Complaint Review:
COMFORT MASTERS INC
My HVAC UNIT was not heating up my home properly. The heat was getting colder and colder, even though we would push up the thermostat higher.
On 2/1/11, a tech from Collins came out and told me the heating failure was due to the fan motor not working. The replaced the motor, which costs me $702.00. They took my original motor, so I never really saw what the problem was. The heat barely worked still so I had them come out several days later and they said it may need freon (for heat?), and to wait a few more weeks and lets see what happens.
Today (2/21/11), the heating does not work at all and Collins once again sent 2 techs, who stated it is now the Thermal Expansion Valve (TXV) had a hole in it, and noticed the hole when he pulled on coil. AND they want to charge me an additional $1200 more to replace it. The tech admitted that the motor was probably never the issue. For all that I know the TXV could have snapped when the tech pulled on it. Then they told me that, due to the inconvenience they would drop their price to $866.00. What a bunch of crap.
I got a second opinion from a different contractor and it was the TXV and the cost was about $850. Obviously I am going with the 2nd contractor, not Collins.
I have also filed a complaint with the Registrar of Contractors of Arizona, the Better Business Bureau and stop payment on the credit card charge.
3 Updates & Rebuttals
Collins Comfort Masters
Gilbert,Arizona,
United States of America
Rebuttal to Excessive Charge Claim
#4REBUTTAL Owner of company
Fri, February 25, 2011
2/1/11: The customer was shown the seized motor that failed. He was shown that the shaft would not turn. Also noted to the customer that the 20 year old indoor air handler is not a match to the 10 year old heat pump.
2/21/11: (the 2nd tech is a trainee, riding with a Journeyman Service technician with more than 15 year experience.) The outdoor TXV (Thermal Expansion Valve) capillary tube had rubbed against other copper until it wore through. We have a picture of this, taken the morning of the incident. The customer may want to assume that the motor was never bad, but he must be forgetting how it was shown to him that the shaft was seized.
2/22/11: "sarcastic employees... loud, boisterous, and played loud music" When the customer told me this on the phone, I was taken back, firstly because this is a 1st, and secondly because we have written policies concerning loud music. Please people, come interview or visit the employees in question. sarcastic just doesn't fit into their mould. I did learn that the tech's did have an iPhone playing country music during the repair. Loud? How loud can an iPhone be? I have, however, addressed this. Rules are rules and they must be followed.
2/24/11: I'm always sorry to loose a customer. When the customer told me that the 2nd repair company had ordered a valve, but it would be a few days getting here, I offered to put in a generic valve for free so his wife wouldn't have to be in a cold home while waiting. Then when the correct valve came in, he could have it done but wouldn't be out any more money. As it turned out we had the correct valve in stock so we installed that for free like I had promised him. All this was after listening to the customers complaint and before talking to my technicians. The "rest of the story" (their side) makes this complaint very interesting. However, No regret on my part.
I'm not sure what is going to be accomplished by going through the Registrar of Contractors. But I Know this: There is no ARI match up between this 20 yr old air-handler and this 10 year old Heat Pump, therefore a truly balanced refrigerant charge to work in cooling and heating will always be difficult if not impossible to obtain.
ESM
PHOENIX,Arizona,
United States of America
2/24/11 - ANOTHER UPDATE
#4Author of original report
Thu, February 24, 2011
The HVAC unit is once again not working and I am calling another HVAC contractor. At this point I cannot in good conscience recommend Collins. Too much effort and the job did not get one correct after 4 visits.
I have filed a complaint with the Arizona Registrar of Contractors and hired a different contractor.
ESM
PHOENIX,Arizona,
United States of America
Final Solution
#4Author of original report
Tue, February 22, 2011
2/22/11 - Today Collins fixed everything 100% and did not charge me extra; however, in the interim of getting this problem resolved, I had to pay another contractor to diagnose the problem and they ordered the replacement part, which costs me about an extra $600 and I am stuck with a part I cannot use.
As a side note, the Owner of Collins was extremely nice and helpful, but his employees were sarcastic, especially after I complained, and they were loud, boisterous, and played loud music which they were making the final repairs.
Collins made good on taking care of me, but it was a lot of work, 4 visits to my home and a lot of my personal time. I cannot in good conscience recommend them unless they get their techs properly trained and get them in line with a better attitude. If you complain about the techs to the office, be leery of a backlash if they have to come out to correct a problem.