Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  11/04/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  The contractor presented for the tune up. My husband provided additional information that was provided by the comed/people's Gas contractor on 11/04/23. He checked the furnace and told my husband a sensor needs to be replaced and it would be $220. My husband found the exact part for $8 and asked the contractor if he provided the part what would be the cost and the contractor said $220. My husband asked him to leave and the contractor then said the cost to replace it would be $89. My husband asked him to leave again and that we would not be utilizing his services. The contractor stood in front of our entryway until we sent $89 via Zelle and did not leave until he received confirmation. When I called the company afterwards the women said "he did his job by telling you what is wrong with your furnace and you didn't provide the right information" I hired them for the $0 service fee. From previous experience tune up fee and service fee are two different things.I am requesting the refund because customer experience and safety should be a priority. Transparency regarding price should be given to customers to build trust and a relationship that will continue business with customers as well as send you referrals. I have never experienced anything like this with my previous contractor. And am only looking because he retired. I have four properties that I could have hired these pros for tune *** every two years and because of this incident do not want anything but a refund and to move forward.

  

  Business response

  11/11/2023

  We are sorry to see you are not satisfied with the way your appointment was handled. We strive to provide a great customer experience and transparency regarding pricing, and unfortunately, due to misunderstanding and miscommunication, this was not your experience. We kindly ask that you allow us to reiterate our interaction, and to try to clarify what happened. 
  You contacted us via the Duct and ********************* on Thumbtack which indeed states $0 for service call, because we offer free inspections for duct cleanings (please see attached image). If you would have selected the service you were looking to book - Heating System Repair or Maintenance - you would have seen an $89 cost for service call (please see attached image). We did message the tune-up/maintenance cost of $89 before you scheduled, since that is what you mentioned you needed in the additional details. A furnace tune-up is a maintenance service performed on working units, to help prolong their lifespan and ensure safety, and to make sure all the parts are in good working condition and would not fail unexpectedly. You did not mention that the furnace is not working, so we did not discuss anything related to that type of service. We would have gladly walked you through any costs associated with a service call.
  ************** was dispatched to your home, he troubleshooted the furnace and diagnosed the issue. The $220 cost for the part is not the lowest nor the highest that an HVAC company charges for that type of part. Because you did not agree to our cost to replace the failed part, the technician even waited for your husband to try to get the part from a close-by store and to just install it for you at no additional cost over the $89 service call fee, as to not leave you with a non-functional furnace. The technician also explained the whole process of replacing the part to your husband. We feel this is more than other companies would have done in this situation.
  We are very sorry to see that waiting for the payment confirmation has made you feel uncomfortable or unsafe. Our technicians are expected to collect payment after a service is provided and he just was trying to complete his job. We will provide extra resources to our technicians so that they can avoid this from happening again.
  We are a smaller, family-owned business, and we value fairness and good faith. We have recapped the interaction and have provided screen shots that demonstrate we are transparent about our fees. It seems the issue might have just been the discrepancy between your expectations that were not communicated before the appointment (I hired them for the $0 service fee) and the way our business operates. 
  There are many costs that a business needs to cover in order to have a technician in your home, wage and benefits, plus overhead involved with travel expenses, insurance, dispatching, advertising, licensing, rent just to name a few. Can you, in good faith, say that having an HVAC professional dispatched to your home, using his time, knowledge, tools, and resources, should cost $0? If so, please help us understand the reasoning behind this and if we are missing something, we are happy to further discuss your refund request. Thank you
  

  Customer response

  11/13/2023

   
  Complaint: 20825434
  
  I am rejecting this response because: We have been going back and forth on this matter since the day of the service. I called and spoke to you all directly and no assistance was given. I reached out to thumbtack and here and again you all are blaming me. You technician did not explain to my husband the "how to" My issue is that each time I bring up why I am requesting a refund for what was not done an excuse is made for "work" that you who was not here was done. Once again your technician tried to charge us $220 for piece but then said the labor was $220. When we declined the labor now was only $89. Then you all said the $89 does not include HVAC equipment. Isn't a sensor an HVAC equipment? It is starting to feel that you all have a vendetta and will make up any excuse to justify your wrongdoing this instance. Small businesses work off referrals. I would like nothing more than to come to an agreement that works for both of us and move on. I will no longer tolerate you putting the blame on me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************************

  

  Business response

  11/13/2023

  Hello,
  Please let us know how you think we should resolve this issue?
  We`ll be more than happy to send ************** and install the part if you bought it.
  Waiting to hear back from you.
  
  Thank you.

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩