Dean's Professional Plumbing Heating and Cooling Low Integrity, Price Gauging, Sham Artists, Run From Them! St Michael, Minnesota
Furnace went out after hours, so I called around and found that Dean's could send someone out after hours for a mere $249. Tech arrived, did his assessment, pulled out his book for prices (they price part and labor together so you wont know actual costs) and then wrote up his bid to fix or replace the furnace. Suggested that I needed to change out the inducer motor for $819, the induction fan kit its attached to for $702, and install of a gas valve for $707. When I challenged the need for the gas valve, he told me he could do no work unless he did it "right". When I then asked about the fan kit and inducer motor, he suggested they were two separate units which they are not. They are a one piece unit and go for about $205 wholesale and a very common variety. Great thing about that internet and model number searches. To top it all off he told me it would be unwise to invest in my rickety old "builder grade" Goodman unit and that instead, he could install a brand new Coleman unit for only $5578. Then went and wrote it out on a 5 year cost analysis to suggest that just fixing the current furnace for the $2228 mentioned above would eventually cost me $11412 vs his $5578 unit with the 10yr warranty. When I choked and suggested he run along home, he immediately told me he would do me a favor since I was such an upstanding citizen and lowered his price to $4751 for the new furnace. Sent him on his way and spent 7 minutes taking the inducer fan kit off. Called another local HVAC company the next morning for the part, picked it up, installed it in 6 minutes, and began heating the house again.
These guys are merciless and predatory. Guaranteed most people feel helpless in those situations and just pay. I was just fortunate to have friends that knew better. This company has no intentions of driving towards customer service and community citizenship. They hide behind book prices and rely on the everyday person knowing nothing but what they tell them about HVAC. If I were you, Id run from them.