to seek legal assistance to get the funds returned so I can obtain another company.
Reviewed April 25, 2018
My wife told me about First American and the warranty came when we bought the house. They're very reliable, admirable, and I didn’t have any problems with them. They’re very good in their work. I had two techs out in two days for two different claims. Both of them were for plumbing though and they fixed what they were told to fix. The work they did was quick, very good, and amazing.
It seems that the hardest part of all was making sure that I had the right people and the right connections. One time I called the wrong phone number, but I didn’t know why. First American's contractors come from different places and they're not local. Their phone was connected with the inner-city plumbing and I thought that was in Palm Desert. But they came from Palm Springs which was about ten miles away. I was leery about that, but that was necessary. When we bought the house, they could have sent us a little information out about how to use them and a good phone number. But now, we manage all right, so it’s not the end of the world. I talked to the people in their company when I called them up but it would have been easier if I had all the information ahead of time where I knew I was calling up the right people and a little bit more about First American.
First American Home Warranty Company Information
- Company Name:
- First American Home Warranty
- Year Founded:
- 1984
- City:
- Santa Rosa
- State/Province:
- CA
- Website:
- homewarranty.firstam.com
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