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3.1

Overall Score

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LAST UPDATED: July 5th, 2022

Headquartered in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, HMS Home Warranty has been providing customers with savings on major appliances repairs since 1978. The company's mission is to provide peace of mind to real estate professionals, homeowners, and those buying or selling homes. The company is a member of the National Home Service Contract Association. See HMS home warranty reviews below to see what real consumers have to say about the home warranty company.

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The Good

  • Multiple Warranty Plan Types
  • Easy to Navigate Website
  • Online Claims

Multiple Warranty Plan Types

Many home warranty companies don't immediately disclose what types of warranty coverage they have. HMS' sample warranty plans give details pertaining to multiple warranty types for homeowners and real estate professionals:

  • Seller Home Warranty
  • Buyer Conversion Warranty
  • Buyer Direct Warranty
  • New Home Warranty
  • Open Direct Warranty

Various home warranty plans help give homeowners peace of mind that there is warranty coverage that will fit their specific needs. HMS home warranties include repairs and replacements of major appliances such as the air conditioner, heater, refrigerator, dishwasher, stove, oven, washer, dryer, etc. HMS says this on its website in regards to its warranty plan policy: "We agree to pay the covered costs to repair or replace the items listed as covered on your Agreement Coverage Summary if any such items become inoperable during the term of this Agreement due to mechanical failure caused by routine wear and tear, subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement."

Easy to Navigate Website

HMS Home Warranty has one of the best websites we've seen for home warranties. Many competitors have websites that can be out of date and hard to navigate, but HMS does an excellent job of making information easy to track down through their intuitive website.

Online Claims

Placing a claim online is simple and easy with a customer's contract number and zip code. This restricts the need to place an order over the phone, which could save the customer time. All you have to do is go to HMS' website to the "Place My Claim" section of "My Account." You can submit service requests at any time. If you prefer speaking to someone directly, you can call an HMS representative. 

HMS also provides a step-by-step claim process so you know exactly how it works: submit a service request, schedule an appointment, claim diagnosis, pay service call fee to contractor, submit for approval, and finally, repair or replace the system or appliance if approved. See HMS Home Warranty reviews below to see what customers have to say about HMS' claim process.

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The Bad

  • No Mobile App
  • Does Not Cover All States
  • HMS Service Fee
  • HMS Home Warranty Cost

No Mobile App

HMS does a good job of staying current by having active Twitter and Facebook accounts, but does not have an app for Android or Apple devices. This could be helpful for customers to submit claims on their mobile devices instead of having to access a desktop.

Does Not Cover All States

According to our research, we found that HMS Home Warranty doesn't cover all fifty states, but doesn't specify what states they're not available in. However, this is easy for customers to discover by inputting their zip code.

HMS Service Fee

HMS Home Warranty has a relatively high service fee of $100. Home warranty service call fees are typically anywhere between $45 - $100. Quite a few warranty providers are on the lower scale of service call fees; unfortunately, HMS Home Warranty is on the higher end. If you have a lot of visits from service contractors to repair or replace major appliances in your home throughout the year, you are going to end up paying a large chunk of money out of pocket in addition to the original cost of the warranty service contract. It's important to note that this will be especially costly for first-time homebuyers since there are a lot of other expenses to cover in the buying process.

HMS Home Warranty Cost

HMS Home Warranty's cost per year is around $516, depending on the warranty coverage you get. Home warranties usually range between $300 - $600. With many home warranty companies offering coverage in the 300s or 400s, HMS Home Warranty's cost is at the higher end of warranty prices.

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The Bottom Line

Overall, HMS Home Warranty appears to have a variety of plan types, but negative customer reception. Services aren't available in all fifty states and there has yet to be a mobile app made for their services. Read HMS Home Warranty reviews below to see what customers have to say about the home warranty provider.

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Star Rating

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1.1

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93 Reviews

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4 grade

1%

3 grade

1%

2 grade

2%

1 grade

96%

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Basil48 Clifton, NJ

HMS used to have a pretty good reputation, not sure what has transpired over the last 24 months, what with materials and staffing shortages. If they have a company rep working with Realtors the service is much better. Their turnaround time from call in for service to actually on-site was pretty good. They do not service all areas, however, I used them exclusively when I was a Realtor. Problem time for HMS & others is when it is extremely HOT and HVACs breakdown.

1 year ago

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MaryEVM Beaufort, SC

I have been waiting for 5 days for a rep to come here to look at/replace a 10 yr old leaking water heater, which now is causing my electric bill to go through the ceiling...it’s not shutting off!!! MANY MANY MANY calls to the company...wait 24/48 hours...same story over and over .... if they can’t find a rep in my area to come here, it doesn’t say much for the co...are reps avoiding this co??? This job WILL be fixed by this co....and after that is up in the air at this time....5 yr customer...very unsatisfied... I consider my problem a slight emergency...but I guess the warranty co doesn’t see it that way...Perhaps paying my electric bill might wake them up!!!

3 years ago

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Crystal Logan Richmond, VA

I have been paying HMS since November 2013 when I purchased my home. I've never missed a payment. I have used their services, on a few occassions. In January 2021, when I called to start a claim on my washer machine, I was told at that time my membership was cancelled as of November 2020 and I could NOT restart my membership. They dropped me because I actually used the policy. I paid for this coverage. My home was built 2002, what did they except, I would never have any problems? Be careful using them, they never sent me a policy cancellation notice or anything. I was blind sided. If you actually use the insurance you have paid for, they will and can decide to drop you. I will say I have never had a problem with claiming my products, setting up appointments and the repairs were legit. But its stressful to know you are dropped without warning.

3 years ago

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Chris K. Bethesda, MD

I can state without any hesitation at all that HMS is the worst company I have ever dealt with in my life. If I could rate this company no stars, I would. It took me 14 months to get my broken dishwasher replaced. They fought me EVERY single step of the way--for instance, repeatedly sending me back to companies which had already told HMS they couldn't fix the problem, not listening to these companies who told HMS that trying to fix the 15-yr-old dishwasher simply wasn't going to work, trying to claim (inaccurately) that I had voided the warranty by bringing in someone without their knowledge, trying to claim (again inaccurately) that I was asking for more in reimbursement than the repair (despite the company's invoice showing the full amount I was seeking reimbursement for), taking more than 2.5 months to reimburse me for that company's (unfortunately unsuccessful) repair, and more. Eventually, after 14 months when HMS finally agreed to replace the dishwasher, they asked me for the space dimensions, I gave it to them, they offered me a dishwasher that was too big for those dimensions, I told them, and they replied, "Sorry, we only offer you one chance at a dishwasher, if you don't accept it, we don't offer you another" so then I had no choice but to accept the cash payment which was a couple hundred dollars less. I could keep going with more details, but in summary, working with this company was an awful experience that no one should have to experience. It was made very clear to me that they really couldn't care less about their customers.

3 years ago

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B G Chicago, IL

It took nearly a month for A/C replacement because they dragged their heels on the approval of the work and they only paid $2000 out of the $6000 total cost. Expect to only get reimbursed 1/3 of the total cost at the most if you yake out a one year home warranty. Thwy will pretend they can't hear you on the phone and the call will drop many times and they will make you jump through multiple difficult hoops to gather frivolous documentation to satisfy unreasonable demands of proof hoping you won't follow through. It took 2 1/2 months of going in circles and y then the Fl Lauderdale office came up with a ridiculously low settlement.

3 years ago

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Mark Stephens and Dottie Niewald Norcross, GA

We haven’t had AC for over a week now and sweating to death in the summer heat. My AC unit is 27 years old and we have had our policy for almost two years. We bought the premium package so we would have the best coverage for when the unit finally broke. As soon as the unit broke, I called and they sent the repair man out the next day. He said the unit was old and called it a “rust bucket”. He told the warranty company that we needed a new unit. Too old to fix. The warranty company is disagreeing with their own repair guy and claim all I need are replacement parts but since the unit is so old, I am responsible for the rest of the parts in order to upgrade the whole unit to brand new. Some of the parts that they say I have to pay for are things that my policy covers. It’s obvious that I need a whole unit, and that’s why I was encouraged by my realtor to purchase the warranty when I bought the house. I’ve paid the warranty policy on time every month for almost two years and not when it’s the middle of summer, I need a new unit but the warranty company won’t pay to replace the unit. Only to replace parts and I have to pay for all the extra “upgraded parts”. That is just bad business and a scam for homeowners. When I needed them the most, they won’t pay what they should and it’s impossible to speak to anyone in customer service that I can understand. I’ve called countless times and been transferred to numerous departments but no one will help me. They have agreed that those are covered items on my policy but it’s somehow not covered because my 27 year old “rust bucket “ just needs some parts replaced and I have to pay for all the others parts so it can be “upgraded “ to a new unit. This is soooo frustrating!!!

3 years ago

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LK Glen Burnie, MD

I have been with HMS for 2 years now and this was the company that came with my house when I purchased it. The first year I did not need to call them at all. My second year, I have had to call the for 2 separate incidents. This last time calling was not a good experience. Prior to me calling, I owed the second half of my payment and they had no problem locating me for that, but when I put my claim in, the company the referred me to never picked up. Called HMS back- which is all automated and could not but another claim in to get another company. By this time a week has gone by. Finally started emailing the person who emailed me about my payment and asked her to have a supervisor call me. Supervisor called and we finally were able to get a company to come out. Now a part has to be ordered and after looking at the bad reviews other people have written, I’m hoping it does not take forever for the claim to be process, part to come in and the company to come out to fix my air conditioner. It has been so hot these last couple of days. If I do not have working air in the next 3/4 days I will be calling HMS to speak to a supervisor/ manager. The company that was sent to me had horrible reviews as well, which I’m not happy about at all.

3 years ago

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Joe Cary, NC

DO NOT BUY A WARRANTY FROM THIS COMPANY. They make you pay extra money and suffer. My issue is there has been standing water at the bottom of my dish washer since Nov., 2019 and I can not confirm has the issue been fixed or not as of now. It's been 4 MONTHS! I listed several awful services they provided below: 1. Their priority is to collect your deductible and let home owners deal with their vendors without really helping you if you have an issue with them. Most of their vendors provide AWFUL QUALITY services. 2. Most of their vendors are not competent to fix the issue and one of them even created additional problem by breaking my pull down faucet without repairing it. So I need to pay a handyman OUT OF POCKET. The same vendor even stood me up at least 4 times by either not showing on the day he promised or never calling back. 3. What the home warranty company providing is NOT a complete service AT ALL. Another vendor claimed he only works on dish washer, so after he replaced some parts, he refused to hook hoses back as he said plumbing is not included in the service. I need to pay a handyman OUT OF POCKET to do that. 4. The total span has been 4 MONTHS (not confirm if the issue has been fixed yet)!! During which they sent 4 vendors with almost 10 trips to repair. 5. Every time I called the warrant company because of the recurrence issue, all they do is just send another vendor, which is unable to repair the same issue, so my family keep suffering from the service and inconvenience WITHOUT being able to use the dish washer for 4 months. I requested them to replace a new one as this has been taking so long, and all they say is this is not their SOP. This is a really DISAPPOINTING service!! (The company is HMS when I paid for the service and it seems it is Cinch Home Services now).

4 years ago

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Rachel Fifer Granite City, IL

Easy to get in touch with but some ofthe service technicians they use don't know what they're doing. If it's an electrical problem then send me a real electrician. A few of my outlets weren't working and the guy told me the wiring was wrong., said he would submit the claim and be back the next day, never to be heard from again. Then I found out the claim was canceled about five days later so I called a REAL electrician and the 1st guy was wrong about the problem, it was a loose wire in my crawl space, took about ten minutes to fix. Now I'm out 300 dollars instead of 100 dollars. Same thing happened with my heater. HMS sent out somebody to fix furnace blower then it quit a few hours after he left. Glad I didn't pay for this warranty. I would never buy a warranty from them. EVER!

4 years ago

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Rick Hepperla ,

Worst home warranty experience in my life. Purchased as part of our new home purchase. Made a claim for a fireplace that would not ignite - denied. Then a refrigerator stopped working. Paid $100 for the technician visit, concluding the issue was due to mechanical breakdown of the insulation and not fixable. HMS denied the claim stating terms did not cover damage due to rust, we appealed with technician clarification that the rust was a result of the failure, not the cause. No help - on appeal, we were told they only covered damage due to mechanical issues from normal usage. We explained that this was exactly that. We were told that “mechanical issues are the ones with wires coming out”. Seriously? We commented that wires are electrical not mechanical, and that insulation failure was mechanical. No help - claim denied. We have concluded that HMS is a sham operation that will find any excuse to deny a claim, regardless of how legitimate. We are out the $500 paid for the HMS warranty, plus the $2500 it will cost for a new refrigerator that should be covered. Avoid dealing with this company at all cost. Google home warranty companies and you can fine dozens with better ratings- I wish I had, rather than take the realtor’s suggestion. The only reason this 1 star is that lower ratings are not a choice.

4 years ago Edited September 14, 2021

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Kat Phillips Fargo, ND

We lost water pressure to our house, which then became no water later int he day and we called HMS thinking we had a plumbing problem. It was on a Saturday evening. So no hot water, let alone no water at all. So we can't cook, refill animal waters or do dishes or take showers. Our warranty came with the house, and our realtor pays for these with every home he buys and spends whatever extra so his clients have the $100 deductible, which after reading these reviews I'm assuming is their lowest deductible. It took awhile to jump rope through the automated phone line to get to a rep. They were supposed to contact a company to come out. We had water coming into the basement as well. We NEVER got a call from anybody. We wound up having a cop come over who called the city after we searched our plumbing and outside, and found a pipe had frozen and burst outside near the alley. However, this was not the case initially as we didn't have water pouring into the yard and down the street and we were in and out all day. So Monday comes around and I call them and talk to a woman about everything and ask why nobody has called. She says they will cover the excavating bill but we have to pay the invoice first and send them a copy of the paid invoice, leaving me with an email to send it to and letting me know a manager would call me the next day. Nobody called. So we call them the day after the manager was supposed to call and they say they don't cover that, and have no record of my conversation with the lady on Monday. They asked what email i was given to send the invoice to and I told them and it was the right email. I didn't take her name down but I was able to give them the day, email, time and length of call. She still said they don't cover it so thank GOD we didn't pay and submit that invoice. We won't be renewing and after reading all these reviews I don't think we are even going to try and go through them if we need repairs or replacement of anything in our home.

4 years ago

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Megan Ashburn, VA

We have only had them for one month now and I can tell they are terrible and will be a fight for everything. The first thing we notice was a leak in the garbage disposal. I asked the customer service rep to explain the claim process when I called. She continued to weasel around questions and then put me on hold when i cut her off for trying to clarify. She made the claim and then AFTER told me that if there were multiple issues i wanted to report i could so that there would be only one fee. (there were other things i wanted to say but since she had already made the claim, i couldn't add to it) The tech that came was great but even he is not too happy with how the company has changed and was irritated about them saying he would come as it was supposed to be his day off. The issue was fixed and then i had to make another claim for the dryer. Dryer guy came out and said it was a vent issue. now it's been 24 hours and im waiting for them to send a vent guy but they cant because they say they haven't received the diagnosis from the dryer guy. also they might charge me another deductible because it's another appointment for a different issue but it's not. it's the same issue. their guy is the one telling them and "they will have to wait and see" Also, they will constantly cut the line or call. it's happened to me EVERY TIME except once that I have called. Hope my dryer issue gets fixed soon but I'm changing this company as soon as I can

4 years ago

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David Stein Fairfax, VA

Summary: I put in a claim for furnace service. HMS sent a guy to my house who demanded $600 in repairs. The actual problem (wrong filter) cost $2 to fix. HMS then REFUSED to return my calls about it. I've been a deluxe-class customer of HMS Home Warranty / Cross-Country Home Services / Long & Foster Home Warranty for six years. In November, I put in a claim on a poorly performing furnace. HMS sent a local company (All-Star Appliance / HVAC) to our house for service. The tech accepted our $100 deductible, looked at the furnace, and said that we needed coil cleaning, which wasn't covered by our home warranty insurance. The owner of the company estimated that it would require: * Another round of diagnostics using a scope ($100) * Coil cleaning ($250) * Cutting a hole in the side of our furnace to install a panel for future service ($150) Altogether, $500 - on top of the $100 we'd already paid. I called in another handyman, who came out and fixed the problem in five minutes... by swapping in a different, generic-brand furnace filter. We'd been using the wrong type of furnace filter. The coils were fine, and the $2 repair cost completely fixed our problem. I asked the handyman why All-Star hadn't caught that and wanted to charge us $600. "No idea. The furnace filter is ALWAYS the first thing you check because lots of customers make that mistake." On December 6th, I called HMS to complain. I had an eight-minute conversation (according to my mobile phone records) during which I explained the story. The service rep listened and then said: "That sounds pretty serious; we'll have a manager get back to you right away." NOBODY got back to us. No call, no email, nothing. They have the mobile numbers and email addresses on file for both my wife and me... neither of us received any contact. This week (December 30th), I called HMS again, and was told that nobody had gotten back to me because THEY HAD NO RECORD OF MY CALL ON DECEMBER 6TH. I demanded to speak with a manager and was told that the manager on duty (Chris M, I think) was in the office but on another call. I was connected with his voicemail, and I explained the story and demanded a call back before I canceled our contract. Again... nothing, for two business days. So I am firing HMS after six years of service. I don't know what is wrong with this company, but it has become an awful service provider that apparently hires scam artists and then refuses to address customer complaints.

4 years ago

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William Immokalee, FL

When we purchased our home in FL we paid for a HMS Home Warranty thinking that it was a good investment and would take care of any appliances that may not work. This warranty was the WORST investment ever made. We had a problem with our dryer beginning in May 2019 and when the repairman came out ($100 deductible) he said he would not work on the dryer until the vent was cleaned. We paid to have the vent cleaned (another $100) and it still did not work so HMS was called again. The rep came out a month later (June '19) and they replaced two major parts (including the motor). The dryer still did not work properly and kept turning off without completely drying the clothes. HMS was called again in Nov '19 and the rep came out. He stated he didn't know what the problem was (HMS should have replaced it at this time but did not). The rep thought it could be the control board so he ordered one and stated that if it didn't work after that, it was not repairable (Note: this is the key phrase to getting an appliance replaced). On 4 Dec '19 a new Sears rep replaced the control board and the dryer still did not work. The rep said the vent needed to be cleaned (but we had just cleaned it). So then he said the vents often have wire mesh on the roof and that could be the problem; NOPE, no mesh. Then the rep said he needed to order another motor ("NOPE, you just replaced the motor"), then he said it could be the relay. These repairmen have NO IDEA what they're doing. The rep was supposed to come back with parts a month later and after hours of phone calls to talk with Customer Service and request reimbursement options since we were without a dryer for over a month, we just cancelled the next appointment. We will NEVER use HMS Warranty again and highly discourage anyone from using them. They are a complete waste of money. Even though they had no idea what the problem was they wanted to spend 8 months of wasting our time and dump more money into trying to fix the problem instead of just replacing the dryer or giving us a credit. You are much better off just taking what you would pay for a home warranty and putting it into a savings account or money market account just in case.

4 years ago

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Richard Cambridge, WI

Home we purchased included HMS warranty - have had 2 claims. First is plumbing related which is still unresolved, they send some incompetent plumber from 45 miles away. Local plumbers I know will not work with HMS warranty. 2nd claim they made me find a service provider then denied the claim. Garage door opener which was unrepairable (unlawful to repair due to age and lack of safety features) so one door guy is calling in diagnosis and for approval while 2nd guy is assembling and has new one ready to install upon approval. After a very lengthy wait at $100 per hour they deny. The warranty is substandard on coverage in my opinion (other warranties offer more coverage in their basic plans and a lower deductible. HMS is $200 per call deductible. Based on my experiences they will work harder to get out of providing service and paying a claim than to just do what is right for the consumer.

4 years ago

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Hafiz Ahmed Leesburg, VA

Like many people, I also have a very bad experience. I would have given "Zero-rating" if there was one option. Please see below the details: 09/13/2019 We received the HMS insurance with the purchase of our home a month ago. Only the cooktop runs with gas, others with the electricity. The home inspector couldn't check the gas cooktop as the propane tank was empty during the inspection. After purchasing the house, about two weeks later we filled out the propane tank, but the gas was leaking from the gas pipe that runs from the second regulator to manifold (from one wall to the other wall, inside the house). We filed a claim, but the HMS determined it "preexisting" and denied it. There is no strong rationale for the HMS to declare as "preexisting". The leak could happen later after the purchase due to lightning. The HMS should give us a benefit of doubt. Anyway, the whole process was so painful and time-consuming! First of all, they are slow, not competent to recruit the right technician. In our case, they recruited 9 technician - 6 of them didn't accept the job. The whole process "which was denial" took almost three weeks. During these days, we were eating outside most of the days. I wish I had another warranty, not the HMS. HMS sucks! I would not recommend the HMS to anyone. HMS National Response 09/16/2019 We are disappointed to hear this has been your experience, and we completed a full review of your claim to ensure you are receiving the full benefit of your warranty agreement. Our records indicate that you've been working with a member of our leadership team, and we confirmed that the service provider reportedly completed a leak test inside and outside of your home, and found no leaks or failures to your gas line. Your warranty does not provide coverage for any modifications or upgrades you would like completed. Should you obtain documentation stating that there is a failure to your gas line, you are welcome to send it. Customer Response 09/16/2019 Now I understand the HMS trick! As I said, the HMS recruited 9 technicians - 3 of them accepted the job. Before the last technician who declared "No Leak", two prior technicians found the leaky gas pipe as the pressure didn't hold. By the way, the technician of the propane tank company found the same. Based on the reports of the HMS recruited technicians, the HMS denied any repair or replacement on the basis of the pre-existing status. After the HMS denial, I contacted my real estate agent through whom we received this warranty and my agent contacted the local representative. Because of this pressure, the HMS sent another technician (the last one, 9th). Once the HMS recruits a technician, the customer usually calls the technician to schedule the work. Interestingly the last technician called me and wanted to come to my house the next morning. I thought this eagerness to help was all because of my agent's influence. This person did the diagnostics on the joints (second regulator and the manifold) only with a spray bottle (no pressure check, the total time he spent was about 10 minutes) and declared 'no leak'. This is exactly the HMS was looking for to keep their paperwork clean "No leak" (means no further repair). Hey HMS! If there is no leak, why the pressure is not holding. Also, I never asked you to upgrade the pipe. You could have replaced it with the same grade of flexible pipe. Hey! I never asked you for the replacement, I just wanted a solution to this problem! the Problem is real! No cooking at home due to a lack of gas. Please don't fool the common people. Also, real estate companies who are doing business with the HMS, please revisit and provide a decent warranty that helps the customer, not looks good on paper.

4 years ago

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Kim Laurelton, NJ

CORRECTION: ZERO STARS. The absolute worst experience ever. Sympathetic to the other reviewer's horror stories, mine is no different. HVAC unit replacement claim still open for more than two months since August. I only needed a blower motor replacement. HMS first failed to order unit and claimed that delivery was in progress. After two+ weeks, I called to find out that HMS failed again to order the correct unit, claimed no responsibility for failed initial delivery, and exhibited no accountability when unit was eventually delivered to another unknown address out of state, blaming FedEx Freight. HVAC unit is currently lost, saying there's nothing HMS can do until they locate the unit. Customer service drops calls with no call back. Constant apologies with no action. No escalation process during and after hours when customer service gets outsourced to international call center who claims no supervision to scalate to. I had to call several times to update HMS on the status that they were supposed to provide me because I did all the background research they were supposed to do. Can you imagine? I researched my own claim status and gave that information to HMS- unbelievable, and the failures still continued. HMS' complete and utter failure to deliver on their self proclaimed "superior" service put my family's health at risk. A claim that should have taken less than 5 days to complete is still unresolved. I have paid more money in mitigating my family's respiratory health issues than the yearly warranty subscription and contractor's initial visit costs. This experience has been the absolute worst and my family continues to suffer. A truly sad waste of hard earned money for their $800 "masterpeace protection plan" warranty. Given the other horror story reviews, it is no surprise that HMS consistently demonstrates that they don't care about customer service; how they exist on a platform of embezzling expensive warranty premiums from hard working customers is beyond fathomable. I regret not doing prerequisite home warranty company research and reading these reviews beforehand. I'm only now left to join the unhappy community of cheated customers who feel that they have no recourse, no recoup and no voice loud enough to convince HMS to do the right thing... to do ANYTHING, because what they have actually done, is NOTHING.

4 years ago

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Pamela S Jenkins Tappahannock, VA

If I could give a negative star rating I would. This warranty was purchased in combination when buying our home. We added the well and septic. The problem we had was with a garage door in the detached garage. Well, if there is a garage attached the house, then the detached is not covered. Then we had a water pressure issue. The first contractor they sent out said everything with the pressure was fine, and we needed a new well to be dug. After arguing with them that this was not the case, they finally sent out a second vendor, who located the issue under the house, on a filter attached to the water tank before entering the house. The filter needed to be replaced. They said they don't cover filters. So, $495 later, out of my pocket, it was fixed. This insurance company is a joke. They don't cover anything. You pay a deductible, $100, so they send a vendor out to tell you that whatever is wrong is not covered. I wouldn't renew this insurance if they were giving it away.

4 years ago

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Damian White Plains, MD

One of the worst warranty companies I've ever dealt with. My Frigidaire refrigerator has been out of service for 3 weeks now. The company they contract the work out to replaced the Compressor relay and capacitor. Within the same day the issue still wasn't resolved. The contractor came back out and say its the board. The board was apparently ordered and then cancelled for some unknown reason. I've called for a supervisor or manager and all the representative keep saying is "I'm sorry about the issue you're having", please stop apologizing and fix my refrigerator. I believe they can't find the part which means they're obligated to replace the appliance which they're trying not to do. My next stop will be Channel 7 news to report this company. Terrible!!!

4 years ago

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Hawks Lexington, KY

We lost air conditioning right before 4 straight 100 degree days. Out of a sense urgency we called multiple times to customer service with one (on weekend) who stated that they booked an appointment for us on Monday. When I called the hvac on call service they said they had no idea who we were. After a week we had a company diagnose problem and sent request to HMS. They declined a $1000 blower motor and requested another service provider to repair. After begging multiple customer service people one lady tried to be helpful and had “supervisor call”. Don’t fall for this. Even after talking with “escalations” we had to go with cheaper service which meant more time waiting for repair. After 10 days, we are still without air blower. AWFUL Experience on top of the heat. Actually, I do not know which is worse. WIll never ever ever EVER buy this warranty

4 years ago

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Laura Woodbridge, VA

I had several bad experiences with HMS over the last 5 years capped off with their recent refusal to pay to fix the motherboard on my HVAC unit because an electrical shortage was not "normal wear and tear." How can that not be normal wear & tear? I didn't do anything to cause the damage. So I paid the contractor they dispatched about $500 to replace the motherboard and still the HVAC unit didn't work. So then they tell me it's not the motherboard, it's the fan. HMS then refused to pay for the fan. Said it was collateral damage based on motherboard. Wrong. I checked with HVAC experts and they all said there was no correlation between those two and that HMS was once again weaseling out of paying for it. I kept the HMS policy because the HVAC unit was about 10 years old, but clearly I should have dumped the policy years ago based on my other bad experiences with HMS including: 1. Agreeing to replace a water heater and a garbage disposal but telling me I had to wait another 7-10 business days because their contractors were booked up until then (this was on top of the 5+ days I already waited for an initial examination of the units by their contractors and decision by HMS whether or not to cover it). The garbage disposal is an inconvenience but the water heater is a necessity. No hot water for 10 more days? My disabled daughter cannot go 2 weeks without hot water, much less the rest of the household. I ended up paying for both out of pocket and getting the work done right away. In fact, for the water heater, HMS contractor said I would have to pay $445 in "non-covered charges" related to the replacement. I had a local repair guy replace the water heater the very next day after I called his company for about $650. 2. The "repairs" their contractors do aren't repairs. They "fixed" the leaking freezer--2 weeks later it's leaking again. They "fixed" the washer -- the spin cycle "works" now but you have to spin loads 2-3 times to get the water out. Of course, every time the contractors come out, even if you have the same problem you had last time they were here, miraculously, it's now being caused by a whole different issue and you pay a new $125 deductible. 3. HMS "books" appointments with their contractors that the contractors don't even know about. So you think someone will be at your house a certain day and time, take off work to be home, and no one shows up. Call the contractor and they never heard of you. Per contractors, HMS does not have access to contractors' booking calendars, makes bogus "appointments" anyway, and this is a glitch that's been going on for years. I ended up replacing the HVAC, washer, water heater and garbage disposal out of pocket. All HMS did for me was take their policy fee, my deductibles, waste my time, severely inconvenience my family, and make me wait for repair or replacement so long that I eventually broke down and just paid for everything myself.

4 years ago

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D. Freile Alexandria, VA

I received an HMS warranty when I bought my condo. I used it because my glass electric cooktop stopped working. The technician came over said it needed a controller, after 5 weeks, he came and when he got the unit up, he realized that the unit was a fire hazard and told me that he wasn't going to put the controller in there. The company told me after an hour on the phone that they don't pay for glass tops only mechanical, I said well the whole thing is a fire hazard. After a lot of back and forth, they refused to acknowledge any warranty. So I have to buy a whole new stove. What good is this warranty? They scam you basically, because the GLASS is part of the stove and without it it doesn't work. They even told me that they wouldn't refund the cost of the controller which the technician said could be done. DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY ON HMS!

4 years ago

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Kerry Saint Charles, IL

Received a HMS Home Warranty at closing for $649.00. Two months later, oven would stop heating. Began initial claim on 7/17/19 and service provider called back immediately and told me to text him info and he'd call me right back to set up appt. Never called me back. Next day I called HMS and they called him and got him to set up appt for that day. He showed up at 5:00 pm and asked me to turn oven on for him. Guess he wasn't sure how it worked? After about 15 minutes he diagnosed it was the igniter and he would order that night, Thursday, and most likely be able to install it on Saturday. He'd call me. Never heard back on Friday or Saturday. Monday I had to call the service provider twice before he replied that he'd call the company and check on the part. Never heard back. On Tuesday, tried calling/texted no reply. Called HMS for help who did manage to get in touch with the service provider who said he was waiting to hear back from authorization from HMS. But he would call me today with status. HMS told me to give the service provider 24 hours before calling back. Never heard back. Next day, Wednesday, called HMS back again, now I'm told that the service provider never submitted the correct paperwork so nothing has been done. HMS said they just now called the service provider and also left an email to tell him to supply that info. It's now been a week since my initial claim and my part isn't even ordered yet. Thursday, I contacted my real estate agent to complain and she is able to connect with Coldwell Banker's HMS Rep who submits my info to a manager to see if something can be done. An email from the HMS Coldwell Banker Rep tells me someone will contact me. I start a search online on HMS and discover a lot of bad reviews. End up finding Consumer Affairs site and issue a complaint. Austin from HMS reaches out to me, assuring me he'd look into it. Never heard back from Austin. Friday, 7/26, I receive a call from Claims Specialist Supervisor for HMS who tells me that the service provider never submitted his info until 12:57 am that day, 8 days after he came to diagnose the issue. She admitted the service provider is supposed to supply that info within 24 hours. I had to call twice, 4 and 5 days after my initial appt to complain before HMS started trying to call/email the service provider. Of course the Service Provider all the while is acting as though it's HMS, not his fault. The Claims Specialist Supervisor agrees to next day ship the part to the Service Provider who would receive it on Saturday so he could install the part on Saturday. She told the Service Provider to contact me asap with setting up appt. I also texted the Service Provider asking the same thing, call or text me with appt for either Saturday or Monday at the latest. I then received a call on Saturday from HMS Customer Relations, asking if my oven was repaired. Nope, never heard from the Service Provider. She tried calling him, no answer so she left a message and also emailed him. Monday, 7/29, 8:25 am cst. Oven not fixed, no call from Service Provider. My Claims Specialist Supervisor contacts me and says she called Service Provider but no answer, had to leave message. After several hours she finally connected with Service Provider who says part was never delivered to him even though it was next day shipped. No mention of why he didn't call HMS or call me. She now has to track shipment. It's 12 days since my initial claim, I've cancelled appts and sat waiting just in case my repair can be done. I'm so frustrated with both the incompetence of HMS and the service provider and I'm equally doubtful this service provider will professionally repair my oven anyway. I can't find any info online regarding his repair company, there is no website, no listing, nothing available on this company. I have now contacted my own independent repair company to look into getting my oven repaired. I also now have to try and get the $649.00 back for the useless warranty. I was already told my $100 deductible is non-refundable, so I'm already out that. I would be foolish to call HMS for any future repairs. All I can do is warn others of my experience and let them decide if they want to sign up with HMS or seek another warranty company. I have also let my Coldwell Banker realtor know about my experience and that I will not be calling HMS for any future issues. There are plenty of other home warranty companies and as a consumer, if a business fails to meet what they are supposed to offer, take your money elsewhere. It's 1:30 pm Monday 7/29, still waiting for the Claims Specialist Supervisor to track part shipment. I track a lot of shipments from FedEx, UPS and USPS and it only takes me seconds to accomplish...just saying.

4 years ago

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Ally Barton Alton, IL

We had a problem with our washer/dryer, so we enrolled and the HMS enrollment employee told us the wash/dryer was covered, but there is a one-time $100 deductible. I asked her what would happen if the tech could not fix the issue, and she stated that the $100 will cover all parts and labor. HMS sent tech out to my home, but the tech never showed up or answered my numerous phone calls and text messages. The next day, the tech called to reschedule. The tech showed up, but could not fix issue. We paid said tech $100, and the tech stated that HMS would contact us to set up a time with someone else to fix it; HMS never called us. We called HMS and HMS employee told us it would be another $100 to get someone else to come out to our home (although HMS sent the wrong tech the first time.) My fiance and I talked about what we should do, and the next day, we called HMS back and explaining our issue with the washer/dryer and how we received incorrect information about the $100 deductible. The HMS employee told us that the washer/dryer was actually not covered in our plan (although we bought the best plan offered.) As we were explaining that we were told differently, she, very rudely, said that it was not her fault and hung up on us. We called back to talk to a Manager, and the Manager was apologetic, and asked us what we were trying to explain to her. After we explained it, the Manager stated they would figure something out for us, apologized again, and said they would call us back. We never received a call, another technician, or our money back. We called a local appliance company, who charged us $25.50 for the service call, and we needed a $25 part. 20 minutes and $50.50 later, the issue is fixed; after spending a week and $100 with HMS. We are having another issue with a different appliance--we are not even going to call HMS. Biggest. Joke. Ever.

4 years ago

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April Morton Knoxville, TN

My experience with HMS was terrible. I filed a claim for my AC unit and had multiple issues with the technician. First, it took about a week of different diagnoses before he determined I needed an entirely new unit. A week later, when the new unit arrived, he realized he had been sent the wrong size. Another week later (now three weeks into it), he came to install the correct unit. After charging me $1400 in labor costs upfront, he left with the AC unit still not working - claiming it didn't work because the pipe he hooked into was broken. He claimed this broken pipe must have already been there and was not his responsibility. He also called HMS that day and told them he had fixed the AC and closed my claim. In frustration, I called my own company to come out and take a look at it. They discovered that he had installed the unit to an old pipe that was out of service instead of to the actual pipe it should have gone to. After paying for the new company to re-install the unit properly, I explained the situation to the technician and to HMS and they both claimed it was not their responsibility. So long story short, I paid the technician full labor despite the fact that he improperly installed the unit. There were several other things I later noticed the company had charged me for that they did not do (they did not install a $150 new pad, did not recharge the refrigerant for the $200 they charged, etc.). The technician has still not refunded me any of this money. I received no apologies or reimbursement from either the technician or HMS. Extremely disappointed with the customer service and will not renew my policy with them.

4 years ago

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Holly Raleigh, NC

Bottom line, DON'T USE THIS COMPANY!!! My dishwasher broke so naturally I called my home warranty company, HMS. The first service provider they recommended was a busy signal. HMS tried and they too got a busy signal. They second service provider I researched online prior to calling based on my first experience. All the local reviews said stay away, the person was a scam. I expressed my concerns to HMS, but they told me I had to use the "no name" company anyway. I did. Guess what? It was a scam. The serviceman took barely 5 minutes looking at my dishwasher and said he would order the necessary parts. He never opened up any panels or anything. $100 dollars wasted. I finally got a decent company and that is when the real fun started. After the service provider sent in the parts repair list to HMS he stated HMS would call me back with next steps. 10 days passed and I never heard from HMS. Long story short, I've had to do all the follow up with this company to have any answers. Their Claims Authorization Dept sent me an email with a replacement option and dollar figure to replace my dishwasher. The replacement option is a cookie cutter rental apartment model and the dollar amount is barely a 1/3 the original cost of my dishwasher. 3 MONTHS I've been trying to resolve this with HMS. I called the number in the Claims Authorization Dept email to ask why the replacement value was so low, but the number only sends you to the original customer service department. Customer service says they don't have access or a way to contact the Claims Authorization Dept. WHAT? STAY AWAY!!!!

4 years ago

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Dong Li Ellicott City, MD

This business is totally a lie. Don't do business with them. I got a contract to cover my home for this year. And I found my jet hot spa leaking and called them for service, the agent response quickly, and come in on next week. And the 1st guy came in evaluated and asked for 100 deductible. Then later, they send another one come over, he told us because the duck work not accessible, and not covered by insurance. He can't do anything. We have to flip the jet spa up to access the bottom, so he can fix it. I asked if they can provide service, and I can pay them extra, they said they can't. So I asked 4 people to help me to flip the spa on the side, and called them in. They came in to check then said they need to wait for parts to fix it. After around one month, still no people to fix problem. We called service guy again, then they said it's not cover by insurance, they can't fix it. They just push balls back and forth, and waste my time and effort. If they did cover this, why they can't tell us in first place, and keep fooling me around to ask me to do this and that. It's ridiculous. There will be no business with this company, and I need to claim my deductible back and ask for the cost to ask help to flip the bath on the side.

4 years ago

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Ellen Lenexa, KS

HMS put my family at risk. Bottom line. They played games, are non-responsive, unreachable (though you may reach an HMS rep, they don’t have contracts with anyone able to do work unless during normal business hours... which, surprise! Is not when emergencies occur). This company left my family of four (incl. a 5-month old and 3-year old) without air conditioning for FIVE DAYS, in 90-100 degree heat, while we spent almost 4-5 hours per day on the phone trying to get someone to help. HMS is not recommended, to anyone, EVER. Be it a first time buyer or veteran, do NOT go with this company. I am a mom of two, wife, and have a full-tiyme career. A home warranty co. was supposed to make things like this easy (along with every other claim we’ve put forward through the years), but it did the complete opposite. Trust me, please!

4 years ago

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Gabrielle H.

Absolutely do not waste your time or money. Way too many bad experiences to list. 1. The company cannot seem to schedule right, they keep sending us people who cannot fix the issue, have had a couple no-shows after taking off work, one said he "didnt feel like doing the work", and other did not do a thorough job and completely lied so they did not have to replace our hot water heater that was broken (we still had to pay the $100 deductable for him too), so we had to pay out of pocket to get our own company to come out and confirm it did have a faulty piece and need to be replaced with our own money (HMS still refused to pay after several complaints). 2. The 24/7 helpline does nothing because its still impossible to get a person, and will take several days or a week for the to find a company in your area and still make you wait until that company is in service yours to call the company and schedule yourself anyways. Water has been dripping from my ceiling for almost a week now. Bottom line, the company wont send decent workers, youll waste alot of time trying to figure stuff out and wait around, youll waste alot of money on deductables and still have to hire your own people.

4 years ago

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Billy Prince George, VA

Late May or early June 2019, I called HMS because my Air Condition was not working. Repairmen arrived and determined that one of the problems was a short in the Thermostat and a new one had to be ordered. They fixed the other problem and I paid the service charge. Later I received word that I must pay a new service charge and $85.00 for the thermostat. I refused to pay either one because, under the circumstances I would pay the service charge every time parts must be ordered and my warranty clearly covers a thermostat. I will not renew with HMS. It appears that HMS is a great company UNTIL THE CONSUMER NEEDS REPAIRS!

4 years ago

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camille kenner Lorton, VA

I have had nothing but issues since day 1! The companies that they work with are scam artist and issues are never resolved. I have had better luck contacting companies on my own to resolve problems I've had with my home. I've had HMS for a year (I did not cancel due to the previous owners that I bought my condo from paying for my home warranty) and none of the companies that they have sent out were able to fix two of my toilets (I ended up calling another company myself that was able to fix it), and misdiagnosed why I would only get hot water from my shower heads (they replaced the water heater but the cold water ended up being due to old faulty shower knobs). On top of this, they sent out a company that over charged me and I'm still fighting to get my money back (this happened January 9th and it is now June 22nd). HMS said that this is between me and the company that they sent out and that they have nothing to do with the issue. Please read all review prior to mine. I wish I had. If I took the reviews seriously I would never had any of the issues that I currently have. I no longer have HMS (I let the year contract run out) but I'm still dealing with issues that continue to be unresolved due to their neglect. They are very rude. They will hang up on you. They will refuse service. They will send out companies that are ill-prepared. They will send companies that will overcharge you and you will never see a dime of the money that you are owed back. I have written numerous review and I hope that this will some how get someone's attention or prevent them from taking advantage of anyone else.

4 years ago

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Sara Waynesville, OH

1. microwave and stove claim: the service provider was able to fix the microwave but said there was nothing wrong with stove. Stove had sparked from the back panel. We also thought the door was broke and the technician agreed the door was on it's way to falling off, but HMS won't fix the oven door until it falls off. 2. water main sprung a leak in the house, flooded the basement. HMS said they did not cover plumbing. 3. excluded coverage on washer and dryer for my policy. 4. AC wouldn't work. HMS service provider came out and refrigerant was out, so $100 fee plus the other half of the cost of the freon since HMS won't cover the entire cost of freon. 5. Sump pump broke. HMS said since we replaced it with a new pump to keep our basement from flooding, they would not cover anything. Overall, for my $, HMS is about the worst home warranty coverage you can find. Easy to file a claim online, but good luck dealing with people on the phone.

4 years ago

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Jeff Independence, MO

Calling to report a claim was absolutely a waste of time, I was in hold for 30 of the 35 minutes on the phone. Each of the 3 times someone answered they asked for the same information, put me back on hold and the routine repeated. I went online reported a claim and was done in less than 5 minutes. Report claims online. Then I called the company they sent me to come inspect my HVAC unit that died, this company didn't call me until saying hey we're on our way is anyone home? And we require payment of the deductible before coming into the house. They came downstairs looked at the fan assembly which had been removed from the unit to gather pertinent information like model number, horsepower and such to look up proving for a new fan. The technicians took down that info and left about 15 minutes after arriving. I then got an email a couple days later saying because the fan wasn't installed like the manufacturer would've had it I may have tampered with it and that voided my warranty. I am out $100 as of course they are unwilling to refund the deductible even though the service provider literally did no work because I had pulled the fan out to help them...

4 years ago

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V.F. Bowie, MD

I placed a claim back in March 2019 for my washer. I have also paid my contract up for the full year. The outsourced company referred by HMS has yet to fix my washer. HMS has failed to follow up on this issue. I have had to place several calls with HMS regarding this claim. HMS has reached out to the outsourced company "Intech Appliance Solutions" Regional Manager back in May 2019 regarding this issue and the failed service job and still awaiting a response back. I am unable to get a refund on my contract because I paid the contract in full for the year. I have contacted HMS on several occasions with no regards to my situation.

4 years ago

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Rob M Alexandria, VA

We have carried HMS warranties for over 10 years to protect ourselves from a major repair. Other than a shorted wire in our clothes drier we never had a claim. Then our AC broke...HMS sent out a repairman who said we were completely out of refrigerant and that it seemed to have leaked from the rusted coil. He also said we needed a new compressor but he thought it would be covered by the warranty. A couple of days later HMS denied the claim because they said it leaked from the outside lines. After much work I was able to get the repair company to write a summary which now said the leak was the coil and the lines. He did not mention the lines when he showed me where he thought it was leaking. So even though the compressor and the coil were clearly covered in the warranty - HMS refused to honor their contract. So, we got a new AC installed on our own. The installer told us there was no way the lines leaked on the old one because they were solid copper lines which he pressure tested and reused with the new system. According to the HMS contract, disputes should be settled in small claims court. Save your money.

4 years ago

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Jay Carrboro, NC

458 people (latest rating) came to the conclusion that HMS only deserved one star. Didn't take us long to find out why. We had a problem with our refrigerator and waited all day for a repairman to not show up or even bother to call. Each time we tried to communicate with the repairman he seemed to be dismissive of us. What really surprised us was the way the customer service reps at HMS dealt with us when contacted; Hanging up on us, giving us the wrong information, and more than once suggesting that we had done something wrong in the way of following protocol for setting up the appointment. We have 8 mos. to go in our 1yr. agreement. In the meantime, we will try to get by with the issues we encounter while making every effort to warn everyone we know and or meet to avoid HMS because like a good vacuum because they suck.

4 years ago

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Hope

It was suggested of my Realtor that I take a home warranty at time of purchase of my home. I have been in my 25 year old home for 2 years and have paid HMS during that time. In my third year my rate which was the same suddenly went up 30%. At the same time my central AC unit died. I live in the South and AC is a necessity. When I called HMS they sent a technician out and followed up with 3-4 text messages to confirm his arrival. Additionally someone called to confirm they had a record of the claim. Now here's where it went down hill. When I asked the caller what was covered she indicated that removal cost and refitting of a new unit isn't covered but if I had taken the premium option it might have been. She said the premium option was minimal cost each month. I asked approximately what the costs would be for the new A/C work to which she stated on average $150 - $200 dollars and to call if I had other questions. 4 days later no word from anyone. When I call her two days in a row she did not respond. I called the main customer service and they indicated that the unit was shipped and to call the service provider. He was more transparent and indicated some items were not covered but did not have a listing as it was based on my coverage. When I finally got the estimate after they shipped the unit the final cost to me was well over $1200. Why the $%^& did I pay two years out of pocket and now a 30% increase in premium when I'm paying out this kind of money. They did not provide me any options had I seen the estimate up front I would have gotten other quotes. I did not get to select which brand unit I was getting. I feel lied to and that the warranty is a misrepresentation. If you put $50 away a month you can pay these things out when they happen instead of paying a company that doesn't cover costs of repairs. I will highly recommend to my realtor that she not use HMS. Based on reviews other companies cover more. I also will consider ending my contract with them.

4 years ago

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Elizabeth Murfreesboro, TN

Do not buy a home warranty from them. My air conditioning went out April 11. I filmed a claim online that night. It is currently May 4th and it still has not been fixed. It took 1 week and 3 HVAC companies to finally get someone out to my home to diagnose the issue. After that, no one placed the order for the part that needed replacing for 2 weeks. Then when they went to place the order for the part, it was back ordered. Now they have to have their "research team" find the part. The company they hired to do the work will no longer answer my calls. When I call the HMS people, they offer no other solutions other than just wait. So here I am, going on 4 weeks later, with it being almost 90 degrees outside with no air conditioning. RIDICULOUS. They have not been helpful at all. Do not buy a warranty from them! If I could give 0 stars, I would. I WILL NOT be renewing my home warranty, and I can't wait to cancel the current one I have with them.

4 years ago

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Jesse Yeary Cincinnati, OH

My wife and I have a HMS warranty on our house. Bathtubs with jets are covered under our policy. When a guest turned on the jets the tub leaked. We contacted HMS to get someone to work on the tub. They assigned a plumber to work on it and when we contacted the plumber they said they don't work on jetted bathtubs. We have had 5 other plumbers assigned to us by HMS since then and when we call them to schedule the work they all say the same thing. They don't work on bathtubs with jets. HMS is supposed to be "making homeownership easy" but it feels more like they are making it a lot of work. HMS should know who works on jetted tubs before they assign them. It's been 2 weeks that we have had a tub that isn't usable and a hole in our ceiling. We tried to get HMS to just give us the money for the parts that are covered so we could replace the tub with one that doesn't have jets but they won't do that either. We have had issues with HMS in the past. They are generally slow to get things done but 2 weeks is ridiculous. There is also a lot of fine pint in their contracts with things they don't cover so while it sounds like you have a warranty and don't have to worry if anything breaks that isn't actually the case. For example although "plumbing" is covered that doesn't include the actual faucet so if that starts leaking you have to pay for it out of pocket unless you start adding on expensive extras to the base warranty package. When it comes to an HMS home warranty I would say "Caveat emptor" "let the buyer beware".

4 years ago

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Dave Reading, PA

In the purchase of our new home my wife and I were extended a “home warranty” through HMS via the sellers . We had our frig and dishwasher go – and the claim process through HMS is ridiculous. It’s beyond a run around – “researching” comparable models…never saw a dime until my realtor called them and threatened not to use them in any new home offerings. HMS offered us $300 for a dishwasher and $700 for a refrigerator (It was a Sub Zero). We took the money figuring something was better than nothing – now our main electrical panel went – claim is allegedly approved – but haven’t seen a dime in WEEKS – nor heard from their third party. Paid the $100 deductible and my basement smells like burnt wires and I can’t sleep at night worrying our house is going to burn down. We have a 5 year-old son! This Company is a COMPLETE FRAUD!!! AVOID, AVOID, AVOID!!

4 years ago

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Sherry North East, MD

The A & W Heating and Cooling guy they sent out came in a rusted out van with no decals on it; it was very unprofessional. He told me that I had and air flow issue, maybe my ducts collapsed (I have metal ducts). Also had a wire loose that he put back. He told me to have the duct work looked at because that was not covered with the warranty and that he would come back. Before he left I asked him if he was going to give me any paperwork on what he had done and diagnosed. He said he would email them and I should get them within an hour that same day. I never received anything from him. Fast forward, a week later I had a another company check my duct work. SURPRISE EVERYTHING WAS FINE WITH THE DUCT WORK!! They checked my unit and said the compressor was not running. Which A & W Heating never said anything about to me. So I tried to get the other company for my warranty claim. When I called to switch it over, they said the first technician said it was installed improperly. Which he also never said anything about to me and also the reason they denied my claim. HMS Home Warranty is nothing but a scam and they will make up a reason to deny claim.

4 years ago

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EBenson Cockeysville, MD

I called HMS to report that the door on my microwave door would not open when you pushed the button. They notified a local service provider who contacted me and set up a date to come out. When the service guy showed up he said that HMS will not cover faulty latches on doors, so he looked inside and noticed paint peeling off the inside roof of the unit. He said, maybe they'll cover that. several days later I received an email from HMS stating that HMS will not be covering the repair because they don't cover faulty door latches. How convenient! I'm livid!!! I paid like $600 for this home warranty service and described in detail what was happening to the microwave when I called them. They still sent out a service guy, who I had to pay $100 to and now they won't cover it. Total scam!!!

4 years ago

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Mk WAUGH Crofton, MD

If I could give negative stars I would. Overpriced and terrible service. They use awful service providers - one they sent to fix our dishwasher kept making appointments and not showing up. HMS didn’t care. The repair company finally said they couldn’t repair and told us they’d file that with HMS and we should buy a new one and HMS would reimburse us a portion. Guy never filed report - we called HMS 5x — never did they take notes ... no supervisor would call us back. We lost our deductible and cost of dishwasher And mostly they didn’t care about how this company they forced us to use was representing them so poorly. I’m going to file as many complaints and poor reviews as I can to hopeful keep anyone else from going through this.

4 years ago

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Ryan Perrineville, NJ

I had a hot water heater break on a Saturday in January. Called HMS and they couldn't get anyone out until Tuesday! Plumber comes out and is completely clueless as to what the issue is. The water heater uses a wall vent with an exhaust fan and he keeps claiming the issue is with the vent, not the 26 year old water heater. He was on the phone with HMS Authorization department for an hour trying different things. Finally, they want me to call my gas company to come test the fan before determining the water heater needs to be replaced. Gas company comes out and checks everything, of course it's all fine. They say "The water heater is bad and needs to be replaced." I call HMS back with this information and I am told the claim was already denied, BEFORE I CALLED BACK WITH THE INFORMATION FROM THE GAS COMPANY THAT HMS REQUESTED!. The reason for the denial was a "modification" was made. I asked who determined a modification was made since the plumber that was sent knew nothing of what he was looking at. They said they didn't know. I said I have a written statement from my gas company that there is nothing wrong with the exhaust fan and that the water heater is bad. HMS didn't care. I was told it was denied and there was nothing they could do. I pay premiums for a warranty and when it's time to use it, I'm denied and they blatantly lie about why I'm denied. That's the definition of fraud. I've called customer service to cancel my contract and requested a refund of premiums paid for this year. I've paid for something that is worthless and a straight up scam. Save your money.

5 years ago

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Sean Brewer Midlothian, IL

Please look somewhere else when using this company. The communication is poor, the accountability for mistakes is poor, and without looking at the small print you will pay even more than you expect. This past week, my furnace went out and I called and made a claim. I was immediately connected to an HVAC company without talking to a real person, everything was automated. I set a date for the repair guys to come out and then I waited. Within two days the repairs were done. Do not get me wrong the repair guys were very knowledgeable and helpful but throughout this whole situation, I have not talked to HMS ONCE! I was not contacted for a consult, a summary, or any details to what is covered and what isn't covered in this situation. By the end of the week, I was stuck with a $1200 bill that was dropped on me because HMS covered barely anything. I got in touch with a Customer Service "Supervisor" and was basically told that they called the wrong number but if I looked at the book it would show they do not cover the modifications that the repair guys needed to do. By the end of the conversation, I was told that they can't do anything about the bill and was told they can send me another Warranty book in the mail. PLEASE DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME/MONEY ON THIS FARSE OF A WARRANTY COMPANY. I WILL NOT USE THIS SERVICE AGAIN

5 years ago

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Jay Jordan Milwaukee, WI

Recently had a outside waterline that failed on my property, good thing I purchased outside waterline coverage and the Premier Upgrade Package (So I thought). Called into HMS to get a claim started not only were they assuring they would get someone out after verifying I had coverage they assured all I had to pay was my 100 dollar deductible. Contractor shows up takes my 100 dollar deductible and says they'll get back to me. A week goes by I hear nothing, so I call HMS they say contractor denied my claim. I respond with he just showed up to my door and asked for deductible and didn't bother with anything else regarding my claim. After two months of me calling in and explaining how this is not only a bad business model but this contractor literally came out collected 100 bucks and left how is that fare, they (Megan continued with these our qualified professionals so they wouldn't do this. I asked did this professional give you a reason why the representative responds with yes " contractor says your underground water lines pipe is all good" - meanwhile my front yard to the curb continues to flood all while I wait. It got to the point neighbors complained to the city due to the water that spewed into the streets and surrounding yards. After going back and forth on my coverage with HMS about outside waterline coverage they finally realized I was covered ( which I knew because I bought the coverage)and the problem was not going to away. I guess they sell the coverage in hopes of no one actually using it and if they do we'll work our way out of it so they thought. Finally a contractor which I had do the work fixed the issue and HMS agreed to reimburse me so they said. Sent in all invoices scope of work proof of payment all the things they requested which I can only do via email to [email protected], No hope of speaking on the phone with an agent to walk you through this. After almost a year I get a case manger regarding my reimbursement. Remind you, they have contractor invoice - Proof of Payment - itemized break down of parts used - report on water line failure. They have all this which they request. After being told that they now are not going to cover they come back with well we can recover 800 for the part of the pipe that was fixed. I reply with where in the invoice does it say part of the pipe was 800 they then tell me it doesn't this is just what we have decided to pay. the 39 ft pipe which in my warranty states is covered up to 500ft cost 5000 to repair. After I demand a detailed explanation and finally get one after a 3 hour phone call common sense comes into HMS's realty, Chris an agent I spoke seen what I sent in from the repair and the contractor makes sense with what my coverage is suppose to cover. Finally the BS stops and I am promised a reimbursement I have yet to receive. I am now 1 year 2 months and 3 hours into this whole ordeal. Trust me you will have to fight hard to get to case management and even then a fight. HMS not worth the trouble I give this company a -5, yes I mean negative.

5 years ago

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Brad Beers Springboro, OH

The first contractor that was sent to our house was absolutely incompentent. They literally had one star on Google reviews and "F" BBB rating. The fact that you would even associate with a company like that is horrific. That company was either 100% incompetent, or 100% fraudulent - either way, not a good look for HMS. He couldn't even remember which type of refrigerant my system had. His initial diagnosis was that I had a system leak - confirmed by the tag on my system that said a dye test had been performed six months earlier. Then, he called HMS and decided to backtrack, saying the system simply needed cleaned *eye roll*. Either the refrigerant was low, or it was not, and that should have been easily verified. The contractor refused to show me readings or give me numbers to verify anything, so I refused to sign anything and asked him to leave my house. I had a separate company come out, at my own $100 expense, to clean the system out. Obviously, that didn't fix the problem b/c the problem was a lack of refrigerant due to a leak, not a dirty system, and any reputable contractor could've discovered that within 5 mins with a simple system check. Then, you guys were supposed to send another company out to diagnos (again), and the guy no call/no showed me. I had someone sitting at my house for over two hours, with a 1/2 hour drive there and back, waiting for this guy who never showed up b/c his van apparently broke down. Even if true, a phone call would've been nice... I finally got you to send out a reputable contractor who properly diagnosed and repaired the issue, but then we experienced over $900 in "uncovered expenses" which were actually just routine items that need to be done in every instance when an air conditioner or heat pump have to be replaced, but which you didn't want to cover to save money. In order to get all this done, I literally spent dozens over hours on the phone with HMS "customer service" agents -arguing over sending me crappy contractors, incorrect diagnoses, not covering 100% of the replacement costs like stated in the paperwork I signed, etc. Horrible customer service, horrible service experience with the first and second providers, and cost me an extra $1,000 out of pocket than it should have! Will never recommend HMS unless I get a $1,000 refund back for all the hassle.

5 years ago

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Christie Hall Spring Hope, NC

FINAL UPDATE November 19 - I left the original review on every single social media site I could. A CR associate reached out to me after I posted this review on Facebook. Although apologetic, she didn’t offer much help. She said she would contact me the next day. November 20 - No call from Christine. Four hours after the stated time, I called their general help number. They stated different dates than below and again stated they had no timeframe. I asked to speak to a manager. She kept saying there was a long wait time and asked if I wanted to schedule a callback. (Key for: I work in a call center and am worried about my call times. Please get off my phone.) I made her wait over an hour for a manager to get on the phone. That went nowhere but she did mark my case as an emergency because temperatures were below 45. (Wow why didn’t y’all time me this a month ago?) The parts were schedulued to be sent to my house and nobody told me. I complained about Christine and she called less than hour later. Again, apologetic. November 22, Thanksgiving - my house got down to 44 so I stayed overnight at my parents’ house. It was nice having a warm bed. November 23 - All of the parts arrive at my house. November 26 - My service company arrives around 3PM to install the parts that HMS sent to us. After 15 minutes, he knocks on the door and tells me that the service sent the completely wrong part (and the other two were correct). He is fuming at this point, but apologetic on behalf of HMS. I tell him it's not his fault at all. Although not protocol, he tells me he's going to the next town over to get the correct part and that we're going to have working heat tonight. Music to my ears. He shows up an hour-ish later and my heat is working within minutes. Finally. 5 weeks to the day that they originally came out. November 27 - We are discovering everything that the cold has affected. Our iMac has condensation on the inside of the screen, and probably the casing as well. We have moss growing in the parts of our house that stay dark (closets, baseboards, behind picture frames). I'm concerned my iMac won't work, and that I'm probably breathing in god knows what because of the moss. Christine tells me to contact my home insurance. Because, you know, it's their fault that I was out of heat for well over a month. ------------------------------- Original review: October 21 - Our heater stops heating. We file a claim with HMS and the service tech is scheduled to arrive the next day. October 22 - Tech arrives and quickly figures out the issue. Control board and high limit switch bad. They need to consult with HMS. We pay $100 deductible. Didn’t hear much from the service company. I was constantly checking in every few days on the status of parts and was told each time, “We don’t know when the parts will come in.” Kind of weird and we’re starting to question the service company. October 31 - Received an email from service company saying they were coming to the house that day to repair the heater. Sweet. I don’t even need to be home. They install the parts and another part seizes. Yet again we don’t hear much and every call is answered with, “We don’t know when the parts will come in.” It’s getting in the 30s at night and not getting over 50 during the day. The house is getting cold. November 12 - I’m sick of hearing “We don’t know anything” so I call HMS. Takes an act of Congress to get an actual person to answer, but I finally speak to a human. They say, “The parts were scheduled to arrive on November 5.” I tell them I have an email from November 7 stating, “We haven’t heard anything yet”. HMS personally calls the service company and they confirm they never received anything from HMS. So HMS tells me they’ll put out a ticket to have them track down the part (instead of overnighting another???). It’s Veterans Day so unsure of how far they’ll get with shipping it. I’m feeling confident it will be resolved soon. The house stays at a constant 50 now. November 14 - Haven’t heard anything from anybody so I give HMS a call. This lady isn’t as nice as the other was. She acts like it’s silly that I’m calling to find out the status of them finding a part (sorry maybe the cold is getting to me now!). Who knew tracking numbers were so unheard of. Obviously they don’t know anything except “The status has been changed to in progress so someone’s looking at it”. She tells me to call back in 24-48 hours “or you can call back every day, it don’t matter”. Great customer service!!! I’m starting to see why the service company always said, “We don’t know”. November 19 - I call to see if they found that mysterious part yet. This lady says it arrived at the service company’s address on November 2 (???) so they should be contacting me soon. Two weeks later? What? November 2? You just told me last week it was supposed to arrive November 5! This place is seriously messed up. It has now been FOUR WEEKS AND COUNTING that I have NO heat in my new home and they don’t seem to care. I would have shelled out a few hundred bucks weeks ago if I knew I would be staring at my breath right now, over a month later.

5 years ago

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Kevin Bays Corydon, IN

I have had an HMS home warranty since 7/2010 it is now 11/2018 and I just had my first claim. My furnace has stopped working. I am going on 3 weeks now with no heat. The wind-chill today is going to be 15 F and I have no heat. I filed the claim three weeks ago. Last week I finally get approved for a new furnace. The repair company they contracted is charging me $1700 to do the install even though the warranty says I have a $100 deductible. So here is how the scam is working. When the contractor told me the amount I would have to pay I asked for an itemized quote. Instead of providing the quote they gave me a military discount (even though I am not in the military) this set off the red flag. So I started to inquire more. There was a charge for $150 for a permit fee. When inquiring about the fee they then said this is an error there are no permits needed at my location. So without seeing a quote they already reduce my fees around $400. I felt like I was getting taken for a ride so I called HMS and here is where the disappointment really begins. I called HMS and had to go to the sales department and ask to be transferred to the claims department. When inquiring about using another contractor of my choosing I was told I could request a claims credit which I can receive the funds for and use with a contractor of my choosing. They told me it would take a couple days. This is a difficult time for me to get off work so I decided to go with the original company HMS chose. But I left the request for a claims credit open just in case. Next, disappoint the contractor HMS choose was supposed to be at my house on the Wed before Thanksgiving at 8 AM. By 10 AM I called them to see how long they will be. The installer said another company they do work for did not have heat at their KFC store and that took priority over my house. But he promised he would be there in a couple hours. Around 2 PM I called again and he said he would be there at 4 PM and then I call them again at 4 PM and he said he would be there at 6 PM and at 6 PM he said sorry can’t do it. Okay, fair enough well I decided to check with HMS on Friday after Thanksgiving regarding the claims credit and it still was not ready. The contractor still has not installed a furnace. Now, here I am on the Monday after Thanksgiving. I tried to contact the contractor HMS chose and they said they would call me right back. An hour later I called them again and they did not answer, repeat, repeat, repeat. So I call HMS and asked about the claims credit. By the way, had to go to sales and ask to be transferred to claims. HOORAY, I am told I have a claims credit and I can now go to another contractor of my choosing. Excited I then learn it is for $684. That is not a typo it is Six Hundred and Eighty-Four dollars. At this point, I am completely disappointed. I asked this cannot be serious I have been paying for this warranty for over 8 years and this is all you cover with your $100 deductible. Yes totally serious and the lady on the phone with me could not give a you know what. 3 Weeks, no heat and no hope in sight. Can’t get the HMS contractor on the phone and HMS will not cover a 1/6 the cost of a replacement. DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY IT IS A TOTAL RIP OFF!!!!

5 years ago

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Rob G Potomac, MD

My HVAC claim was initiated in May and is still not resolved. My home has been without air conditioning all summer and now without heat as temperatures dip below freezing. I have taken 3 days off work to wait for a HMS Home Warranty service provider that never showed up. I've spent a week attempting to resolve the issue on the phone but can never reach an individual authorized to make a decision. I have been promised a call from "authorizations" and have never gotten one (even though there is a need to verify my contact information every time I call - which has been daily for a week). I don't know what HMS Home Warranty considers an appropriate response time but it appears they are attempting to wait out the clock until my warranty expires. It also appears the business model is to frustrate customers until they are fatigued and find another solution to the problem. I do not recommend this company.

5 years ago