TotalProtect Home Warranty Review
TotalProtect Home Warranty is an easy-to-use insurance provider for homeowners with complex or simple residential needs. In addition to offering three straightforward plan options, the company takes care of the repair work itself and offers 24-hour customer service even on holidays. Here’s a bit more detail about why TotalProtect Home Warranty might be right for you.
- Best for: Homeowners who don’t want to hire a technician or repair company for every home repair. Homeowners with multiple appliances or aging homes, or who anticipate needing regular maintenance.
- Price: Depends on the plan and location of your home. TotalProtect promotes the “Combo” plan, as it covers both appliances and home systems. Monthly premiums are lower if you choose a higher deductible on repairs.
- Features: Options include three specific plans that cover appliances, systems, or a combination of both. Policyholders call the company when repairs are required and a technician is sent out to assist them.
- Other highlights: Features a team of 40,000 technicians who are pre-screened. Work is backed by a 180-day guarantee. This warranty company, also known by names such as Cross Country Home Services, has been accredited by the Better Business Bureau since 2007 and has a “B” BBB rating. Customer reviews are largely positive; the company promotes its 4.6/5 star rating on the website ConsumerAffairs.com.
- Customer service: TotalProtect Home Warranty’s customer care team is available to take phone calls 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year, including holidays.
| Cost | Guarantee | What’s Covered | STL Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly premium based on deductibles | 180-day guarantee | Plans cover appliances, systems, or a combination of both |  |
What Is a TotalProtect Home Warranty Plan?
TotalProtect Home Warranty Plan, also known as TotalProtect, is an insurance policy that helps you manage the everyday wear and tear of appliances and systems in your home. Under the TotalProtect plan, you pay one monthly premium in exchange for coverage for repairs. Unlike other insurance plans, you do not have to claim reimbursement after arranging for repairs. With TotalProtect, you simply call the customer service number and they arrange for a pre-screened technician to come to your home to do the job.
Home insurance provides peace of mind when something breaks in your home. Over the years, it is inevitable that your washer, dryer, kitchen appliances, and heating and cooling systems will break down. Instead of worrying about what will happen when that eventually occurs, with a home insurance plan you can feel secure knowing that someone will fix an issue right away. This not only protects you and your family while you are living in the house; it also protects the financial investment you have made in your home.
Typically, the costs associated with a TotalProtect Home Warranty Plan are easy to predict as there is a set fee or deductible for each service call. Unlike home repairs that are arranged on an ad hoc basis by the homeowner, you do not have to negotiate fees for a specific job. TotalProtect Home Warranty covers appliances and systems of any age, but does not include commercial-grade appliances. Structural components of the home, such as a roof, are also excluded from coverage in the TotalProtect Home Warranty policy.
All TotalProtect Home Warranty plans cover unknown pre-existing conditions as well as rust and corrosion. There is also no annual cap on the number of claims you make against your policy, and no inspections are required before your policy is approved.
How Do You Choose a Home Warranty Plan?
TotalProtect offers three warranty plans. Each one is tailored to the specific needs of an individual homeowner, who may prefer to protect appliances, systems, or both through their chosen plan.
In order to choose which option is right for you, assess your home and its appliances. Ask yourself if you anticipate needing repair or maintenance on these items, taking into account the number of people in your home and the wear and tear these items receive. Once you have an idea of what you might need, have a look at TotalProtect’s three plans and make your selection.
Appliance Plan
The appliance plan covers many specific items, organized by area of the home. Specifically, the appliance plan offers repair coverage for:
- Kitchen: refrigeration, cooktop, wall oven, range exhaust hood, built-in microwave, built-in trash compactor, built-in dishwasher
- Laundry: clothes washer and dryer
- Optional coverage for pools and spas
This plan appeals to any person who wants coverage only for those items they use day in and day out, such as kitchen appliances and washer/dryers. The appliance plan does not cover any of the home systems that fall under the other plans offered by TotalProtect.
Systems Plan
The systems plan covers more of what it takes to keep your home safe and running smoothly. The plan covers repair of such items as:
- Kitchen: garbage disposal
- Heating and Cooling: air conditioning and heating systems
- Plumbing: water heater, toilets, plumbing lines, plumbing stoppages, sump pump, whirlpool bath
- Electrical and Gas: attic/whole house exhaust fan, central vacuum, doorbells, garage door openers, smoke detectors, main breaker/fuse panel box, interior electrical lines, interior gas lines
This option appeals to any homeowner who wants the central features of their home to always be protected by a home warranty. The cost of replacing a water heater, AC unit, or furnace, for example, could be quite costly without coverage. With TotalProtect Home Warranty, the policyholder can rest assured that at least the majority of these repairs are covered and they will not be without hot water or air conditioning for long.
Combo Plan
TotalProtect Home Warranty’s combo plan offers the best value of the three. It covers everything that falls under the systems plan and the appliance plan. For homeowners who want to have no surprises about the future of their homes, they may want to opt for the combo plan. It will cost a little more out of pocket than either of the two other plans, but it puts a plan in place for almost any eventuality.
How to Buy a TotalProtect Home Warranty
In order to purchase a TotalProtect Home Warranty, you must contact the company’s customer service team. After reviewing the details of the plans and the options for purchase, you have the option to select a monthly premium and deductible rate that works for you. In essence, if you choose a lower deductible, your monthly premiums will be higher; if you choose a lower monthly premium, you’ll have a higher deductible.
Once you purchase a plan, you have thirty days before it becomes effective. You have that amount of time to read the fine print and decide whether or not you want to keep the policy. You can cancel or change your plan at any time by calling TotalProtect. The company offers various promotions at different times of the year, so you may want to check their website periodically to see if there is a new deal on your preferred plan.
TotalProtect Home Warranty will collect personal information when you apply for a policy and when you file a claim. The company’s privacy policy is outlined on its website and offers options for allowing the company to share your information or requesting that they delete it.
Is TotalProtect Home Warranty Worth It?
The TotalProtect Home Warranty is an insurance policy that gives you peace of mind that you will be able to manage unexpected repairs on your home. Whether you plan to live in your home for the next few decades, want to pass it on to your children, or plan to sell it in the coming months or years, having that security is reason alone to buy a TotalProtect Home Warranty policy.
In order to make the right financial decision, consumers should read warranty reviews from other companies and compare those to TotalProtect. They should also weigh how much it would cost if they were to schedule an appliance repair or systems repair without having an insurance policy in place. For example, a consumer could call around for quotes from local heating and cooling repair shops to see how much a call would typically cost. She could also ask at an appliance repair store how much it would cost to make a routine call to fix a broken dishwasher or other item that is essential to her home’s value.
Knowing what the cost is for uninsured people can help consumers make an assessment of whether an insurance policy is right for them. Calculate based on these factors, using your knowledge of your home, your neighborhood, and your own past experience:
- How often have I had to repair appliances or systems in the past?
- How often do I anticipate having to repair these in the future?
- How much will I spend on monthly premiums?
- How much will the deductible be on my TotalProtect Home Warranty?
- Comparing these two amounts, which will cost me more in out-of-pocket expenses: TotalProtect Home Warranty or paying for repairs directly?
You may also wish to consider other factors. For example, if you do not have much experience with home repairs, you may find it difficult to choose an individual or company who is qualified to do the job. Even though the price for a single repair may be low, it may not offer the same peace of mind as having an insurance policy. TotalProtect Home Warranty has 40,000 pre-screened technicians in their network to complete repair jobs. Therefore, you are saved the hassle of having to choose someone who is qualified to work on your specific home repair issue.
On the other hand, since TotalProtect forbids you from using the technician of your own choosing, it may be difficult to get a second opinion about the work done if you are unsatisfied.
To appease the concerns of policyholders, TotalProtect Home Warranty offers a 180-day guarantee on all jobs. When you are assessing the alternatives offered by your local repair companies, ask what kind of warranty or guarantee they offer. It may be something less favorable to the consumer. TotalProtect’s own website states that its 6-month guarantee is superior to that offered by other warranty companies, although the company does not offer any evidence to back up that claim.
TotalProtect Summary
TotalProtect Home Warranty is a comprehensive home insurance plan that covers the inner workings of your home. Once you have a policy in place, you can rest assured that you are protected for whatever your policy covers. The scope of your policy will include either the appliances in your home, your home systems, or a combination of both.
You also have the option to add optional coverage for pools and spas on all plans, making TotalProtect customizable for your own needs. In addition, the TotalProtect Home Warranty is financially beneficial to those who need flexibility when it comes to deductible rates and monthly premiums. You can reduce your monthly premium on all plans, as long as you are willing to take on a corresponding increase in your per-claim deductible.
TotalProtect Home Warranty offers good customer service, with staff available to take your call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, even on holidays. This means that no homeowner has to worry about delaying a service call when the unthinkable happens during a holiday dinner or a weekend outing.
Before choosing any insurance policy, carefully weigh the options offered by TotalProtect Home Warranty and other companies. Choose the plan that makes the most financial sense for your family and the long-term protection of the investment you’ve made in your home.
