Cinch Home Services offers home warranties and on-demand repair services with a 180-day guarantee. The company provides a 24/7 customer support network to get home systems and appliance breakdowns repaired quickly. Cinch works with vetted expert technicians and includes pricing and contract terms during the free online quote process.
Cinch Home Services is a home warranty company with 24/7 customer support and on-demand repair services. All plans come with a 180-day guarantee.
Cinch Home Services Review
Formally known as Cross Country Home Services aCinch Home Services has over 40 years of experience in the home warranty business. The company rebranded to reflect the hassle-free experience customers can expect. Now, the company offers a mobile app that can connect you to a technician in two hours, and repair work is backed by an extensive 180-day guarantee.
Pros
Covers unknown pre-existing conditions
180-day workmanship guarantee
Fast claims response times via mobile app
Variable service fee option that can lower monthly premiums
Cons
No roof coverage
Expensive service fee
Cinch Home Services Warranty Plans
Cinch Home Services offers three repair contracts with several add-on options.
Plan types: 3
Response time: 2 hours
States served: 47 states (not Alaska, California, or Hawaii)
Service fee: $100 – $150
Sample contracts on the website reveal that Cinch provides good coverage levels with some exclusions. These exclusions are relatively standard and include items like exterior pipes and free-standing freezers.
The Appliances plan covers washers, dryers and all major kitchen appliances.
The Built-In Systems plan includes your furnace, water heater, garbage disposal, plumbing, heating, cooling and built-in whirlpool tub.
The Complete Home plan combines appliance and system coverage. You’ll also get up to a $500 reimbursement on your homeowners insurance deductible if you have to file a claim with your homeowners insurance.
Another reason Cinch is on our list of top companies is that each plan features four components not provided in one package offered by competitors:
180-day workmanship guarantee: If the repair doesn’t fix the problem, Cinch will ensure it gets corrected at no additional cost. The guarantee covers parts and labor.
Unknown pre-existing conditions coverage: Some home warranties don’t cover repairs required due to unknown pre-existing failures before you purchased the property. Cinch Home Services does not make this exclusion.
Rust and corrosion coverage: Often excluded from home warranties, Cinch pays for repairs required due to rusting and corrosion.
New appliance discounts: Want to upgrade your appliances? Cinch will help you buy a replacement for less.
Cinch’s Online Customer Portal
Cinch Home Services provides a portal for customers to file a claim online and manage their home warranty plan. It provides a mobile-friendly and secure online portal called “My Account” where you can easily file a claim and manage your warranty plan. Use this feature to download your plan documents, open a service request, see how existing orders are progressing and update contact and payment information. Cinch’s My Account services are available 24/7.
Cinch Home Services plans range from $30.99 per month to $44.99 per month. Per-service deductibles are $100, $125 and $150. This is higher than other companies on this list, but its affordable monthly premiums help balance out the total costs. Choose a higher deductible to reduce the cost of the home warranty.
The optional monthly add-on service costs range from $2.50 for septic repairs to $13.33 for outdoor pool and/or spa (including heater) coverage. The Premier Upgrade Package is available for $10 per month. It helps pay for things like permits and code upgrades (up to $1,000, two claims per year) related to a covered repair.
Though some companies offer higher aggregate limits, Cinch’s maximum coverage limit per term is $10,000. Coverage limits will vary, but the sample contract notes a cap of $1,500 for A/C and heating units, a $1,000 cap for plumbing repairs, and a $2,000 cap for appliances per agreement term.
How to Get a Warranty and File a Claim
You can use the quote tool on the Cinch Home Services website to buy a home warranty or call the company. Enter your ZIP code and select a plan to get an online quote. Choose any options you want to include in the warranty, and then you can purchase the agreement or save it for later.
The quote tool provides prices for each plan and option, so you won’t be surprised by the cost at any point in the process. The tool also includes the contract terms with each warrant, which details the repairs covered. If you have any questions, call the number at the top of the quote tool.
Cinch’s on-demand service is available online for appliance repairs, even for those without a protection plan. Just click on “No Plan? Find a Pro” to access the on-demand scheduler.
To file a claim, navigate to the website or mobile app or call the number listed on the website. You’ll pay a service fee online at the time you schedule service. The payment is applied to the total charge for the repair. Same-day service is available for a higher cost.
If the request is submitted during normal business hours, Cinch will use reasonable efforts to provide a referral to a service professional within two hours. Any request received outside normal business hours has a 24-hour wait time.
Cinch Home Services Complaints
We found negative reviews for Cinch Home Services resulting from the company subcontracting with other home warranty companies like Sears. The company also has hundreds of 5-star reviews that mention fast service and helpful customer service agents.
ConsumerAffairs readers give Cinch Home Services 4.25 out of 5 stars based on more than 500 reviews. The company scores 3.5 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot and gets a B from the Better Business Bureau. Several complaints about Homsesure of America, Inc mention service delays due to supply issues. The company has issued a statement that directs customers to contact their representatives directly for a resolution.
Our Experience With Cinch Home Services
As with most home warranty plans, we recommend reading the terms and conditions carefully before signing a contract with any provider. Cinch Home Service’s sample contract lists several limitations and exclusions, like capping gas line coverage to lines less than 500 feet and reserving the right to get a second contractor opinion before determining coverage eligibility.
Cinch also has a very easy online quote feature. We could source a quote using just our email and zip code. This made it easy for us to compare premiums against the variable service fee and budget for coverage across all three plans. The website advertises plans that start at $30.99, but the closest we got to that figure during our research in April 2023 was $38.99 for the appliance plan with a $150 service charge for homes in the southern region of the country.
Cinch Home Services Q&A
What if I change my mind about Cinch Home Services? Can I cancel my home warranty?
Cinch Home Services will fully refund your contract fees if you don’t file a claim within 30 days of the date coverage starts. If you made a claim in those 30 days and want to cancel, you will receive a partial refund or will pay for the repair minus the refund amount.
Can I buy a Cinch Home Services warranty when I sell my house?
Offering a home warranty can help sell your property faster since the buyer won’t need to be concerned with breakdowns for a year. Cinch Home Services provides a seller plan for as low as $50 to cover heating and air conditioning. More substantial plans are available with a comprehensive selection of optional coverages.
Will Cinch Home Services issue a warranty package for a mobile home?
Cinch home warranties cover single-family houses, condominiums, townhouses, villas or manufactured homes with a permanent foundation. The company does not cover mobile homes.
What if I want a home warranty while comparing Cinch on-demand quotes?
Cinch Home Services allows you to upgrade on-demand service to a Cinch Home Protection plan as you schedule service. If you decide a home warranty will save you money, you can take advantage of the savings immediately.
How do I know what I buy online with a Cinch Home Services Warranty?
Cinch gives you access to the contracts for the three home warranties and the add-on services. We always recommend reading contract terms carefully to determine if a home warranty is worth the cost for you. Many people benefit from these repair contracts, but the arrangement isn’t ideal for everyone.
Conclusion
Cinch Home Services brings a modern approach to home warranties by integrating technology with generous home warranty terms. The company also offers an on-demand repair service for those not interested in buying a home warranty. Cinch Home Services provides all contract terms on its website and backs up claims with a 180-day workmanship guarantee.
Sears Home Warranty aka Cinch home services is horrible to work with. Our AC died on July 5 and we immediately filed a claim. You have to pay $100 before they will even dispatch someone. They sent the same person they have sent before who could not fix it. I then went back to the company and had to work with a third party who instructed me to find my own AC person. After contacting 6 different contractors, i could find NOONE who would work with Sears. This was a horribly frustrating process. Do not believe their website----it says how important having functional AC and furnace is and yet we were without both from July 5, 2022 through September 20, 2022. They play a good game. You never talk to the same person twice, average wait time on the phone is 1.5 hours only to be told they are working on it, they need confirmation from the compmany (sent three different times), etc. After repeated calls and emails we finally received payment toward replacement of both the AC and furnace which was for $6800 and average cost in our area is $10-15,000. We chose a reasonable contractor with cost of $10,400. That's $3800 out of pocket. The cinch.com website lists average replacement cost of an AC is $6995 and the replacement cost of a furnace is $4821. If they know this then why did they only reimburse me $6800 for both units (they agreed that both would be replaced). Sears was once the powerhouse and i grew up with nothing but Sears due to their work ethic. It does not exist. This company should be avoided at all costs.
Julie T.
Eagle, ID
August 19 2022 6:20PM
The absolute worst company I have ever had to deal with. The first thing each technician starts with is that it is not covered - no matter what the service call is for. Then try to talk on the phone with them and: 1. You cannot understand them. 2.They will not give you their full name so you can document any issues you may have. 3. I was just told by their membership services that my issue was not important enough to talk to their supervisor. Please take this review to heart to keep from having some of the most frustrating experiences you can imagine.
Jerry A.
Denton, TX
January 15 2022 7:06AM
Now our gas water heater is in need of replacement (It is leaking water slightly out the drain pipe.) We paid the deductible ($100.00) and our service request was processed without delay. However, the technician would not replace the unit, and instead took some photos and said he'll provide an update on the job status. We got the update: We're now obligated to pay $1285.00 in additional costs to the technician if he does the work! I'm not 100% sure that such an amount would exceed the cost of a local housing supply chain replacement water heater and installation, but it would be close. I am going to ask that Cinch provide an itemized list of the parts or other extra services they're claiming we're supposed to pay. If that doesn't pan out, I'll just ask them to pay out the cash amount for the job.
David B.
Sacramento, CA
November 12 2021 6:11PM
Summer 2021: We contacted a Cinch Home Services/Sears technician to repair our fridge that could not hold the right temp. The tech made the repair and then sold us a Cinch policy for $50 month that lowered the cost of the repair and included additional repairs if needed.
Terms were that if the fridge could not be repaired, it would be replaced or we would receive credit. He said that the policy was month to month and we could cancel anytime. Fast forward 4 months--the fridge has been repaired three times (and failed each time) for the same issue.
The same tech (William) declared it unfixable and then Cinch denied our claim for any credit. Cinch will also not let us out of the contract and want the it paid up for a year to cancel. Totally deceptive and a complete scam. Avoid at all costs.
Scott J.
Bainbridge Island, WA
November 12 2021 3:33AM
I tried the online service for a repair needed to my furnace which stated my needs would be covered, but I had to pay $100. Because I am not savvy enough to do this on my phone, I tried calling a rep. She stated a furnace repair was not covered. This contradicted what the online "robot" stated. She said she would mail me what's covered in a contract and that would take 10-12 days...they don't email. (IS it due to these reps being overseas?) I said my furnace is not working now. My booklet sent to me states heating system is covered. This was bought when I purchased the house Feb. 2020. Why wasn't the contract mailed at that time? This is October 2021. I would never pay for this service when selling a home. I don't feel I should pay someone a $100 and not be able to talk to someone -from this country- about this issue. Disappointed.
Caron P.
Lebanon, SELECT A STATE
July 20 2021 8:18PM
I wrote a review for Sears Home Warranty, but it's now Cinch. Lately, this company has been taking quite a while to complete their warranty service repairs.
The first three repair visits we arranged were performed fairly quickly, but it took over a month and a half to conduct a remedial repair on our range, which entailed the installation of a kit-type wiring connector to the electric burner.
We're now awaiting the repair of our clothes washer. It's been almost a month, and we're on our third load of dirty clothes being transported to a local laundromat.
Trying to contact a Cinch customer service agent by telephone results in a loop recording of elevator music, interspersed with a recorded admonition that you'll be waiting for hours before you'll connect with a human to voice your concerns; if at all.
I tried emailing the company, and I received a response (Automated) stating they're jammed with emails, and they can't answer yours right away.
I might add that the deductible ($100.00) amount is collected before a technician is dispatched, so they have your money, and they should honor their agreement.
David B.
Sacramento, CA
April 06 2021 5:33PM
Terrible customer service. Routine furnace repair took 8 weeks during a hot Texas summer. Calls to customer service take an hour to pickup and are routed to intelligible agents in Bogota Colombia who can't provide meaningful status of claims and refuse to connect knowledgeable staff at the Florida headquarters.
I was triple-billed for the service call fee and had to get the BBB involved just to get it refunded. Worst of all, Cinch refused to cover costs clearly warrantied in the contract and failed to provide a detailed estimate on what it wouldn't cover.
It just kept telling me to write its contractor a huge check so work could begin. In the end, its contractor billed me over $1000 for parts that were re-used from my existing furnace. Cinch refused to investigate the fraud so now I have to pursue my claim in arbitration.
Bottom line: I could have paid a local HVAC company about the same cost and had the work completed in days not months with far fewer headaches. Cinch is unethical and very poorly managed.
