First American Home Warranty Customer Service

Being a homeowner is expensive, so it’s only reasonable that every person wants to protect themselves as much as possible. Home warranties are advertised as a type of service that can help homeowners save a lot of money. As those policies are supposed to pay for home appliance and system repairs, this makes sense.

Of course, there’s always talk about frauds in the industry that’s so reminiscent of insurance. In fact, many a lawsuit has been filed against home warranty companies that didn’t honor their promises. But consumers can avoid that kind of risk by working with industry veterans with good reputations.

First American Home Warranty Customer Service

First American Home Warranty (FAHW) is one such example as it’s currently the second biggest and most trusted provider in the country. But before buying a plan from this provider, you need to do some research.

Two things you need to understand are:

Whether you need a home warranty at all.
If First American offers the kind of plan you need.

How Home Warranties Work and Who Needs Them

People who can benefit from a home warranty the most are homeowners and homebuyers who want to avoid accumulating big appliance and home system repair bills. The “warranty” is a type of service contract that will cover the cost of repairs with certain limitations.

It’s those limitations that determine whether a home warranty is something that you need. Factors that affect this the most are:

The age and condition of home systems and appliances.
It’s usually recommended to purchase warranty coverage for older homes. However, you should know that “pre-existing issues” are the most common reason for claim denial. Therefore, covering old and failing appliances is a mistake as you’ll only waste your money on a plan that won’t actually pay for their repairs. Instead, it’s more reasonable to cover new or reasonably new items that are expensive. That’s because such things would be expensive to repair.
The terms and conditions of the plan.
Every home warranty plan will have a maximum coverage limit. This means that there’s a cap for how much it will pay. You need to research the average costs of appliance repairs to determine if that limit is sufficient to actually save you money. Bear in mind that these plans also have service call fees. FAHW has a fee of $75 per call and the majority of other companies have similar or up to $100. You also need to make sure that the terms and conditions of the plan are reasonable and transparent. This way, you can be sure that the provider won’t use the fine print to wiggle out of payments.
The coverage.
Home warranty plans are often fixed and inflexible. Therefore, you need to find one that covers exactly what you need. The extent of the coverage will determine the cost of the plan itself. Also, don’t forget to cross-check with your insurance and any other types of coverage you have.

You should consider all three of these factors and analyze the average cost of a home warranty plan (about $400 a year). Then, do the necessary calculations to see if using the coverage can save you money in the long run. If so, start looking for the right type of plan.

It’s at this point that you can pay attention to First American Home Warranty. It’s not only because First American reviews are excellent, but also the fact that this company has very good terms and conditions that make it stand out in the industry.

Why First American Home Warranty Is Considered Trustworthy

When choosing a home warranty company, the most important thing to consider is trustworthiness. In this industry, trustworthiness is determined by the analysis of the contract’s terms and conditions and the provider’s reputation.

For reputation, you should start checking consumer forums, like Yelp and Google Reviews. You should also check the Better Business Bureau as having a B and higher rating there is one of the hallmarks of a good home warranty provider.

FAHW has a solid B+ BBB rating and 1459 customer reviews. That alone makes the provider one of the most trustworthy in the industry as the majority of such businesses aren’t even accredited with the BBB.

FAHW offers only two plans, Basic and Premium. The first covers only basic home appliances (Cooktop, oven, dishwasher, garbage disposal, etc.) and is the cheapest. The Premium plan covers all the same appliances with extras and most important home systems (plumbing, heating, and more). There is also an Optional Coverage feature that allows including items like pool and spa equipment into the plan. All in all, the coverage offered by these plans is comprehensive.

In regards to terms and conditions, FAHW has the advantage over the majority of other providers due to:

It allows for the plan cancellation within 30 days before renewal, with a fee of $50.
It allows for a free second opinion (only 25% of the industry does that).
The plan activates 30 days after signing.
The contractor will arrive within 48 hours (in non-emergency situations) and as soon as possible in emergencies.
The company can be contacted in many ways, including social media, phone call, and online chat. Customer service is available 24/7.

Positive reviewers usually commend the quality and friendliness of customer service. Many also praised good and timely work by contractors. The most common complaint among those with negative opinions is the delays in the arrival of contractors.

Will a Home Warranty Save You Money?

Home warranty coverage is similar to insurance in the way that it’s also a plan that covers the possibility of a loss. This means that you might not need to pay for any repairs during the year. However, should an emergency happen, this plan might be a major help as it will cover up to $2,000 (sometimes more) of the repair costs.

As appliances and home systems become more sophisticated, the chance of expensive repairs increases. Therefore, home warranty coverage makes a smart investment for homeowners who have those nice appliances and home systems. However, if you want to use the plan to replace your old and crumbling appliances, you will definitely fail.

Think of how much it’ll cost you to pay for home repairs and the calculations will show you if a home warranty makes sense. If it does, be sure to buy a plan from a trustworthy provider with a good reputation and a high BBB rating.