Choice Home Warranty
reviews and complaints

On March 19, I purchased a 3-year plan for $1638 of which I owe $338 (June 25).
On May 4, I contacted CHW because my air conditioner wasn't working. They sent out Blakes Heating and Air, which no one I have asked has heard of. On May 10, I was told the unit was not covered. They offered to "help" me by ordering a new unit for me at their cost. They ordered the cheapest unit available and charged me 1000. They said it would take 2 weeks to get the unit in and have it installed. I made numerous calls to CHW that I have documented. All of the calls I was on hold for at a minimum of 27 mins, then disconnected. This went on for a week. I finally was able to get through and I was told that the unit came in on May 18, but was returned because they sent a TEXT to Blakes Heating and Air and never heard back. They never called them. They never called me to let me know the unit was in, nothing. They sent the unit back over 3 weeks ago, but never refunded my 1000! I need air. They told me to find someone to install the unit and call them back. No one is willing to install a unit purchased by someone else. Now I am on hold once again because they can't find another tech to replace the unit. This is ridiculous. Blakes heating and Air apparently closed. I have 2 elderly parents with Dementia and Parkinsons and a baby at home It is 95 degrees out. We need air. They just told me they would find a new tech and send them back out for measurements and order the unit again. But now I may have to pay more for installation. I don't have more! I am looking at at least another 10-14 days.

DO NOT PURCHASE a home warranty plan through this company. They will only cover small dollar items and they find excuses not to cover high dollar items ie. evaporator coil for out AC unit. Their reasoning for not covering is because it was rusted. Duh...it's metal vs. moisture, it is going to rust. We switched to them to save money but in the end we had to spend more money which totally defeats the purpose of paying premiums to this company. I want to save someone else the frustration, do not throw your money down the drain with this company. Signed, Disappointed in TN

day was Saturday early 3 toilet and kitchen have problem I call costumer service choice don't answer the telephone because closed, and I communicate by internet yes help me send a plumb until 5-29-18 Tuesday too late. I have to use neighbors and then when the pluming came I helped him I got on the roof and I paid $45 for visitation and another $45 he said cause its extra work. But I don't know what the guarantee is gonna help me with the plumbing company? They came 3 days late and they made me pay extra money.

On 05-10-2018, came home and realized my downstairs was extremely warm. Called Choice Warranty and they scheduled a tech from B and B Heating and Air to come out on on the following Wednesday to diagnose and fix the problem. The tech came out and diagnosed my problem (condenser and coil leaking) and the unit needed replacement. He indicate he would be submitting this information to Choice Warranty.

On 05-29-2018 another company was dispatched to my home as we did not hear any additional information from the first vendor. Today (05-30-2018, Choice Warranty called me and informed me they would not replace my unit. They stated since both the coil and condenser needed replacement I have not maintained my unit. I explained to them my unit operating since 2004 and we have had our unit maintained. I was also advised sediment was blocking and I could submit additional documentation and they would review to determine if the unit would be covered.

I am at whits end as customer service appears to look for reasons to deny claims. Could we not pursue a class action lawsuit against this company as they are deceptively advertising their services and ripping people off.

Oh the other vendor advised he could replace my unit tomorrow for $5000.00. I wonder if the vendor and CHW are working in cahoots. So unethical

I called, waited 15 minutes on hold, spoke to a representative who hung up on me.

How can Choice Home Warranty deny paying the local merchant you recommended and defraud us out of the Warranty protection we paid for?

This is a criminal action you = > Choice Warranty have taken and we will notify the police and state authorities for mis selling and fraudulent actions.

Talbot A. Stark

This warranty company is a complete scam and should be shut down in my opinion. I switched from my previous warranty company because Choice Home Warranty had high reviews on numerous consumer sites. I don't know what those ratings are based on but they certainly are not accurate. The sales rep was completely misleading when he assured me that not only would CHW cover by my current warranty plan but for a senior citizen reduced amount. We began having problems with our HVAC unit and after 5 calls spanning over an 8 month period it still was not fixed. The techs show up then go back to their cars and call CHW. Then they leave. You hear nothing back; the online issues are never updated. They claim to have made repairs yet the unit continues to not perform properly. Our electric bills substantially increased, pipes froze and we had to use space heaters in all the rooms. The last visit we finally called our own technician not associated with CHW and he immediately saw the problem. A broken evaporator coil that had failed due to normal wear and tear. CHW refused to cover it citing rust and corrosion. Sound familiar? The techs seem to think they are going to get all the "not covered" work which leads me to believe this is how they are making a profit through CHW. One tech as much told me so on a call. But he stated it wasn't working well because the clients were all so angry he didn't get the "extra" work. I tried to cancel but they claimed they had already provided $900.00 of services against my contract amount and yes folks I was a complete sucker and signed a three year agreement. I have no way of knowing how much they spent or what they did since the unit has yet to work properly since the first initial claim. I can only hope the next person considering this company finds the BBB of NJ review page and runs for the hills.

My very 1st claim was an A.C. compressor. It was denied as preexisting. Eventhough the compressor was working at the time I purchased the home warranty plan and over 30 for contract activation). I received a long chain letter basically saying it is not possible for an air conditioner compressor to fail. Also that a compressor failing could not be due to normal wear and tear. I appealed with: A "grounded compressor" or "compressor short to ground" means that an electrical winding inside the compressor has broken and hit the side of the compressor. This causes a direct short to ground, igniting the oil and causing a burnout. And, of course, the circuit breaker trips due to the sudden current surge.
The expected life expectancy of a compressor is 10 to 15 years. This one is 12 years old. That is within its normal life expectancy and is the definition of normal wear and tear. The system has been maintained at least once a year. In the Arizona heat connectors and wires go bad. Again normal wear and tear and that is all it takes to ground a compressor. This is not a normal maintenance issue, it was not preexisting and it is within the dwelling of my house. To automatically say it's not normal wear and tear after it has been working fine assumes a lot of the aforementioned things are false and that it is not possible for a compressor to go bad. I appeal the desicion to repair or replace my compressor for the reasons mentioned above. I was told that if I had any questions call. I called and I spoke with Shapirah who got a slight attitude seemingly for even appealing. She told me that eventhough the compressor was working the conditions causing the compressor to short to ground were preexisting therefore the whole claim was denied as preexisting. Basically what ever breaks is due to something else causing it so it's preexisting. Also I have twin units and the other one is working fine. The technician replaced starter relays on both units. This is another example of wear and tear which could cause the compressor to short to ground.
Impression I got was as long as its not too expensive you're covered (this was not said but the starter relays were covered). The reason I purchased the home warranty was for the expensive stuff. I will post the chain letter for honesty and full disclosure for my poor review.
"This letter is in reference to your Air Conditioning claim. We have been processing your claim for coverage and a determination has been reached.

During the coverage period, our sole responsibility will be to arrange for a qualified service contractor to repair or replace, at our expense, the systems and components mentioned as "Included" in accordance with the terms and conditions of your contract so long as such systems and components:

Are located inside the confines of the main foundation of the home or attached or detached garage (with the exception of the exterior pool/spa, well pump, septic tank pumping and air conditioner);and
Become inoperative due to normal wear and tear; and
Are in place and in proper working order on the effective date of this home warranty contract. This contract does not cover any known or unknown pre-existing conditions. Coverage is for occupied, owned or rented residential property.

Your claim was submitted on 05/15/18 and was assigned to EASY BREEZY HEATING & COOLING LLC on 05/15/18. On 05/16/18 the technician submitted details pertaining to your system failure.

It has been determined the compressor is shorted to ground. This specific breakdown of the compressor is caused by high temperatures in the windings or discharge area. The excessive heat breaks down the motor winding insulation causing a loss of electrical resistance which results in the windings breaking and touching the inner casing of the compressor. This action will cause the short. Condensers are built to cool the refrigerant through the condenser coil when the fan pulls the air up and through, as the outdoor ambient air is cooler than the operating temperature of the refrigerant. When the refrigerant cools, this will lubricate the compressor and cool the windings.
Causes of the compressor shorting to ground are: 1. Dirty or impacted condenser coils will restrict the airflow and inhibits the necessary cooling down of the compressor and refrigerant; or 2. A power spike or surge will cause direct voltage to the compressor and short the windings instantly. This may also occur due to insufficient electrical charge causing high amp draws on the compressor. ; or 3. Foreign contaminants such as acid from an improper previous compressor repair or replacement OR non-condensables such as moisture, braze residue, or debris from gauge hook ups entering the sealed refrigerant system will also cause this compressor failure. The contaminants in the line are not able to be properly compressed with the gas or mix properly with the oil in the compressor, causing a separation and loss of lubricant for the windings causing the overheating and shorting.
The Air Conditioner is not designed to handle the aforementioned causes which are not standard in normal operating conditions, thus resulting in the catastrophic failure of the shorted to ground compressor.

Please refer to your terms and conditions section A number 2; which require the system became inoperative due to normal wear and tear."

Appeal Rights

You may request a review of this claim in writing by visiting https://www.choicehomewarranty.com/cads/claimreview.php?ccid=ss7WWbs0uutDTF0zsJORdR3JS-v7sDNC1CMOC66SBu8. The request for review must be sent within 7 days of receipt of this letter and state the reasons why you feel your claim should have been approved.

Under normal circumstances, you will be notified of the final decision within 5 business days of the date your request for review is received.

Nothing contained in this letter should be construed as a waiver of any rights or defenses under the policy. This determination has been made in good faith and without prejudice under the terms and conditions of the contract, whether or not specifically mentioned herein.

Thank you for choosing Choice Home Warranty to be part of protecting your home from unexpected covered repairs.

Sincerely,

Team CHW

This is the second time in 2 years that Choice has denied my repair claims. I have a heat pump system and the problem is with the inside unit in the hall closet, it is leaking Freon for the second time in 2 summer seasons. I did OK last summer. They are saying the unit malfunctioned but the unit is 17 years old maybe it is just worn out. Two years ago they denied my A/C claim also and I had to pay out of pocket to have some leaks welded and repaired and add six pounds of Freon but I guess the leaks are in an area you cannot repair this time. In their advertising they state "That it does not matter how old your systems are, they will warranty it, but I think that is because they just deny the expensive claims so even though you have paid them for years and not had any paid claims, CHW just keeps taking your money and then refuses to make the repairs or replace it also stated in their advertisements. What a scam. I actually called the tech that came 2 years ago to just have him add Freon without repairing the unit for me and he stated that he no longer works with CHW because they did not pay him either all the time. He is the second a/c tech that has told me the same story. What happens is you have to first pay your service fee for like 5-10 of service and then the tech just starts telling you that the warranty company will probably not cover this and quoting you higher than average out of pocket repairs. He wanted $480 to add the same Freon that I got the previous tech from 2 years ago to add for $320. I kind of feel like it is a scam on both CHW and the A/C techs because of course they would rather have you pay them than accepting CHW's reduced set payment prices. I am actually have a A/C specialist come that gets paid to go to commercial buildings and figure out the A/C problems when the average HVAC techs cannot and if he says it is not a malfunction then I am going to appeal this as Choice Home Warranty does give you Seven days to appeal the denial and possible take them to small claims court but I know that will be hard.

Heating unit failed in my rental unit in Michigan. I was told CW had nobody to fix it in the area and to find my own repair person. This has happened the last several times I needed help with one of my units there (I have two houses that are rented). What good is it to have a warranty service who can't help you find someone to fix the problem quickly? Now with the heating unit I got a robocall asking me to call Choice after my service person diagnosed the problem. I can't reach CW. I have waited on hold for 1-1/2 hours two times. A third time I was cut off after 45 minutes. Why tell your clients to call back when nobody is there to speak to? Why should we waste our valuable time holding for hours for a service we have paid for? This is absolutely unacceptable and I feel the need to make a complaint due to the lack of responsiveness. I emailed and asked for a person to call me but that didn't produce a response in two days either. I want a refund of all the monies I have paid Choice as I haven't received any repairs for any problems I have had for two years as they always deem it a problem caused by poor maintenance. This heating unit is only 2 years old and has been maintained properly and they are now saying they won't repair it. Chris Alexander, [protected]

I have had this service for the past three years with Home Choice warranty I've had it repaired and looked at four times finally they have decided that it is not covered because of lack of maintenance. Unfortunately I do not agree the maintenance should have been done the previous three four times when they had service did now I'm having to replace the entire unit very disappointed very horrible service.

The plumbing company that Choice Home Warraty sent out denied my claim saying that they denied my claim due to "rust and Corrossion" The is Pex water pipe and house was built in 2004, it is now 2018. I asked the plumber were was the rust and corrosion and he said the nail must have rusted away that it is gone. There is no rust on the pex pipe. I'm contacting a attorney it's about time for them to get a taste of their own medicine. Claim#[protected]

Every time I call to make a claim they find a loop-hole and deny the claim! This company is a rip off. They lie to people to get their hard earned money. Don't be a victim like me.

I have called 3 times with different claims and every time they send someone out and I pay the $45 service call fee. Then they tell me it is not covered. The service company then quotes a huge estimate to do he work.

Worst company ever, every time you submit a claim they come up with some bs reason that they will not cover the item, terrible service contractors mis diagnosis of failed parts almost every time . Will never recommend this company to anyone . All the service contractors that I have talked to do not like choice home warranty because they refuse to pay for legitimate claims or they have a hard time gettting paid by them . Worthless home warranty

I purchased a home last year and had a thorough home inspection which found no issues with the major systems other than age. I bought a CHOICE HOME WARRANTY to protect against major system failure. Three nights ago I came home to a warm house. I checked everything and realized the AC was running but not cooling. I called CHOICE and had to wait two days until late on a Friday for their chosen tech to appear. Shortly after I received the news that they were denying my claim due to lack of maintenance. Annual maintenance is required they said, even though I have only had the policy for %ten months. The AC system is 15 years old and my warranty document clearly states that systems fail after 13 years. The Claims supervisor, Gina, said people she knows service their AC system twice a year. Really? So I got a reputable company of my choice to look at the system and sure enough it failed due to age. CHOICE is a really bad choice. Don't waste your money. 699 negative reviews with BBB has them sliding towards a "D" rating. Beware!

I have now had Choice Home Warranty for 3 years. While we have had "many" claims, from A/C several claims, most recently our stove that caught fire and got so hot stove top cracked, then refrigerator leaked all over the floor, freezes lettuce, temperature controls not working, they have "never" covered anything, until we just got the email back stating something to the effect of..."congratulations, your claim for your stove/oven has been approved in that replacement cheaper than the cost to repair. You can replace or accept the cash, although get your replacement quicker". If you don't want the cash, hit decline, which is what I hit. then it said I had to call." I called and the man I spoke with said "that was just basically a form/auto email that they sent out automatically and that I could get $299.00 sent to me. I have a Kenmore Elite, top of the line, and I asked if I could just get it replaced as I didn't know of what I could get with $299.00. He said, "we don't do price matching and we will send the check to you within 30 days. ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME? We waited 3 weeks for repairman to be found and still waiting on check and scared to use oven/stove due to the fire. They "advertise" that they replace appliances "due to wear and tear over the years, etc". This was a TOTAL WASTE OF MONEY. AFTER 3 YEARS, I FINALLY GET ONE OF MY CLAIMS, BUT ONLY get $299 and NO REPLACEMENT or offer to REPLACE STOVE/OVEN. What a crock! Maybe I should sue them for false advertisement, since I see where they have been sued before and "after lawsuit, they agreed to CHANGE THEIR WAY OF ADVERTISING and basically tricking homeowners to believing they meant what they advertised". NOT!

This Deceptive company does not pay claims, loopholes for everything. Denied valid claim. Approved claims and denies vendors payment. If a claim is approved, its only for partial of payment. Offers incentives to cancel on good terms. Not licensed only ID. Suggest notifying Consumer Affairs, Better Business Bureau, Construction Contractor Board, Trust pilot, and Inc500. This company is Detrimental to HOMEOWNERS!

I used them for a year and regretting every minute of having a policy. Should have stuck with my instinct that these insurance policy rarely pay off. I am a landlord and when the dry crept out, you sent Choice. They are good at telling you all that is not covered. So it's due to clog vent and broken belt, maintenance issue, so not covered. Fine, thinking $180 part will do the job. Then the technician came back and told me now the motor is broken. I called Choice again and they just pushed me to deal with the incompetent technician. They washed their hands clean. All the while repeating that idiotic phrase over and over again blah blah. They will not work with the technician. They simply insisted on denying my case and left me to deal with the guy instead. I swear I will find every board to complain about them. They are only out for your premium, I sense very little effort in taking care of the customer beside having supervisor standby to make the claim denial more repulsive. Choice (North Carolina) is absolutely not helpful and constant evasive about their responsibility. Keep your 💰

As a Subcontractor who has provided services to clients for Choice Home Warranty I will say I will not provide any future services, nor would I recommend this Company to any Subcontractors as they do NOT pay for any services even if you follow their guidelines to a tee... We have even had them advise their clients to stop payments on checks paid to us for the "Service Call Fees" upon arrival. This Company is a "complete scam" and I am notifying the State of Virginia as to stop their practices in our State.

Had. A leak in my refrigerator. Moved in 6 weeks ago. Called to have a tec come to look at refrigerator. He said nothing he could do it was the insulation between refrigerator and Freezer. So I asked will the company replace refrigerator since it can' t be fixed? He said warranty a joke and they will find a way to exclude it. After many calls and not be able to get last names or their supervisors I was offered 150. I can't replace any refrigerator with that. Can you please help me

I've had choice home warranty for a number of years.
I will say they did fix a few things.
I have had to battle with a number of times to get some of the claims covered.
Choice finds every reason they can to avoid paying your claim.
They deny claims due what should be considered normal ware and tare.
They say it does not matter how old your appliances are they will cover them, what they don't say is we will cover but not pay to repair,
Our air conditioner needs a new evap coil, they denied the claim due to grease and rust.
It has a leak, so that happens .
I get the unit serviced twice a year as we were told if you don't maintain your appliances Andes they will deny.
I did that and they still denied.
I had s toilet that needed a new flush pump, simple, oh no the plumber they sent put the wrong size donut in and the toilet started to leak, so he said we needed a new toilet, choice denied the claim saying it had rust around the nuts on the tank inside.
We were without a toilet over a week, so my husband hired anothe man to check it out .
There was only one problem, wrong size donut.
The toilet was fixed in 20 mins.
The people they send are often not qualified to do their job.
They all say they know choice finds reasons not to pay.
Please do not use this company.
That should not be in the business as they are not what they say they are.