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Select Home Warranty Review
By Andre Walker MONEY RESEARCH COLLECTIVE
Select Home Warranty offers an industry-standard warranty package to protect your home. If you’re considering this provider, keep the following pros and cons in mind before you make your decision on whether or not Select Home Warranty is right for you.
Select Home Warranty overview
- Roof coverage included in every plan
- Very affordable plan options
- Shorter wait for a technician than some companies (two to four days)
- Unusually long list of individual parts it does not cover
According to its listing on the Better Business Bureau, Select Home Warranty is headquartered in New Jersey and has been in business for 10 years. The home warranty provider offers multiple plans that protect home systems, appliances or a combination of the two. It serves California residents, as well as customers in 45 other states.
Keep in mind that there are differences between a home warranty vs. home insurance. A home warranty policy will not cover you for damage to your home. If there is any kind of water damage, fire, theft or damage from other major incidents, it will not be covered under a Select Home Warranty plan – or those of any other home warranty company.
That’s because of the exclusions stated in the home warranty contract. The same goes if an earthquake in your area causes damage to appliances, or some water pipes to burst in your kitchen. For full protection against such incidents, which are sometimes termed as “acts of god,” you’ll need to be covered by a home insurance plan as well.
Select Home Warranty services
What Select Home Warranty offers
Select Home Warranty coverage includes a wide range of appliances and major home systems, from air conditioners and heating systems to water heaters, stoves and ovens. Plus, you can add coverage for plumbing systems and washer and dryer units to enjoy even wider protection.
Customers have access to 24/7 customer support, which includes live chat and phone support. They also offer a self-serve knowledge base with answers to common questions and helpful resources. You can also sign up for email or text message alerts on your Select Home Warranty status.
Each plan comes with free Select Home Warranty roof coverage. This feature only covers the expenses involved with patching up a leaky roof. It does not cover any additional expenses for materials that may come with repairing your chimneys, gutters, siding or shingles.
What Select Home Warranty doesn’t offer
Select Home Warranty does not provide coverage services for some other items, too. And the list of excluded items, parts and components under the warranty is extensive.
Some of those exclusions, listed in the warranty’s terms and conditions, include coverage for:
- Countertop microwaves
- Range hoods
- Sealed systems
- Dishwasher racks and rollers
- Polybutylene pipes
- Solar heating systems
- Solar water heaters
- Tankless water heaters
Also, like many other providers, Select Home Warranty imposes some limits on the dollar amount by category on repairs covered under your warranty. Those monetary caps will be listed in the plan you purchase.
For example, if your air conditioning goes out, you will be covered for up to $3,000 for a single event. If your AC system fails, and sustains a loss of $5,000 in damage, the company will only cover $3,000 of the total.
Types of warranty policies available
The coverage you get with a warranty varies depending on the type of plan you purchase and the kind of appliances in your home. Before making a decision, you should carefully weigh your options. Three types of warranties are available:
- Gold Care
- Bronze Care
- Platinum Care
These Select Home Warranty plans differ in their coverage and benefits as well as their pricing. At the time of publishing, in November 2022, each plan comes with a $150 discount off an annual subscription and free roof coverage.
Gold Care
The Gold Care warranty from Select Home Warranty is a coverage plan for those who want to protect their housing infrastructure. Gold Care provides coverage for your:
- A/C
- Plumbing system
- Heating system
- Electrical system
- Water heater
- Ductwork
With this plan, you’ll pay $45.67 per month or $499.99 per year. However, without the $150 promotion noted above, these costs would be $61.67 and $649.99, respectively.
Bronze Care
Bronze Care is a service that provides coverage for your appliances and fixtures. Bronze Care provides coverage for your:
- Washer
- Dryer
- Oven/stove
- Dishwasher
- Built-in microwave
- Refrigerator
- Garbage disposal
This plan costs the same as the Gold Care plan, so you’ll pay $45.67 per month or $499.99 per year.
Platinum Care
For the most comprehensive coverage, you’ll want to purchase Platinum Care. It covers everything in Bronze and Gold, plus ceiling fans and your garage door. With this plan, you’ll pay $50.25 per month or $549.99 per year (or $66.25 per month and $699.99 per year without the $150 a year discount).
If these plans aren’t enough protection for you, for a few dollars extra per month for each component, you can add additional coverage to protect items such as:
- Sump pumps
- Well pumps
- Lawn sprinklers
- Pool supplies
- Vacuums
- Additional refrigerator
- Chest freezers
- Lighting
- Plumbing fixtures
- Electrical outlets and switches
Select Home Warranty’s accessibility
Select Home Warranty offers affordable plans that protect your home from all kinds of damage, including electrical, plumbing stoppages and heating/air conditioning issues.
You may, however, be concerned about how accessible the Select Home Warranty customer service team is when you need to file a claim. Here’s what we discovered after researching the topic and contacting Select Home Warranty ourselves.
24/7 customer service
Select Home Warranty provides customer care 24 hours a day, seven days a week and can be contacted by phone, email and live chat. However, customer reviews left on Trustpilot allege that customer service representatives are not very responsive, and it can be difficult to reach someone in an emergency.
Contractor wait time
Following the filing of a claim, Select Home Warranty contractors should arrive within two to four days. For homeowners needing an emergency repair, the company offers the ability to file an emergency claim. However, many customers report the timeframe is still the same.
Claims process
Select Home Warranty claims to offer a quick and easy claims process. To make a claim, you follow these steps:
1. Go online or call Select Home Warranty to file a claim.
2. They will send a professional contractor out to your home to assess and repair your home’s problem.
3. They’ll repair or replace your appliance or home system. That assumes damages are within the stipulated warranty coverage.
It also assumes the system or appliance is deemed to be worth repairing by Select Home Warranty. (As with other warranty companies, you may be issued a payment equal to the depreciated value of the system or appliance in lieu of a repair.)
In either scenario, Select pledged to do what it can to remedy the situation and present you with your best options.
Contact information
You can call the Select Home Warranty customer service hotline to speak with an agent who will help answer your questions or file a claim. You can also visit their website for resources, including how to use the Select Home Warranty claim form and FAQs to help you better understand their policies.
Limitations
Like most warranty providers, Select Home Warranty will charge you whenever a technician comes out, so be assertive about repairs. Don’t let the contractor leave without fixing the problem, or explaining why they can’t fix it.
If they can’t fix it, try to get customer service on the line while they are present so that they can confirm the issue and start to discuss the amount they will pay towards a replacement system or appliance.
Select Home Warranty’s customer satisfaction
Third-party ratings
Many third-party outlets give Select Home Warranty four out of five stars in terms of customer service and ease of use. Most such reviews say the process is simple and easy, and that more appliances and systems are covered than is the case for competitors.
Many online reviews also enthuse that Select Home Warranty offers the best value for the price out of any of the best warranty companies.
Customer reviews and complaints
Select Home Warranty has a rating of B- from the BBB, and it’s not accredited. They have received 5,094 complaints in the last five years, and the company boasts a 100% response rate.
That said, there are some negative reviews from people who say they have had to fight with the company over claims denied by Select Home Warranty. Some complaints express frustration over an expensive component inside their appliance breaking and the provider denying the claim.
Some negative feedback is all but inevitable, even among better warranty providers.
Awards and certifications
Home Warranty Reviews awarded Select Home Warranty the Best in Service Award in 2018. Consumers Advocate awarded Select Home Warranty with the Best Home Warranties title in 2019 and mentioned it as a top-ranked home warranty company in 2022. Top10.com named Select Home Warranty as its Editor’s Choice.
Select Home Warranty's FAQ
What does Select Home Warranty cover?
Select Home Warranty is a home warranty provider that comprehensively covers appliances and moving parts inside your home that may malfunction from normal use. Depending on the plan you choose, it may cover every appliance that is not easily moved away from the wall, including washers, dryers and refrigerators. Also covered under some plans are such systems as plumbing, heating, and electrical.
For a more comprehensive look at home warranties, you can check out our guide, What Does a Home Warranty Cover?
How much is the service fee for Select Home Warranty?
Select Home Warranty will charge you a service fee whenever a technician comes out to look at a problem covered by your warranty. The fee starts at $75, and will increase depending on the distance the tech has to travel and the type of repair that may need to be done.
How long has Select Home Warranty been in business?
Select Home Warranty was founded in Mahwah, New Jersey, in 2012. Select's mission is to provide peace of mind for the families they serve by providing a home warranty that is straightforward, comprehensive and provides you with the most comprehensive coverage at an affordable price.
How we evaluated Select Home Warranty
We evaluated Select Home Warranty and its services based on reviewing the following areas of coverage and service:
- The company's terms and conditions. We evaluated these to learn more about the three coverage levels and what they include.
- Customer reviews. We read and assessed many customer reviews on Select Home Warranty. That review allowed us to better understand the pros and cons of the company's service, based on what customers appeared to most like and dislike.
- Company website. We evaluated the company's website, in part to research what is offered and a t what prices.
- Online reputation. We looked at how the company was perceived online based on authoritative sources.
Summary of Select Home Warranty
Select Home Warranty is a suitable option for homeowners looking for a relatively affordable and dependable way to protect their homes’ appliances and systems.
The company has one of the most extensive sets of plans available in the industry, and they cover nearly every major appliance in your house. If you’re looking for a value-packed warranty at a decent price, Select Home Warranty is among the best warranty companies to consider.
