We moved into our house one year ago. Our home warranty is expiring and we are debating on whether or not to renew. When we first moved in we had some issues that the warranty company had to address. But they tried to tell us it did't fall under "covered" problems. Since we had literraly just moved in (within first couple of weeks) we had our realtor deal with the warranty company and they ended up fixing the problem. I'll spare you the LONG story, but it was something that they indeed should have fixed. However, if we had not had our realtor deal with them on a management level we would have been out the cost of those repairs. So now we have to decide if we want to try another warranty company or if it is just not worth it. Anyone have any experience/opinions?
We have American Home Shield and it has been worth every penny! The subcontractors have always called very promptly and provided excellent service. :)
I don't remember which company we used but we had problems with them. We had a leak in our AC system and after coming out about 5 times finally found the leak. We didn't renew and they kept calling use trying to get us to renew. The price kept getting better so if you do use one negotiate.
We have used American Home Shield for at least 10 years in two different houses and love it. We have had dishwashers repaired, washing machines repaired, a/c's repaired, pool pumps replaced and even an entire furnace replaced all for less than what a service call would cost. If an item needs to be replaced, it is covered with American Home Shiled- all you pay is your co-pay.
There has been one contracted provider that I was not happy with, but you can request who does and does not come to your house from their list.
The only reason that I would not renew would be if we purchased a new home and every thing in it was under warranty.
We have had no luck - they are more of a hassle than they are worth. You are so much better off finding a good handy man that works inexpensively. That is the route that we have now taken. Save your money! If you need a reference for a handy man, I can give you a great one!
They are a pain to deal with, but ours has paid for itself over and over again and we've had ours 7 years. American Home Sheild is what we use and what I hear from the service guys they send out, the best to deal with.
My sister has American Homesheild and really likes it. They have fixed her toilet and air conditioner without any major problems.
We've had warranties in the past with American Home Shield and Old Republic. After our current policy expires, we will not be renewing. I like to have more control over who is in my house fixing my stuff and I find that these companies either contract with jack-of-all-trade contractors, or their contractors are always swamped, or that the warranty company itself is VERY strict about what they will sign-off on and pay for, etc. etc. It's great piece of mind for the first year you own a home, and that is the only time in the future we plan to carry one.
We have First American - see website below. Ours is expiring soon as well but I don't think we will renew. I have not had any problems with them its just that we have only had to use them a couple of times so I don't think the cost is worth it for us.
We've had AHS for a few years now and have been happy. After our house and the major components were at least 5 years old, it has been worth it. They have fixed our oven/stove twice, replaced our garbage disposal (with a better model), and fixed a leaking shower. You have to pay a monthly plan fee and then only the service call fee when needed. They fix or replace the item for just the service call fee. Customer service follows-up right away to ask how the repair went. You can review the covered items before signing up (the plan covers a lot).
It works for me because I was tired of thumbing through hundreds of companies in the yellow pages and then looking on the BBB every time I needed service. Plus, you can put in an AHS service request 24/7 online. Also, I found that many of the service/repair companies out there charge a trip-charge or base service fee anyways, plus labor and parts. Every time I checked out the repair needed, I was saving a lot of money even with the monthly AHS fees. It is insurance, so you could pay for it and never use it, or need an expensive a/c repair tomorrow.
I think it is a waste. We needed our garbage disposal fixed. When we called, we found out we had to pay $55 for the service fee and since the garbage disposal needed to be replaced, we would have to pay for that as well. Rip off. We canceled the service appointment and my husband just put in the garbage disposal himself.
I haven't had a real good experience with them. Before I married my husband, I had to fight with the home warranty company that I had at a previous house to fix the A/C when it went out just 3 days after moving in. The inspector that I had was obviously no good or else he would have caught that. It was a huge headache. My warranty at my current home is getting ready to expire as well but we have opted to not renew. I have American Homeshield (I had them with the other house - but gave them another chance) I didn't necessarily have problems with them this time but I did with the companies they have contracts through to fix the problems. However, I know that we are taking a chance in not having it but feel pretty confident that if anything was to happen we can get it taken care of. My husband has been in the construction business in the past, works for an A/C company and is quite knowledgeable in most of the other areas within a house. Basically, he is a jack of all trades. So the only cost to us would be parts and supplies. You have to weigh out the pros and cons for yourselves. In our case, it was not that hard of a decision. We feel like we have made the right decision. Good Luck!
