Sears Home Warranty vs American Home Shield
Sears Home Warranty and American Home Shield are both well-known names in the home warranty industry. Both offer conventional plan options that cover basic appliances and systems, with some add-on coverage or extra benefits available.
Sears Home Warranty reviews are primarily negative, with 96 percent of reviews being 1 star. American Home Shield reviews contain a range of sentiment, but approximately 71 percent of reviews are 4 or 5 stars.
Overview
Sears Home Warranty
3
$75
N/A
N/A
10 Years
American Home Shield
3
$75
Annual
No
53 Years
Ratings
Sears Home Warranty
American Home Shield
Reviews
Sears Home Warranty
Reviews
American Home Shield
Reviews for Sears Home Warranty
Helpful Favorable Review
Barry Timmons
December 5th, 2022
Fort Worth, TX
DETAILS
Have a microwave oven combo GE profile. Sears has tried to fix microwave continuously.Time wise was reasonable from Sears.Could not repair microwave so the replaced my whole combo unit with a 4200.00 GE profile built in. Plus delivery and installation.Awesome
Helpful Critical Review
Lauri Karr-Carpenter
July 20th, 2024
DETAILS
I've been without a working refrigerator for over 4 weeks. 2 out of three parts have arrived. Waiting on a simple filter which has not even shipped from the warehouse yet. Sears will not put in the parts they have nor left us get the filter from Home Depot and put it in. We are in limbo. We've spent a couple hundred dollars on ice and resorted to buying a mini fridge .
Reviews for American Home Shield
Helpful Favorable Review
Sachin Rana
July 17th, 2024
DETAILS
Review Source
It has been great choice for us in terms of getting security against wrong happenings , since our neighborhood is not a good one . I consistently worried about the security of my home items but American home shield really solved the problem of getting robbed or things being broken. Technicians are well trained and provides excellent support too.
Helpful Critical Review
Gail Jackson
July 24th, 2024
DETAILS
Do I have to give them a star?? HATE these guys - customer service has gone to hell. In the last 25 years there, service has gotten so bad. 1 - Give your service call to contractors that DON'T call you. Had to use someone else 2 - Give you a quote for pay out and lie. Went from $2,000 to $980 3 - Pay the upfront service call of $100 yet it seems they don't cover the cost of the service call. I pay monthly fees plus the service call and I'm still having to pay extra. 4 - Your customer service reps who answer the phone are reading from a script. Do not listen to the problem.
The Final Word
Let’s take a closer look at how Sears Home Warranty and American Home Shield compare:
Service Fee
Home Warranty Cost
Contract
Basic Coverage
Combo Coverage
Add-On Coverage
Build-Your-Own Coverage
Waiting Period
24/7 Claims Service
Customer Reviews
Sears Home Warranty vs. American Home Shield: Which is Better?
Service Fee (Winner: Sears and American Home Shield)
Sears Home Warranty service fees range from $75 to $100 depending on your plan and appliance/system in need of repair.
American Home Shield has a service fee of $75, $100, or $125. It is worth noting that American Home Shield also has specific fees for rekeying or HVAC tune-ups — rekeying has a fee of $100 and HVAC tune-ups have a fee of $75.
Home Warranty Cost (Winner: N/A)
Neither Sears Home Warranty nor American Home Shield outline plan costs on their website. To view pricing, you will need to provide your address so that you can receive a more accurate price estimation based on your location.
Contract (Winner: American Home Shield)
Sears Home Warranty contract lengths are unclear, but the standard American Home Shield home warranty contract is 12 months.
Basic Coverage (Winner: American Home Shield)
Sears Home Warranty and American Home Shield both offer basic systems and appliances plans. Based on coverage alone, American Home Shield would be the better choice because its coverage options are more extensive, even for its basic plans.
American Home Shield’s ShieldGold™ plan covers everything that is included in the ShieldSilver™ plan. Sears Home Warranty plans cover either systems or appliances — both are covered only in its combo coverage plan option.
Systems
|
Sears Home Warranty Systems Plan |
American Home Shield ShieldSilver™ Plan |
|
|
Air Conditioner |
✔ |
✔ |
|
Heating |
✔ |
✔ |
|
Plumbing |
✔ |
✔ |
|
Water Heater |
✔ |
✔ |
|
Water Softener |
✔ |
✔ |
|
Faucets |
✔ |
✔ |
|
Toilets |
✔ |
✔ |
|
Garbage Disposal |
✔ |
✔ |
|
Electrical System |
✔ |
✔ |
|
Ceiling Fans |
✔ |
✔ |
|
Garage Door Opener |
✔ |
✔ |
|
Ductwork |
✘ |
✔ |
|
Built-in Exhaust, Vent & Attic Fans |
✘ |
✔ |
|
Main Breaker and Fuse Box |
✘ |
✔ |
|
Doorbells and Chimes |
✘ |
✔ |
|
Interior Electrical Lines |
✘ |
✔ |
|
Whirlpool Tub and Motor Components |
✘ |
✔ |
Appliances
Note: The American Home Shield ShieldGold™ plan covers all systems included in the ShieldSilver™ plan above as well as the following appliances.
|
Sears Home Warranty Appliance Plan |
American Home Shield ShieldGold™ Plan |
|
|
Refrigerator |
✔ |
✔ |
|
Dishwasher |
✔ |
✔ |
|
Clothes Washer |
✔ |
✔ |
|
Clothes Dryer |
✔ |
✔ |
|
Oven/Cooktop/Range |
✔ |
✔ |
|
Built-In Microwave |
✔ |
✔ |
|
Range Exhaust Fan |
✔ |
✔ |
|
Built-In Trash Compactor |
✔ |
✔ |
|
Instant Hot/Cold Water Dispensers |
✘ |
✔ |
Combo Coverage (Winner: American Home Shield)
The Sears Home Warranty Whole Home Plan covers everything in both the systems and appliance plans.
The American Home Shield ShieldPlatinum™ plan covers everything in the ShieldGold™ plan (which includes everything in the ShieldSilver™ plan) as well as roof leaks. The ShieldPlatinum™ plan also includes a free HVAC tune-up, unlimited AC refrigerant, and coverage for code violations and permits.
Add-On Coverage (Winner: Sears and American Home Shield)
Sears Home Warranty and American Home Shield offer the following add-on coverage options to any of their plans:
|
Sears Home Warranty |
American Home Shield |
|
|
Pool or Spa |
✔ |
✔ |
|
Septic Tank Pump |
✔ |
✔ |
|
Stand-Alone Freezer |
✔ |
✘ |
|
Sump Pump |
✔ |
✘ |
|
Well Pump |
✔ |
✔ |
In addition to these add-on options, American Home Shield also offers an Electronics Protection Plan that can be added to any plan, providing protection for all home electronic and entertainment products and systems.
Build-Your-Own Coverage (Winner: N/A)
Neither Sears Home Warranty nor American Home Shield offer a build-your-own coverage option — an option offered by other home warranty companies. Build-your-own home warranty plans can offer increased flexibility in price and coverage.
Waiting Period (Winner: N/A)
There is typically a 30-day waiting period before service can be requested after signing a contract with a home warranty company.
24/7 Claims Service (Winner: Sears and American Home Shield)
Both Sears Home Warranty and American Home Shield have a 24/7 claims service. Claims can be submitted online or over the phone.
Customer Reviews (Winner: American Home Shield)
Customer sentiment surrounding home warranty companies typically varies, with a larger amount of negative reviews than you might see in other industries.
Sears Home Warranty reviews are overwhelmingly negative and 96 percent of reviews are 1 star, whereas 71 percent of American Home Shield reviews are 4 or 5 stars.
Common Sears Home Warranty complaints include the following:
- Unresponsive customer service
- Frequent claim denials
- Difficulties in canceling policies
With 19,000+ reviews, customer sentiment surrounding American Home Shield varies, but the majority of reviews are 4 or 5 stars and highlight the following:
- Prompt claim response
- Professional service technicians
- Excellent customer service
Sears Home Warranty vs. American Home Shield: Which is Better?
While Sears Home Warranty does offer conventional coverage plans and competitive add-on options, the difficulty of working with the company expressed by many customers may be cause for concern. Thus, based on customer reviews and available products and services, we would recommend American Home Shield for your home warranty needs.
If you’d like to make the best comparison possible, we would recommend carefully reading customer reviews and weighing your home warranty needs.
