First American Home Warranty
Home Warranty Plan Details and Reviews for First American Home Warranty
Premium: $355
Deductible: $55
Effective: Upon payment receipt
Web: homewarranty.firstam.com
Deductible: $55
Effective: Upon payment receipt
Web: homewarranty.firstam.com
Customer Service 
Service Timeliness
Repair/Replacement Service
Overall Rating
Total Reviews: 350 Rate this Company!
Service Timeliness
Repair/Replacement Service
Overall Rating
Total Reviews: 350 Rate this Company!
Coverage Area: USA - All States
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Home warranty is a complex insurance product. Unlike home insurance, it does not provide blanket coverage for all appliances. Pre-existing conditions and problems resulting from lack of maintenance of appliance are are generally not covered by home warranty companies. Home warranty sellers may not state these factors clearly, and this will create dissatisfaction among customers. Due to these factors, you will see many negative reviews here. Don't be intimidated by some negative reviews here. If you have maintained your appliances in good condition and go with a reputed home warranty provider, your coverage will be fine. |
We do not endorse any company in particular, however you should ignore the reviews that are overly negative or positive. Such reviews are not likely to offer a balanced view and some of them could be fake reviews posted to promote or demote a company. It is always a good idea to check BBB ratings and make sure the company is licensed to do business in your State by contacting State Insurance Commission. Try to avoid paying annual premium and keep your cancellation rights
Reviews
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My realtor recommended this company, my a/c went out the day before July 4th weekend, First American gave me the numbers of several service providers, none of them ANSWERED the phone! Noone returned my calls and It was looking to be 102 degrees all weekend, I called them back the next day and told them to FIND ME a repair person. Thank God the lady I talked to felt sorry for me and put me on hold while she called their list until she found someone to come. The repair person was polite and did a temp repair until he could get a compressor for me. He did end up charging me for numerous things outside the contract and my $60.00 warranty fee ended up being 180.00 in charges! I am looking for another company as both of my sons have had horrible experiences also (we all used the same realtor) do not use!
I had a low water pressure problem in a house on which the seller had provided a warranty policy with FA. My regular plumber said probably the water pressure regulator needed to be replaced. My wife called FA and confirmed with FA that the pressure regulator was covered and a service contractor would be sent on which I would have a co-pay of $60. He came but departed saying the home owner was responsible for locating and exposing the regulator before he could work on it. (Still wanted $60.)
After that FA used one excuse after another as to why the claim was not covered or why their contractor would not do the work. First they could not show me in the contract that it was my responsibility to find and expose the regulator. Then the FA rep said it really was because their contractor was worried about damaging an Oleander bush near the regulator that he refused to do the work. When I said I don’t care what damage is done to the bush the the FA rep called back to say the Contractor wouldn’t do the work because the Oleander bush was on top of the regular. That was untrue; the regulator is located between and in front of two Oleander bushes. Then the FA rep said their plumber would not do the work because the plumbing was so bad and that’s why the regulator failed. I said their plumber had no way of knowing the condition of the plumbing since he had not inspected it and I had no reason to think the incoming water pipe was bad. Then the FA rep said the regulator was not covered because the Oleander roots had damaged it. I said there is no evidence of that. Then the FA said the regulator was not covered because it was not within the inside perimeter of the foundation of the house. Well if that is so, then virtually every house in El Paso is not covered as almost all residences in El Paso have the regulator located as part of the incoming water line about 3 feet from the front of the house at a depth of about 1 foot. The FA ep said their plumber said it was root damage so not covered. (FA has only this 1-person company as their sole plumbing representative to service all of El Paso, which has a population in excess of 700,000. Also, although they offered, and I accepted, that they should get a 2nd opinion, they later called back and said they could not find anyone to provide one.)
I hired my regular plumber to replace the regulator. He did so in the usual time frame for this job (under 2 hours). He said the regulator (on this 48 year old house) had just malfunctioned due to normal wear and tear and the near-by Oleander roots had nothing to do with it. He had the top of the regulator exposed within 5 minutes, then had to dig out around the pipes so that the water line portion containing the regulator could be cut out, and a new regulator inserted. The pipe and regulator were not snarled with roots. He just cut away one near-by root of moderate size to work comfortably on the incoming copper water pipe. The cost was $220. I have not decided whether to just drop the matter or waste more time getting no satisfaction from FA.
Customer now for 2+ years (came w/home purchase) I would rate them as avg. They have fully covered what they said they would and generally the tech’s have been quite good. They recently switched from a local appliance reapir service to Sears and I am not overly thrilled with Sears’ service as compared to the local company!
Generally I have found their customer service folks to be attentive and quick to respond and the policy coverage has been reasonable. The real downside is that often they will only give you a time range for the tech to be at your house..say 8am to 5pm. Sorry, but I do have a life with other things that need to get done…8am to 5pm just does not cut it as good customer service in my book.
Otherwise they have been ok and I really haven’t had any hassles with them or the level of their service.
If there was a negative score I would have checked that box off! I wish I would have seen this report prior to renewing my contract with FA. I’ve never seen an older model A/C not have some form of mildew/scale/stain on the air handler coils. The tech they sent out marked “fungal growth” on the report and that was all FA needed to put a hold on the claim. This forces the customer to spend $500 – $1,000 getting a professional hygienist to inspected,take samples and issue a letter that says there is nothing there than what’s normally in the air outside. This takes so much time out of the customer’s schedule, not to mention they are without A/C for days/weeks until the insurance company releases the claim. It’s funny how their contractor’s technicans do not claim to be experts on growths, but it seems they are really good noting any mildew, calcium deposits as fungal growth on the reports. I’d recommend saving the $50-$60/month fee and all the “non-reinbursables” you would have spent in a year and put that into an account and use that to make any needed repairs. You won’t be that far off from what you would have spent using insurance companies such as this one, not to mention you could probably get in done much faster.
Never before have I been laughed at by a customer service rep by any company when I called to make a comlaint. When I threataned to cancel my service they acted like they didn’t care at all. They were incompetent in just simply transfering me from one department to another and when I called back to complain again I was met with attitude. For what I pay them every month I expect better customer service
I have been a customer for over five years now. I have referred numerous friends and family to this company. Unfortunately I have had nothing but problems with them now since December. I put a claim in on my washer and dryer. It has been 5 months and I am still battling with them to fix it properly. My washer that was attempted to be repaired on Tuesday worked like a dream up until today in the middle of laundry it just broke. Started making a horrific noise and now it wont spin or drain! I called the warranty up and they passify you and say “procedures are….” I now am stuck with out a washer for who knows how long. Instead of just cutting our losses and replacing this washer they just keep on attempting to fix it. In the mean while something else breaks in the process. Since they don’t want to replace the washer and just make a customer who has invested five years of annual premiums to them, they will be the one who is replaced. I DO NOT recommend or will ever recommend this company again.!
I have had three service calls and I was very pleased with the outcome on each call. They responded in timely manner to replace my hot water heater. I was allowed to take cash in leiu of replacement for my clothes washer. I had a circut board replaced in my garage door opener. I will continue to protect my home with a First American home warranty.
I recently purchased this warratny then found this site and thought “what did I get myself into?” But I was pleasantly surprised by the service I received. Just 2 days after purchasing the warranty my ice maker stopped working and my washing machine broke. (I did pay extra to cover the ice maker). I calleed and scheduled servce both were scheduled through Sears 2 days later. I was slightly dissapointed when they told me that the ice maker tech would be there between 8 – noon and the washer tech would be there between 1-5. However the day of the claim they asked ice maker tech to make my house the last stop and told me it would not be before noon. The technicians were quick and efficient. The entire ice maker had to be replaced which would have cost me $300+ instead I paid the $55 and now enjoy ice anytime I want. The washer is fixed but did not require any parts. Overall I am happy with my choice of purchasing this warranty.
I wonder if perhaps the people with possitive experiences do not comment here because it seems that all other comments are very negative.
The company basically sells policies, collects premiums and then denies claims. Do not use this company.
i currently work for FA, not by choice, but its a job.
i take new claims and would like to give an inside look.
i dont know too much about other companies, as i dont own a house myself, but i can say how this one is.
i dont think its first americans problem, they do try very hard to get high customer satisfaction and we get tested for quality weekly. the problem is definitaly with the contractors we use. we do have to backround check and screen them and they must be licenced and bonded, but the trend i notice is that most of them do not want to work for us. as a result, they are not very timly most of the time, and are not helpful, and may even be dismisive, saying things are not covered, trying to charge home owners extra or even in some cases being rude or unprofessional.
it is almost just luck to have a claim go quickly and efficiantly, and that is due to getting one of the few technicians we use that are good.
again, i dont know too much about other ones to say what to choose instead, but i would not recomend this company to freinds or family.
They go by the least expensive way to get the issue resolved, regardless of whether they solve the core of the problem or not. When I tried to resolve the problem I had with one of the rooms not being heated, they suggested that I pay on my own close to $1000 that the contractor suggested that I repair even before they can start doing some diagnostic tests to figure out what the problem was with heating. I sought the advice of another specialist on my own. The First American Home Warranty will NOT honor their advice. We paid everything on our own to resolve the issue. We paid close to $850 out of our own pocket.
Be extremely careful!!! Better yet, don’t even think about subscribing for service from this company.
Their advertising and even the contract are extremely misleading. They make you think you are covered if your furnace breaks down, nor matter its age, etc. I purchased the plan where my monthly premiums were $47.00 per month (consisting of the following: Preferred Plan – $34/mo, First Class Upgrade – $5/mo, Central A/C – $8/mo.)
The company’s website is: http://homewarranty.firstam.com/ if you want to take a look at their advertising.
After paying premiums for 10 months, the service man they sent out in response to my call said my furnace needed replacing because of a gas smell leak that could not be repaired.
First American claims in its advertising that “. . . if First American determines your covered system or appliance cannot be repaired, we’ll replace it. It doesn’t matter how old they are or what brands you have. You could save hundreds, or even thousands of dollars per year with a First American home warranty. ”
Furthermore, the brochure they sent me last year states prominently that the average cost to replace a furnace in 2006 was $3,232. When my furnace went on the blink last month (February 2009), I was told that the cost to install the cheapest replacement furnace was $1,884.75.
American agreed to contribute only $629.53 towards replacement of the furnace or to “buy” me out for $629.53. This amount is a far cry from “repair or replace.”
I am unable to file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, because First American shows up under various addresses and names. When I try to file a complaint online specific to that address, the BBB for the specific county or locale does not recognize the company as being within its jurisdiction.
After this incident, I called to cancel the policy. Even as I was on the phone and on hold, waiting for someone in their Customer Service to reply, their on-the-phone advertising misleadingly says that a policy with First American means peace of mind because if a system or appliance in the home fails, First American will provide “repair or replacement coverage — regardless of age, make or model.”
Thus, with this company it is CAVEAT EMPTOR!!!
waited two weeks to have my ac fixed and finally had to have the repairman do it direct. Kept being told they would have an authorization to me in two hours — for 8 days!
This company is hands-down the poorest excuse for a home warranty provider. They sent me information for my coverage so late (3 months AFTER coverage started) that many repairs, failures had to be paid by me anyway because I didn’t know whom to contact to file a claim. When I asked for simple reimbursement for a toilet and garbage disposal (under $200), they refused. Their manager, Martha Stover, promised to waive the next service fee ($55, wow), but when they came around, there was always an excuse that I didn’t call her first. When I did try, she was conveniently out of the office so that was yet another excuse. When your water heater goes out, you can’t wait for some pencil pushing “manager” to get around to her voicemails, e-mails, etc. I guess. The icing on the cake with the water heater was that the shady company, H&R Plumbing, located in San Pablo, CA (look them up online and see their ratings), gave me so many things to pay for that weren’t covered by the warranty (“upgrades?”, City Permit, more jibberish), I could have had my friend do it for the same price (almost $400). One of the things they charged me for was a Hayward City Permit for almost $200 that they never bought (can you say criminal scam) until I pressed the issue more than one month later! The permit wasn’t even applied for until 10 days after I inquired. Hayward’s Building Permit Dept. says these are required -BEFORE- work begins. They apparently had no intention to purchase it unless the customer inquired. I wonder how much they’re making off this scam. Stay away from First American. It’s too bad a name doesn’t mean anything anymore.
I have had First American as my home warranty company for 4 years. Every single service call has been answered promptly; never “on hold” for long. They get a service company out there promptly. If there is a delay, the service company calls & explains. The service companies contracted by First American have done a good job on repairs. Over the years I’ve called them for plumbing, heating, sink-back up, garbage disposal, and refrigerator problems. The repairs were always done to my satisfication.
I will use them for the next home I’m in the process of purchasing.
SUMMARY: To find out about this company call their customer service number at around 7-8pm EST. You will be on hold a minimum 30 minutes before someone picks up. Then tell them you want to speak to their claims resolution dept [true customer service department] (you will be on hold another 20-30 minutes). So if 1 hour hold time works for you – sign up. Furthermore, the contractors they use are VERY LOW QUALITY people and I live in a very densely populated area and they have 2 people who service my area – afraid to ask how sparsely populated areas get serviced. If you make too many claims they will NOT renew your contract. If this is the kind of home warranty company you want – sign up!
MY REPAIRS:
I had a pipe leak. Their plumber came and broke a wall to get to the pipe. OK, he fixed the pipe but he said he is not a drywall installer so he can’t fix the wall that he broke. Called home warranty company – they said “tough luck” – we are not responsible. Called the supervisor and finally got him to admit that the plumber could have said that he is going to break the wall and NOT fix it. Had a drywall technician called who charged $160 for the work. First National agreed to reimburse $125. Still arguing with them over the difference.
Have a shower which doesn’t switch from faucet to shower which I am still arguing with them over because they are saying that (1) They only have 2 plumbers in the entire NY Tri-State area including Manhattan (which is laughable) who [prepare to laugh] don’t want to do this job and (2) they say that this repair is authorized for $125 – no plumber I talked to will do it for that much. So I am stuck between a rock and hard place and they don’t care. They said they can’t help – THAT’S WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR FROM A HOME WARRANTY COMPANY – THEY CAN’T HELP FIX A COVERED ITEM. I am seriously considering a lawsuit as their practices border on contract violation. If this is what you want in your home warranty company – this place is for you. I am going to try some other one.
My claim on my dishwasher has gone on long enough. I have had a horrible experience with First American. It took First American a week and half before I knew if my dishwasher was going to be replaced or rebuilt. On Feb. 26, I finally found out the descion at about 9:00 a.m. I looked up the dishwasher right away and promptly called Anna back with my acceptance around 10:00 a.m. I was then informed it goes back to purchasing. When I looked up the dishwasher on the website it only showed that it came in white and also white with black trim. I told Anna that I wanted the white with black trim. Later that same day of Feb. 26, I called the Whirlpool place to check when the dishwasher would be in. I found no help from First American. On Monday March 2, I finally received a call from your purchasing department informing me the dishwasher color I choose was in fact not an option. I was told it either comes in solid white or solid black. I told the purchasing department I wanted black and I was informed my dishwasher would be today March 9. I did infact receive the dishwasher this morning but it was the wrong color. I tried to talk to Anna the person on my claim but no answer. She is not very prompt in calling back and never seems to answer her calls. I called back to talk to another person in claims and informed them that I was refusing the dishwasher because the color is wrong. I sent it back with the gentlemen with Whirlpool. I was told it was to have to be reordered to have the right one. I have not received a call from purchasing and I already have to wait a week for the dishwasher to come in if ordered today. I want the process sped up as quick as possible and I will not accept anything later than it being delivered at my house by March 16. For some reason your purchasing department seems to take all the time they want when I don’t have a working appliance. All I can say it better be ordered today and they need to get into gear. This is worst customer service I have ever seen. My person on my claim never answers and takes forever to call back along with the purchasing department taking three days to reach a descion on replacement and another three days to order a new one. Come on I can order a new dishwasher in a few min and it does not take three dam days. I am not a satisfied customer at all and will never recommend First American Home Warranty to anyone. I will make sure my sister in law who is buying a house right now does not choose First American and I will be talking to your CEO. I will make sure they know what kind of service the company he is over is providing.
First American was unable to find contractors for either of our two claims that we had tried to submit, leaving us to find “Outside Reimbursement” contractors- which we were never reimbursed for. We placed an EMERGENCY claim due to our plumbing backing up into our house, and didn’t have a solution for over a week. THIS IS DEFINITELY NOT A COMPANY THAT YOU SHOULD RELY ON FOR NECESSARY HOUSEHOLD SERVICES!
The contractors used by First American are of poor quality and questionable integrity.
The average policy excludes too much on each appliance.
Our 1991 furance went out on Feb. 2nd, 2009 (which is when we filed our “emergency” claim)…We are posting this on Feb. 19, 2009 at 8:06 pm Central time (2 and 1/2 weeks later!!!!)…Our furnace is STILL not repaired or replaced!! The technician DID come out 2 days later (from when the claim was placed) and for a charge of $55.00 said our furnace needed to be “replaced”, NOT “repaired” and told our warranty company his charges, which were absolutely ridiculous!!! We are already paying roughly $40.00 a month to First American, and then to be told that we had to pay another $1,090.00 to the contractor to get “up to code” for wiring that’s already in existence, duct work that’s already in place…and another charge to haul off our current unit (and WHICH IS OURS FOR GOD SAKE!!!! $250.00!!) and we WANT to keep to use in a garage on our property! Are they OUT OF THEIR MINDS??!!!
In Tennessee temps can (and DO!) go down to the single digits overnight and not much higher during some days…First American Family Warranty Co. could give a **** about our problem! We have 2 children AND IT’S COOOOLLLLLLDDDDD!!!!!! They want our money and could care less about us as human beings! I will let every real estate agent I know about this company and plead with them to NEVER, EVER, EVER recommend First American Family Warranty to any potential customer they have!!! This company cares only about the “almighty dollar” and not about the customer…..they are frauds!!!! First American hires very “questionable” contractors trying to save a buck and the contractors only want their money….First American will take your monthly fee but won’t give you the service you truly NEED, when you NEED it, no matter what you threaten or do!!!!!
When it came time to replace a Compressor unit, I was told to pay $480.00 of uncovered cost. (I had purchased a First class upgrade to insure no surprises.) When I asked the contractor for a breakdown of charges, I was told to contact FirstAM. FirstAm said it was for hauling the old unit, freon reclamation and copper modifications. The Service order states $335 Labor charge. P.S. Emergency Service called for no-heat placed 12/30/2008 unit installed 01/15/2009.
Retained this company upon purchase of home in 2005. Of all the companies we have had, this one was the best and we purchased their service each year until I got a letter stating their coverage would no longer be available in our State. Very unfortunate. They suggested we contact AHS but they are one of the worst, from past experience so forget that. Now, I have to find another company and am sure none will compare to First American.
This company sells “comprehensive coverage” and then limits their parts. You end up paying alot and they are fraudulent when selling the product. Do not add anything on and DO NOT use this company. They basically sell you nothing because what breaks is never covered or portions of it are but not all of it and they have fancy ways of making it cost you more than it costs them. The guy they sent out to fix my microwave didn’t seem to know what he was doing. Ended up taking the unit to his house and scratched it up. Then I had the water dispenser break on the refrigerator (I stupidly added extra coverage for it because they said it was comprehensive and they implied anything that goes wrong) and shock “it is not covered” only the internal portions of the ice maker. They are basically selling poor repair men and waterfront property in Arizona. Find someone else-don’t waste your money!
We had a hot water tank leaking. A service tech from a local reputable plumbing company (I recognized the company) called within 48 hrs, and visited my home the next day. While service tech was at my home, he called First American and received approval to replace the hot water heater. But because we wanted a slighly larger HWH, we “cashed out” and received a check for $590 and we contracted Lowes to replace the HWH. We DID have to wait for the HWH becuase it was an odd size and it had to be ordered. But the whole process went very well I thought.