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LAWSUITS NEWS & LEGAL INFORMATION

American Home Shield Lawsuit Alleges Improper Denials

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Montgomery, ALCustomers of home warranty companies, such as American Home Shield can take heart that some previous home warranty lawsuits have resulted in settlements. One American Home Shield lawsuit resulted in a settlement, although the company did not admit any wrongdoing or liability in the settlement.

The settlement was the result of a class-action lawsuit filed by Laura and Steven Faught against American Home Shield on behalf of people in the US who purchased or were issued a home service contract from American Home Shield from July 24, 2001 through October 19, 2009. As part of the settlement, American Home Shield agreed to establish a review desk to consider claims from settlement class members whose claims were denied during the class period.

The Faught lawsuit alleged that American Home Shield "engaged in a pattern and practice of failing to fulfill its contractual obligations to its customers, including by declining generally to provide repair and replacement service to which its customers were entitled, and by improperly denying claims in the first year of customers' home service contracts for lack of maintenance" (from the Notice of Class Action and Settlement; www.faughtclassaction.com).

Despite entering into a settlement, American Home Shield denied any wrongdoing or any liability.

That denial of wrongdoing has not prevented a different lawsuit, also alleging American Home Shield failed to pay its customers' claims, from being filed. The lawsuit, filed by Bridgette and William Guadet, was filed on June 23, 2011, according to The Louisiana Record (06/30/11), and alleges American Home Shield denied claims made by class members under grounds of "'lack of maintenance,' 'pre-existing condition,' or 'failure to clean,' despite not inspecting the appliances when policies are issued."

Furthermore, the lawsuit alleges, American Home Shield denies claims because of minimal uncleanness, even if outside factors were the cause of the appliance's breakdown. Plaintiffs allege contractors were given a bonus for denying legitimate claims. The lawsuit claims breach of contract and fraudulent misrepresentation. Plaintiffs seek damages in excess of $75,000.

Meanwhile, customers of other home warranty companies have filed lawsuits of their own or may be investigating possible lawsuits, alleging their claims were improperly denied.

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READER COMMENTS

Posted by

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Obviously, the whole idea is madness. How could they warranty
things they did not make?

Posted by

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Since the purchase of our home in 2/2019, which included a warranty for a SubZero, AHS charged me and sent technicians for a faulty icemaker. I kept paying, and the repairs failed within a month or so, which technically put the issue into a new claim. Last May 2021, the problem increased to "raining" inside the freezer. Again and again I called. I used FairShake to file a claim and they say they are not accountable for water damage, etc. Every time the technicality. Keep in mind that not one technician sent was a certified SubZero repair person; there is water damage in my kitchen, the customer service agent Ally refused to let me speak to management and put me on hold to "calm down." The day they received my claim through Fairshake they had the repair service that failed before call 10 times a day to "make a repair." I would like too know how successful arbitration is with this company. I have complained to the Department of Insurance and the Attorney General of Nevada, but I think this is rather like asking the fox to manage the hen house.

Posted by

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I am reading this eposes in dismay. I am also int he middle of a dispute with AHS for a plumbing issue and have experienced almost every complaint listed. Is the only way to get results to sue? Somehow AHS MUST be held accountable.

Posted by

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I have called American Home Shield 4 different times for my dishwasher and they have been unable to fix it $400 later not working and refusing to honor contract of replacing it.
Now the same thing is happening with my washing machine. They charged me a month ago and to date no washing machine repair.
I called and asked for a supervisor and was hung up on and also denied a refund and cancellation of plan.

Posted by

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I am reading the comments with dismay in that I have been trying to get an air conditioner repaired since LAST year! I am so outdone and do not understand how consumers can be blatantly ripped off. Different people will text and never show up and afterwards you cannot justify who you spoke with. A disaster in the making that I do not plan to easily give up on.

Posted by

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My complaint against American Home Shield (AHS) stems from a recent service call at my home to correct a plumbing system issue. I have an American Home Shield policy that covers both appliances and systems, and on December 8, 2017, a service technician was dispatched to my home to address an upstairs shower issue where I previously had adequate water pressure that slowed to little more than a trickle that resulted in an inability to use the shower. This change in water pressure in the shower was isolated exclusively to this specific bathroom shower as the water pressure in the rest of the house was fine. The plumbing technician diagnosed the problem as debris that had built up in the water supply line over time and had clogged the line, but indicated that “AHS would likely not cover it.” The technician then quoted a cost of $1,125 to remedy the situation, which I paid under the assumption that the service denial by AHS was an error that would need to be resolved later, and because I needed the immediate use of the upstairs shower, the work was completed. In following up with AHS on this matter, AHS denied the request for payment of the related work, claiming that the plumbing issue I had experienced was ‘pre-existing’. While AHS may have had a legitimate argument to deny the claim if the shower had always experienced this problem, that was absolutely not the case. I have lived in the home for over a decade and used the shower without incident for years until the AHS service request was made this year. Had the problem been ‘pre-existing’ as claimed by AHS, there certainly would have been problems with the shower in the first decade I lived in the home; additionally, there would have been problems in other parts of the plumbing system, which was not the case. I purchased the AHS home warranty policy, having been sold by AHS’s extensive marketing materials that specifically and explicitly note that an AHS service contract “covers the repair or replacement of important home system components and appliances that break down over time…a home warranty can help save you money.” Because the plumbing in my home worked correctly for over 10 years, the issue I experienced with my shower was clearly a problem that occurred over time and ultimately failed to work and broke down OVER TIME. AHS markets itself as a service that protects homeowners and their budgets from costly and unexpected repairs. With AHS claiming that a plumbing issue is ‘pre-existing’ despite that fact that the home was built and the plumbing systems functioned properly for over a decade, AHS can easily make the claim that every and any issue in a home is ‘pre-existing’ and therefore not covered. Based on their denial of this plumbing claim, there is no reason to believe that they would ever cover any sort of plumbing claim related to my home as everything would have to be deemed ‘pre-existing’. This is an extremely deceptive, fraudulent, and predatory advertising practice, which unfortunately duped me into doing business with AHS.

Posted by

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The Company failed to respond to service call for over a week, then stated that the service was not a covered item and therefore would not be able to help On 12/16/16, I awoke to find that the heat in my home was not working. That morning I requested a service for my HVAC unit through AHS home warranty. AHS's contracted provided said they would not be able to come until 12/19/16. The Contractor came, was at my location for less than 15 minutes, required a fee of $75, and informed me that my compressor in the HVAC was bad. HE informed me he would get this submitted to AHS. On 12/20/16 i had not heard from AHS by 5:00pm, therefore I contacted them. AHS informed me that they had not received the information and would call the contractor. They were not able to reach the contractor, and stated they left a message. I was instructed to call back the next day. On 12/21/16, after still not hearing anything from AHS, I contacted them again. They again called the contractor and spoke with them. They stated the contractor had not be able to get through to AHS because of an issue in the system. I was told that they would have the information by 10:00am on 12/22/16. I called AHS at 12:00pm and was told that they still did not have any information, and they would try to call the contractor again. According to the AHS representative, They spoke to the contractor and were told that when the contractor had tried to call in, he was unable to reach AHS because of system issue with AHS phone. Again on 12/22/16 i called back around 4:45pm and was told that no information had been received from the contractor. On 12/23/16 I received a call from AHS stating that the compressor was bad due to a power surge, which is not a covered item under the warranty. I questioned as to how they came to this conclusion, and was told that is what the contractor told them. I asked what other course of action could be taken, since i did not agree with this. They said they could have someone come give a second opinion. Due to the delay in service, and the fact that My Family and I were without heat for over 5 days with no answers, i had to have a new HVAC unit installed at my expense. this instillation occurred on 12/22/16, while still awaiting feed back from the AHS. Therefore a second opinion is unable to take place. Due to the delay in service, I was left with no option but to replace the system. Had AHS provided timely feedback, i would have been able to have a second opinion completed prior to having the new unit installed. I reviewed the findings with the organization, a licensed HVAC contractor, that removed and replaced the unit, and they have stated that the compressor stopped working due to mechanical failure related to the age of the compressor.

Based on the professional opinions of multiple licensed HVAC contractors, it was recommended that the compressor not be replaced, due to the overall age of the unit, the poor efficiency of the unit, and the cost of maintenance on the unit. After speaking with AHS, prior to the denial, in regards to the options, the options that was decided on was to take a "Cash in lieu" for the cost of the compressor and labor to install it, and apply that cost to the cost of the new unit, which the difference would be paid out of pocket by me. The resolution I am seeking is the payment of the compressor and the labor related to instillation of the part.

Posted by

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AHS I thought having will save me money. Not at all, there is always a reason why you end up paying more than your service charge that increases every year. My hot water heater is located in my garage was leaking the water was coming inside my den flooding the floor. I contact AHS and was told that a plumbing company will call and schedule an appointment. I explained that the water was coming inside my home. I was told to turn the water off. I that I had to wait until they call me to schedule the appointment. Well the appointment was scheduled 2 days later to AHS it wasn't an emergency'. I asked could the choose another pluming company and the said no the company the choose is the only one they use in my area. I asked If I can find a plummer and be reimbursed and was told I could at my own expense. I had to rent a wet vac to remove the water and heaters to dry the carpet. When the plummet finally came he turned on the cold water and ran a hose so the water does not come into my home redirect the water to go outside. He said my water heater is no good and that I need a new one. AHS will pay for the water heater only. I had to pay $730 for modification and service fee so that the heater will be up to code. A rip off. I had no hot water for 4 days waiting on the parts and approval. I an very disappointed.
My AC unit went out the temperature was 90 degree and above. When AC person came 4 days later and said my compressor was no good. AHS paid for the compressor only I had to pay for service, additional parts and freon. $690 and 1week later before the parts came in.. I am paying for all fixture it seems that I am paying a monthly fee so that AHS can send a service person to my home. So misleading AHS must get a cut for everything I have to pay for. There must be laws about this, it's not right.

Posted by

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American Home Shield are the biggest con artist in the U.S. I had them for 7 years and the first two years they were great. I moved to a new house and continued my contract there. When the 23 year old a/c unit went out, they sent a tech. He called AHS for authorization and they said to replace whatever parts to get it running. The tech told me he would never put a band aid on a gushing wound and the unit needs replacing but AHS would not do it. I paid the $75 service call plus another $150.00 for not covered parts. A month later the a/c is out again. The new part was too much for the system and caused something else to go out. AHS sent out a different company and again they did not want to replace parts but were forced to by AHS. Again, a $75 co-pay plus not covered parts etc. By the time the unit went out again my warranty was up for renewal and I said after 7 years and he last 5 of them of denial after denial, it was time to part ways. Many complaints with BBB but they always denied everything I said and tried to give the standard mumbo jumbo 100 pages of excuses why they were right and I was lying. Even after numerous class action payouts to others, they still continue to rack up complaints on a daily basis. Time for the Feds to step in and shut them down.

Posted by

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The best way to deal with AHS is NOT to go back and forth with them on claims but to escalate to the BBB of Memphis (Memphis is where their home office is located).

After the denial on my water heater claim, and the bogus $1,800 out-of-pocket charge they tried to pass on to me for "uncovered" items to fix my HVAC unit -- I didn't argue. I got online and filed my complaint with the BBB-Memphis. Let them be your negotiators as AHS doesn't want these black marks to taint their BBB standing.

End result - I took a payout in both cases -- for the water heater, my out-of-pocket expense was $27. For the HVAC system, the payout covered the ENTIRE cost of the repair by a CERTIFIED tech from a REPUTABLE company.

Posted by

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My water heater was leaking a lot of water. I called AHS and after being on hold for over an hour the guy answered as he was taking my information, we got disconnected. I had to call back and again on hold for over an hour. I finally got to talk to someone and explained that water was coming out of my water heater. She asked me if anything got damaged, I let her know there was damage. My garage was flooded with water and she said they would send someone out the next day. I asked her why couldn't they send someone now, especially since damage is occurring. She said she couldn't send someone out until tomorrow. The next day I hadn't heard from the company that was suppose to come out so I called them. The lady said she didn't have a work order from AHS, I explained the situation and she put me on hold. Came back on the phone and said she found the work order. A few hours later they came out and said that the water heater needed to be replaced. They called AHS and were told that I had to pay $750.00 to bring things up to code. I was floored by this. After he left I got a call from AHS letting me know that I had to pay the $750.00. I asked if I could go and buy the water heater and get it installed and just be reimbursed, she said I could. Then she said they would only reimburse me $416.00, I asked if that was for the water heater and labor and she said it was. I couldn't believe it so I said that's how much you were only going to pay the company you sent out and she said yes, mentioned that they have a deal with that company. She said I had to send them proof that everything was up to code when I got the water heater installed. In 2014, they gave me $700.00 to replace my dryer and I mentioned that to her and she said my contract had changed and that is why they are only giving me $416.00. As long as I have been with them and all the money they have gotten from me they are only giving me $416.00. I can't believe they are allowed to get away with things like this.

Posted by

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I had a AHS warranty and had an issue with my ac leaking water through my ducting. The sent out a company and the tech said it was normal moisture from the ac being turned on for the first time this year. He then went outside and said well here is something I can fix. He stated that my fan motor was out of balance. He took everything apart and said well you need a new motor and blades. I paid my deductible and he returned a week later with the motor. And installed it. I got a call a few hours later from AHS saying they denied the claim because the tech said weather caused the damage to my motor and fan blades. ????? My unit is less than 8 years old and he never said anything like that to me. The contractor then called and said I owed him for the parts. I told him that that is between him and the insurance company because I paid my deductible and he did not get pre-authorization for any repairs. I have not had a Lien put on my home by this contractor and u have to fight it in court. Avoid AHS like the plague

Posted by

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I made a claim with American home Shield . My ac Compressor was lock up and AHS said it wont cover it because of power surge. When in reality there has not been a power serge in the area. Now I'm stuck with no ac and the tech said it would run me 4500 to fix.

Posted by

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I have evidence that my denial was fraudulent. AHS said that there was a power surge that caused the failure, therefore not covered. I asked an electrician to come out and they stated that it was IMPOSSIBLE that a power surge caused the failure because of the way my A/C unit is wired. I also had an AC technician w/ 25 years of experience document that a power surge did not cause the outage. I am available to provide this documentation.

Posted by

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Oh my god.. I am also going thru with AHS..repacing water heater.. today they called and told me that I need to pay around $700 for codes and other installation items which are not covered.. I believe in this price I could do it outside from any plumbing company.

Posted by

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i have been denied numerous times from american homeshield after i paid my service call fee they keept sending the same heating an air company out to my home just to denie my claims an i never got my air conditioning units serviced i had to hire another company an come out of more money out if my own pocket because of the contractors they use after i paid american homeshield i had to pay a extra 250 dollars because american homeshield would not replace the freon i was out of because of the leaks of freon in both my air conditioning units i am very dissatisfied because I have had 2 major leaks in my home an i had to pay out of pocket again for service fees an from where my claim was denied in april so i am still trying to put ny home back together by me being a single parent of 4 i am the only source of income so its going to take me a while to replace everything so i am very dissatisfied.

Posted by

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I have had an AHS contract for 15 years. All of my issues have been related to my Heating/AC unit. Beginning in 2008 I have had to place a call for repairs at the start of summer and winter for one thing or another. The most recent AHS representative commented on the frequency of our calls. Practically every contractor on AHS list has visited and repaired my unit, some better than others.

Early this year in the month of March I placed a call because the heating unit was blowing cold air. AHS sent out Holly Springs HVAC who is by far the best of the bunch. (I always try to request them but my request is often denied.) Holly Springs identified the problem to be cracks in the heating coil. He was surprised no one in my family was sick from possible carbon monoxide poisoning. With in a couple of days Holly Springs was back and replaced the heating coil.

We experienced an unusually mild spring but then the heat rolled in with consistency in late May. When we turned on the AC unit the house temperature remained at 80 degrees despite being set at 70 for several days. A call was placed to AHS and this time they sent out AirMedic on June 14, a day before our family vacation. The technician came out and replaced a capacitor and the cool air appeared to be flowing that night. We left for vacation early the next morning and contracted our neighbor to check in periodically on our aging dog who does not do well in kennels.

We returned home on June 20 and found the house temperature at 84. Our neighbor told us that the house got hotter each day while checking on our dog. I immediately called AHS who dispatched AirMedic the next day on a recall visit. The technician identified the problem as a punctured coil causing the coolant to leak out. He took pictures and said he would contact AHS right away. 24 hours later and we had not heard from anyone so I called for a status update. I was told the tech had not submitted any information so AHS called AirMedic and got no immediate response.

Day 2 - My wife and I have been in conversation with AHS all day trying to get them to fix the punctured coil. AirMedic claims the unit was working after the first tech left my premises and they are not responsible for the puncture. AHS claim they are not liable because its our word against the contractor's word as to how the puncture occurred.

I explained to AHS that we certainly could not have punctured the coil since we were on vacation and given that they coolant slowly leaked out following the first visit of AirMedic as evident by my neighbor's observation, it seems logical that the first tech did not properly assemble the unit after replacing the capacitor and punctured the coil while screwing it together.

My wife in tears told the representative that we have a young teenager and old dog in our house with temperatures over 87 degrees. We want AHS to honor the contract and repaired or replaced our AC unit. We have paid over 10k over the course of our contract not including the $75 service call fees. My neighbor's unit was replaced last summer when the compressor went out, so I don't understand why we are having such a hard time getting similar service.

Posted by

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AHS will only replace my 80 gal. water heater with a 50 gal. water heater because the cost of the 80 gal. replacement is to high??? Are they kidding me???

In my policy I have no stated limit of coverage and it states that replacements will be made with the same or similar. They sent two companies to look at the replacement.

The first company, Budget Plumbing, said they don't have or make 80gal. water heaters anymore (absolutely a false statement) and could only do a 50 gal. I suspect they get a bonus from American Home Shield for keeping costs down. They also want to over charge me for unnecessary electrical modifications and some other work that they shouldn't be charging me for. I have learned that this company is very shady, and being a owner of a general contracting company, I suspected this from the minute the plumber walked in my house and started talking.

I called AHS and requested a "second opinion". The second company they sent out had no problem replacing the water heater with the same capacity. They also said there was no need for any electrical modifications that Budget insisted were needed, which I already knew. They said the previous contractor is known for bad work and doing things like this. They also said the 50 gal water heater Budget wanted to put in would be marginal at best for my home.

A rep from AHS called and left me a message saying they wouldn't use the second company because the price was to high. The only options they gave me was to take the 50 gal. water heater or a payout based on the 50 gal, less any labor charges. After spending countless hours on the phone with AHS they simply will not budge on replacing my water heater a similar unit because it is to expensive. This seems like a blatant breach of contract to me.

Now over 3 weeks since the first contractor was here I am still waiting with a leaking hot water heater and no pay out amount from AHS. American Home Shield are a bunch of THEIVES!!!

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I’m requesting that someone please look into the unfair treatment I have been receiving from my home warranty company (American Home Shield) and the contracting company (Air Supply) concerning my gas furnace repair. I completely feel as though I am being taking advantage of and discriminated against on the basis of being a female.

Specifically, in 2013 through 2015, I started having a lot of issues with my previous gas furnace which kept leaking from inside. I had to make repeated calls because the technicians continued to do patch work, replace parts, or not fix the furnace properly. I went through these issues with the furnace on and off during excessive heat waves and extremely cold weather.

During calendar year 2016, I had two additional service calls for the furnace and then again, patch work continued. In the month of January 2016, the company Air Supply came out and deemed the furnace unfixable and stated that it needed to be replaced. I waited two weeks during severely cold weather for the company to converse with AHS and order parts before the furnace could be installed. On February 19, 2016, AHS sent out Air Supply to install my new furnace, AHS pays for the furnace, the installation and the permit (which I have never seen), and I am responsible for the expensive modifications.

The new furnace was working for the remainder of February and March during the cold season. Afterwards, I cut my unit off in the Month of April because the weather was quite nice. Furthermore, when the weather started to change and the high temperatures started to arrive at 85 plus degrees, I turned on the AC unit on May 25th for the first time. I was a little apprehensive because of all the problems that I have had in the past with the furnace leaking that I thought I would go check the unit to see how things were running. I proceeded downstairs and found a large amount of water in the floor around the furnace. I couldn’t believe my eyes; I said here we go again, this time from the new furnace! I immediately called AHS to place a service call. On May 27th, AHS sent the company “CMR Ventures” to assess the problem. The technician stated that the water was leaking from the side of the furnace and through the coil because the unit was not put together properly, I then phoned AHS to alert them of the problem. CMR stated that they would set up an appointment and send their top technician to take care of the problem. Later that week, CMR phoned me stating that AHS said that they could not make that service call and that the original installers had to return to take care of the problem. Now things are being prolonged even further while I continue to live in heat hazardous conditions. On June 3rd, Air Supply came out to assess the furnace and said that they could not fix the problem that day because I needed a new drip pan and a coil. I asked the technician, why didn’t the installer see that problem when he first installed the furnace on February 19th, the technician stated that the installers just install and don’t pay attention to anything else. On June 6, I phoned AHS to ask if Air Supply has sent over the report so that they could order the part, AHS informed me to speak with Air Supply directly, I spoke with Air Supply that day and they told me to speak with AHS. After being on the phone for 2 hours waiting for AHS to get on the line each time, I had no success in reaching them. I eventually returned a call to Air Supply in regards to them ordering the part and the representative was surprised that AHS had not gotten in touch with me about the specifics of the job. Air Supply informed me that they would need half of the fee before they could order the part for the furnace. I stated that AHS covers the part and the labor so what fee are you referring to; Air Supply stated that I would incur a charge of $1,282.00 for modifications and Freon. I was outraged!!!!

Concerns:

• From all of the water leakage in the new furnace, I am concerned about any water damage that could affect my computer circuit board.
• I really don’t think Air Supply will order a part for the furnace, in fact I think they have the part made which would be considered after-market.
• My system is a R22 and I was told I needed 10 pounds of Freon, what will happen to the existing Freon and why would I be charged for so much. Isn’t the Freon recycled? Or will it be drained and submitted illegally into the atmosphere?
• When the system was first installed, why didn’t the technician see the problem with the coil? My previous furnace never leaked, I am assuming someone damaged it during installation or did not position the coil correctly.
• Air Supply cuts corners with the customers service then tells AHS what they want to hear and insults the customer with redundant charges.

This has been such an unfair and horrific ordeal in dealing with a simple install job in which I paid $750.00 for the original modifications and now I am to pay additional money for the same install and with a bad part that should have been recognized from the beginning of the install of the furnace back in February 19th. Meanwhile, with all of the incompetence and back and forth, I have been suffering in my home since May 25th in dangerous temperatures and health issues that was reported many times.

I am upset to no end that a warranty company can treat a client in such a despicable manner! Also, that a warranty company does not protect their clients from these maintenance companies that tries to rip them off. AHS continues to allow theses maintenance companies to constantly charge the customer excessive fees and AHS does nothing! I am begging that someone investigate this entire situation for me and bring this suffering to an end.

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WARNING!!!!! Be very careful when purchasing a warranty from AHS. I have now had my warranty contract for going on 8 years. I have 2 a/c units that are currently 17 years old and until 4 weeks ago were working properly. I had an a/c company come out yearly for regular maintenance. The reason I purchased AHS was specifically for these a/c units. I figured they were older when I bought the house and when they go out, it would be a huge expense. Lets rewind to 4 weeks ago.

Facts:
Fact 1: My a/c stops working on 5-13-16 I put in a service call to AHS.
Fact 2: They send Total Air out on 5-20-16( 1 week later).
Fact 3: Total Air tech tells me its not the compressor or a/c its wiring in the electrically panel that is causing the breaker to flip.
Fact 4: I call AHS tell them Total Air tech said I need Electrical work done.
Fact 5: AHS sends Electrical company out on 5-26-16 (Another week wasted as well as another day off from work)
Fact 6: Electrical company shows up on 5-26-16 tells me the compressor is the only thing wrong. It needs to be replaced.
Fact 7: I notify AHS they tell me they have to send Total Air back out for a recall and that they cant send another a/c company out. This in on Thursday 5-26.
Fact 8: By the following Thursday I still had not heard from Total Air. During that week I made at least 7 phone calls to AHS home shield and they told me I had to wait. I demanded they send out another a/c company. I also called Total Air and during those 6 days they never once picked up the phone.
Fact 9: I then discovered an online chat with AHS. I was in a que for over 1 hour and finally was able to explain my situation. The representative then scheduled an appointment for the next day with Third Generation air.
Fact 10: on 6-3-16 Third Generation shows up and tells me the compressor is bad. He proceeds to tell me that I have 2 options. 1.Replace the compressor for around $700 but it will take 2 weeks because AHS has to send the equipment or ask AHS for a buyout and apply to a new system. The second was a better option for me because the unit is 17 years old.
Fact 11: The tech never said anything about "lack of maintenance" the invoice said "compressor bad, recommending replacing system"

Fact 12: Later that day I contact AHS to inform them what the a/c tech said and that I would like a buyout. They said they had to wait for a report from the a/c company.
Fact 13: I waited the weekend and had to end up contacting the a/c company myself to have them submit a report.

Fact 14: Within hours I get a phone call from AHM telling me they are denying my claim due to "lack of maintenance"
Needless to say I lost it! I explained that this system had been serviced yearly and that the tech even said thats probably why it has lasted 17 years!
Fact 15: As of this moment I have my a/c repair man who has serviced the unit coming out to give me his opinion.

I can honestly say I wished I would have seen this website earlier, it would have saved me alot of money, but more so time, headaches and complete aggravation. I have made no less than 40 phone calls over the last month to AHS. 5 out of 10 times they disconnected me after being on hold for 30 minutes or more. I have missed several days of work trying to get this resolved because of the limited schedules /times they offer. I would have better off saying my $65 a month as well as $75 service call and putting toward a unit or repair with a reputable company!!!! It really makes me wonder how a company like this can even exist!!!

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AHS is horrible. I pay over $700 a year because I am a single mother and after loosing my father I have no one to fix things that are broken. They repaired my 1980 wash machine and I can imagine the part cost more than a new one. Same thing happens with my sister, they spent )1900 dollars fixing her $900 microwave before replacing if. On 5/13/16 my plumbing stopped. Put in a service request and the people the requested could not get out until Tuesday. 4 days without a bath or toilet is unacceptable. So after spending 20 minutes on hold I got them to find someone that did same day. They didn't give me a 30 minute call before hand I got 5, after taking 4 hrs off work they were here 15 minutes. It was less then 24 hours when my plumbing backed up again. This is Saturday so I'm screwed but I spent another 20 minutes trying to get an agent for Ahs on the phone who I gave hell to. Well she put in a recall request. So I called Draingo Monday and they didn't have a request. So I had to start all over an the expedited request well I had to wait until Tuesday. I told them I needed a 30 minute call because they didn't last time. Well I got a 10 minute call and they still didn't come inside. They did the same thing (ran a snake outside even though I told them the problem was somewhere inside) 20 minutes later they were gone! Tuesday by 4 o'clock so my facilities lasted until Thursday about 7. Hey we are moving up people, went past 24 hours. I've had other technicians come out and I've never had to call them back twice now 3 times. I've got expedited service with a senior technician or so they said but none of that matter when a woman can't use the bathroom and I can't even guarantee they will make it out tomorrow. The floor in my other bathroom (though it wasn't nice) is ruined. It's all concrete now from how wet it gets when the toilet leaks from underneath with the back up. Not only that I've had to constantly wash towels. American home shield and their disregard to how horrible situations are and how shitty their technicians are have made my life hell. I should sue for emotional stress. If you pay that much money a year, the company should make sure they have respectable people to call so there clients don't have to wait days for service and have to keep calling back. My sister called about plumbing once and the people Ahs had on call, well they never made it because they got pulled over and weren't even licensed in Arkansas. What kind of company does that!? AHS could care less about the people that contract with them. I don't care if I have a contract or not. I'm switching to AFC same my sister switched to. You have a personal account manager so you always talk to that person and someone is out to your house with in 24 hours (which is how it should be!) and if you don't want said person you can request your choice. Ahs service has put emotionally damaged me, and I don't have money as a single mom for the band aids there contractors want to keep putting on my request. I could have took my $700 a year and had my plumbing fixes the first time without the week of emotional stress.

Posted by

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If you are approached by AHS. RUN as soon as you can. I like to state facts, so I will keep this one simple…

FACT 1: Dishwasher leaking and request placed online 3/21/2016
FACT 2: Technician from GE arrives, turns on nozzle. States nothing was wrong with the dishwasher.
FACT 3: Ran the dishwasher on 3/27/2016 leak turns into a flood
FACT 4: Placed another request over the phone 3/27/2016. I was told that a technician would not arrive until the follow week.
FACT 5: On 3/28/2016 kitchen is completely flooded – Service request ticket now placed in “escalation” status by AHS
FACT 6: Technician #2 from different vendor arrives 3/29/2016 says cost to repair to high, and the dishwasher should be replaced
FACT 7: Technician #2 turn nozzle on to dishwasher, cabinet and kitchen flooded again
FACT 8: Called American Home Shield 3/31/2016 they have not received any information from the technician
FACT 9: On 4/1/2016 given another number from AHS to call to order a new dishwasher. Was told while I was at work that MUST be home to provide them with the dimensions of the old dishwasher before they could order the new dishwasher. They stated that they could not use the dimension provided by the GE technician or the second vendor they sent out.
FACT 10: Measured dishwasher, and was told my dimensions were incorrect. My dimensions were sent to another department and someone would call me back at a late time.
FACT 11: Received a 4/4/2016 from a GE technician #2 that said he fixed my dishwasher LOL!!!!!!!!
FACT 12: Received a call from technician #2 on 4/4/2016 stating that they had a replacement but could not give me a date or time for the install
FACT 13: After several emails, several phone calls, and several days missed of work… my dishwasher was finally installed on 4//5/2016.

These are the steps AHS uses to repair your appliances. If you choose this company BEWARE!!! You will lose time from work, forced to make multiple phone calls, and send many emails before your issue is resolved. I have cancelled my contract after one month of using this company, and switched to another company. Like the saying goes… “Cheaper is not always better.”

Posted by

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In 2004, a licenced plumber sent by AHS, replaced leaking hot water heater. Recently on 03.25.2016, I reported to AHS a leak from that very hot water heater. On 03.29.16, a plumber from "Rosie's Plumbing" of West Palm Beach, determined that the 2004 was installed incorrectly and with the code violations(after 12 years of proper svce), AHS denied the claim. AHS' Plumbing Authorization Dept promised to get back to me the same day. Three days later there still is no response!
Another claim in 2007, AHS denied claim on A/C repair because of improper maintenance and "unknown equipment".
It turned out that a serviceman from "AcuTemp" removed and discarded all pertinent labels from motors.
Fool me twice, is it a shame on me or a predator called AHS?

Posted by

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I live close to a large metro. area, but to get a second opinion on repairs to a garage door AHS told me that they could not find another company so they would be sending out the same company. I find that incredible. This would be the same as getting a second opinion from the SAME Doctor How can this be legal??

I ask for the second opinion as I was denied because and I quote: "The door was too heavy" I live an a development with 96 homes with the same inspected door installed during construction of the homes. I was also told that the springs needed to be replaced. Actually,they were replaced 3 years ago. The technician backed down then I told him that. In addition to many other things, they would be happy to make the repairs at my expense, totaling $625.00. I therefore, have no basis of trust with this company yet this same company is giving a second opinion.

Think long and hard before you choose American Home Shield

Posted by

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You people really think ahs pays every single company they contract with to write false claims so they can deny them? with all of that money they could just fix it....a repair company wouldnt do that in the first place because first they would be screwing themselves by never getting labor time and just collecting service calls and secondly they wouldnt build any customer relations by telling everyone oh hey were not going to fix your shit but thanks for paying us to come out and tell you that.

Posted by

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I moved to Texas this past July and got an American Home Shield home warranty on my house. about a month ago we found water leaking from our hot water heater and called AHS. they sent out a technician from a company and he said it was the nut that was loose on top of the tank at the inlet water coming into the tank. He tightened it a little and left. over the next week we continued to soak up water with towels and shop vac it out of the basin of the hot water heater area. we called them back and they sent out a guy and he said he couldn't work on it because it was propane. the scheduled another guy for the next week and before they got there we awoke to a major gas leak that was coming from the hot water heater. we had the propane company come out and leak test the entire house and we found it was coming from the hot water heater. we called back again and they sent a third technician out and he said it needed to be replaced due to the leak and a flooded vapor area. I then get a call from AHS saying I would have to pay 1800 dollars because it is secondary damage etc. BS!!!!!! I haven't touched the unit but had constant issues for almost four weeks and no hot water in the house. They then told me it would be replaced today and when the technician got there he said he was told to do a service call and give a second opinion. once I told him of all the issues he said he was going to cancel his business with AHS because of all the unhappy customers. he lit the pilot light on the hot water heater and saw the water still leaking and setting in the basin of the hot water heater pan and said it should evaporate, I told him he said that four weeks ago and he just looked at me and left and went out to his truck. he came back in and told them in his opinion the unit was ok......this furiates me as we have had issues ongoing....AHS will not get my business anymore at the end of this agreement.

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I have been with this company since 1998, but on my current residences covered since 2004. Since 2011 I have had nothing but issues with my A/C and have had roughly 6 different contractors out to repair. I've had to replace my Freon at least 3 or 4 times, but supposedly the problem is fixed each time. This last issue occurred in November2105 where supposedly my compressor went out. Took almost two weeks to replace and I had to pay for Freon. One week later the unit stopped working again and the contractor said they sent a bad compressor, so another one had to be ordered. This time I was still covered so didn't have to pay for Freon that he said he could capture (whatever that means), because I definitely wasn't paying him another $400 for Freon. Took another two weeks for compressor to be installed. Okay so now I'm in February with temps reaching 78 degrees but 82 in my home and my unit is not blowing out cold air. I called in a service and I am praying that this man doesn't come tell me that I need Freon! If so I am finally going to cancel my contracts with AHS and join this lawsuit as well as contact the BBB. Wish me luck!

Posted by

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Good luck getting a quality replacement on a worn out anything.
Had to replace a top of the line toilet, a Kohler. AHS REQUIRed the plumber to replace my toiet with one selling at Walmart for $89. Mind you the upfront fee is $75 and when I complained about the cheap replacement, I was told it would cost a minimum of $300 extra or more for an upgrade? What?
I took the toilet because it was needed but the size differential left an ugly spot of exposed flooring behind the toilet which will cost me greatly to repair! Cheap screws aka AHS.

$60 x12 months =$720 a year for the warranty I pay. I believe we would all be better off banking that money for future repairs.

The delays in reaching homeshield via phone for contract holders and repairmen is u acceptable.

Posted by

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I purchased a service contract from American Home Shield for a residence left to me after my mother passed away last year. My daughter is currently living in the residence. She phoned me on November 3, 2015 and let me know that she had no hot water (she had hot water the day before). I went to the residence to try and relight the water heater. It was at that time I noticed the floor was wet. My daughter said she had been on the service porch washing clothes the day before and the floor was not wet. I phoned AHS and made a claim. A plumber (Drainco Plumbing) can out and said there was mold around the water heater and that it had been leaking for a while. I had a mold expert from PRC restoration come out. PRC informed me that there was no mold and that the water damage was new. I phoned AHS and told them the findings, and also phoned Drainco to see when they could bring a new water heater. The young lady at Drainco attempted to up sale me saying I needed a new vent amongst other things that I would have to pay for before they put the water heater in. I informed her that everything around the water heater was just fine and didn't need any extras. I phoned AHS and complained about Drainco was attempting to take advantage of me by up selling me on unnecessary work. Shortly after that AHS denied the claim saying they were told by Drainco it was a preexisting condition. I explained to AHS that the leakage had just started and that was the reason for the pilot light to go out on the water heater. They arranged for another plumber to come out . When the second plumber came out he looked at the location where the water heater was ( I had the restoration company begin the work of drying out and removing the damaged wood) and stated he was only a plumber and didn't why they called him out to look for possible mold. At no time did he ask to see the water heater that had been placed in the backyard by the restoration crew. I phoned AHS a few days later to find out what was going on with the claim and they said the second plumber needed the water heater hooked up to verify that it was leaking. I explained to the AHS representative that if I did that it would cause further water damage(PRC had already used machines to dry the floor). She stated that she would pass the information on the another section of AHS. On November 16, 2015 I got a letter from AHS again saying they are denying the claim.
On October 5, 2015 I had a similar incident at my residence. I filed a claim for the leaking water heater. A plumber from Drainco came to my residence. I did not hear anything else from Drainco or AHS regarding a replacement water heater. I got an e mail from AHS asking if I wanted to keep the claim open. I phoned and informed AHS to keep the claim open because I will need the new water heater once the construction is done. About a month later (after the incident at my mother's residence) I got an e mail from AHS saying my claim at my residence was also being denied. The same day I got the e mail I received a post card from AHS saying they would close my case unless I phoned them to keep it open. I have asked several plumbers if they could in fact examine a water heater and determine how long it had been leaking. The answer each time was no. One plumber actually stated that the condensation formed by the water heater may cause rust but the rust is not a true indicator of leakage. I believe both of these claims are wrongfully denied and that AHS makes it a common practice to deny claims, and that more than likely they compensate Drainco to make inaccurate findings.

Posted by

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I have a dishwasher that was not working properly. The contractor said the dishwasher needed a new motor, but he refused to write it down on the report. He said he needed to talk to American Home Shield first. The repairman told American Home Shields that my dishwasher was working properly. He lied. Don't use this company because the repairman and American Home Shield are working together to denied claims at the homeowner expense.

Posted by

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AHS - WARNING!!!!!!! This is my first experience with a home warranty company and based on this past year with AHS, my last. I can't even begin to explain the level of FRUSTRATION we've experienced with this company. The wait times are ridiculously long, billing problems don't get fixed (still says I owe for $75 service fee which I paid on date of service 6 months ago) and there is NO CUSTOMER CARE. Here's my story (1) I called them to fix my frig ice maker which was diagnosed as a frozen line, so all the work was on our end to empty it out, turn off for hours to defrost. (2) recent problem with above the range microwave. I asked for them not to send same company due to reasons I won't name but they wouldn't/couldn't oblige. The tech said he'd have to take the micro down to complete the diagnose, but first we'd have to sign a waiver excluding them from any responsibility if it was dropped on our range top, countertop or floor, etc. After we questioned the waiver, he called his manager who was gruff and unaffected and in so many words said "oh well" and told us that he'd installed several of these so it shouldn't be a problem for the tech. We declined further work. We even offered to help the tech take it down and take before/after pics but the "waiver" had to be signed. Isn't this why they have insurance and why would I pay to fix anything the tech broke???? Here's the icing on the cake. I told AHS I was considering cancelling and was told customer retention would call. Well they called, left a message, said renewal was cancelled and irreversible. How's that for customer satisfaction!! Last, it's impossible to talk with any upper management, customer relations, nothing. It's like Fort Knox.

Posted by

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I've been with AHS for about 15 years and had many bad experiences from the time I purchased the service. I should have cut my losses and went with another company. They have denied claims on my A/C, hot water heater, furnace, and ceiling fans just to name a few. The most recent incidence happened in May 2015. I requested electrical work in my home. A service was dispatched but service wasn't completed. I notified AHS and to this day, I continue to get the run around. They tell me that they will contact the provider and will call me back and never does. When I call them I'm waiting on the phone for 20 to 30 minutes to get the same story, I'll contact the provider and get back to you. At this point Im ready to file a lawsuit against this lousy company that denies more claims than they approve.

Posted by

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My dryer went out on August 8th so I decided to utilize my home warranty through AHS to have it repaired - I receive a call from a SEARS representative the next day (August 9th) stating that a technician will be at my home on August 19th (which is today/11 days later) between the hours of 8am-5pm (huge window huh?). This morning I called to get a status on when they would arrive and was told that I was scheduled for the 22nd of August not the 19th. Well I was pissed to say the least, as this was not the original date we agreed on. I called AHS to complain about the SEARS vendor they use, and why it's taking 2 weeks to send someone out to fix my dryer now - it's so bad now, that all my families clothes are piled so high it looks like freaking Mt. Everest in my living room & I am going to have to start wearing my underwear inside out or something at this point! Never the less, AHS was of no help and said that I'd have to take this up with the vendor and be prepared to Wait even longer to get my dryer fixed if they have to order up a part. Obviously this isn't my "first rodeo" with AHS & I already know it's going to be an uphill battle as my dryer is over 15 years old and will have to be replaced. It was damn near on fire before I even noticed it wasn't working.

Wish me luck - I have had this dance with AHS before regarding my AC unit/heat pumps, garage doors, garbage disposal, and refrigerator...every service request has been unpleasant and I had to fight with them everytime to get something fixed...after this issue, my days of being on hold for hours on end with poor ghetto customer service are OVER! CANX this contract at the end of this year.... Good Luck everyone - regards "Harry Home Owner"

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We purchased an eleven year old house in May. Purchased AHS maintenance agreement because although everything looks new you never know right? Air conditioner quit working so called AHS on July 24, 2015 and they sent a contractor out right away. Contractor analyzed the problem and ordered a new compressor for the unit directly from AHS. Unit has been well maintained by previous owners. I was advised compressor has been ordered by AHS from manufacturer in Dallas Texas and shipped to contractor. I live 150 miles from Dallas and to date August 29, 2015 compressor has not arrived and my air conditioner is still not fixed.

Posted by

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I’m a disabled, retired veteran. I’ve been an AHS customer since 2006. Despite increasingly poor customer service and response to claims, I recently renewed my contract in April 2015. Since that time I had placed 3 claims of only one that was honored. One of which was an urgent nature regarding a failed A/C condensing unit. ASH felt it unnecessary to respond until 5 days following my request. I had to acquire my own services for repairs for AHS guaranteed A/C repairs. They refused to reimbursement me for any part of the repairs. Their excuse was that they did not deem it an urgent matter despite temperatures exceeded 90 degrees less the heat index. They have intentionally kept me on hold for over two hours on numerous occasions, intentionally given me false information as to their customer service IDs/numbers, names, locations of the individuals I was talking to and who to elevate my claim complaints to. I terminated my contract in June and was told I would get a prorated refund within 21 days. As of today, 10 Aug, I have yet to hear back from them. Twice I have called about my refund and placed extensive holds only to be told that they were unable to advise me on any status and to call back at different numbers. As I write this response, I have been on hold with AHS for 1 hour and 45 minutes before finally getting a representative to talk to. I have been advised that I would only receive less than half of the annual payment I sent in full in advance of the payment due date. I terminated the contract less than three months into it and because of their admission fees and other illegitimate fees; I’ll receive less than half of what I paid. I have spent countless hours of my time, extreme aggravation, inconvenience and personal suffering due to the incompetence and intentional misleading of business practices of AHS.

Posted by

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Have had AHS for 15 plus years on a Rental Home in Las Vegas. They have been putting a Bandaid on our AC Unit for last few years last time being in April where we had to pay yet once again for Freon over $200. Well this past Sun with temps at 110 plus AC Broke AHS Vendor said Unit needs replaced. Won't go through the battle and hold/ off hold for hours but long story short,we were denied Claim! WT..? Have paid them thousands of doodads over years and Unit just got old and died. Tenants had to go to Hotel for own safety. We continued to get run around around from AHS They are researching Claim so they said and never called back like they said they would.We gave them a chance. What is amazing is the message we got on phone was almost Verbatim to this one below except it would be $4800 Coincidence ? Don't think so.Guess we are going to take it to next level. What else can we do? See a Real pattern here after reading many many complaints here and on BBB. Posted by
angry AHS customer
on May 14, 2015 I need to warn others about American Home Shield (AHS) that when you have something that needs to be fixed, they will try to figure a way to deny your claim by interpreting your contract. In my situation, AHS denied the claim to fix the AC saying it was not installed. The AC was installed and working for years. AHS sent out a service provider to check and he came back with a report that there were two wires that were disconnected. This was enough for AHS to deny the claim to fix the AC. After contacting the service provider, he said he could provide the service directly to me without using AHS and would cost 3200 to fix. Doesn't this whole thing seem fishy? I really regret signing up with AHS.

Posted by

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Service Request was placed on June 1st, 2015 due to a lack of performance of our A/C units. June 8th the contractor came out and informed us that both units needed to be replaced. American Home Shield (AHS) refused to complete this request at their claim that it was a pre-exisiting condition. I called the same day (June 8th) to discuss the matter. I was told, due to it being after normal business hours, that they would contact the contractor the next day to get more information and follow up with me. They did not. However, June 10th I received a dispatch number stating "HVAC Equipment has been ordered to complete your replacement". I called same day to confirm this dispatch order. It was confirmed. After waiting the appropriate amount of time I called the contractor to be told that AHS had subsequently stated that the dispatch was sent in error and to disregard it. To this date, AHS continues to fulfill the order to replace my A/C units.

Posted by

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I have 2 AC units. After many service calls over a few years for non working units, I was told by the A/C company that my upstairs unit was shot and needed to be replaced. I NEVER got a phone call from AHS to tell me how much they would cover. However, the manager at the A/C company said that even with the AHS "discount", my total cost would be $3800. Is that right?? I did not really question it at the time, but now my downstairs unit has gone out and the same A/C company is coming out in 2 days to check this unit. I really don't think I should have had to be $3800 for a brand new system. How should I investigate further to see how much AHS actually paid??

Posted by

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I need to warn others about American Home Shield (AHS) that when you have something that needs to be fixed, they will try to figure a way to deny your claim by interpreting your contract. In my situation, AHS denied the claim to fix the AC saying it was not installed. The AC was installed and working for years. AHS sent out a service provider to check and he came back with a report that there were two wires that were disconnected. This was enough for AHS to deny the claim to fix the AC. After contacting the service provider, he said he could provide the service directly to me without using AHS and would cost 3200 to fix. Doesn't this whole thing seem fishy? I really regret signing up with AHS.

Posted by

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Our heat has been broken for a month. AHS does not proactively provide updates. Each time we call we sit on hold for 20 minutes. 3 technicians have been to the house and it is still not fixed. It is 25 degrees where we live and we have 2 kids under 6 years old. One month without heat.

Posted by

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Anyone in NC experiencing the same problem with AHS? Any assistance or suggestions would be most helpful.

I have a home warranty through American Homeshield (AHS) and have held this contract since 2002. I have had numerous service calls to fix my heating system since October. It is now January 24th and I still have no heat nor have I received an acceptable solution in accordance with my contract with AHS. It has been determined through an authorized AHS technician that the 20 year old condenser on my system needs to be replaced. The cost for installing a new condenser is $1049.00. In accordance with federal regulations and state law, a 13 Seer condenser must be installed. A new 13 Seer condenser is not compatible with our existing air handling unit. AHS has refused to pay $2308 to make the new condenser and existing air handling unit compatible. In short they will replace a component but not restore functional heat to my home, or spend up to the amount agreed to in our contract.

Below is our response to the Better Business Bureau:

The excerpts below are from our existing home warranty plan with American Home Shield (AHS). As you can see, Paragraph E.4. clearly states that American Home Shield is responsible for replacing/upgrading current equipment to maintain compatibility with equipment manufactured to be 13 SEER and 7.7 HSPF compliant, or compliant with higher SEER or HSPF requirement. Our current HVAC equipment is 8-10 SEER and is not compatible with the 13 SEER condenser that American Home Shield wants to install through Airmedics Heating & Cooling. Clearly it is American Home Shield’s responsibility in accordance with our contract to replace the current equipment because it is not compatible with the 13 SEER condenser.
While AHS has told you that the air handler needs to be replaced due to brand or to code; this is not the case. We have no brand preference whatsoever. The 13 SEER compressor that they intend to install is simply not compatible with the lower SEER rated existing equipment. We have independently verified this through Bass Heating and Air Conditioning in Fayetteville, NC. Please feel free to contact them at 3261 Natal St, Fayetteville, NC 28306, (910) 778-1536. The representative at Bass that provided this assessment is Eddie Simmons.
As a customer, it seems reasonable to me to expect AHS to live up to the commitment that they made in our contract. Oddly enough - using the dollar figures that they provided - this will not even restore heat to my home (in the middle of winter). Furthermore, we have been unable to actually determine if the $3000 maximum replacement allowance for an appliance applies to an HVAC system. We have received conflicting information regarding the cap by several AHS representatives. AHS’ customer service is almost nonexistent, designed to delay, confound and defeat; and is frequently borderline combative. In light of this we have taken to recording our conversations with them “for quality assurance purposes.” Needless to say reaching a supervisor is impossible. Your only option to speak with a supervisor is the demand that the customer service representative you are currently speaking with submit a request for a supervisor to contact you within 48 hours and hope that a supervisor actually calls you. We have been “bounced” around AHS’ various customer relations departments for over 3 weeks and have yet to reach resolution. It appears our only options are to file a complaint with the BBB and to file a claim in North Carolina Small Claims Court. If you know of another avenue please pass it along.
Thanks in advance for your continued attention to this matter. We look forward to your reply.

E. ESSENTIAL PLAN COVERAGES
The following systems and appliances are covered for the homeowner under the Essential Plan.
4. HEATING SYSTEM OR BUILT-IN WALL UNIT (Gas, Electric, or Oil if main source of heat to the home)
COVERED: Heating systems including: heat pump; metering devices (i.e. thermal expansion valves); furnace; furnace transition; evaporator coils
and drain lines; air handling unit; air handling transition; secondary drain pan and lines; and refrigerant lines are covered. Any of the foregoing
covered components as well as plenum, indoor electrical, and duct connections are also covered when AHS determines that upgrading a heating
system is required to maintain compatibility with equipment manufactured to be 13 SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) and 7.7 HSPF
(Heating Seasonal Performance Factor) compliant, or compliant with higher SEER or HSPF requirements.

F. ENHANCED PLAN COVERAGES – INCLUDES ITEMS E.1. – E.11. and F.1. – F.5.
APPLIANCE NOTE: AHS will pay up to $3,000 for any required replacement of any covered Appliance. Customer is responsible for payment of
any costs in excess of $3,000 for any required replacement of an Appliance.
1. AIR CONDITIONING/COOLER
NOTE: Coverage available on heating and/or cooling systems not exceeding a five (5) ton capacity and designed for residential
application. COVERED: Ducted electric wall air conditioning systems – Water evaporative cooler systems – Costs related to freon recapture – Ducted electric central air conditioning systems including: condenser; metering devices (i.e. thermal expansion valves); furnace transition; evaporator coils and
drain lines; air handling unit; air handling transition; secondary drain pan and lines; and refrigerant lines are covered. Any of the foregoing covered
components as well as plenum, indoor electrical, and duct connections are also covered when AHS determines that upgrading a ducted electric
central air conditioning system is required to maintain compatibility with equipment manufactured to be 13 SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency
Ratio) and 7.7 HSPF (Heating Seasonal Performance Factor) compliant, or compliant with higher SEER or HSPF requirements.

H. LIMITATIONS AND EXCLUSIONS
8. AHS has the sole right to determine whether a covered system or appliance will be repaired or replaced. AHS is responsible for installing
replacement equipment of similar features, capacity, and efficiency, but not for matching dimensions, brand or color. Except when repairing
or upgrading covered systems to maintain compatibility with equipment manufactured to be 13 SEER or 7.7 HSPF compliant, or compliant
with any higher SEER or HSPF requirements, AHS is not responsible or liable for upgrades, components, parts or equipment required due to:
(a) the incompatibility of the existing equipment with the replacement system or appliance or component or any part thereof; or (b) any new
type of chemical or material utilized to run the replacement equipment including, but not limited to, differences in technology, refrigerant
requirements, or efficiency as mandated by federal, state, or local governments. AHS is not responsible or liable for the cost of construction,
carpentry, or other modifications made necessary by the existing equipment or installing different equipment.

I. LAWS, REGULATIONS AND CODE REQUIREMENTS
Except when repairing or upgrading covered systems to maintain compatibility with equipment manufactured to be 13 SEER or 7.7 HSPF compliant, or
compliant with any higher SEER or HSPF requirements, AHS is not responsible for any upgrades, work, testing or costs required to comply with any
federal, state, or local laws, regulations or ordinances or utility regulations, or to meet current building or zoning code requirements, or to correct for code
violations. AHS is not responsible for service when permits cannot be obtained, nor will it pay any costs relating to permits. AHS’ policy is to abide by all
current federal, state, and local laws, regulations and guidelines. AHS will not be responsible for any liability arising from repairs or replacements that
violate any such laws, regulations, or guidelines.

Posted by

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I had an AHS plumber tell me AND A LETTER FROM AHS that the reason that I was not getting hot water in my shower was that the builder had never installed hot water at all! Of course the builder's plumber came out and... fixed it in 5 minutes by changing out the posi temp cart. Now I have to pay the second plumber and I want my money from AHS. But there may be hope.

Get their denial in WRITING and a reason WHY. Respond to their letter in WRITING with receipts, your dispatch number, your address, contract number, your story, and where you want your money sent. And I got THE ADDRESS FOR CASES THEY LOOK INTO. This took a lot of arguing with managers to get (and having the 2nd plumber get on the phone and practically yell at them). So Enjoy!!

American Home Shield
PO Box 787
Carroll, IA 51401

Posted by

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AHS has recently denied replacement of my heat pump due to my failure to perform maintenance, even though we have been calling them virtually every year for one reason or another since 2004 for service on the pump. They have documented records of our requests for repair. Each time they would only authorize enough work to keep the unit "working." Now that pump literally has to be replaced, they accuse me of not maintaining the unit which is now at least 16 years old, which is how long we have been at the residence. It seems this company dares its "customers" (more like victims) to sue them for breach of contract. Pretty shoddy business practice.

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AHS just denied my claim for a pipe blockage issue saying a broken line was the cause. We had to spend $1200 to get our own contractor who found the blockage inside the house and no broken line. The problem was misdiagnosed by AHS contractor Foremost Plumbing causing us to find our own plumber who fixed the issue within a couple ours, we had to pay out of pocket, and our tenant was without water for 5 days due to AHS inaction. Can someone help in holding AHS accountable? Thanks

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I am currently having trouble with this company. I brought a policy for my mother. They came out last year and repaired her water heater. It was leaking. This year it is leaking again. It's getting old and needs to be replaced. AHS sent out a repair man. He immedientlly started saying the contract wouldn't cover the problem because he had to do work to bring it up to code and it would be 1900. He wouldn't return the deductible and wanted to come back the next day to replace a valve that wouldn't stop the leak. We asked him to leave and requested a second opinion. We were promised one but are still waiting. In the meantime we called in two plumbers one a national chain. Both said no problem with valves pressure or pipes. We just need a new heater. We got one estimate for 800 and one for 1000. I have not been allowed to speak to a supervisor. I have spoken with customer service reps who show no compassion and speak like they are reading a text book of canned responses that take you nowhere. I do want to hire a lawyer. I will take any referral in the Atlanta area and would be part of any movement to address these concerns. I believe we are already being punished for complaining and our files say don't do anything to help these people. Just let it leak and we will wait until we hear from the lawyer. We have to take some action I have read the same stories over and over. What happened with the class action lawsuit?

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I have been having A/C issues way back in 2007. Then it picked back up in 2013 into 2014. I A/C has been freezing up and not working every summer. The Techs sent out come at least 4 times in a row for 2 months as a recall. Then when I don't run the A/C because of being afraid, it may last for 37 days then I have to pay the deductible again. It is always the same issue and the techs do the same thing and charge me for the freon. My A/C had service calls on June 11, July 3, July 11 and now Aug 17 for the same issue. I hae been with AHS since 1996 and have (6) contracts on different properties. Each Contractor tell me that AHS tell them they to say the item is not covered, even when its clearly not a maintenance issue and a repair issue. It is a shame when their own employees tell that contractors are paid a bonus to deny claims- if all possible always deny claims. Contractors are telling they are told to only patch problems up. This is a profit scam and they need to be shut down for robbery.

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I have been dealing with an ongoing issue with AHS regarding an air conditioning repair. The company assigned delayed service for a week in the middle of triple digit whether and then claimed to AHS that damage was beyond normal wear and tear in an apparent attempt to bill me directly as AHS pays a lot less than what they are able to charge for cash rate. I've been in an ongoing dispute now with the company for the past month as AHS is also refusing to send out someone for a second opinion because they are doing their own internal investigation. The internal investigator is never available by phone his voicemail comes on immediately and he delays return and calls for a week. At this point I'm waiting for a new investigator to be assigned and for the second opinion in regard to her 30-year-old air conditioning that's had one repair a year for the past 3 years.

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Just found out my policy of 13 years with AHS was not renewed in March, 2014.
The Customer Service Rep said I had exceeded the expense that AHS would tolerate over the life of my contract compared to the cost I had paid for the membership.
I was never notified by phone or letter, but they say I was; offered to send me another letter. I asked the rep why I would be calling for service, if I had known I been dropped from their rolls?
This is the poorest customer service, and this caveat is not even in their contract. The Rep said that this was like a car insurance company or home owners insurance co.arbitrarily dropping you for causing them too much expense. I was shocked at the lack of notification, and the fact the this potential action was supposed to be understood at the time of my contract 13 years ago. I felt sorry for the rep, who was also from my city. I told her it's great to have a job these days, but difficult to work for a company that lacks the ethics, and courtesy to inform its members, who faithfully pay the fee month after month, that they are not worthy to be members by virtue of the bottom line.
All who read this, please be aware that AHS does not believe in total disclosure in its contract. This could happen to you.

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I am having problems with AHS right now. We had a plumbing problem and sewage was leaking and pooling up under the house. AHS sent out a plumber who took one look at the mess and refused to work on it. He said "it must be a septic problem and we don't cover that." So I then spent $600 and had both a septic cleaner and another plumber out to look at the problem. It turned out to have nothing whatsoever to do with the septic, there was a cracked drain pipe under the house. It's an old galvanized metal pipe from the 1920s, not surprising that it would break. It's built into the foundation of the house, just brick perimeter around crawlspace. Called AHS to dispute the work done by the first plumber. They tell me they don't have any other "AHS certified" plumbers in my area and are refusing to do a second opinion. We haven't had water in our home for a week, can't use the toilet, etc. We are literally digging holes in the yard and pooping outside. I'm waiting to hear back from a supervisor at AHS. Today I hired an attorney and am preparing to escalate this in a big way. It's become a health issue at this point.

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AHS is the worst service ever!!!
I had numerous problems with them not wanting to fix my AC. So I found a way to get the upper hand. A friend worked for a HVAC company that was contracted through AHS. He explained how crooked AHS was. So we derived a plan to get them back. I called AHS to make a AC claim and requested my friend's company. That way he would come out and suggest i need an entirely new system. AHS kept telling him to just replace a part, which is what they always do. But being a friend and getting back at them, he insisted the replacement didn't work. So in the end I got a new AC and my only problem was a clog! LOL
One victory for the consumer!!!!

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They have sent out a different company to refill the freon in my AC each summer. I suspect they are doing this to avoid reporting the true amount of freon leaking out to the EPA. Junkies do the same thing. Hitting up multiple doctors for multiple prescriptions without raising any red flags. Well they are about to get a visit from the EPA anyway because I just reported their fraudulent practices. I would sue but they are protected by a binding arbitration clause. Basically I could choose one of three arbitrators just for them to rule in favor of AHS so they can get their return business. AHS and binding arbitration are equally huge scams.

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AHS is the biggest Scam company I have ever seen. I cannot imagine how there are not major class action lawsuits against this company. This company acts completely in bad faith. There advertisement talk about how it will cost you hundreds or thousands to fix your problem without their warranty and how there warranty will cover everything. What a joke; it cost as much if not more with their warranty. I had a hot water tank go out and it was going to cost me more under the warranty than to hire a local plumber to buy and install one. The repair people working for them are the worst and they work with AHS to scam people. AHS does not pay the contractors crap so they just state this or that is not covered and make up a bunch of charges way above the market rate. And complaining to the BBB is a joke. I did that and AHS just responds with anything and the BBB just accepts it. If the BBB is nothing but a front for the company and is not actually going to investigate what is their purpose. AHS has thousands of complaints yet BBB rates them highly. It is a joke. And now with air conditioners AHS only pays $10/lb on Freon. So when you are low on Freon they will not leak check and properly repair the leak. They just add Freon and bill you for it. When people sign up for a home warranty people expect repairs will be done in a professional manner not add Freon to a leaking system and not fix the leak. So when the Freon leaks out again, guess who pays? Where are the lawyers and why are there no class action lawsuits being filed, because I want to be the 1st in line to join in.

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My nightmare start April 16, 2014. I had a miss call from AHS on this date. I call them back. Informed my AC unit need to be replace. My home is 15ys old and has the old R22 unit ( which is going to be obsolete). Iask what type of unit would I be getting? AHS representative told me it would be the new R10 Rheem unit. I had never heard of this brand and she explain it was one of the best. Also told me of the $350 out of pocket plus the $75 dollar deductible. They told the contractor I was getting a Rheem unit. Then they sent him a PO with a Carrie Unit. Within 5 minutes of recieveing that he got another PO saying it was a Lenox brand. Brand didn't matter to me just wanted the new R10. Unit install on April 25. 2014. As I was preparing to write the check. I ask the installer it is the new type unit he said no..We called AHS from my home explain the wrong unit was install. Rep. did some research and saw where the wrong unit was order and informed us new unit would be order and it should be available for pickup in 3 days. I got email on April 28th,2014 informing new unit is ready for pickup. It is not May 8th unit still not install..Because AHS doesn't want to pay the contractor again. They calleed the contractor and told them the homeowener didn't want the new unit and everythign had been resolve. They are not giving my the run around and saying new replacement unit was never order I have the email and so did the contractror. They also said there representive didnt' have authority to tell me the type of unit. I told them if they would have informed me the unit type would have been the old unit. I would have ask for a cash out and paid for upgrade(who would want obsolete unit). Know they are saying cash out are courtesy and they don't have to offer it. I have email showing when the new unit was order and witness to AHS rep saying she could see where the wrong unit was order. Know AHS doesn' t want to replace the unit. Any advice on my next steps would be greatly appreciated.

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Bought a house in TN in January 2014. Found out in late February that there is a leak in the drain line from the washer on 2nd floor which drains water into the basement. Put five buckets in strategic locations to collect sprays. After a week of back and forth calls, AHS found a local plumber who came to my house after the 4 hour window, took a quick look and said he will need permission from AHS prior to doing anything. Then another ten days went by, no calls from anyone. Called AHS again, they said even they cannot reach contractor. Finally another week went by, contractor comes AFTER his 4 hour window, smells "high", cut open a big hole in the wall just to finalize whether the leak is there, finally fixes the leak. That was 4 weeks ago. AHS cannot find anyone to fix my drywall (they're probably not trying), offered me $145 to fix a 10 sq ft uneven drywall cut plus rough finish. I asked what am I supposed to use as tools, my spit? I offered the AHS person on the phone $290 to come fix the hole, she said it was not her area of expertise! Ha! They said they will continue looking. I advised them that as the call was being recorded, I have two small kids at home so I told them that I will hold AHS responsible if my kids get hurt. Now they do not even pick the phone from me. So I will try a different line. And I have had great success through BBB to help deal with other unscrupulous businesses, good luck AHS. You will also be interested in my AHS fridge story which hopefully has ended today after 4 weeks. Thanks.

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If anyone else is having issues with Oxford Heating and Air please contact me megancase5@gmail.com

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To: Bet your ASSS

How do I contact you? I am having the same problem with AH.

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Wondering if anyone who had Oxford Heating and Air filed against them.

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This will be my last year with AHShit. Of course they will not let you out of a contract so to let people know call and cancel at the end of your date or they will automatically renew it.
Ok, I have been with AHShit for 11 years. I had many issues and they fixed most of them in good faith.
Stove, Washer, Dryer and Fridge and just got a "NEW" Washer but had to use their G/E discounter hookup or paid $480 to buy my own.
AHShit puts out "BIDS" people. They are a stock traded middleman. This means you will get the worse fly by night "NEW" Jim and Johns repairmen company coming out to fix your items when broke.
You can refuse a company right before they do the repair if you feel uncomfortable so don't feel intimated. I have did this many times. I was a Maryland licensed Home improvement contractor for over 30yrs.
Just make sure they have signs on their trucks and have covers for the feet when coming in your home.
The major complaint I had is my Heatpump. It has been repaired from 2007 to 2012 over 20 times because of their techs couldn't fix the issue correctly.
They get flat fees and your service cost. My issue I had was, I join the Class action lawsuit F VS AHShit. My heatpump was using up tons of electric, making horrible sounds and of course getting repaired as In patch work.
I had 2 compressors replaced, 2 condensers, boy over 14 capacitors a attic unit blower wheel, 2 defrost boards and other parts. Freaking unbelievable. Ok, I hired 2 other HVAC companies to come out to view my entire system a week later after my first compressor went down in 2008 while I was on vacation and AHShit and supervisor chatted with myself and the other two Contractors and they said I would get a new system. I came back 2 weeks later from out of the country and the crap started the next day.
They had the same company that replaced the compressor come with another compressor and AHShit told me this contractor is going to replace the new part because it was their agreement. Also, he told AHShit my unit was fine. Needed cleaning and other little things. I asked AHShit about what the other 2 companies stated about my coils and main air handler in attic was leaking and rusted.
Of course copper doesn't rust but all the seams around the copper pieces were shot and brittle and yes leaking.
Also, other issues in my attic unit. They told me they need to go by what their current tech is stating. Well, again I entered the F VS AHShit lawsuit and was denied.

This past month I paid for and got tired of huge electric bills, very noise over working Heat pump unit outside and got installed a new 14 seer American Standard Unit complete.
Now this is where you might get sick. The unit that AHShit and their techs didn't care about was full of rust and stinking water hidden under the main coil. Parts hanging, broke because of multiple water leaks from coils.
It was nasty people and probably why my wife and I had headaches during the summer months.
It has been cold and snowy here in Maryland for the last 2 months. This past 16 days I have used only 700 Kilom compared to 1455 last month. Almost 100% less with new unit at set degrees at 67". The house has never been this warm. WOW!! I sent pictures of battered leaking unit to AHShit help lawsuit desk and got no response.
I want my money back Shit company. I will say this to everyone and AHShit. I will save over $340 this month alone in electric bill cost. It will pay 2 save money and get new unit people.
Also, American Standard Unit 14 seer 2 ton unit has a whopping 10 year, yes, 10 year 100% parts complete system warranty. I also got a 1 yr labor free contract with the company that installed my unit.
Email me some how and I will offer you one the best HVAC companies I ever dealt with here in Southern Maryland. These guys were so professional it was like looking in the mirror when I ran my company for the last 35yrs.
Finally, I have had my Hot water heater worked on 2 of the last 4 years. I have hard water without a softner, and my bottom element is sitting in a layer of cal build up.
Although it is only my wife and I now, we have plenty of Hot water and while bottom new replaced element doesn't work right it saves on my electric bill because both don't need to recharge. Oh, the Plumber tells me AHShit won't replace my water heater yet because the bottom element still heats to specs. WTF.
Thanks for listening people. I do believe AHShit is a stock trading company. They are middlemen and frankly don't know how to deal with Heat pumps and Air Conditioners or do they?. That is huge money.
Fly by night companies can make a quick $75 contract call and then a few days later you need to fight AHShit to get another company out to finally fix it right. I know, you must think I am crazy, but truth hurts.
I am done with this company. Hope this helps.
Southern MD Home Owner.

Disclaimer. I think this might be the same company most of you guys are talking about. I am talking about American Home Shit Contract companies. They take your money and roll a pair of dice. Then you get a fly by night contractor to call you a day or week later. So, all of this information is truthful at this time and yes I am on Medications for my stress in this great world we live in. God Bless everyone.

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American Home Shield(JOKE) claimed a leak under my sink was not covered because of rust and sediment. What a joke.

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The contracter destroy my property brand new bed , home shield didnt care , the fix for the fan was not to the orginal way of work orrder , extremly bad service called them hundred of times no help at all , i wish someone put an end for their abuse of customers

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AHS is a scam! The company uses only shoddy contractors whose main job are to deny claims or only provide cheap fixes. I just had my 10 year old pool filter blow up and 2 of their contractors told me when they saw it that its due to age while AHS denies the claim telling me the reason as 'lack of maintenance" and "secondary damage". I filled a BBB complaint and plan to take them to small claims court. Any advice is appreciated.

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Wow, what a long list of current complaints! So here's ours: AHS wanted us to wait SEVEN (7) days for their contractor to replace a leaking hot water heater. REALLY - a seven day delay to repair a plumbing leak! We contacted our own plumber and had the replacement done immediately for $937, parts and labor. AHS paid us only $385 saying that is what their contractor would charge. We just filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau who gives AHS an A+ rating. Hopefully AHS will try to sustain that rating. We'll see.

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Has anyone filed a suit in the Atlanta area against AHS? We are entering our 4th week without our upstairs AC unit being repaired...the whole game of AHS and Oxford Heating and Air, going back and forth, with service request, denial, then lets show up and only do half the work, and then deny the rest, then AHS sends the wrong follow-up for the rest...now they want a second opinion, so have Qualified Heating and Air...HUGE JOKE, they do not answer the phone or emails, and they got the request over a week ago. And AHS says they are not approving the first diagnosis...I have spent hours on the phone trying to contact and/or resolve both...HELP!!! Ready to file a suit, any advice would be AWESOME!!!

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Can somebody tell me the name of the law firm that sued AHS in Montgomery Alabama? We have no refrigerator and they havent answered my BBB rebuttal and the Better Business Bureau appears to be frustrated and giving up.

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File a complaint with the california department of insurance (online form). If you are in another state, call your state dept of insurance and file a complaint.

It's quick and it may get a better response.

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AHS Denied my claim just today on my AC unit they said that we poored acid into the ac. What a joke. I have had it regularly serviced but somehow it is still my fault. Im filing a lawsuit.

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We have had AHS for 17 yrs. It makes me sick now of how much we have paid to them and now that we need our heat pump to be replaced it is 24 yrs old they have sent out two techs who say we need to clean it and the coil needs to be replaced with a cost of 2,200 which AHS will not pay or replace the unit because it is dirty. They find anything to not pay out. I am so angry and mad at myself for paying all of these years and now I am not getting anything. My husband and I are going to pay 3,000 out of our pocket to replace our system which we shouldn't AHS should step up and do it because we have been customers for so long and the system is old. But no the tech admitted that they are trained to look for anything so AHS doesn't have to pay. Well, we stopped payment and cancelled our contract. Going to take that money and put it into an account for things like this and take care of it on our own. Should have never signed a contract for them. This is a racket and a scam. We paid AC techs to clean our system but now being told they didn't do it right..well AHS sent them. Don't waste your money just save it and do it yourself. Worst home warranty company.

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I'm having great difficulty receiving payment for electrical services rendered for American Home Shield. Not only are customers frustrated, but contractors as well. This is a scam company and Mark Barry needs to go down.

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AHS is currently giving me the runaround about a bad hot water heater. The plumber has replaced copper pipes going to the unit claiming that it was the cause of the rust. The heater is still producing rust and AHS is giving me the run around. Can someone contact me with advice, names, numbers, of someone to talk to that can straighten these guys out?

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This company will just give you the run around and will lie over and over to you about your claim. If anyone feels they have had a wrongful denial of their claim please contact me.

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Where to even start....I signed up with AHS because I did not know any better and my realtor strongly was urging me too. Scam!!! The first summer living here, my AC failed whenever the outside temp was over 75 degrees. I had 3 different techs come out during the summer to "fix my system" but ended up having my father in law help us with getting a window unit. The next summer, the same thing....of course...no results!! Not to mention numerous calls to various customer service agents and knowone will ever let you speak with a manager. 3 years later and i'm sitting here with no AC. with my 2 year old cooking while AHS tells me they will sill not help me and that i suddenly owe them $150 for me getting a second opinion? ugh....SO going to cancel! if someone else starts a class action suit (because they have no learned their lesson apparently) I am SOOO joining! i've spent a fortune for nothing!!

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What crooks! I have the "new and improved" contact ($200.00 more a year) and now they are saying I have to pay an extra $850.00 for replacing my ac unit for electrical and duct work. The NEW contract clearly states- in the event of replacing AHS will pay duct work and electrical. I haven't heard back from my last call that threatens a lawyer but looking like that's where I'm headed. Don't use these crooks!
Oh yeah! They had to replace my oven also but put that work on the old contract so that they wouldn't have to be responsible for the removal of it. New contract says they have to remove but old didn't. They are weasels.

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This message board could not be more correct, and I second everything that has been said. The best and most rewarding day of service I ever got from this American Home Scam is the joy from canceling my contract. I feel ashamed and embarrassed that I ever paid them a dime and could not feel better about leaving. They are complete scam artists. They are the worst and I believe it is now my duty to warn all those that I can.

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AHS are nothing but crooks. They only allow band-aide repairs at best. Nothing but crooks!!! DONT USE THEM!!!!

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American Home Shield is the worst home warranty in the book.
Never do business with them.
They have come out 3 times in 1 month to try and fix my microwave. They have ordered parts and more parts. T & T Appliance Repair was sent out yesterday to try out every new possible part extra to fix the microwave.
The service technician said you need a new microwave and do not let AHS say they will not replace it.
Today when I called to try and expidate the order for the new microwave they said " your technition does not have the right to
Tell you , you need a microwave and he is going to be in trouble for doing so, and furthermore we are ordering a new board to try."
I said I demand attention ASAP for a new microwave." She said " I am sorry, but that is not our protocol." I hung up the phone and called AHS home office. That got me no where.
I am going to hire a lawyer to sue AHS. Does anyone know of a
Class Action Law Suit that I can join in on?

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I have 9 properties with AHS and used them for years to service them. 3 of the properties over the years have had A/C problems in which i had to call for service several times. AHS did not renew my contract on those 3 properties because i called to many times to get the a/c fixed. They didnt tell me that but its common sense why they denied me. Im not going to renew none of my other contracts. Instead im going to save my monthly fee on them and pay for my own repairs. AHS sucks!

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in the ast six months i havemade two seperate claims on my pool. The first was the pool pump. The sent a a guy out who asked me if my pool was leaking before looking at anything. then he proceeded to open the cover to the filter and show me the soil it had caputured as his justification my pool has a leak. i said that is waht filter are for! My pool does not have a leak it holds water just fine. he continued to screw around actually removed a part from y pool concluded you have a leak and it is not covered. I then contacted my pool company they replcd the pump and low and behold everything is fine, except it cost me 1,400.00 to fix it! Recently i made a claim for my pool heater which is not working. The tech came out and said the module was bad, and the heater exchanger needs to be replaced. Today I got a call from AHS saying it is not covered due to imbalanced water! He never tested the water and my pool is maintianed weekly by a professional company. Thier estimate 2,700.00. the real estimate my from my pool company 2,100.00 and my company said it is an old heater and is just worn out - it has nothing to do with the water balance. I plan on suring AHS and I will make as much noise as I can to make sure they are dealt with!

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I have learned from my realtor that American Home Shield makes financial deals with real estate companies and uses heavy-handed methods to make sure real estate agents sell their warranty (rather than competitors warranties - that are less expensive!). Looking at all of these claim denials and service nightmares makes me think AHS should spend their money on consumers' claims and not on "bribing" real estate companies.

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AHS sent out a electrician that didn't know what he was doing, after numerous recalls he shorted out my house as he lost a nuetral. They are trying to say that the 220 was a pre-existing problem, my house didn't run on 220 for 4 months! This is a lie and I have to replace all the wiring now as it over heated! So mad, then went on to say that my electrical is now a third party person's problem and they won't do anything. I have lived in my house for almost a year and no help!

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Reading ALL these complaints, I am struck with the similarities. There is an answer. Repair the item and file a small claims complaint in your state. This company is afraid of the civil system.

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American Home Shield finds creative ways to deny your claim. The A/C Compressor is outside the property and is exposed to rain/sun/wind. A pipe is rusted and caused the unit to fail. Now they claim that the pipe rusted due to water from the sprinkler and hence the claim is rejected. I am amazed that the department of insurance will let them get away with denying so many claims.

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I purchased my home in December 2011. I was told by Crye-Leike Realty that My AHS warranty would cover anything on the list including Central heat and air /duct work which is included. Their "Yes" men from Natural State Heat and Air came out twice and said that the reason my son wasn't getting any heat/air in his room was because my attic had no insulation and the unit was having to work harder???? The second time the yes men came out was a little over a month ago because the unit was running and runing and still no air and I wanted it repaired! This time they said that my son's ceiling fan blades needed to be reversed and like they were was blowing the air up INTO the vent in the ceiling. Yeah... can you believe it? I asked for a second opinion, so they sent a different co. to my house. They told AHS that my condenser was out, some duct work needed to be replaced, and that there was plenty of insulation in my attic. They denied the claim. I think AHS and Natural State Heat and Air are running a racket.

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I received a notice last year. I received a Notice of Settlement in 2012. My questions are: How did I get on your mailing list; how old is this lawsuit; how do I find out if in fact I qualify under this settlement. Who is AHS affiliated with? I requested an Application form sometime in May 2012, it arrived in July 2012. It would be appreciated of you could advise me how I qualilfy, if any. I don't have a starting date of events in order to comply. Thank you so much.

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I contacted AHS when I discovered a leak under my house. They were pretty good about promptly sending a plumber, but after the plumber went under the house, he informed that he could not reach the leak, and his company wasn´t allowed to do any digging. I called AHS again, and they said they would find another plumber. After four days, and no water at my house, they still hadn´t found a plumber, but nobody at AHS had bothered to contact me. After waiting on the phone for 54 minutes, I finally received authorization to get my own plumber. AHS gave me a list (hello, a list) of plumbers that I COULD NOT call because they wouldn´t do business with AHS. I made one phone call and the plumbing company came out to my house immediately once I explained the situation to them. I asked to speak to a supervisor at AHS and they promised they one would call me. Do you think I ever got a call? AHS sucks! I am going to cancel and discourage everyone I know from obtaining a policy with them.

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We have had many issues with AHS completing repairs to our AC. We purchased the home in 8/09 and received the warranty then. Since 5/10, they have come out SIX times (counting today) to repair the same issue. It is an older unit that needs to be replaced at this point. Each time they have added freon and said it's fine....there is obviously a LEAK if we have to add freon every 2-3 months!!! Our downstairs unit would freeze up each time.

5/10-Company was sent that only added freon
5/11-First company was sent that stated it was improper installation, stating there wasn't a required valve on the unit. We called a guy on our own who came out and said "It's right there."
5/11-They sent another company out to finish addressing the issue, they claimed it wasn't up to code and we needed nearly $1500 in updates (we did this relunctantly). They supposedly replaced the evap coil according to AHS records (paperwork states they repaired a leak).
8/11-Yet another company was sent out, who added more freon but found no problem
10/11-Another company sent who again found a leak at the coil (which was supposedly already replaced) and "repaired" it.
3/12-Another company came out and added another 9#s of freon but still stated there were no issues. There was a longer time period between services I believe due to the fact we went into cooler weather.
8/7/2012-My most recent experience, again the same issue, the tech came out. He said I can't find an obvious leak and AHS won't let us do anything more than add freon. He flat out said that the unit needs to be replaced. He stated AHS wants them to get it to where it will last a few months, preferably past the warranty of the repair (60 or 90 days). He stated we would need to let it completely die and hope they will replace. He also informed that this would be a "small" leak due to it working for 2-4 months at a time and AHS doesn't have to do anything about that because it isn't a "big" leak according to the law.

I've tried finding the laws that state the requirements for a "small" vs "big" leak and the requirements of the company. I will make a formal complaint and inform them that I will take it to a legal level if needed. We are sooooo frustrated!!!

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NEVER DO BUSINESS WITH THIS COMPANY.
Our air conditioner died on Tuesday morning. Yeah, it's August and it's hot but I have a home warranty for the past 4 years through AMERICAN HOME SHIELD that covers the replacement when something is irrepairable. Yea for me, right? WRONG! They are refusing to honor our contact because the technician deemed the damage to the compressor was caused by a power surge. The unit has blown 2 capacitors, a blown connector and a blown fan relay since March so it's had a history of electrical problems. Their contractors have just been replacing them instead of resolving the root cause and now they are refusing to replace by HVAC unit. I'm so frustrated I could spit.

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Welcome to the biggest scam going - without A/C - in Florida I might add - in the summer - moved into new home, 3 days later a/c broke! Guess what - our Realtor bought us AHS Home Warranty! Wow - great! Wrong.... 10 days, 2 visits, no status updates because technician has not yet "called in his findings" and 1st technician stayed for 2 minutes and reported "unit tampered with because screw is missing from A/C cover!" Numerous hours waiting on hold, staying home for technicians and - oh well - NOTHING! A/C companies get free advertising for "working for AHS" - hmmmmmmmmm - go figure!

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They have other ways of avoiding their obligations. Instead of just taking your service call and denying your claim, they may choose just not to answer their phones that day. We sat on hold for 45 minutes twice in one day (in 95 degree heat with no AC) before giving up and calling a local company to come and fix the problem.

Then when you call their billing and payments line (surprisingly you can reach someone at this number quickly) they will promptly tell you they will not reimburse you without preapproval, citing the warranty contract.

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the services that homesheild also provides are less then qualified.

i had service for 10years and just used it a year ago for the first time.

i had a HVAC frankeinsteined together not to mention many repairs. by people who knew nothing and that were told by AHS do the minimum for the maximum money!

so i cancelled the AHS service and had a new company rip out the old incorrectly installed unit, this year. and paid for a new one.

smartest move i made, was totally worth my out of pocket to have a great new company and new unit. expensive lesson and fraudulant to say the least and in my area if anyone out there is from pa if you notice the companys AHS has on their list to send are mostly LLC and the bottom of the barrell companys.

AHS along with the bad company AMERI-Tech Mechanical in Lititz, PA in my area are the biggest scammers going, beware. its really sad to see so many people who went through the same thing.

in the end do yourself a favor and put the money you would pay for AHS away and save it.

oh and by the way- the Better Business Bureau does nothing but back up these terrible companys, i tried fighting them and even with the BBB agreeing with me sided with them. because they said what i would get back wouldnt even cover a new Hvac unit. BBB stinks as well!

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Just about everything that other individuals have written about this company are credible and borne our by my experience. A non-functioning wall oven has resulted in seven visits by two "technicians" from the company that AHS sent and each time they have replaced a control board and claimed that the oven needs yet another which they must order. But the board has never been in the possession of the "technician." After complaining to AHS (20 minutes on hold twice and one email via their web site), the 'technician" returned to say that because I had complained, the computer system removed the order from the system, so he had to get the model number again! Even AHS said that this was a lie.

When the phoned to send the "technician" on the fifth trip, I was out of town and told them they could not come on the stated date. On another trip, when they were supposed to arrive at 2, they arrived after 6 and the security gate would not let them in. So when I complained to AHS, the contractor simply said that I had missed my appointments with them.

It has been 2 months with no oven, and 7 days that I have had to remain home from work for these 4 hour windows of time in order that an incompetent "technician" spend two minutes or less in the house to tell me that he does not have the part with him.

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I have had coverage with AHS for about 7 years. Until a little over a month ago I made my first claim: water heater out. Two thermostats replaced, however the waterheater had corrosion on the top and the plumber said that AHS does not replace it unless it's leaking. He said it was leaking at one point but it wasn't anymore. Waiting for something to happen. Then a month ago my first floor ceiling had a leak. Plumber cut two holes (10"X10") and (12"x12"). Plumber fixed the problem (toliet ring). However, the holes that the plumber made to find out where the water was coming from has not yet been fixed. 1. AHS only covers the holes with a rough tape/float. AHS doesn't repair the whole sheetrock. You have to find and pay someone else to finish the tape and float, paint it, and put texture, if any; 2: the first contractor/drywall never showed up or called until one week after; 3: I called AHS, they said they would look into it but I never got a call from AHS, I had to call back; 3: then second drywaller didn't show up either or called; I called AHS (on a Sunday) and asked if I could get the money and get someone myself. AHS told me I would find out by Wedneday. On Monday, I received a call from the second drywaller and AHS cancelled my "cash out" without notifying me. They said the 2nd drywall company is going to fix the holes (only the holes), not the whole area that was damaged. I called AHS' sales department and gave them different scenarios and they're answers were very different from the answers from the claims department. The sales department does not tell you exactly what's covered or in my situation, the only thing that done. There are thousands of complaints at the BBB department and yet nothing is being done. And now that I've made claims, I received notice that my premium as well as my deductible to going up.

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I've had an AHS policy for several years. My personal experience is mixed. When our dishwasher door broke they said the parts were unavailable due to its old age and they applied the cost of the repair to a new dishwasher. The price seemed right and I thought it was a fair deal.

Other service calls (one for garage door opener track and one for air conditioner) have been denied. The AC technician claimed that the unit was undersized and that's why it wasn't working. So that note stuck in my file and today I just called in another service call because the unit died. (Note, we don't live in the house anymore but the "undersized" AC unit always worked fine when we did.)

The entire HVAC system and water heater are original with the house--from 1993! So today when I was calling in the work order all I got from the agent was a bunch of B.S. about how the claim might be rejected on the grounds that it's undersized and blah blah blah. I can see this not ending well. But obviously they've been taken to court over this pattern of denying claims so clearly that's what I'll have to be prepared to do.

My advice to anybody in this situation is to write one letter telling them you're not happy with their decision to deny a claim and then follow up IMMEDIATELY with an attorney. Usually all it takes is a letter threatening to sue and I'm sure you'll get them to settle. Given their history of class action lawsuits it's the only way to get their attention. Don't think you can get them to listen to reason. They only respond to force. Kind of like the Taliban that way, aren't they?

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I made a claim with American home Shield what a joke. The Blower in the ac broke and they state this is failure of Maintenance. Funny since I made a claim with them in Feb of this year and had the unit cleaned at that time as well. This company is a rip off!!!!!! BEWARE

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I made a claim with American home Shield what a joke. The Blower in the ac broke and they state this is failure of Maintenance. Funny since I made a claim with them in Feb of this year and had the unit cleaned at that time as well. This company is a rip off!!!!!! BEWARE

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Between January 14, 2009 and February 26, 2009, American Home Shield sent six (6) different contractor for a total of nine (9) visits (one contractor was a no-show), and I was without heat---in January and February--because they would not repair my system, but sent repairmen. On January 26th a repairman supposedly repaired the system, but another one came out on January 27th because it was still not operating.

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I do appreciate AHS trying to get someone out to fix my AC in a speedy manner. My complaint is the company-Airgo Heating & Cooling-employee stated that if I did not pay for cleaning $104.00 of this unit he would not repair it. Also he attempted to sell me something with thier company, in which I did not want to hear. Airgo Heating & Cooling employee stated he replaced a part (compressor), I did not see this. I inquiried about showing me the part (the compressor) and the employee showed me the inside of the AC. I don't believe there was a part replaced. Also the meaning of cleaning was using my water hose and spraying water on my AC unit. I called AHS to report this and was told that it was AHS policy to clean the AC before fixing. I was never told about paying a company for this service orally or in writing. Greenway Home Service made a repair on the same AC in 03/2012. Greenway Home Service employee never told me about cleaning my AC & did not want me to pay for cleaning. If this is AHS's policy they should pay for the cleaning. I feel that this was very unfair to me.

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i had ahs contract for about 4 years and i had complained about their lousy service i got no response, when they were called no one showed up i kept calling and still no one showed. i feel that they did not have the connections to these other companies that do the repairs, i had ahs service from 2002 to 2006 then cancelled their service , need to put them out of business with their crooked selves

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We purchased a foreclosure in November of 2011 I also have a home warranty with American Home Shield. Recently I asked to have service on my air conditioning system. I live in Arizona the hot state as it is called. My unit is 30 years old at least. I have found that each time they send one of their contractors to evaluate our AC system and if there report is not to AHS liking they lie and say that the report receive is not correct and we will continue to replace parts even if the parts don’t need to be replaced. Don’t ever think they will replace an AC unit. They will just replace the parts to the point of nausea.

AHS is corrupt; they lie, cheat and steal. AHS doesn’t live up to their contract they should go to hell. Tell your friends to avoid them at all costs.

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I have had AHS for years, My microwave went up and they came 3 diiferent times each time it was another part that was bad. The last time they sent sears and they did not even hook up the microwave correctly to the cabinet holdind it. I was told that someone would repair it. But I w3ould be charged. It would seem to me that the last person who did not complete the job correctly should be billed not me.

Last year my garge door got stuck half when I call I was told that it would be weeks before someone could come out. I paid myself because I could not leave my garage door jammed for that long.

My washer machine went up the repair man from sears sold me a case of a treatment so that my very expensive washer would not have this horrible smell. He also order a part it is still on the top of the washer in the box. no one follows up on what they are suppose to do.

My dishwasher went up repair man came from sears he said he could not replace the part because he did not have the part in his truck. My comment was why do they ask for the model and serial # if they are not going to bring the parts.

I was lucky because the next repair person was a women she said the prior repair man was just to lazy to replace it because it was a lot of work. I had no dishwasher nor microwave for almost 2 months.

Please note that my house is 10 years old and all my appliances came new from sears.

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I've purchased AHS services for several years and has not received satisfactory services from them at any time. I had problems with my furnace during one of the coldest winters that we've had and they denied my claim. My family and I became so ill from the cold, that we had to end - up purchasing a new furance because the damages became extensive due to lack of cooperation from AHS. I sent AHS a copy of the causes of the problems, which I was covered with AHS, but they denied my claim and refused to settle with me for the puchase of the new furnace.

I wrote and contacted their office repeatedly, but noone returned my calls and no one assisted me in any way to resolve my claims.

I am still awaiting resolution and reimbursements, which I am due!

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being a single female home owner, I thought having a home warranty was a good idea... I submitted a claim to have my washing machine repaired. I was denied stating that the wires appeared to have either eroded or been chewed by a rodent!!! Are you kidding me!!! This company is a joke. I have been with them for 10 years and had claims either denied or the repairs were shoddy. I am going to take Christy R's advice and open up a seperate savings account and have the amount I pay to AHS every month automatically deposited... what a rip off...being a single female home owner, I thought having a home warranty was a good idea... I submitted a claim to have my washing machine repaired. I was denied stating that the wires appeared to have either eroded or been chewed by a rodent!!! Are you kidding me!!! This company is a joke. I have been with them for 10 years and had claims either denied or the repairs were shoddy. I am going to take Christy R's advice and open up a seperate savings account and have the amount I pay to AHS every month automatically deposited... what a rip off...

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AHS has the worst customer service of any company I've ever worked with. Further, they take no responsibility for claims that they should rightfully cover. I would steer clear of this company at all costs.

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This firm not only denied claims but also countinued charging and taking money from my cheking account ,after I called and cancelled the contract several times.I went to my bank and asked them to stop their charges, the bank told me,they can not ,because of some legal issues,but should talk to this firm and have them stop this illigale charges.I probebly talked to defferent people in their customer service sveral times that each time I was promissed this issue was taken care off but it kept on going for probebly a year and half or more.

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Ive had service for 8 years and ive noticed that they try to deny many claims. I had old a/c unit which had been cleaned and they still denied my unit fixing even after providing paperork that I had the monthly maintenance which was required. Also when they sent the contractor out he advised my renter that if I didnt fix the problem that the unit could possibly blowup. False!! He wanted her to let him help her right then.
faulty contractors and faulty company

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i was told that they fixed ice boxes not the ice makers insidethe unit, the ac was'nt working- was told the unit was not clean? again did not cover, my disposal was'nt working. they fixed it for about two days and it went back doing the same old thing. one service man told me that these people only let them Patch up the problems when they are called out on a call ! HUMMM?

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They get out of fixing something by saying it is your fault. My hvac was 30 years old and they said we did not keep it clean. Get real. Our shower water would not turn off so they blamed us for turning it off saying we broke it. What a rip off.

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He had AHS for 10 years to help with repairing our HVAC system. When it came to get a new system downstairs, they claimed that we did not clean the system. DO NOT BOTHER with these people. Put $50 each month into an account. What a bunch of theives!

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As a long term employee at AHS, I can attest that AHS does provide info to their contractors for ways to deny a claim - if it all possible always deny. They are on a bonus system. More denials = more profit for AHS = for bonus for the contractor.

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