Preview Review

Next Review

American Home Shield - Page 3

Star Star Star Empty star Empty star
3.1 out of 5, based on 243 ratings and
267 reviews & complaints.
(866) 617-9098
Call now for more information
American Home Shield is the founder of the home warranty industry and remains the industry leader with over 40 years of experience. With a national contractor network made up of over 11,000 independent home service contractors and 45,000 service technicians, AHS® services nearly 1.5 million customers across 49 states.
Company Profile
American Home Shield
889 Ridge Lake Blvd.
Memphis, TN 38120
(855) 816-0658 (ph)
www.ahs.com
Compare Home Insurance Companies
Most Popular | Newest | More Options >
More filter options:
Customer for 11 years - refusing to fix AC unit
StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarBy -
Rating: 1/51

WILTON, IOWA -- In the beginning of Aug., 2015 my AC unit quit working. I have been a customer of AHS for 11 years. I knew this was covered, so I called them. They sent out a vendor who replaced the motor. When temps soared into the 90's and 100's my unit WOULD NOT cool the house. I called AHS again and they set up an appt. with the same vendor. After 3 appointments that were no shows after I took off work each time to meet them, I called AHS again to send out someone who would show up. They sent a second vendor that stated the outside unit and coil in the inside unit needed to be replaced. He contacted AHS and stated, "They said to replace the entire unit".

Then someone from AHS called me and stated the vendor would be setting up and install date. I had to buy a window ac unit to be able to live in my home with the temps outside. After 2 weeks and no call, I started calling the vendor and AHS to see what the problem was. The vendor kept telling me they had not received approval from AHS and AHS kept telling me they did not receive the paperwork from the vendor. This went on until October, after I was calling every 2-3 days.

Then at the beginning of Oct. a third vendor called to set up an appt. for a "SECOND OPINION" not on replacement as promised, but repair. This 3rd vendor stated the unit was cooling. It was now 68 degrees outside, of course the unit would keep my house at 72!! He recommended minor repairs- clean the coil- not even replace it and fix a piece of ducting!!

I then filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and Consumer Affairs. As I filed my complaint I noticed they had thousands of complaints about the same thing I was complaining of. This new vendor stated he wouldn't know if his repair worked until the next hot day, which may be 6-8 months from now.

I then got my own THIRD opinion, which agreed with the second vendor that the unit and coil need replaced. I posted a complaint on their Facebook page and it was deleted and I was blocked!! I saw they did this to another person also! I am now wondering if I should continue to renew my contract and wait until next summer for them to maybe repair my or cut my losses and cancel the service and replace it myself?? Very dishonest company!!! I heard through other complaints that sometimes these dishonest vendors get a bonus for not giving a proper diagnosis!

Replies
Delays in Service So Long - Toxic Black Mold Formed From Leaks in the Air-Handler in Attic
StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarBy -
Rating: 1/51

HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA -- Called American Home Shield on 4-29-14 and requested service for both upstairs and downstairs air-conditioning that were thirty years old. First contractor didn't come and then second contractor came but determined that it required electrician. Electrician came and said it was an ac unit issue. Second contractor came back and we waited for parts for another month. Finally, late in July the repair was made. It lasted less than 30 days. The second contractor was about to come back to the house when I learned from the local building inspection supervisor that the second contractor's license to do business within Huntsville had been "put on hold."

The third contractor came out and he agreed that the unit had other issues, but of course the delays continued. I finally called and got a independent opinion. The independent source and three other HVAC contractors felt that the units had to be replaced because the parts were no longer available. I demanded replacement. AHS refused. Finally, I just replaced the damn units myself after giving them 30 days notice that I would sue them if they didn't replace them. After filing suit, I had the house inspected due to the leaks in a hall closet where the upstairs ac unit had leaked into my linen closet by an AHS contractor and a certified industrial hygienist.

AHS sent the first contractor to my house who walked up the attic stairs, charged me $75 and walked down and told me I did not have any mold in my house due to the air-conditioner leaks. The Certified Industrial Hygienist tested the house and sent the results to a lab and determined that I have TOXIC BLACK MOLD in my house from all the delays and from the failure of the contractors to even check the air-handlers that were leaking and the drain pans that had holes in them in the attic. I dismissed the small claims suit and I am looking for an attorney that will sue them. If you know someone, please have them contact me. This needs to be public.

Update 08/13/2015:

The Alabama Department of Public Health has advised that the mold is dangerous and should be removed. My physician has advised the mold is dangerous and should be removed.

And of course, AHS, who states that it doesn't exist has given notice that it should be preserved.

This is the most messed up Service Warranty Company ever.

Update 05/21/2016:

AHS use of Myers continues and therefore both work hand in hand to deny services.

If you live in Alabama contact the Attorney General and ask him to investigate the company and there use of unlicensed contractors that collaborate in denying services.

Replies
Hot Hot Hot
StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarBy -
Rating: 1/51

OVERLAND PARK, KANSAS -- Noticed a week ago that the AC stopped working and our home was over 80 degrees. Didn't worry because I had switched to American Home Shield warranty a few years ago after a bad experience with another warranty company. I have only heard great things about AHS and this was the first time I've called using the services I've been paying for.

A tech came out a week ago on Wednesday and looked at my unit, walked around my house and diagnosed the issue pretty quick as a bad damper. He followed that up right away letting me know it's not covered under my warranty as it's considered an “accessory” and the unit doesn't need it to function. Never mind that my coil was frozen and it was 85 degrees in my house with children and dogs living there. He told me to have my husband fix it. That I could call another contractor because he probably couldn't get the part because his outfit only orders wholesale and a new damper would run me $200-$300, etc. He couldn't wait to get out of my house and said he'd call me when he got back to his shop letting me know if they could get the part and how much. He never followed up.

The next day it was 88 degrees in my house so I contacted another contractor who opened my damper (charged trade fee too of course) and said I'd need to order a new damper which he'd install. I ordered the damper online for $89 and it arrived Saturday. I called AHS on Saturday because I thought I was charged 2 trade fees for the worthless visit and was informed that zone issues are indeed covered with my warranty. So, I'm out of pocket $$ and time and was told to wait until Monday for resolution.

Monday comes and I still have no AC and I call AHS and was on the phone for hours. I was finally told they'll send a new contractor. I looked them up and they have horrible reviews so I said I want a different one. They offered to send the original contractor that didn't know what he was doing a week ago. I declined that too. Hopefully, third time is a charm. I have a kid that has a skin condition that is irritated by humidity and this is really not good. Very poor customer service as well.

Replies
Worst Company EVER
StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarBy -
Rating: 1/51

TEXAS -- In my experience, the WORST company EVER!
So, two months ago, oven not heating, sent a guy, he yelled at me in front of my daughter, and then, my husband! The oven never did get fixed. The dryer broke, they were going to send same company, I said HELL NO, so they sent a different company. The guy BLEW UP our dryer and our electric circuit. Blamed it on our electricity. SO, they sent an electrician, he fixed it. It blew again, the electrician came again, fixed it, looked and said the dryer is melted inside and that it is burned up and the electric is not the problem and that the dryer has a short in it.
I called the owner back and told him the guy he sent ruined the dryer and blew up circuit breaker. The OWNER came and "fixed" the dryer. I did a load of laundry and it BURNED my husbands expensive work clothes. I called the owner, said I was going to call Home Shield. He said I was lucky to have him because someone else would take a minimum of two to three weeks, maybe more, before they would be able to look at my dryer. I told him I was concerned about his guy blowing up my dryer (by the way he didn't know his employee's name, he said he goes through them a lot). A guy at my husband's work said if it had so much electric going through it that the circuit breaker broke and it was melted inside, it would never be the same. So, he "fixed" it again. I did another load of laundry and it BURNED my husband's other expensive work clothes.
NOW, the appliance guy told American Home Shield that he never found any problem with the dryer?! Really?! So, their first guy, over the oven yells at me in my home in front of my daughter and the second guy, who blew up my, still not working dryer, it has now been about a month, said he found nothing wrong with the dryer?! Who are these people they are sending to my house? CRIMINALS? Apparently.
THEIR electrician said it was the dryer. NOW, after calling them for a month, having a shady people in my house, they want to have someone else come to my house. I said I really think after everything you have put me through I should have a NEW DRYER, because your guy BLEW mine up and it WASN'T blown up before! AND for ALL of his HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE inconvenience (just got of phone now having ANOTHER guy come to my house)! This has really added a lot of unneeded stress to my life. UPDATE: THEY SENT AN 8TH PERSON TO FIX DRYER AND THEY NEVER SHOWED UP. WORST COMPANY EVER!!!!
Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

Replies
Incompetent contractor
StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarBy -
Rating: 1/51

NC -- So, I am in NC, approximately 92 degrees, as in hot!
I put in a service request approximately 3 weeks ago. The contractor has been to my home at least 10 times for the AC/central air. 1st diagnosis was the compressor was bad and needed replacement. Sad thing is, I had to pay $802 in freon costs. Well, low and behold, the ac unit went back to "not working" status. So, what and why the hell do I have to suck up the cost of the freon when obviously that wasn't the problem. In this 10 visits, it's a little bit of this, a little bit of that, but then hours later the unit breaks down AGAIN! So now, its Friday, 530p, and my contractor is gone for the weekend. WTH am I suppose to do? Well, I spoke with a representative and she kindly told me I was not considered an 'emergency ' and only at 105 degrees would I be. Let me say this AHS, I am sure there is a nominal amount of customers that fall into that category, compared to the non-emergencies. Glad to know the needs of the few outweighs the needs of the many. And to top it off, if the contractor works M-F, I have to WAIT UNTIL MONDAY! AHS, you care so precise in your contract about what you will and won't do. PSA: You should let your customers know if their complaint falls after normal work hours, you are shit out of luck. Write that in your contract. And to boot, you have had my service since 2007, two homes and yet there is no hope for a client after hours. Shame on you. And shame on you for not being transparent with your customers and SHAME on you that this customer had to absorb $802 only to find out it wasn't even necessary. I deserve a refund due to the contractor misdiagnosing my ac unit. Not to mention I am a 100% permanently disabled veteran.
#thecustomeralwayscomefirst

Replies
AHS is an absolute sham
StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarBy -
Rating: 1/51

ROWLETT, TEXAS -- I purchased a home warranty from this company. As soon as I moved into my home, I detected an AC leak that was damaging the ceiling of my house. They didn't cover the leak or the subsequent damage. I paid 100% out of pocket to have a company diagnose and fix the problem and fixed the ceiling myself. That same company inspected my unit and found multiple leaks on the condenser and evaporator. The tech surmised that hail might have damaged the outside unit, and recommended expanding my return to reduce differential pressure and prevent further leaks. I called back AHS to see if any of this was covered, and they sent out a tech of their own to inspect (at a $75 charge to me). The tech spent well over 95% of the visit trying to convince me to buy a brand new unit out of pocket. Then he insisted that he was only there to look at one unit, and when I told him I'd have him come back when he could look at both he "remembered" he was there for both. He spent less than five minutes looking at everything, then went right back to selling me a brand new unit. When I stood my ground and said that I wanted what my warranty would cover, he ran off without saying anything. Two days later, I get a call saying the company won't cover anything wrong with my unit. Not one single thing. They claimed the condenser damage was from hail (suspiciously familiar to what the first tech said MIGHT have happened), and then said the evaporator leak was from differential pressure, which doesn't count as "normal wear and tear." Again, suspiciously similar to what the first tech had said. They claimed their tech had made these conclusions himself, but he couldn't have possibly made any of those determinations in the time he actually looked at anything. And ignoring that, precisely what does this warranty actually cover? The answer: nothing. The unreasonably strict "normal wear and tear" is based on the astoundingly nonsensical expectation that equipment should fail without any cause whatsoever. The cherry on top is that I've since discovered another return that the first tech had missed, which means the original differential pressure concern wasn't even valid (even after they lied and said their tech had come to the same conclusion). So even keeping with their ridiculous expectation that the unit fail for no discernible reason, they still cover nothing. This company is running a complete racket, and trying to push thousands of dollars of brand new installations on people to boot. Do not do business with these thieves.

Replies
Air Conditioning Service
StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarBy -
Rating: 1/51

ARIZONA -- I am writing this at 6:30 am on August 9, 2017. It is already 80 degrees outside and expected to reach 110. Temperature downstairs in the house is 82 degrees. Our a/c unit went out a week ago when I promptly went online and completed a request for service.

We received a timely visit from the contractor associated through AHS the following day. Our compressor went out. He said by the time the order was approved and the part shipped it would probably be Tuesday when the a/c was fixed. This would have been yesterday if everything had gone to plan. Unfortunately, I just got off the phone with AHS, yes, at 6:30 in the morning due to the time difference, and they proceeded to tell me that the part has shipped and it would be next Tuesday before the part had made it to the contractor. I am looking at two weeks without a/c in an Arizona summer!

Yesterday, I was on the phone with AHS for 3 hours (two hours of which I was on hold) trying to see if we could possibly have the part expedited. This is not an option. A voucher? Also, not an option since we had already accepted the service, which I would not have accepted had they told me it would take this long to get air. Our second unit helps to cool the upstairs but it runs 24/7 literally! How much longer will it go before it blows out?! The downstairs temperature also includes two portable coolers that have to run all day just to give us some reprieve.

I will tell you I feel defeated. Customers do not come first. If they did, they would have helped to figure out a way to get relief to a customer quicker than two weeks without cool air in Arizona. I wouldn't have been on hold for approximately 2 hours of the three hours total that I was on the phone. The wait time alone is a sign to AHS that their company has poor customer service.

Replies
Not as Reputable as Advertised
StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarBy -
Rating: 1/51

MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE -- 1/9/17. Beginning on or about Nov. 18, 2016, I submitted a service request to AHS for work on my hot water boiler. It seemed to be malfunctioning and was not keeping the house warm. Temperatures outside were dropping to teens and single digits at night. AHS assigned a contractor to perform the service, but he was unable to return calls or schedule a time to come inspect the boiler. I cancelled the request and submitted a new one approximately 5 days later. In the mean time I purchased space heaters at a cost of $300 to keep the house from freezing up.

AHS assigned the same contractor to the job, and he, again, was unable to schedule time to fulfill the contract and he cancelled it, asking AHS to assign a different contractor. I submitted a third request for service and AHS assigned the same contractor again! I was finally able to get an AHS representative on the phone on about Nov. 28 in the retention department, as I was ready to cancel my AHS Warranty. Retention (Shanikka **) advised me that I could hire my own contractor and that they would credit me with two $125 service fees, and that one would be applied to the current boiler work.

I failed to mention that the original contractor was 25 miles away in another town. AHS coincidentally was able to locate a contractor in my town after they had already approved my own contractor. Regardless, my contractor was able to fix the boiler in short order and billed me. I was instructed by AHS to pay the contractor, and that they (AHS) would reimburse me, including the $125. On about Jan 2, 2017, I received a check from Service Master which was exactly $125 less than the amount of the bill.

I have since been in email contact with retention (Kenitra), about the deduction and subsequently canceling my warranty because of the failed promise. AHS has been unresponsive now that I am requesting cancellation. I feel that they intend to either prolong the cancellation in order to lessen the prorated refund to me, or they have no intention of canceling the warranty.

Update 1/14/17 Kenitra has since e-mailed me and told me I am not due any refund after finally canceling because I had a claim. Nowhere in my contract does it state any such thing. It does state that I would be due a prorated amount, less 1 month worth of the contract cost. I explained that it would be unwise for me to cancel if that was the case, so it should be reinstated if that was true. No response of any type since.

Replies
Not paying for repairs
StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarBy -
Rating: 1/51

BATAVIA, ILLINOIS -- I had American Home Shield for over 5 years, and finally I decided to end our relationship due to the company not wanting to pay for repairs. 7/2016 my air unit was low on freon and they sent a company called (Fast Response) out. They told me over the phone my issue was covered. When this company came out, they wanted to charge me over 600.00 to fillup my refrigerant. I refused the service and discovered that company had drained out the refrigerant I had left in the unit. I called an independent company and this company showed me that there was evidence that refrigerant was recently drained out from Fast Response. American Home Shield expected me to pay copay to First Response even after the poor experience I received. After threatening to leave the company, the retention department waived the copayment to keep me.
What put the icing on the cake in me leaving American Home Shield for good, is on 12/16 my Furnace broke and a company by the name of (MAX AIR) reported that my blower wheel was dirty and that maint. was not done to the unit. Even after showing documentation that maint. was done twice on the furnace, American Home Shield refused to service my furnace. So I got a private company to come out and they found that my Heat Exchanger was the cause of my furnace going out. The previous heat/air company mis-diagnosed my problem. I called American Home Shield and cancelled my service. American Home Shield is in the business of having companies that work for them to find ways Not To Cover Repairs. My aunt and another friend have them and they all have the same issue with American Home Shield, and both persons are in the process of cancelling from them.

Replies
StarStarStarEmpty StarEmpty StarBy -
Rating: 3/51

WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA -- My water tank was making a noise, and I called American Home Shield to have them assign someone to come and fix it. Submitting the claim was fine. The part that was problematic was I feel like the company that they sent did something to my water tank so that the problem couldn't be fixed. It took six years for this water tank to start making noise and he's now telling me that because I had galvanized pipes in other places in my house, that there's no guarantee that this is going to last. He left and 20 minutes later, the tank started making the noise again. He came back out and just stood. The tank started making the noise before he got to the front door.

When I called back to AHS, I was told that if the second opinion came back as the first one then I would have to pay for the second call. The second guy who came actually repaired whatever it was that I think the first guy did. I'm not a plumber, but I stood in the bathroom and watched him and saw that there was something else that he tweaked and the noise is gone for good.

I've been with AHS for about eight years or longer and I've never had a problem before. But having this problem recently uncovered a lot of things because I found out that the first company sent was known for doing underhanded trick. However, when I told AHS that I never wanted this company to come to my house again, at first I was told “I don't know if we can do that.” I've got to see what happens from this point forward.

Also, the very next week, I called AHS about a problem with my garbage disposal. The person on the line said, "It is making a noise, but it's running, and that's probably something that you got in it, and so therefore you won't be covered." At that point I was like, "Okay, I'm done." I had my garbage disposal fixed by another company and then I called and put in a complaint. Lo and behold, when I made my complaint, AHS rectified the problem and reimbursed me for what I had paid for the repair and so I'm still with them.

I've been very trusting and I have people within the company told me that I should pursue the matter and make sure that I kept pushing. Finally, when I told AHS that I did not want to renew my warranty with them, that's when we really started getting into a conversation about why. Although there had been some complications, AHS rose to the occasion and corrected what I felt was done unfairly. So I was very pleased with them.

Replies
Top of Page | Next Page >