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AFC Home Club Warranty Review
By Harry Harrison MONEY RESEARCH COLLECTIVE
AFC Home Club Warranty Overview
AFC (America’s First Choice) Home Club offers home warranty coverage across the U.S.
It provides affordable home warranty plans for homeowners seeking protection against unexpected and sometimes costly home repair expenses. The company garners some of the best customer reviews in the industry, and is accredited with the Better Business Bureau (BBB).
Find out more in our in-depth review, which explores why we named it one of our picks for best home warranties.
24/7 support whenever your appliances fail
24/7 support whenever your appliances fail
- Large network of independent prescreened contractors and qualified technicians
- In business for over 30 years
- Good coverage on home systems
- Does not cover pre-existing issues
- They will replace items that fail if they can't be fixed regardless of age, make or model
No home inspection required
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- Online Business Bureau Accredited with A+ Rating
- Covers Major Home Systems, HVAC & Appliances
- Free Roof Coverage, No Inspection Needed
Industry leader since 1971
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- Home Warranty Plans Starting at $29.99 a Mo.
- Covering 2 Million Plus Members for 50+ Years
- No Age Limits on Covered Systems & Appliances
- No Inspections or Records Required
- Four service plan options
- Allows you to pick your own repair technician
- Longest work guarantee in the industry
- 24/7 customer service
- $75 cancellation fee after the first 30 days
- Pre-existing conditions not covered
- 30-day waiting period until coverage begins
- Must submit a claim within 24 hours of noticing an issue
What it offers
AFC Home Club offers planholders the option to choose their own technician to carry out repairs. That’s something that isn’t common among home warranty companies.
That said, if you don’t want to use a local service technician or don’t know a good one, AFC has its own network of providers to contact to help you when you need it. The company also offers flexible coverage options, with a variety of plans available to you.
AFC Home Club allows you to choose your own service fee. That, too, is a nice touch that’s not available from many other home warranty companies. The options are $75, $100, or $125 per year.
The premiums for your plan will vary depending on the service fee you select. Pick a higher service fee, and the cost of the plan will drop. (But that higher fee will, of course, increase your cost to have your home appliances or systems repaired.)
It’s important to note that AFC warranty coverage only begins 30 days after you enroll and once AFC receives your membership fees.
Discounts for customers renewing three-year warranties are available, as are discounts for coverage on extra homes. The size of the discount depends on many factors, and it’s best to talk to AFC Home Club directly if you’re interested in this.
Cancellations can be made at any time. If you cancel within the 30 waiting period, you’ll receive a full refund. However, once the waiting period ends, any refund will be prorated based on the months remaining in the plan and any claims costs incurred by AFC Home Club. An additional $75 cancellation fee may also be applied.
As AFC is also an insurance marketplace, you can shop and compare quotes from over 20 providers of home, condo and auto insurance. AFC agents will help you choose the right coverage for the right price and even fill out the paperwork if you find a policy you’re interested in. These benefits are offered to customers no matter which plans they choose.
Other benefits from companies partnered with AFC Home Warranty include:
- Emergency health alerts for you and your family from the Emergency Alert Network.
- Free credit monitoring and identity protection alerts from MoneyTips.
- Savings at participating restaurants and premium online partners through a DealCash membership.
- Smart home security from Cove.
- Savings on home goods through Encompass. The eligible items include everything from tankless water heaters to video game controllers. Their downloadable service manuals are also available to help you with DIY repairs around your home.
- Coverage for the health of your pets and discounts on in-house medical procedures.
- Vision and dental insurance through various companies across the U.S.
A full list of benefits is available on the AFC home warranty website.
What it doesn’t offer
As with most home warranty companies, an AFC home warranty will not cover pre-existing conditions. Nor will their home warranty plans cover damages caused by acts of god, neglect, pest damage or mold.
Perhaps most importantly, buyers should be aware that some appliances covered by a warranty may have certain components excluded from coverage. For example, despite refrigerators being covered, the coils, valves, or touch displays within them might not be. You can find a full list of such exclusions in your contract.
Coverage limits also apply to many items. If not specified in your contract, AFC sets a certain coverage limit per item for repair. The exact limit depends on the item but generally ranges from $125 – $2,000, although heating and cooling systems have no limit.
AFC Home Club’s membership tiers
AFC Home Club offers buyers the choice of four plans for home coverage. The exact cost of your protection depends on the home in question and factors such as:
- The square footage of your home
- The plan chosen
- The size of service fee you choose to pay
- Any additional coverage
Additional coverage can be purchased at an extra cost for systems and appliances not included in the AFC home club plans, such as your pool, water heater or spa.
Systems Plan
The cheapest of their plans, the Systems Plan provides coverage for six major home systems:
- Air conditioning
- Heating
- Plumbing
- Ductwork
- Electrical
- Water heater (s)
Silver Plan
The Silver Plan covers some commonly used home appliances:
- Clothes dryer
- Clothes washer
- Refrigerator
- Oven
- Range
- Dishwasher
- Garbage disposal
- Garage door opener
It doesn’t include some main home systems, such as HVAC, ductwork or plumbing. However, these can be purchased as optional extras through AFC Home Club’s additional coverage.
Gold Plan
The gold plan offers coverage for 15 systems and appliances. This includes everything covered in both the silver and systems plans.
- Clothes Dryer
- Clothes Washer
- Refrigerator
- Oven
- Range
- Dishwasher
- Garbage Disposal
- Garage Door Opener
- Air Conditioning
- Heating System
- Water Heater
- Electrical System
- Plumbing System
- Ductwork
Plumbing stoppages, microwaves, fans, and ice makers are not included.
Platinum Plan
The Platinum Plan offers the most comprehensive coverage available from AFC Home Warranty. In all, 18 appliances and systems are covered.
- All items in the Gold plan
- Microwaves
- Fans
- Plumbing stoppages
- Ice makers
You may want extra coverage for appliances/systems not included in any of these plans, such as septic systems, the pool & spa, and roof leakage. Getting such extensions requires paying more. The price varies depending on the appliance or system in question.
AFC Home Club Warranty FAQ
How much is AFC Home Club warranty?
The cost of a warranty with AFC Home Club depends on the plan, the service pricing you choose and whether you opt for extra coverage for specific items.
Below you'll find estimates of the monthly cost based on opting for a $75 service fee and covering a home of less than 5,000 square feet. Check the AFC Home Club warranty website for pricing for you and your home.
- Systems: $39.58 per month
- Silver: $37.50 per month
- Gold: $45.83 per month
- Platinum: $50.00 per month
What are the benefits of AFC?
There are many benefits to taking out a home warranty with AFC Home Club. The previously mentioned ones include the range of warranty plans to give you various options when picking a warranty and the ability to choose your own technician should you wish.
Other benefits include the way AFC Home Club carries out its customer service. Services are carried out in-house. That means you should always have a line of communication directly with the company if you need to contact them.
AFC also has dedicated account managers to assist you with monthly payments, account renewal or with adding additional properties. Service requests can be made online or by phone 24/7, and once a request is made, AFC will update you via email, call, or text message.
Repair guarantees run far longer than most other home warranty companies. Most competitors offer repair guarantees of 30 or 60 days. By contrast, AFC Home Club home warranties last for the entirety of the plan, either 1 or 3 years.
What are the terms and conditions of an AFC home warranty?
The terms and conditions of any home warranty with AFC Home Club vary depending on the plan. The details for each of the various plans can be found here:
Some noteworthy terms and conditions shared across all AFC plans are:
- A lack of liability for the repair of commercial-grade equipment or systems.
- No coverage to repair or replace covered equipment that becomes inoperable due to pre-existing conditions or long-term defects.
- A lack of liability for the conduct or negligence of the technicians. Holders of a home warranty from AFC Home Club agree that AFC is not liable for indirect or secondary damage caused by the technician.
- If you discover an appliance/system that needs repairing, you must notify AFC immediately and take reasonable measures to prevent secondary damage.
- The technician may charge an additional fee to dispose of an old appliance or system.
AFC Home Club Customer Reviews
AFC Home Club fares better in online reviews than many other home warranty companies. That said, as with almost any company, not all reviews are aglow with praise.
AFC Home Club has a B rating from the Better Business Bureau and currently has 3 out of 5 stars in reviews on the BBB site. However, some of the more recent reviews are just a single star and are highly critical of the company. Many cite the company’s customer service in their criticism. An unwillingness from the company to payout when claims are made is one frequent theme. .
On Trustpilot, the company received 2.3 stars out of 5. This may seem low, but it’s not uncommon for home warranty companies; indeed, some competitors receive scores of 1 star, or even less, on the platform.
However, as with the BBB customer reviews, many recent reviews on Trustpilot tend to be critical of the company. The company’s unwillingness to pay out for claims made is again mentioned quite often. A few also mention an unwillingness by the contractors dispatched by AFC to begin work without payment upfront.
On the other hand, AFC Home Club scores 3.7 out of 5 stars in customer reviews on ConsumerAffairs. Reviews praise the smooth claims process, and the satisfaction with the customer service received. Giving warranty holders the option to pick their own service technician was also mentioned as a positive when comparing AFC against other home warranty companies.
As always, with online reviews, it’s important to take them with a pinch of salt. Most customers who had a positive experience won’t bother to leave a glowing review, but those who had a negative one will be quick to publicize it.
How we evaluated AFC Home Club Warranty
We evaluated AFC Home Club warranty by examining availability by state, company history, and reputation. We also analyzed the ratings and other feedback posted about AFC on customer review websites and with the Better Business Bureau.
We also compared plans and sample contracts to understand the depth of the coverage AFC offers. Further, we noted how customizable the plans were. We considered pricing, coverage limits and cancellation policies. Finally, we noted the quality of the customer experience online. That included studying how easily the consumer could receive a quote and file a claim.
AFC Home Club Home Warranty Summary
AFC Home Club has some unique advantages over other companies in the home warranty industry. These include the length of its work guarantees, the range of its service plan options and its relatively low price. Its availability in 49 states means it’s an option for you unless you happen to live in Hawaii.
Online reviews on AFC Home Club may not paint a rosy picture of the company’s customer service. However, assessments of home warranty providers rarely do.
In fact, the online customer judgments about AFC are actually better than for many other home warranty companies. Some reasons for praise are understandable. AFC’s claims process is fairly easy to navigate, and its customer service team is available 24/7 to assist you with inquiries and making a claim. Some bonus benefits are also welcome, including free credit monitoring, identity protection monitoring and vision and dental insurance.
For this reason, we believe it’s amongst the best home warranty companies in the U.S., and so is worthy of consideration when choosing your home warranty provider.