Select Home Warranty Review

As with any contract service agreement, it is imperative that you read it before you sign it. Select Home Warranty will provide you with a copy of the agreement. The limits of their service are clearly presented and include such stipulations as noncoverage of items that have been previously repaired. They also require limited coverage for the first three months of service. If you have appliances or systems that are questionable at the time you’re considering a home warranty package, you may want to reconsider your selection.

In the fine print of the contract agreement, Select Home Warranty reserves the right to replace any appliance or system with another of any color, size or model. You could end up with a black refrigerator in a kitchen full of stainless appliances. Or you could get an HVAC unit that is much noisier than the old one. These are considerations in the agreement that must be clearly understood before agreeing to the contract, for your protection as well as the protection of the company.

Select Home Warranty’s three coverage plans are comprehensive and fairly standard for the industry. Their top plan, the Platinum, provides all the services of the two lower plans, plus a few extras. The Bronze Plan deals mostly with appliances, while the Gold Plan targets home systems such as HVAC and A/C systems, in addition to appliances.

How Does Select Work?

When a covered appliance or system breaks down in your home, you contact Select Home Warranty’s 24/7 customer service repair hotline. You’ll need to provide information on what the problem is and some background information on the appliance or unit.

Select will have a qualified service professional contact you within two to four days, depending on when you made your request for service. The contractor will set up an appointment to come to your home to inspect the malfunctioning appliance or system. If repair is necessary and is possible, and providing your policy covers the appliance or system, the contractor will make the repairs you need. If the appliance or system is irreparable, your contractor will take whatever steps are necessary to get the unit replaced.

Coverage options

Select Home Warranty offers three different plans to choose from: Bronze Care, Gold Care and Platinum Care. It also offers optional coverage for items not covered by these plans. Here’s the breakdown:

Optional coverage (cost per month)

• Pool: $8.33
• Central vacuum: $3.33
• Sump pump: $3.33
• Well pump: $3.33
• Roof leak: Varies
• Stand-alone freezer: $3.33
• Lawn sprinkler system: $5.83
• Septic system: $5.83

Plan Exclusions

Most home warranty companies have exclusions in your contract. While the company says it covers your water heater, it may not cover it for rust or calcium build up. It’s important to read your contract carefully and figure out what the exclusions are. Here’s a list of exclusions that can appear in a Select Home Warranty contract.

• Solar water heaters
• Ceiling fan lights
• Portable air conditioners
• Metal roofs
• Ice maker water line
• Water softeners
• Sewer lines outside the home’s foundation

What Makes Select Stand Out?

Select Home Warranty has a lot of negative feedback in online forums, and that’s the main feature that sets it apart from its competitors. The agreement customers sign with Select is clearly laid out, however, and a large portion of these unsatisfactory outcomes were preventable had the customer been aware of the terms and conditions to which they were agreeing.

Select Home Warranty’s limited coverage on its plans for the first three months is also not something its competitors have adopted in large numbers. The company does provide customers with a copy of the service agreement, something many competitors do not do. The terms and conditions in its contract are clearly spelled out, including limitations.

Common Select Home Warranty Review

More than one online review demonstrates the specific nature of the service agreement required by Select Home Warranty. One customer reports that his contract stated Select Home Warranty would repair or replace a refrigerator “located in the kitchen” of the home. The customer’s refrigerator was in a utility room off the kitchen. When it broke down, Select Home Warranty declined the claim because of the refrigerator’s location. Were they within their rights to do so? Absolutely. But it doesn’t bode well for their image as a customer-friendly company.

Unfortunately, there are more negative reviews of that nature regarding Select Home Warranty. One customer lamented, “The list of what they (Select Home Warranty) doesn’t cover is longer than what they do cover.” Again, it goes back to reading the fine print and understanding what you’re buying. It isn’t exactly fair to the company to complain about them not covering an item that they clearly stated they would not cover.

On the opposite side of the coin, Select Home Warranty has its share of satisfied customers. One gentleman in Hawaii recently posted a review about his oven going out. He called Select Home and a repair technician came to his home, fixed the problem and had the entire affair completed within eight hours.

Another satisfied customer in West Virginia relates that his sprinkler system stopped working unexpectedly. He contacted Select Home Warranty. Within 48 hours, he was in touch with a technician who came to his home and fixed the problem. The very happy gentleman has a working sprinkler system now.

Overall, there are a lot of positive reviews for Select Home Warranty. However, they seem to get buried under the negatives when searching for reviews of the company. A careful examination of the negative reviews will reveal that a large majority of them trace to a lack of understanding what is in the service agreement.

For the most part, it appears that Select Home Warranty is holding up its end of the bargain.

Is Select for Me?

Select Home Warranty offers an affordable home warranty program, with a few caveats. If you live in or are purchasing an older home, you may wish to look elsewhere for a policy. Also, be sure you understand that the company does place caps and limits on its payouts and coverage for the first three months.