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Cinch Home Services

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2.9

Overall Score

LAST UPDATED: February 12th, 2024

Cinch Home Services is a home warranty veteran, though its name might not sound familiar. Since its start in 1978, it has been known by many brand names, including Cross Country Home Services, TotalProtect, and HMS Home Warranty. Recently, in 2019, all these brands were brought together under the new brand name, Cinch. Since the switch, Cinch has won several Stevie Awards for Customer Service and has been recognized in several national, regional, and local publications.

Cinch responds to more than one million service requests per year and services nearly that many customers. Cinch offers three home warranty plans to people in the contiguous 48 states. Prices and plans may vary depending on your location. Its warranties provide unique coverage and several perks compared to competitors. 

Jump down to read Cinch Home Services reviews from real customers.

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The Good

  • Expansive Home Protection Plans
  • Low Monthly Home Warranty Pricing
  • Unknown Pre-Existing Condition Coverage
  • Unique Policyholder Perks
  • Robust Customer Portal Access
  • Additional Services and Support
  • Large Network of Vetted Pros
  • Outstanding Workmanship Guarantee

Expansive Home Protection Plans

Cinch Home Services offers three home protection plan options with expansive coverage:

  • Appliance Plan
  • Built-in Systems Plan
  • Complete Home Plan

The Complete Home plan has the best value and offers expansive coverage for major home appliances and systems, as well as a variety of items that aren't typically covered by other home warranty companies, such as toilets or water sensors.

Here's how the three plans compare:

  Appliance Plan Built-in Systems Plan Complete Home Plan
Washer and Dryer  
Dishwasher  
Range/Cooktop  
Range Exhaust Hood  
Built-in Food Center  
Freestanding Ice Maker  
Built-in Microwave  
Refrigerator  
Trash Compactor    ✔
Wall Oven  
Heating  
Air Conditioning  
Attic Fans  
Ceiling Fans  
Central Vacuum  
Doorbells  
Electrical System  
Garage Door Opener  
Garbage Disposal  
Instant Hot/Cold Water Dispenser  
Plumbing System  
Smoke Detectors  
Sump Pump  
Toilets  
Water Heater  
Whirlpool/Jetted Tub  
Water Sensor  

It is also worth noting that each policy covers two of most standard appliances. Most home warranty competitors require an additional policy per unit. Still, a few will offer to cover two of each appliance in one policy, under one dollar limit. 

Low Monthly Home Warranty Pricing

Consumers can choose between three plans: appliances, built-in home systems, or a combined plan, which Cinch calls Complete Home. All are reasonably affordable, with plans ranging in price from approximately $28 to $40 per month, though the exact price depends on your location. When it comes to low-cost monthly home warranty policies, these prices are at par with or below most of our top 10 ranked home warranty providers.  

Unknown Pre-Existing Condition Coverage

It's standard in the industry to exclude pre-existing conditions. A company doesn't want to cover a customer who has a broken dishwasher and then orders a home warranty policy so that it can be serviced for cheaper. All covered items must be in normal working order before your effective date. 

This benefits people who have recently purchased a home or are moving back into a home after some time. 

Most home warranty companies exclude coverage for things that were damaged due to a pre-existing condition, whether you knew about it or not. It's nice that this policy is a little more forgiving in this respect, helping out people who would normally be declined coverage through other carriers. If you have a mechanical breakdown due to a pre-existing condition, you would typically have to pay out of pocket to fix the whole thing - but, with Cinch, you wouldn't. 

The breadth of coverage will be most interesting to people who aren't sure whether professional upkeep has been done on their homes. 

Unique Policyholder Perks

Additional perks for all plan holders include a $25 filter credit and a free water sensor and a $500 homeowners insurance deductible reimbursement. Other policyholder perks include the following:

Rust and Corrosion Coverage
While most home warranty companies would likely deny a claim for repairs due to rust and corrosion, Cinch understands that rust happens and won't deny a service request because of it.

Appliance Discount Program
You can save a significant amount of money by using Cinch's discount appliance-buying service. If you want to upgrade or replace your appliance, the program offers discounted prices on some of the most well-known brand names.

Emergency Response Policy
Most home warranty companies make an effort to get someone to contact you within 24 hours. Few have emergency policies that match Cinch's, which promises "reasonable efforts" to respond within two hours with a local contractor within two hours after you submit the request, but only "during normal business hours." Outside of regular business hours, it can take 24 hours for a response. While most policies just leave it to the provider's discretion (which Cinch also does), this company's policy mentions that expedited consideration will be given for covered mechanical failures that affect the habitability of the dwelling. 

Robust Customer Portal Access

At a time when 70 percent of consumers expect a company to have a self-service app, the home warranty industry is undoubtedly behind expectations. It's normal for customers to keep track of policy numbers and submit requests over the phone. In its latest form, Cinch Home Services emphasizes "digital-forward strategies, platforms, and initiatives" that many home warranty companies are much slower to adopt. 

The Cinch customer portal is mobile-friendly and secure. Most importantly, it lets customers solve many common issues on their own. Account-holders can access plan details and documents, request service, update personal information and billing details, as well as schedule repair appointments (when available). 

Not only can you submit a service request online with Cinch - Alexa can do it for you. Customers can even schedule service appointments for their home by activating the Cinch Amazon Alexa Skill. 

Customers who want to avoid the hassle of minimizing the effort and time it takes to get a repair appointment scheduled when something in their home breaks will best appreciate these helpful tools. 

Additional Services and Support 

Most home warranty companies offer optional policies to add more customizable to your warranty. Cinch has a few notable add-on services in addition to optional pool, spa, septic tank/pumping, and well pump policies.

Premiere Upgrade Package
The Premier Upgrade package will cover up to $1,000 per claim for permits and additional costs to get things up to code. Most companies either include permits coverage or put strict limits on it. Cinch offers the option. Customers worried most about in-house systems that may not be up to current building codes would likely benefit most from this optional upgrade. Those with newer homes and appliances, or have recently upgraded their home systems or appliances don't have to pay for a more expensive policy that won't benefit them.

Cinch Smart Support
A newer addition to Cinch's product lineup is Cinch Smart Support, which provides plans that offer an innovative take on home support services. This program is a tech support service to help with a connected or smart home device, including wi-fi troubleshooting. 

Sixty million Americans own at least one smart device. This is an incredible benefit for people that love the benefits smart home products provide but are frustrated when the wi-fi goes out. This optional service is a monthly subscription about $20.00 for this 24/7 US-based tech support through support.com. It includes a $1,000 reimbursement to repair or replace covered electronics, with no deductible. 

Availability depends on your state.

Large Network of Vetted Pros

To be fair, most home warranty companies provide access to an extensive service pro network. Cinch's network will be a perk for anyone who has had a horrible month's long experience with a local handyman referred by a friend.

Before Cinch accepts a technician, their license and liability insurance are verified. On top of that, Cinch continuously monitors techs and scores them based on customer feedback. 

Not only do Cinch home warranty customers benefit from this, but the new Cinch On-Demand Platform lets you make same-day appointments, revise and change appointments, check on their arrival status, and rate your tech's service after the job has been completed. This was launched in 2020 and should be available across the country by 2021. 

Outstanding Workmanship Guarantee

Most companies offer a 90-day workmanship guarantee. Some offer 60 days for parts and 30 days for labor. Few offer more than 100. 

Cinch's 180-day workmanship guarantee is one of the best in the industry. Suppose the same issue happens again within 180 days. It reduces the risk of paying your service call fee ($100 to $150) for someone to fix the same thing. They have to come back and fix it; you don't pay.

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The Bad

  • No Preferred Contractor Policy
  • High Service Fees
  • Suboptimal Policy Dollar Limits

No Preferred Contractor Policy

Cinch provides a contractor referral. Customers who want to choose a local contractor that they already have a relationship with may want to avoid Cinch. No reimbursements are provided for unauthorized repairs.

High Service Fees

When you submit a claim, Cinch refers tradespeople to perform services at your home. For each claim, and each different type of technician needed (plumber, HVAC specialist, General Contractor, etc.), you will be charged a service fee ranging between $100 and $150. 

Our research shows average industry service fee rates ranging from about $40 to $150. Cinch's service fee rates are firmly in the top 30 percent, no matter which rate option you choose. 

This is in contrast to its low monthly rates: Meaning, you pay less upfront but pay more when your A/C or your fridge dies, etc. This is best for people who want to have peace of mind or who expect few big issues in the next year (due to normal mechanical failure).

Cinch may not be a good fit for people with old homes, though well-kept, with appliances and home systems reaching the end of their life expectancy. 

Suboptimal Policy Dollar Limits

All home warranty policies have limits. That's totally normal. It's fairly common for providers to list the maximum payout amount your policy offers, commonly per item, per category, or for the whole shebang. 

Cinch covers many appliances, only up to $2,000 max. While this isn't the lowest appliance max in the industry, they go much higher, including First American Home Warranty ($3,500), American Home Shield ($3,000), and 2-10 HBW more than double. ($25,000). However, if you are looking to replace, Cinch has a great appliance discount program. 

Most, but not all, home warranty companies limit the maximum payout that a policy is worth. All three of Cinch's plans max out at $10,000 per 12-month contract. Any repair needs after that will have to be paid for out of pocket by the policyholder. 

Not everyone maxes out a home warranty policy, but those most at risk may want to look for a company with a higher aggregate payout limit or an uncapped aggregate limit. This will likely be people with many aging systems and appliances. 

View Best Home Warranty Companies

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The Bottom Line

Cinch Home Services is no stranger to the ins and outs of the home warranty realm. Since its rebranding, the company has made great strides to provide a more convenient, hassle-free experience for its policyholders. 

Cinch is a good home warranty choice for younger homeowners with homes built within the last few years and are new to the responsibility of having to fix something. For those who own older homes with old appliances and systems, Cinch may not be your best option because of its high service fees. However, Cinch does offer more expansive coverage than many other home warranty companies.

View Best Home Warranty Companies

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1.5

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14 Reviews

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1 grade

79%

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FS in Florida Jupiter, FL

We have had a SEARS - CINCH Home Appliance Warranty for several years now for our high-end kitchen and laundry equipment. On January 13, 2024 we noticed the refrigerator not cooling or freezing properly, so we followed the online warranty repair request instructions, paid the deductible, and then found out their contracted service provider, REX Services, couldn't even be there until January 16th, and then only to diagnose the issue and order any necessary parts as apparently gone are the days when they dispatch a fully stocked repair vehicle and technician! By the time somebody showed and assessed what was needed, all the hundreds of dollars worth of fresh and frozen food had spoiled and needed to be thrown-out! We waited and waited for the parts to arrive and then found out they weren't even ordered until January 25th - 9 full days after their technician was here! We continued to wait and wait and made several unanswered and unreturned calls then finally - we heard from customer service on February 2nd that some of the repair parts were not available from their preferred supplier and they decided to replace the unit instead of repairing it (even though the parts - all in-stock - could have been ordered from a different supplier). THIS IS NOW A FULL 3 WEEKS WITHOUT A REFRIGERATOR! So we look at the email with the replacement refrigerator they are allowing us to select from at HOME DEPOT - which still would need to be ordered and then a delivery date set up - and find it is just your garden-variety side-by-side refrigerator with a stainless steel front - but NOT the all side, fully-wrapped stainless steel GE PROFILE unit we have which is the center-piece of our kitchen. Totally unacceptable! So their final offer to us was a $1425.00 cash settlement on a $5000.00 refrigerator - and then no future refrigerator claims could ever be made under our warranty plan, inspite of our plan's $3000.00 refrigerator coverage maximum! We reasonably requested a larger settlement amount for this higher-end GE PROFILE unit given our plan's coverage amount and current replacement cost but their low-ball cash or Home Depot replacement offer was our only options. Considering the money we have paid over the years for coverage, if you need to make a claim, be forewarned that we found through our unpleasant experience that the SEARS-CINCH WARRANTY as well as their contracted service provider to be UNACCEPTABLE AND BASICALLY WORTHLESS for us!

1 month ago

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melissa james Phenix City, AL

I just got off the phone with a supervisor named Teresa P, she was rude, she hung up in my face, and didn't call me back but she put in the notes that she tried to call me back twice and I didn't answer so she left a message, that's a lie because I've been trying my best to contact her and my voice-mail is full and don't receive messages. With the low integrity that she has a a supervisor let's me know that I don't want to deal with this company. I've been with them for years and my mom have too, I'm canceling my service as soon as I get my heating fixed and I'm going to cancel my mom's account as well. I wish I could leave zero star's. I talk to another supervisor that was nice and I do appreciate her her name was Velinda for that, but that's not enough to make me stay. I just had a baby, my heat is not working and I have 4 babies so I was only asking that they escalate my order and she was mad that I asked I guess. I will never deal with this company again

2 months ago

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D F Murfreesboro, TN

The Worst Company for a Homw Warranty we have ever had in 20 years of having them. Customer Service has got to be the worst! You call get transferred a bunch or hung up on? I have had home warranty’s for 5 different homes and they have to be the absolute worst! Please don’t waste your money on them like we did.

2 months ago

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Carmen Gomide Henderson, NV

Horrible experience. Had problems with sewer. Cinch sent a company in which the technician did not speak any English (Russian) and clearly did not know what he was doing. Had to hire a private company. Cinch made me pay $165 for nothing.

3 months ago

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Elena Terekhina Woodbine, MD

Here is my story. My family have been suffering from heat without air conditioning for a month now. Moisture has appeared in the house. This caused all the doors in the basement to swell, and they can no longer be closed. Also, the moisture caused water condescension on surfaces of pipes in the basement, which eventually drops down to the floor and results in a mold formation.  My son has asthma, and I am afraid that he will start having complications soon. We spent hours talking to representatives of this company, yet nothing is getting done. How can I convince them to provide us a comprehensive, written response on my inquiry? What are we supposed to do, go to court, file a complaint to the state or the US federal authorities?   Cinch agreed to replace the heat pump and the air handler in our house. However, I was not able to find out what system they offered until it arrived. Because our son has asthma, we decided to find out if we can buy another system on our own, the one having enhanced air purification and filtration.They said we have only two options: 1) install the system they offered or 2) get a $1,975 check from them and accept ALL the expenses for the purchase and the installation of any system we chose on our own.  My numerous attempts to reach anyone who could provide a comprehensive explanation on how they determined $1,975 amount for the reimbursement failed.

1 year ago

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Judy Hill Sun City West, AZ

Called and was on hold for an hour. Finally spoke to a young man and he was looking into my account. Put me on hold three times. After the third hold we were disconnected. No attempt was made to call me back even though he had my home number and cell number. Called again and was on hold for half an hour. Spoke to a young lady and explained what happened. She did try and assist me and asked her not to put me on hold which she didn't . Said there would be no charge for the service call and half hour later got an e-mail that they charged my credit card $135.00. There is no such thing as customer service anymore. Companies are all about the money and greed and take no pride in their companies image anymore.

1 year ago

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M G Seattle, WA

Had the same dismal experience with this company- they acquired my old warranty company unfortunately. Twice they have cancelled my policy without warning before the end date- I have called customer service only to be told they cannot tell me why. Both times my credit card used for autopay has been fully functional. I just tried calling again to find out why my account was cancelled and had to deal with “Nicole,” who was combative, rude and unhelpful. She initially said she could update my payment information and then said she couldn’t, she was just a claims representative. When I asked her why she had changed course she became accusatory and acted like I was unhinged- it was like speaking with a paranoid person. Apparently now I have to call another number on Monday. In the year and a half I’ve had the home warranty I e made one claim- the plumber they sent out, Mainline Plumbing in Tacoma, wa sent out an inexperienced plumber who didn’t fix the problem. I found out via trying to get a new provider approved that Mainline Plumbing had billed Cinch for installation of a brand new disposal when they had merely snaked my drain line (and only 20 feet which didn’t resolve the clog). Cinch became aware of this fraud and did nothing. They suddenly had no other plumbers available in my area and authorized me to find my own. I paid another plumber $250 to scope and diagnose the issue and presented a detailed estimate to cinch as required. They refused to pay the diagnosis fee (despite a rep lying to me and telling me it was authorized) and then refused to pay for the fix stating the estimate was not detailed enough. So essentially they got out of paying to fix my issue and Mainline Plumbing got away with defrauding Cinch by billing for a phone service. Mainline Plumbing also had a 90 day warranty on their services and even though I repeatedly called the owner to get my clog fixed after the initial fail, he dodged me and called me back in a Friday night before a three day weekend and said he’d have to get authorization from cinch before coming back. Not true as he has his own warranty on his work. I now know that he was delaying because he’s fraudulently billed the company for a disposal I never received. This company is beyond dishonest and dysfunctional- stay away.

2 years ago

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Regina Seattle, WA

Wish I could put zero stars. This is what Sears Home Warranty has changed into. When my credit card expired, I tried to get into the system to change to a more current card. It didn't show I owed anything so I let it slide until they sent a paper copy of the letter asking me to renew by mail or by logging onto the sears site. I went there, it directed me to the Cinch site without warning me it would be a different company. It still shows I am current on payments but then would not allow me to file a claim as I am "behind" on payments. No one to answer the customer service line. When I clicked on "chat" to get help, I got a message that "something went horribly wrong." Yes, yes it did. Sears should not have sold out to Cinch. No recommendation for this company.

3 years ago

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Tina Gig Harbor, WA

It used to be Sears, and they were much easier to work with. Cinch could not find a tech to come out for the AC unit so they told me that I should get my own and they would reimburse. It took a month, someone came out, did the diagnostics and now they say they won't cover it. Nor will they remburse the diagnostic. Two months later and the AC is not fixed. Its August now. Here is a copy of what was sent to me in an email: I would like to take this opportunity to apologize for any delay in service and for any inconvenience you have experienced. Currently, a pre-qualified network service provider is not available in your area. We can allow you the option to contact a local service company of your choice to expedite your service request. Please have the service technician come to your home and diagnose the failure. If the out of network service provider is unwilling to accept third party billing, we ask that you pay the service call fee in full, and we will reimburse you for the amount in excess of your deductible. As a reminder the non-refundable deductible associated with your claim is $100. This amount is due regardless of whether the claim is subsequently approved or denied. The tech called and called, pushed prompts and could not reach out to a live person to get the approval to proceed, so they did not. Don/'t believe they will have a supervisor reach out to you either. That's their answer when they want to get you off the phone from a complaint. Look for another company.!

3 years ago

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M. Nielsen South Bend, IN

Shopping around for a Home warranty and came upon Cinch Home Services, they explained what they covered and how much the different programs were and were very helpful and knowledgeable.

1 year ago

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Amanda Brilhart Beltsville, MD

Okay, for starters I had 3 different companies (none spoke english) come out to my house to look at my AC unit. I took off 6 days of work, twice no one showed up, and after all that, they still denied my claim. They are money sucking pieces of crap. Any chance they can deny something they will. They use the bottom feeder companies that have one employee that most likely is in their first year of apprenticeship to look at your issue. Then, they say "oh a supervisor will call you soon" and what do you know? NO SUPERVISOR CALLS.

3 years ago

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Robbie Gloucester, MA

It's been a very disappointing experience. The warranty not only is very limited, but then I discovered when we had appliance issues that there was a deductible. It was hardly worth it. Then there was the hassle of getting the claim submitted and getting one of their service providers out to the house. If I sell a house, I won't be buying a home warranty from them.

1 year ago

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JoAnna Di Sibio Modesto, CA

They weren't very helpful. We went a week without hot water. We waited on hold for over 30 minutes and then received discrepancies in the information, even when talking to supervisors. After 3 weeks of hastle, we finally resolved our issues. I would not recommend this company.

1 year ago

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shawne bradley San Francisco, CA

This company was absolutely worthless. Impossible to understand what was necessary to file a claim

1 year ago