Cinch Home Services Review

Company Overview 

Cinch Home Services is a home warranty company that offers three tiers of plans that cover home repair costs. While home warranties are sometimes known for what they exclude, Cinch Home Services stands out because of what it includes: coverage of all knobs, handles, and drawers, which aren’t typically covered. They also include a credit toward changing filters in air conditioning units or refrigerators. 

While Cinch Home Services does cover quite a bit, they are also on the more expensive end of home warranty systems. Pricing is also dependent on how much you’d like to pay for service fees. Homeowners are asked to decide between three service fee pricing tiers and their monthly premiums are adjusted accordingly, with higher service fees resulting in lower premiums. 

States Covered

Cinch Home Services currently covers most of the continental U.S. including Washington, D.C. They don’t cover Massachusetts or Iowa. 

• Alabama
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• DC 
• Florida
• Georgia
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Maryland
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Montana
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New Mexico
• New York
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah
• Vermont
• Virginia
• Washington
• Washington, D.C.
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

Available Plans

Cinch Home Services organizes their plans into two categories–appliances and internal systems, with an option to cover both in their third plan. All of their plans are backed by a 180-day workmanship guarantee.

In addition to covering all the appliance and built-in systems plans, the total plan also includes reimbursement of $500 for any deductible paid on a claim throughout the year. This credit is only available once per plan year. 

One advantage of Cinch Home Services is the breadth of items covered under its plans. Items like doorbells or smoke detectors are not often included in standard plans. 

There are optional coverages available as add ons such as pools and spas, septic systems, and well pumps but prices are not advertised on the site. 

Real Estate Plans 

Cinch Home Services plans are available to realtors and sellers as well, although there is no mention of what might be different about the realtor plans or pricing on the site. 

Plan Pricing

While the plans for Cinch Home Services offer a lot of value, they also charge a higher price for them. They utilize a version of  ‘pay what you want’ pricing where homeowners decide between three tiers of service fee pricing of $75, $100, or $150 per visit. Depending on what you choose, your premium will be higher or lower. No matter which one you choose, these are some of the highest service fees in the industry. 

Plan pricing is also very dependent on your location in the country. We looked at pricing for California, Florida, New York, and Texas and found very different plan pricing. The overall average plan cost across the nation’s most populous states is $567.49 on an annual basis, which is below average for the 25 companies that we reviewed.

Optional Add-Ons

Coverage is also available for the following systems: 

• Pools
• Spas
• Septic Systems
• Well Pumps

These services are mentioned only in the sample contract, but there are no pricing options available. Similarly, the sample contract mentions a premiere upgrade package that covers up to $500 or $1,000 in additional fees on an already covered claim. For example, an electrical repair could warrant extra coverage to repair the access point damage. There is no pricing available for the premiere upgrade package. 

Types of Damage Covered

All home warranties stipulate that the damages covered include only normal wear and tear, but Cinch Home Services states that they cover quite a bit more than other companies, including 

• Undetected pre-existing conditions
• Rust, corrosion, and sediment
• Parts including handles, knobs, and drawers

Plan Exclusions

Cinch Home Services has many of the same exclusions that other home warranty companies include such as: 

• Performance of routine maintenance
• Commercial grade appliances
• Repairs or replacements covered by other warranties
• Subject to recalls
• Located outside the perimeter of the main structure or detached garage
• Damaged during a remodel or unauthorized repair 
• Damages due to misuse or neglect

As always, read the contract carefully to understand what is covered and what is not.

Payout Caps and Limitations

Cinch Home Services uses an aggregate model for payouts. While there are specific caps on individual appliances or systems, typically $1500-$2000, there is also a maximum of $10,000 for all claims.

Repair Times

When disaster strikes and you need to make a claim, Cinch Home Services offers some of the fastest response times in the industry. If the claim is made within business hours, they promise to find a service technician within two hours. If it’s after hours, they work to find one within 24 hours. 

The average time from claim to service visit is 13 hours.

Customer Service and Claims

Cinch Home Services offers both digital and telephone support. Their digital dashboard offers an easy and streamlined way to make a claim, pay bills, and track progress. Once on the website, clicking ‘request service’ takes you through a series of questions to diagnose your needs and trigger a service call. They are also available by phone 24 hours a day.

Customer Satisfaction 

Cinch Home Services has a B rating with BBB and a 3.5 on Trustpilot. However, their customer satisfaction rating with BBB is quite low. While there have been more than 1,400 complaints closed in the last 12 months, they are interspersed with glowing reviews. Many of the complaints point to customer service issues and lack of service providers in many areas.

Competition: Cinch Home Services vs Choice Home Warranty

We compared Cinch Home Services to Choice Home Warranty. Both companies offer simplified plans with broad coverage and hold B ratings with the BBB.

Cinch Home Services offers service in more states, and at a lower cost than Choice Home Warranty. While service fees are higher at Cinch, their coverage offers much more protection than Choice Home Warranty, making them a clear winner.

Q & A

How Do You File A Claim with Cinch Home Services? 

You can file a claim by calling their customer service number or submitting a claim online. 

What Does the Plan Cover? 

There are three plans available–appliances, built-in systems, and total home, which includes both. All three plans cover breakage and failure due to normal wear and tear. 

Can You Cancel The Plan For Free?

Yes, you can cancel at any time for free.

Methodology

There are several aspects to consider when evaluating a home warranty company and its coverages. To assist in your decision process, our methodology for reviewing home warranties includes a quantified scoring system that evaluates four major categories - total plan cost, coverage and support, customizability and transparency. Within those four major evaluation categories we look at 18 core features that include annual plan fees and service fees, claim response times, payout caps, states available, contract length range, customizable coverages, ability to use own repair person, free cancelation, plan pricing, plan exclusions and other plan provisions available online. We assign fractional score values ranging from 0.00 to 1.00 points for each feature and then weight those feature values according to subject matter expert advice and consumer survey importance ranking.  We also compare features for each company to industry average values determined from our data collection for the top 25 home warranty providers. Third-party ratings and customer satisfaction scores are factored in to help assess a home warranty company’s overall quality, suitability and value.