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Choice Home Warranty Review

, Editor | Updated November 19, 2018

Consumer Reviews - Page 2

Posted on 07/13/2019

EDISON, NEW JERSEY -- Stay far away from Choice Home warranty. My husband warned me that they are a rip-off but I chose to stay with them anyway. So after some time went by my air conditioning went out. The technician they sent out said it was a bad coil that they just go out sometimes. I asked him if there was any reason and he said no. They simply break. So then I had a Home Depot carrier representative come out and look and he said the same thing. Well Choice warranty said they would not cover it because there were some leaves in the outside unit of the air conditioner. They said that meant I was not maintaining it properly.

After reading other reviews I see that they just get out of paying on most claims by claiming there's rust or it's dirty and not maintained. So then after many many calls they offered me a "good faith" amount of $375. (The unit is going to cost me $4,000 plus dollars.) Now they will not even pay me that because I have stopped paying them monthly, even though the warranty was paid in full and still in effect when the occurrence happened and the claim was denied. Beware. ☹️

Posted on 06/18/2019

EDISON, NEW YORK -- The first Home Warranty company I was with covered everything but Freon. Before it expired I had a sales guy contact me from Choice Home Warranty. He told me if I did three years he would add on another 6 months free. He also told me I would not pay for my first service fee. The first service call was for AC Unit. Had to pay $45 for that call but I was ok with that after telling them I was told I would not have to pay for the first service fee.

The 2nd claim only had two was for water backing up outside. The main two things I talked about before going with this company was freon and the pump. I had an issue with those two things with the other company and the only thing they did not cover was the freon. Choice Home Warranty said they cover the pump and freon so I was very happy to switch. I ended up paying over 2k dollars for the pump because of an issue that happen before I purchased the house. So those two things were my main concern when I was talking to the salesperson.

Now that I need service they sent a no-name company that looked inside and did not remove the water inside and said, "Your pump may need replacing." When I was with the other company I knew I needed to replace it because they removed the water and made sure it was a bad pump. I had to go with Roto-Rooter but I knew what the issue was when I called them because of the other company with the Home Warranty I had checked it. They would have covered it if it wasn't an issue that happen before I moved in. Choice Home Warranty I wish I could cancel now but I a stuck with them. American Home Shield is the better choice even with the higher service fee.

Posted on 05/31/2019

EDISON, NEW JERSEY -- In December 2018 I placed a call to CHW regarding one of my furnaces not working. They sent out a "Technician" who said the air handler needed a new circuit board. He spent several hours installing it but the breaker kept tripping so he couldn't get it to work. After several hours on the phone and tinkering with the other working unit to try to figure out how it was wired, he just left - walked off the job leaving the HVAC dismantled with no further word. I called CHW and complained. They sent a second "Technician." This guy said the first guy installed the wrong part and he would have to order additional parts to get it working. He also spent several hours trying to figure out why the breaker kept tripping.

Several days later, the second HVAC unit stopped working. We now had NO heat in the middle of Christmas week! I was forced to call an emergency local repair service since it was after hours on a holiday weekend and my CHW "Technician" was not available. The Emergency repair guy came in first thing in the morning and immediately realized that the wiring on the second unit had been messed with by one of the CHW guys while they were trying to figure out how to fix the first unit. He simply reconnected the loose wire and got the second unit working again in less than 10 minutes.

After several weeks of calling the second CHW guy to get on Tuesday morning. Tuesday comes and he doesn't show up or call. I finally got a hold of him on Wednesday and he tells me he was no longer servicing my area and that was it. He also abandoned the job - leaving us hanging. At this point, I was through with the CHW people and called back the guy who quickly fixed the second unit. He came in and right away noticed that the two CHW guys had installed the wrong circuit board and that it was too big and was shorting out against the metal frame of the HVAC.

He installed the correct part and had it working within an hour. We went 6 weeks without heat and the correct fix took an hour! After all this CHW was so generous to refund me the $35 service call for the first guy - that's it! I paid over $250 out of pocket for the REAL service guy to fix both problems the first two CHW Techs CAUSED! All I got from CHW was a sorry and a $35 credit.

Fast forward to last man update on parts to fix the first unit, he finally said the parts were expected the following week. He promised me he would make my repair his top priority (because we had now been without heat in the main living area for 5+ weeks), and that he would be there first this month, April 2019.

The upstairs Air conditioner in the same house stops working. I decide to try CHW again but insist they not send either of the two companies that came in December. 24 hours go by and they are unable to find a service company to come do the work so they ask me if I want to find my own and go through their reimbursement process. I agreed and contacted my own HVAC repair company. The Technician shows up promptly and finds that the capacitor has shorted out against the top grate on the outside condenser unit. In looking into it, he discovered that the last time the unit was serviced (BY CHW) the wrong sized capacitor was installed (sound familiar?) The capacitor was too tall which is why it eventually shorted out against the metal grate.

He made a few repairs to try to get the unit up and running only to find that the short had completely fried the whole HVAC unit AND even shorted out the outside breaker box! After a long call with my Service Technician, me and the CHW authorization team, it was determined that the entire HVAC system needed to be replaced. They shared all the costs and parts needed to replace the unit. I authorized the repairs which were completed the next day. I then got a call from CHW telling me that because the capacitor was too large, the damage was not covered by my policy and therefore they would not authorize reimbursement for the repairs.

When I reminded them that it was THEIR previous technician who installed the wrong capacitor they said they had no record of ever installing a capacitor in the past. CHW makes big promises but contracts completely inept service people who have no idea what they are doing and install wrong parts just to get something working without regard for the problems this causes later on. They hide behind clauses in their contract to deny claims and then take no responsibility for the damage their own technicians cause due to poor workmanship.

This company is an opportunistic fraud masquerading as a home warranty provider. They would be better named "BAD CHOICE HOME WARRANTY." I canceled my agreement (prepaid on two separate homes) and have requested a refund of the remaining unused portion. We will see what kind of excuse they give me for not refunding my balance. Needless to say I would strongly advise against ever considering this company for a home warranty policy.

Posted on 03/23/2019

CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS -- When I purchased a Choice Home Warranty, I specifically asked the salesman several questions about replacing non working items. The previous warranty that I had, replaced premium appliances with builder grade, so I was looking for a better policy. The salesman assured me that non working items were replaced like for like, unless I requested differently. The control panel went out on my KitchenAid double oven. The repairman came out and told me that Choice would get in touch with me.

I received an email with the subject "Great News from CHW, We are Replacing your System". The body said "Great News! We have received the diagnosis on your claim. It is more cost effective to replace your Oven Stove Cooktop than to repair it." and to click on the link to start the replacement process. When I did, it told me to call my representative who told me they would give me $599.

The replacement would cost over $3000, so, yes, that would be more cost effective for them. He kept referring to F16, which states that HWA reserves the right to offer cash back in lieu of repair or replacement in the amount of HWA's actual cost (which at times may be less than retail) to repair or replace any covered system, component or appliance. When I read F16, I assumed that offer meant I had the choice to accept or reject it, yet he told me it was all they could do for me. I asked for the figures they used to come up with that number and he said "We don't provide that information."

The representative then said he would up the payment to $700 since I had been with them for a while. I said I did not feel that was fair. I said I needed to talk to someone first, and I would get back with him. He called the next day and asked what address I wanted the check sent to. I told him I still needed to talk to someone and I would call him back. He told me I would not received any more, it was the only offer. I asked what my options were and was told the $700 was it and was more than generous and more than they should offer. I felt I had no other choice than to accept the offer, at which point he told me it would take about 30 days to get that out.

Posted on 02/11/2019

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA -- I canceled the service I had with another company due to all the hidden exclusion they have under their contract. I went online and start researching for home warranties. I found Choice and I contact them. I told the salesperson the reason I was leaving the previous provider and he assured me that Choice never do that. He talked to me on getting a 5 year plan with "peace of mind" that everything on my home was covered. After 2 years at not using them at all I have a problem my AC unit, the evaporator coil. The THX valve was leaking refrigerant and the evaporator coil needs to be replaced as well. First they denied my claim because they don't cover the THX valve and argue that the coil was damaged because of that and they don't cover secondary damage.

The AC technician come back to my home, we called them and he explained that one thing doesn't have nothing to do with the other and the evaporator coil needs to be replaced due to rust on the coils that will lead to more leaks. Choice service department expend 40 minutes over the phone with the technician getting all kind of technical information and told me that they will transfer all the info to the claim department. Now the claim department says they will not cover the coil because there is a clause that they no cover any damage due to rust. They promised not tricky exclusions, but as soon as you need them they open a big list of exclusions. I want to cancel the service and they told me they reimburse only $40 even if I have 3 more year of paid contract.

Posted on 01/24/2019

AVS HEATING AND COOLING, VIRGINIA -- Choice Home Warranty is a fraud. They will find any reason to deny your claim. We are a local Hvac contractor in Washington DC metro area. Our Company is working with them for several months. for fixing appliances and Heating and AC units. They have not paid me even $100. and they owe me thousands of dollars. They always want me to find a reason to tell them that their claim has been denied due to either rust on the equipment or bad gas valve or dirty filter or something else.
Now they tell us that we give you the leads and you need to collect all the money from the customers instead of collecting money from us. they say its your problem how do you do that but you have to find dust or rust or a reason like unit breaking down due to lack of maintenance.

Posted on 12/21/2018

NEW JERSEY -- We have paid $1392 over the past 2 years ($720 & $672) and have received absolutely the worst service - claims denied and rude customer service. The first call we made for service was for our pool (for which we paid extra for coverage). The service provider came (he was wonderful) and told us that he needed to be sure Choice Home Warranty would cover the pump because he had had trouble with them in the past.

Sure enough, they told him they wouldn't cover the cost of the pump because it was a "pre-existing condition". When you use that mentality - what would be covered, unless it was a brand new installation?? The pump was a little over 3 yrs old and had been working perfectly and died on us just 1 month after the original warranty expired. The repairman said (and he told the Choice Home Warranty agent) that he had never seen such well-maintained equipment!

When I told Choice I wanted to cancel the policy, they said they would give me $100 towards the repair. I had to pay the $60 plus the balance of the repair. We didn't cancel because we thought we were going to have to get the pump fixed and didn't know where else to go. OUR MISTAKE. Because the home is only 4 yrs old, we have never made another claim, until a few months ago and 2 yrs of premiums later. One of our ceiling fans wouldn't turn on. We called Choice on 10/23/19 to make a claim.

Several days later we got a call from their technician for an appt on 10/29. The 29th came and went and no one showed up. When I called Choice they said the provider has said they had come several days before and were waiting for a part. This was not true, since we sat here all day waiting and no one showed up. The agent at Choice said they would find another technician since that one was apparently unreliable and "questionable" because they had submitted a claim.

On 10/30 we got another email saying someone would come on 11/1. The tech showed up (it turned out to be the original company) and he took the fan apart and said he had to order a part for the fan. He said he had to wait to see if Choice would cover the cost of repair. After about a week, we called Choice several times and them said they had to check with the tech to get more information - we heard nothing for several days. Since I got no response from Choice, I called the repair company and got no answer at all. On 11/6 I called Choice again to see what was happening with the claim and they put me on hold to check on the status.

Finally the agent came back on the line and said she got no answer with the repair company and they would place a new order with another company and I would not be charged for the 2nd service call. I got a new email from Choice telling me I could get my own repairman and Choice would give us $100 to have the fan repaired. I then called Choice and I told them I couldn't imagine finding another company to come out and repair the fan (including service call) for $100, and reminded them we had already paid the $60 to the first repairman. I said I wanted to cancel the policy and was told I needed to speak to the next level agent, Tasha. She said she didn't understand why we wanted to cancel the policy since they were willing to give us $100 towards the fan repair.

I explained that we had already paid $60 and $100 wouldn't cover the cost of repair, including the service call fee. She said I was being unreasonable and she got, what I consider to be very rude and indignant. I just didn't want to argue with her any longer so my husband took over the call. She assured him that they would take care of this and get someone out to fix the fan, that we should keep the policy and she would make sure by the end of day, she would call us back with an appointment to repair the fan.

The NEXT DAY, I checked the progress online and saw that the claim was "Closed". At 2:39 p.m. I got an email saying the original people were scheduled to come and fix the fan. Several days later, and still not hearing from the repair man, I called them and they had no record of the claim. Checking online again - it still said claim was "closed"!

I again called Choice and they said they would send us $120 to cover the $60 we had paid and $60 towards repair of the fan. We called the original salesman to cancel the policy and said how very disappointed we were with the service. He told us to wait until we received the $120 check and then cancel. We were told from Choice customer service that we would receive around $280 refund on the balance of our policy - it expires Sept 2019. We called to cancel the policy today and were told we would receive a refund of $82. This included the cancellation fee and the $120 that they returned for the repair of the fan (which has never been done)! We've again contacted the original salesman but we have yet to hear back from him!!! Be wise and find another company!!

Posted on 11/28/2018

WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA -- I bought a 5yr plan with a 6th yr. included 7.03.15. I paid $2375 upfront. It is now 11.27.18. I have made 4 claims over this time period. The pool pump, it was denied because the part (it was leaking- needs to be replaced) wasn't covered. My hot water tank, I rec'd this message "It has been determined that the cause of failure is a leaking water heater tank in need of replacement. Please refer to your terms and conditions section D number 6 “Excluded”; CHW is not responsible for main, holding or storage tanks." That pretty much is what a hot water TANK is! My washing machine, died also not covered.

The latest my refrigerator a mechanism in the door broke, this was their response - "It has been determined that the water dispenser is not working properly, and the door needs to be replaced in order to correct this failure. Please refer to your terms and conditions section D number 3 “Excluded”; CHW is not responsible for doors, door seals, handles, gaskets and hinges."

I called tonight to cancel the rest of my contract because I am paying more than what has been covered. I was told I had a prorated amount and that the refund would be adjusted accordingly. I understand that, then any claims paid would also be deducted. That I don't understand. Meaning I was covered but they will also deduct any claim they have paid while processing my refund at the current higher rate! I told her I don't understand the logic in that! She said it is part of the policy, look at section L article 4.

Just to let you know how hard it really is to study and read this, which I did try to do, even highlighted, made notes, and called on items before I signed, section F Limitations has 19, section D coverage and excluded has 16! I know there were a lot of negative reviews, but I truly thought this was a good deal and American Home Shield which I had before always turns down first then you fight for your rights and they usually paid but it was getting so expensive. Unfortunately, I learned this lesson the hard way. :(

Posted on 11/27/2018

MARYLAND -- Paid for total plan upfront. After 36 days, awoke to an error code on our DW. The error code indicated that it was clogged in some respect. Paid 75 for a guy to come out and tell me it was clogged, in some respect. Choice denied the claim, stating that it was a preexisting condition. My neighbors also, A/C denied, pre-existing. The Onus seems to be on you, the fool that paid this company anything, to prove that it was not pre-existing. Good luck with the BBB, Choice is already in the hot seat there. Deal with these "Wolf of Wall Street” WANNABES and you will get nothing more than a legal bill.

Posted on 11/15/2018

EDISON, NEW JERSEY -- Don't Enroll in This Company! FRAUD!

I had a cracked heat exchanger and they refused to cover it. At first they said they wouldn't cover it because the damage "wasn't from normal wear and tear." Even though their technician said it was. So I paid another heat and air technician to come out and give me a second opinion. He also said it was a cracked heat exchanger, and the damage was from normal wear and tear. He slo mentioned it was rusty, but since it was an outside until, and properly encased in metal, and off the ground on a cement slab, with good ventilation, it was definitely from normal wear and tear. I submitted this information to Choice Home Warranty and they denied the claim again by saying they don't cover anything that's "rusty". I reminded them that both technicians said that was normal, since its an outside unit, and they still refused to pay for the repair. So I was out the initial $60 co-pay, then the $50 fee to the second technician, then the $1277 repair! AVOID THIS COMPANY!!!

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