Fidelity Home Warranty Review

Home warranties are service contracts that cover your household appliances and systems. They help you save money by ensuring you don’t pay out-of-pocket every time you need an appliance repaired or replaced.

If you’re shopping for a warranty plan, our Fidelity National Home Warranty review will help you decide whether it’s the right fit by exploring things like pricing, pros and cons, plans available, accessibility and customer satisfaction ratings.

Best for unique add-on coverage options

Add-ons allow you to purchase coverage options that are not provided in standard home warranties. This offers some flexibility in planning your coverage, resulting in a personalized plan that fits your individual goals and home needs. The best home warranty companies have add-on options for their plans, but Fidelity National Home Warranty stands out for its large and unique variety of add-ons. Having many additional options to choose from means there’s something for every homeowner and your needs are likely to be met.

The list of available add-ons and their prices vary by state. Some of the coverage options you can get with a Fidelity home standard plan in Oregon include, pre-season HVAC tune-up, pool/spa equipment, kitchen refrigerator, appliance limit upgrade, well pumps, HVAC zone control, clothes washer and dryer, among others. The company has also been keeping up with modern home trends by offering unique options not available with other smart home providers, such as smart home appliances and outdoor kitchen repairs. For these reasons, Fidelity National Home Warranty is our recommendation for people shopping for a home warranty with diverse add-on coverage options.

Fidelity National Home Warranty pros and cons

Pros explained

Offers a large variety of additional coverage options

Fidelity allows you to purchase additional coverage for items that are not included in their standard plans. And while other home warranty companies have these add-ons too, Fidelity stands out for the number of options it offers, which means it can serve different types of house owners with diverse needs. For example, there’s a smart home option that covers $5,000 worth of repairs and replacements per contract term. There’s also an option to cover motors and pumps used in ornamental fountains, as well as optional coverage for outdoor kitchens. Prices for these additional coverages generally range from $50-$200.

Budget-friendly plan options available

Fidelity National Home Warranty is also one of the cheapest providers in the market, giving you great value for your money. The company's service fee for a technician visit is also lower than average, usually between $75-$85 depending on where you live. Fidelity’s standard 13-Month CRES plan, for instance, starts at $375 per year for a single-family home in the Pacific Northwest, while the same plan starts at $400 if you purchase it from Old Republic Home Protection.

Cons explained

Customer reviews indicate poor customer service

Fidelity National Home Warranty reviews on online consumer sites indicate low levels of customer satisfaction. Most of the complaints cite long waits after filing a claim, poor communication and lack of collaboration between the company and contractors.

Major appliances are not a standard coverage

Unlike most home warranty providers, Fidelity does not include core appliances like refrigerators, washers and air conditioning systems in its standard plans. The only way to cover these items is by purchasing additional coverage or choosing a more expensive plan. It's always important to examine coverage plans carefully when trying to determine what a home warranty covers.

Only serves 10 states

Not everyone in the country has access to Fidelity National Home Warranty coverage. The company’s services are available only in the following 10 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Utah and Washington. If you live outside these states, you will need to look for other home warranty alternatives.

Fidelity National Home Warranty plans

Fidelity National Home Warranty contracts serve homeowners and real estate agents who want to cover the wear and tear of appliances and home systems. When a covered item breaks down, customers can file a claim and the company will facilitate the repair or replacement of the item.

The company provides these services through two plans, the 12-Month Fidelity National Home Warranty and the 13-Month CRES Advantage Home Warranty. Both plans have coverage limit amounts on some appliances and coverage options, beyond which contract holders are responsible for additional costs incurred during service provision. For instance, the most Fidelity will pay to repair or replace your kitchen refrigerator is $5,000; for a water heater, the limit is $1,500.

There's also a list of coverage exclusions or instances where the company is not liable for repairs and replacements, such as appliance failure caused by previous fixes.

12-Month Fidelity National HW

This warranty provides homeowners with a year-long coverage for certain types of wear and tear on household appliances, components, and systems. The 12-Month Fidelity National HW has a Standard plan and four additional packages. The Standard plan covers appliances, such as dishwashers, ovens, and built-in microwaves, as well as home systems, such as plumbing and heating. You can also choose add-on coverage options to customize the plan according to your home’s particular needs.

The other four options are more expensive but cover extra items not covered in the Standard plan.

• Standard Plus plan: Covers everything included in the Standard plan as well as mismatched systems, code violations, ceiling fans, and garage door openers, among others.

• Comprehensive Plus plan: Covers everything in the Standard Plus plan as well as air conditioning filters, condenser housing, and registers, among others.

• Enhanced plan: Covers everything included in the Comprehensive Plus plan as well as smart home protection, pre-season HVAC tune-ups, kitchen refrigerators, and clothes washers and dryers.

• Enhanced Plus plan: Includes everything in the Enhanced plan as well as protection against stoppages due to root intrusion, enhanced code violation coverage, radiant water heaters, and water softener systems, among others.

Keep in mind that the 12-Month Fidelity National HW plan only applies to single-family homes that are less than 5,000 square feet. Additionally, specific coverage options may vary depending on your state. You can download a brochure from Fidelity’s website to get a feel of what a home warranty is, contract terms and coverage conditions.

13-Month CRES Advantage HW

The 13-Month CRES Advantage HW is tailored towards real estate agents and brokers for protection during real estate transactions. Here, Fidelity offers home warranty service contracts for 13 months in conjunction with CRES Insurance. Having this plan as a real estate agent appeals to your clients whether they’re buying or selling a home. This home warranty coverage comes with unique Omissions and Errors (O&E) insurance features for brokers and agents. You can choose between Standard, Comprehensive, Enhanced and Enhanced Plus warranty packages.

Fidelity National Home Warranty pricing

If you’re looking for affordable home warranty options, Fidelity’s plans might be your ideal choice. The company is known for providing decent coverage at competitive prices payable in monthly or annual increments.

The prices you’ll pay depend on a variety of factors, including the size of your home and the type of add-on options in your plan. Different states also have varying home warranty rates due to the difference in coverage options. For instance, the starting price for the standard 12-Month Fidelity National HW plan in Oregon is $315, while the same coverage starts at $360 in California.

There’s also an additional service fee you must pay each time you request service from Fidelity. This fee is required at the time of service and must be paid whether your claim is accepted or denied, you cancel the appointment or you’re not at home when the technician arrives.

Fidelity National Home Warranty financial stability

It’s crucial to conduct background research on different home warranty providers before making your final purchasing decision. One vital factor to consider is financial stability, which predicts a company’s ability to fulfill its contractual obligations to homeowners.

Fidelity National Financial (FNF), the parent company of Fidelity National Home Warranty, received a strong financial creditworthiness score of A from Standard & Poor's. This rating reflects the company’s ability to pay and service claim requests. It also has a low credit risk rating of A2 from Moody’s, indicating a high ability to repay debts.

Fidelity National Home Warranty accessibility

Fidelity National Home Warranty does not have an online tool to help you purchase a service contract or get a quote. You can either call the company's phone number or enter your ZIP code to find a local sales representative who will guide you through the buying process.

If you’re not ready to commit, there are state-specific brochures you can download from Fidelity’s site to get an idea of coverage options, conditions and limits of liability. These documents are also available in Spanish for most states. Fidelity also has additional educational resources for both homeowners and realtors on their website.

Availability

Fidelity National Home Warranty services are available in 10 states only: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Utah and Washington. The CRES Advantage HW plan is not available in New Mexico.

Contact information

The Fidelity National Home Warranty customer service team is available by phone at 1-800-308-1420 for claims processing and related issues. The support team is available on weekends and holidays too but processing claims might take longer on those days. To buy or renew your contract, call 1-800-862-6837.

User experience

You can make a claim for service through the website’s Quick Claim feature or by calling the Fidelity National Home Warranty service number. When you send a service request, the company verifies your ZIP code and matches you with a preferred service provider. Fidelity claims to do so within 3 hours on working days and up to 48 hours on weekends and holidays. The contractor will then contact you to set an appointment. Emergency cases may be expedited.

There’s no information on the number of preferred service providers Fidelity has in its service locations but all must be licensed and insured. Fidelity National Home Warranty will not reimburse costs for repairs done by outside contractors or homeowners. This is one of the reasons a home warranty claim may be denied.

Fidelity National Home Warranty customer satisfaction

Customer satisfaction ratings show how happy contract holders are with services received from a provider. Fidelity National Home Warranty is accredited by the Better Business Bureau with a rating of A+, the highest rating possible. However, customer reviews on the same site express low levels of customer satisfaction, with a 1.21 out of 5 score from 491 entries. The same is true on other third-party online review sites. Most complaints cite long delays in service provision and company resolutions that do not meet customer expectations.

How we evaluated Fidelity National Home Warranty

We considered the following factors when evaluating Fidelity National Home Warranty:

• Warranty plans
• Optional coverage offerings
• Company financial strength
• Customer reviews
• Customer support
• Third-party ratings
• Limits of liability
• Coverage exclusions

Summary of Money's Fidelity National Home Warranty review

Fidelity National Home Warranty reviews and third-party ratings indicate poor customer service and low customer satisfaction in complaint resolution. The company also serves only 10 states, with coverage options varying across these locations.

Despite this, Fidelity remains the best company for a large variety of home warranty add-ons. Their offerings can help you cover unique house systems and appliances that are not included in standard plans. Additionally, the company's plans are available at reasonable prices, though you'll want to take a close look at specific coverage options to make sure the plan you're choosing fits your coverage needs.