Update: According to the Sears Home Warranty website, customers with a Sears home warranty will still have their appliances and systems covered despite Sears filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Sears home warranties are underwritten, administered and serviced by Cross Country Home Services.
Editorial Breakdown
Service Quality
Affordability
Coverage Area
Customer Service
Overall Rating
Bottom Line
Home warranties offer peace of mind when it comes to protecting appliances in your home. Sears Home Warranty plans offer major appliance and systems protection to more than 20 appliances.
Sears Home Warranty Review
The National Association of Certified Home Inspectors appliance and home systems life expectancy charts list many appliances and home systems that can last a decade. The length of time these expensive items keep running well depends on use and maintenance. Home warranties cover the repair and replacement of systems likes air conditioning, plumbing, heating, electrical systems and others. As we explain in our Home Warranty Guide, these warranties do not replace homeowner’s insurance but protect you from sizable unexpected expenses.
Your home is probably your most valuable investment. Sears Home Warranty (underwritten by Cross Country Home Services) offers three types of home warranty plans to protect that investment. The Appliance Warranty plan covers up to 20 major appliances no matter their age, make, or model. Sears Home Warranty guarantees that if they cannot fix your appliance, they will replace it for you. The next level of coverage is the Systems Warranty plan which includes heating and air conditioning, plumbing, water heater, electrical system and more. Finally, the Whole House Warranty covers everything in both the Appliance Warranty and Systems Warranty. In addition to these three base plans, Sears Home Warranty can customize your coverage to meet your exact needs with add-on options.
Because Sears Home Warranty is part of the Sears brand that has been in business since 1886, they offer many benefits that other home warranty companies do not. For example, at no charge to you, Sears gives you two preventative maintenance checks on your heating and cooling systems each year. In addition to your warranty benefits, your plan includes membership in Shop Your Way, a promotional program for earning discounts at Sears, Kmart, and other retailers. With this membership, you receive free two-day shipping on many items that you can purchase.
While Sears Home Warranty plans are slightly more expensive than many other home warranty plans, they carry the trusted name of a long-established company along with a solid workmanship guarantee. Their value-packed packages are designed to give you peace of mind with generous coverage limits.
Pros
180-day workmanship guarantee
Protection for more than 20 major appliances and systems
24/7 support and customer service
Generous coverage cap of $10,000 per claim
Generous annual claim limit of $50,000
Two free yearly preventative maintenance checks (heating and cooling systems)
Cons
More expensive than most other home warranty plans
Limited time in the home warranty business
Sears Home Warranty Plans And Packages
A home warranty from Sears is one of the most expensive plans on the market, running $10 to $20 more a month than most of their competitors. However, when you choose a Sears Home Warranty package, you can expect a broad range of coverage, plus some extras other home warranty companies don’t offer.
Sears Appliance Warranty covers up to 20 appliances no matter their age, make, or model, including washing machine, clothes dryer, refrigerator, range, oven, dishwasher, microwave and trash compactor. Sears Home Warranty guarantees that if it cannot fix your appliance, it will replace it for you. You pay a service fee (or deductible) of $75 per visit with the appliance package and $50 per month for the warranty itself.
Sears System Warranty covers central heating and air conditioning, ductwork, plumbing, electrical, and other systems. You pay a service fee (or deductible) of $100 per visit with the systems warranty. This plan does not cover appliances but does offer a 25 percent discount on appliance repairs.
Sears Whole House Warranty provides the most comprehensive coverage and includes everything in both the Appliance Warranty and the Systems Warranty. This plan runs $70 per month, with a service fee of $100 per visit.
Appliances Covered
Whole House Plan
Appliances Plan
Systems Plan
Washer and Dryer
✅
✅
❌
Refrigerator/Ice Maker
✅
✅
❌
Range/CookTop/Oven
✅
✅
❌
Exhaust Fan
✅
✅
❌
Built-In Dishwasher and Microwave
✅
✅
❌
Built-in Trash Compactor
✅
✅
❌
Central Heating and Air
✅
❌
✅
Ductwork
✅
❌
✅
Faucets
✅
❌
✅
Garbage Disposal
✅
❌
✅
Plumbing Systems and Stoppages
✅
❌
✅
Water Heater
✅
❌
✅
Water Softener
✅
❌
✅
Ceiling Fans
✅
❌
✅
Electrical System
✅
❌
✅
Garage Door Opener
✅
❌
✅
Pre-existing Conditions
✅
✅
✅
Sears Home Warranty Plans
Sears Home Warranty Costs
Deductible (fee per service)
$100
$75
$100
Cap Per Claim
$10,000
$10,000
$10,000
Annual Cap
$50,000
$50,000
$50,000
Service Request Limit
None
None
None
Service Guarantee
180 Days
180 Days
180 Days
Hold on Claims
30 Days
30 Days
30 Days
How it Works
With all three plans, there is a limit of $10,000 per claim and an annual limit of $50,000. There is no limit on the number of service requests you can make each year. Pre-screened, local service agents perform the inspections and work with a 180-day guarantee.
Cost-saving perks with each package include earning 15 percent back in points through the Shop Your Way program, 25 percent discounts on qualified repairs, and up to four $9.99 oil changes and four free tire rotations per year at a Sears Auto Center. Each oil change includes up to five quarts of Valvoline premium conventional oil and a $3.49 oil filter.
Besides these three base plans, Sears Home Warranty can extend your coverage to additional items such as pool and spa heaters, septic tank, sump pump, well, or standalone freezer. There is no cancellation fee, and you are only required to sign a one-year contract.
If you are interested in a Sears Home Warranty plan, you can start by requesting a free quote online. You can also call Sears for a quote or choose their web-based chat feature to communicate with an online sales representative.
Sears Home Warranty Complaints
While Sears has been in business for more than 130 years and is well-established in the service and repair industry, they have only been offering home warranty services since 2014. For this reason, customer reviews are scarce. Sears emphasizes trust and dependability, and for the most part, consumers don’t take exception to these claims.
Sears Holding Corporation, the parent company, has an A rating on Better Business Bureau with an accreditation since 1926. Their composite score is 3.47 out five stars base on 1,057 customer reviews.
Does a Sears Home Warranty cover older appliances? Yes, Sears promises to repair or replace your covered appliances no matter their age, make, or model. However, it is essential to carefully read the terms, conditions, and limitations in your sample contract after you request a quote. Covered items must be in good working condition at the time your contract begins. Non-covered charges may apply to specific repairs and replacements, and coverage may vary by state.
How does the replacement option work? If, during a service call, the covered item is determined not to be repairable or too expensive to repair, Sears may elect to replace the item with a new one of like kind.
What is the Shop Your Way program? One perk of a Sears Home Warranty is free membership in the Shop Your Way program, a promotional rewards program offered by Sears Holdings Management Corporation. You will receive rewards for buying products and services through the Shop Your Way website. As a Sears Home Warranty customer, you’ll earn an additional 15 percent back in Shop Your Way points on all eligible purchases at Sears, Kmart, Lands’ End, and other stores. Also, when you enroll in Shop Your Way, you’ll also receive free two-day shipping on many items.
Can I upgrade my Sears protection agreement to a Sears Home Warranty Plan? If you purchased a home appliance or other merchandise with a Sears Purchase Protect plan, that agreement cannot transfer to a Sears Home Warranty.
How do the preventative maintenance checks work? Your Sears Home Warranty entitles you to two preventive maintenance checks each year, one for your heating system in the fall and one for your air conditioning system in the spring.
Conclusion
Sears, a company that is well-established in the service and repair industry, has been offering home warranty plans since 2014. Their warranty packages are a good value at a slightly higher price compared to the competition. Given their level of benefits, long-standing reputation, and trusted name, Sears Home Warranty is a good choice if you’re looking for a value-packed package with high coverage limits and a workmanship guarantee.
Have had Sears master protection plans for nearly 20 years, they used to be good, but they declined exponentially. 20-90 minute wait times. All calls go to India where there is no accountability. If you want to be a spud in a game of hot potato, by all means purchase a plan, but don’t expect results. I’ve been disconnected after an hour on the phone multiple times. Most “advisors”, but not all, give you misinformation or outright lie just to get you off their backs. They say they have no supervisors, no district managers, no exceptions, no one that can think. I currently have a replacement range on order, waiting three months and counting with no inkling of when it will arrive. If you call to get them to reconsider the price because the only other item is more expensive they will ultimately transfer you to delivery.
Called to have my dishwasher and power washer repaired the day before my plan expired, but their computer system was down. They assured me that they would manually send forms so it would be covered. It took over a month and a half to fix some cheap program they got from Europe, they replaced the power washer, but refused to fix the dishwasher, both repairs called in at the same time. Taking a flight with a baby crying behind you the whole time is more productive, at least you get somewhere. Consider any other protection plan other than Sears.
James T.
Wilmington, DE
May 22 2024 7:00PM
I had used Sears services previously when it was the actual Sears R and thought I would use them for the Home Warranty. Don't be fooled into thinking that it is the same company or quality of service from a decade ago as it is not. If I could give negative stars I absolutely would. Their computer system has inaccurate data, I live in Texas and they sent the tech to South Carolina and the call center agent wouldn't believe that I lived in Texas and kept telling me that I live in SC. I have had a open claim for my washing machine for 41 days now and have had them out 3 times and they cancelled and closed the service order for the 4th time and my washer is still inoperable. The online system doesn't allow you to do anything. It only allows you to open a claim, reschedule or cancel. The phone automated system doesn't recognize my warranty so it will not work. If you are able to talk to someone you will be on hold for tens of minutes each transfer.
You have to repeat everything from the beginning and no one is enabled to do anything because they follow a generic script and cannot handle your problem. This last call, after being on the phone with them this last time for an hour and working with an agent, I am still waiting for my washer to be fixed but their system won't allow the agent to schedule a recall service without canceling the claim and starting over. Stay as far away from this home warranty as possible! They collect your money, hire a random service tech who doesn't know anything and don't provide you service....
Tod L.
Frisco, TX
April 06 2024 1:26AM
Have a FREON leak on my a/c system in my house. I have SEARS Whole home warranty. They know of the problem. 2 techs only came and recharged system…Never fixed the leak. Dangerous gas! Appts. 4/1, 4/2, 4/3, 4/5…confirmed by text and email…. Techs NEVER showed up. Chatted with reps from another country!…excuses: system being updated, problems with dispatch dept., even a tech had a “medical emergency”… NOT TRUE!!! All lies. Will call my lawyers now, Illinois Better Business Bureau. Attorney General Chicago. Transformco bought Sears- Hoffman Estates.
M G.
Miami, FL
March 22 2024 6:30PM
Simply awful service. I have a built-in oven that had an issue with a fan. The replacement parts are not available, so they say the oven needs to be replaced. It's been over 2 months of waiting to hear anything about the replacement. I've called multiple times and I'm told the replacement has to be approved by either "the team" or "the decider" and I should hear back within 3-5 business days. I have never heard back. There's only one phone number to call and you're connected to a foreign office with no way of being transferred to anyone else after being told the same thing you've heard before.
Theo F.
Crown Point, IN
March 22 2024 6:27PM
Don't waste your money with this company. Have been waiting since December 2023 for washer to be fixed. It is now March. 3 months without washer. First found out needed parts after a month. Then parts arrived not together one part at a time because needed 2 parts. Repairman said couldn't fix it so call to see what option was next which should be a replacement. Talk to numerous customer reps which now says there is a third part. Think that they don't want to give a replacement. And none of customer service is in U.S always. Some were foreign. Am canceling membership ASAP.
Carol C.
Kansas City, MO
September 19 2022 8:53PM
Got the warranty. Was never told we had to keep it a year after problems with them taking the payment out of our bank. What was being done for at least 89 months prior. Got tired of them hassling me saying we did not make your payments cancel it.
Went to another warranty company and now they say we owe them money because we need to have our plan for more than a year. That was never told us when we purchased the warranty. Stay away from them.
Luis H.
Fresno, CA
August 18 2022 11:53PM
Stay away from Sears and Transformco. Horrible customer service ever. Purchased a Kenmore refrigerator in may of 2019 along with a master protection plan in May of 2022. They have been here 5 times.
Replaced control board. Thermal fuse, fan motor went. Without a refrigerator till July 21 2022. Now it's been out again since August 14. Tech has to come out again.
J G.
Novato, CA
August 17 2022 10:34AM
If I could give zero stars I would. The worse! Horrible customer service! I have been waiting six weeks for my new refrigerator to be fixed. Two years, I encountered a similar frustrating experience with my old refrigerator: it took over two months to get a replacement.
David C.
Washington, DC
August 04 2022 6:08AM
Do not buy the warranty for appliances from Sears. We bought 3 appliances and all broke down within 3 years. They fixed it under the warranty then broke again not too long.
They may be using used parts and they also lied about the warranty. This place is the worst place to purchase appliance. Move on customers. Move on. Don’t fall into the trap I fell into.
Jay S.
Laguna Hills, CA
July 08 2022 2:48PM
The worst, I purchased this service and let’s just say I’ve spent more than 40 hours on the phone trying to get agent to resend another person out to fix the actual problem, still don’t have my ac fixed and they overcharged me. DO NOT PURCHASE!!!
