Sump pump, stand-alone freezer, second refrigerator, septic system, well pump, pool, and spa.
America’s 1st Choice Home Warranty Review
AFC offers four different levels of home warranty to help homeowners manage the risk of essential household systems and items breaking down. AFC home warranties are available in all states except for California and Hawaii. Home warranties provide cover for items that are typically not included in homeowner’s insurance. Examples of items covered under home warranty but not homeowner’s insurance would be air conditioning units, clothes washers, and refrigerators.
America’s 1st Choice Home Warranty Highlights
CONTRACT LENGTH
12 months to 36 months
HOME INSPECTION
Not required
RESPONSE TIME
Home visit by a contractor within 1 to 4 days
PAYOUT CAPS
can range from $3,000 to $250
SERVICE FEES
$75 - $125
OTHER FEES
No
NHSCA MEMBER
Yes
BBB RATING
B
PROMOTION
$200 off the annual policy for the first year
COVERAGE
4 plans: platinum, gold, silver, and system
Pros & Cons
- Can choose to use your own licensed contractor
- Parts and labor are guaranteed for the life of the contract in place
- 24/7 helpline available
- May need to use own contractor for outside of regular working hours emergencies
- Not available in California or Hawaii
- Some payout caps are lower than competitors
Plan Types
System – Basic protection for the 6 most basic household systems, including heating and cooling, plumbing, and electrical.
Silver – Provides coverage for 9 appliance types, including kitchen appliances, laundry appliances, and garage door automation.
Gold – Combines system and silver to cover all major systems and appliances.
Platinum – As gold plus ceiling, exhaust, and attic fan coverage.
Optional Add-Ons
Exclusions
Pre-existing conditions, Acts of God, issues caused by abuse or neglect, damage due to rust or corrosion. Additionally, each system has specific exclusions. For example, air conditioning is covered, but window units for air conditioning systems are not. Check the terms for all exclusions.
Plans & Pricing
AFC offers four different home warranty plans:
- The System plan covers the main household systems, including air conditioning, heating, water heating, electrical system, plumbing, and ductwork. The System plan costs between $424 – $480 a year, depending on the service fee chosen, with options ranging from $75 – $125.
- The Silver plan covers the main appliances within a home, including clothes dryers, clothes washers, refrigerators, ovens, ranges, dishwashers, garbage disposals, and garage door openers. This plan costs $339 – $396 a year, depending on the service fee chosen.
- The Gold plan combines the systems covered in the System plan and the appliances covered in the Silver plan. The Gold plan costs $509 – $565 per year, depending on the service fee selected.
- The Platinum plan covers everything in the Gold plan, plus plumbing stoppages, faucets, ice makers, built-in microwaves, and fans. This premium coverage level costs between $565 – $622 per year.
In addition to these plans, further optional add-ons are available. A full list of the add-ons and their annual costs are as follows:
- In-ground pool: $100
- In-ground pool and spa: $150
- Sump pump: $35
- Hot water dispenser: $35
- Roof leak: $25
- Double oven: $25
- Septic system: $50
- Stand-alone freezer: $25
- Central vacuum: $25
- Well pump: $50
Pricing is not readily transparent on the AFC website, but the process of obtaining a quote is so quick that the pricing for each plan is easily available. There is no home inspection required to take out an AFC home warranty, and contract terms are between one and three years long.
How to Get Started America’s 1st Choice
From the AFC home page, we had to click the button that urged us to get a ‘Free Quote in 30 Seconds’. After this, we entered our home address and had to complete this simple form.
After completing this and selecting ‘View Pricing,’ AFC took us to a page where we could choose our desired home warranty plan. We found that the plan selection page gave us the most informative view of which plan was correct for us. Also, by clicking on the question mark next to each item covered, we could see exactly what was included in the policy and what wasn’t.
We selected the Gold package, which then took us to the purchase page. From here, we could decide if we wanted a one or three-year policy. We were also able to pick our service fee and any optional add-ons.
At this point, we were able to pay for the home warranty. It really was as easy as that.
State Availability
Not Available - California, Hawaii.
Privacy & Security
AFC states that your personal information will never be shared or sold to any third party. Further, no personal information is required to get a quote from AFC, and this, combined with the strict privacy policy in place, ensures that customer data is safeguarded correctly.
Customer Support
You can contact the friendly yet professional AFC customer support team via phone call or email. We called the company’s helpline at (877) 755-1115, and our call was answered quickly. The customer support agent was very efficient, logging our details and guiding us through the process.
Customer support lines are open 24/7. Yet, we were told by a customer service agent that the team cannot always get in touch immediately with a contractor, like at night or on the weekend. The support staff told us that if we needed emergency work during these times, we could contact a licensed contractor directly and that AFC would reimburse us for the expense.
Overall, AFC has a good reputation for customer service and has a ‘B’ rating from the Better Business Bureau, which is a high rating for a company in the home warranty business.
In Conclusion
AFC home warranties provide a stress-free, affordable solution to ensure peace of mind for your home appliances. The company provides four coverage options to cater to all budgets. Plus, being allowed to choose your own contractor is a nice perk that not many home warranty companies offer. In an industry where many companies have a poor online reputation, the good customer reviews enjoyed by AFC speaks for itself.
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