Anarchy99
Footballguy
Here's what happened . . . trying to figure out where to go and what to do next.
MONDAY AFTERNOON
- Noticed our furnace had a leaky pressure relief valve and called our oil service provider (they only service our equipment but don't supply us fuel).
- Was told that the company had been bought out, but we were in the system as an existing customer, and nothing changed other than the name.
- Confirmed that they bill time and materials, they would come and check the problem, tell us what the issue was and the cost, then get our approval, and bill us through the mail (ie, we would have 45-60 days to pay).
- The office said they had someone in the area, and they would be right over. I made sure it was not considered an emergency service call (they jack the rate up on those), and they said it was not.
- Service Tech #1 came and looked at everything and replaced the pressure relief valve. They previously would see what the issue was, would give us a breakdown, and get our approval. That didn't happen.
- I was curious by that and asked what the cost was, seeing how no one so far had told us any of that. The tech said that was an office thing, and he had nothing to do with pricing.
TUESDAY NIGHT
- We went and checked to see how the heating system was running and the boiler was leaking worse than before the tech came. Also, the pressure of the boiler was twice what it had been.
WEDNESDAY MORNING
- I called the office back and explained what happened, and I was told everything the office told me initially was incorrect.
- Since I was not a fuel delivery customer, the only way they would come service my furnace was if I signed an annual service agreement for $500 (which would not get me anything off the repair . . . just the privilege of them coming to me house).
- I explained I never would have paid them $500 PLUS the cost of the repairs and would have gone elsewhere. I also said that doesn't change that they made the situation worse, not better.
- After stomping my feet and refusing to pay the $500 or sign a service agreement, they refused to come out and fix the furnace without me paying for the initial service call.
- I asked how much that was and they told me it was X. They also said I would not be billed again for another service call since the first one didn't fix the problem.
- The agent on the phone indicated that I had been charged an emergency service call, which I should not have been, and that the charge would be removed.
- I paid X on a credit care for the initial repair and had them come back.
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON
- Service Tech #2 showed up to see what the problem was. However, he was a Tech-In-Training and couldn't figure out what the problem was. Service Tech #3 was called in.
- The third tech explained that Tech #1 should not have done what he did, as Tech #3 had to redo what Tech #1 did. Tech #3 indicated I would get a full refund for the first service call.
- Tech #3 changed out a couple of expansion tanks and a couple of controllers. They were there an hour.
- I asked if the problem might be the water heater. I was told we had the best water heater money could buy . . . no way was it the water heater.
- I again asked why no one presented me with an explanation of what services were being proposed and what equipment needed to be replaced. They just did the work.
- Tech #3 then explained they bill by the hour AND bill parts with a book value of what a repair should take (with labor costs added in).
- For example, the expansion tanks they replaced are $60 at any retail supply place (Home Depot, Lowe's, Walmart, etc.).
- However, Tech #3 said he doesn't do billing, but he believed they charge by the hour AND an inflated part charge with labor charges attached to the parts (4-5 times the retail price).
- I said that had to be wrong and instructed him to have the office call me ASAP. He did, but they did not call back before he was done. He called them again when he left, and still no one called back.
- At the close of business that day, I checked my credit card . . . and they had charged me 1.5X compared to what they told me for the initial service call.
THURSDAY
- I called first thing in the morning to complain about being over charged and to review what happened on the second service call. The office effectively punted and said someone higher up the food chain would be calling me ASAP. No one called me all day. I did not receive an invoice or breakdown of services, charges, parts, etc. We checked again . . . the furnace was still leaking (just in another spot).
THURSDAY
- I called again to discuss everything. Conveniently, no one was available, and a manager would call me back ASAP. No one called me back.
- Close of business, I checked my credit card again. They had charged my card AGAIN, this time 3X what they already charged me.
- The company website has a "message the owner" function, and at 9:30 PM, I send him a detailed account of everything I just posted here.
- Five minutes later, the owner called me to apologize, admitted none of this should ever have happened, agreed to reverse the charges on the credit card, and someone would call me first thing in the morning to get the repair done properly at no extra charge and review what the charges should have been.
- There was a sense of urgency to this, as the weather was expected to drop to a wind chill of -40 F.
FRIDAY
- No one called me until the afternoon. They sent Service Tech #4 (the guru) to resolve my issue. The office said once he reported in, they would call me about resolving the billing issues.
- Tech #4 said Tech #3 put in his notes he couldn't really identify what the issue was, so he replaced every possible part he could replace so they wouldn't have to come back.
- Tech #4 also said in his opinion, it was clear as day the water heater was the problem, and they didn't need to swap out all the other parts. He tried selling me on having them replace my water heater.
- No one called me back about the billing.
MONDAY
- The furnace still has an occasional leak from a spigot on the bottom, but the pressure has stabilized, and there hasn't been a pressure relief issue.
- No one has called me (a week since this started) to discuss the charges, and no invoice has been emailed to me (even though everyone promised they would).
- No charges have been removed from my credit card.
- My wife and I agree that we don't want any part of this shady company, and we don't want them coming back to do anything else.
I am ready to go on a rampage and report this company to every possible place under the sun. My wife wants me to keep working with them amicably to resolve the issues. We are now into this for $1,700+, still don't have any idea if they fixed the problem, and we have no faith that they actually did anything other than take our money. Based on all of that, what should I do next?
MONDAY AFTERNOON
- Noticed our furnace had a leaky pressure relief valve and called our oil service provider (they only service our equipment but don't supply us fuel).
- Was told that the company had been bought out, but we were in the system as an existing customer, and nothing changed other than the name.
- Confirmed that they bill time and materials, they would come and check the problem, tell us what the issue was and the cost, then get our approval, and bill us through the mail (ie, we would have 45-60 days to pay).
- The office said they had someone in the area, and they would be right over. I made sure it was not considered an emergency service call (they jack the rate up on those), and they said it was not.
- Service Tech #1 came and looked at everything and replaced the pressure relief valve. They previously would see what the issue was, would give us a breakdown, and get our approval. That didn't happen.
- I was curious by that and asked what the cost was, seeing how no one so far had told us any of that. The tech said that was an office thing, and he had nothing to do with pricing.
TUESDAY NIGHT
- We went and checked to see how the heating system was running and the boiler was leaking worse than before the tech came. Also, the pressure of the boiler was twice what it had been.
WEDNESDAY MORNING
- I called the office back and explained what happened, and I was told everything the office told me initially was incorrect.
- Since I was not a fuel delivery customer, the only way they would come service my furnace was if I signed an annual service agreement for $500 (which would not get me anything off the repair . . . just the privilege of them coming to me house).
- I explained I never would have paid them $500 PLUS the cost of the repairs and would have gone elsewhere. I also said that doesn't change that they made the situation worse, not better.
- After stomping my feet and refusing to pay the $500 or sign a service agreement, they refused to come out and fix the furnace without me paying for the initial service call.
- I asked how much that was and they told me it was X. They also said I would not be billed again for another service call since the first one didn't fix the problem.
- The agent on the phone indicated that I had been charged an emergency service call, which I should not have been, and that the charge would be removed.
- I paid X on a credit care for the initial repair and had them come back.
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON
- Service Tech #2 showed up to see what the problem was. However, he was a Tech-In-Training and couldn't figure out what the problem was. Service Tech #3 was called in.
- The third tech explained that Tech #1 should not have done what he did, as Tech #3 had to redo what Tech #1 did. Tech #3 indicated I would get a full refund for the first service call.
- Tech #3 changed out a couple of expansion tanks and a couple of controllers. They were there an hour.
- I asked if the problem might be the water heater. I was told we had the best water heater money could buy . . . no way was it the water heater.
- I again asked why no one presented me with an explanation of what services were being proposed and what equipment needed to be replaced. They just did the work.
- Tech #3 then explained they bill by the hour AND bill parts with a book value of what a repair should take (with labor costs added in).
- For example, the expansion tanks they replaced are $60 at any retail supply place (Home Depot, Lowe's, Walmart, etc.).
- However, Tech #3 said he doesn't do billing, but he believed they charge by the hour AND an inflated part charge with labor charges attached to the parts (4-5 times the retail price).
- I said that had to be wrong and instructed him to have the office call me ASAP. He did, but they did not call back before he was done. He called them again when he left, and still no one called back.
- At the close of business that day, I checked my credit card . . . and they had charged me 1.5X compared to what they told me for the initial service call.
THURSDAY
- I called first thing in the morning to complain about being over charged and to review what happened on the second service call. The office effectively punted and said someone higher up the food chain would be calling me ASAP. No one called me all day. I did not receive an invoice or breakdown of services, charges, parts, etc. We checked again . . . the furnace was still leaking (just in another spot).
THURSDAY
- I called again to discuss everything. Conveniently, no one was available, and a manager would call me back ASAP. No one called me back.
- Close of business, I checked my credit card again. They had charged my card AGAIN, this time 3X what they already charged me.
- The company website has a "message the owner" function, and at 9:30 PM, I send him a detailed account of everything I just posted here.
- Five minutes later, the owner called me to apologize, admitted none of this should ever have happened, agreed to reverse the charges on the credit card, and someone would call me first thing in the morning to get the repair done properly at no extra charge and review what the charges should have been.
- There was a sense of urgency to this, as the weather was expected to drop to a wind chill of -40 F.
FRIDAY
- No one called me until the afternoon. They sent Service Tech #4 (the guru) to resolve my issue. The office said once he reported in, they would call me about resolving the billing issues.
- Tech #4 said Tech #3 put in his notes he couldn't really identify what the issue was, so he replaced every possible part he could replace so they wouldn't have to come back.
- Tech #4 also said in his opinion, it was clear as day the water heater was the problem, and they didn't need to swap out all the other parts. He tried selling me on having them replace my water heater.
- No one called me back about the billing.
MONDAY
- The furnace still has an occasional leak from a spigot on the bottom, but the pressure has stabilized, and there hasn't been a pressure relief issue.
- No one has called me (a week since this started) to discuss the charges, and no invoice has been emailed to me (even though everyone promised they would).
- No charges have been removed from my credit card.
- My wife and I agree that we don't want any part of this shady company, and we don't want them coming back to do anything else.
I am ready to go on a rampage and report this company to every possible place under the sun. My wife wants me to keep working with them amicably to resolve the issues. We are now into this for $1,700+, still don't have any idea if they fixed the problem, and we have no faith that they actually did anything other than take our money. Based on all of that, what should I do next?