Complaint Review: AJ Perri - tinton falls New Jersey

I have an older furnace and newer A/C unit that I maintain faithfully.  My HVAC man is no longer servicing my area so I called AJ Perri.  On 11/24/16, A service man Al Mayweather came over. He brought a little brush like for painting trim and started dusting off the furnace.  I had already vacuumed and cleaned. He went over and proceeded to turn on the A/C unit.  I told him that was not the one and he looked at me and said he knew what he was doing. He turned it on and nothing happened.  I  said now will you turn on the thermostat for the heat and  I  walked over and turned on the correct thermostat and the furnace kicked right in. 

I walked in to watch what he was doing and he had put a hole in the vent and told me my CO2 level was 800 and that he would have to turn off the furnace, shut of the gas line and deem the house uninhabitable plus he said it was totally rusted out and was about to collapse.  I couldn’t imagine that everything went bad since May when I had it serviced. I said maybe there is dust blocking since it’s the first time on and could we wait a little while and check out the other things.  Nope he insisted.  I asked him to show me and he had a camera - when I went to take a picture he turned it off.  I did see the number 93 at the top and asked him if that was the Co2 level.  He said yes, but it was probably a fluke and just a fluctuation.  I also asked him why my Co2 detectors weren't going off.  He proceeded to tell me that they must be faulty, or bad battery which was fine and it would be on my head if the tenants died from Co2 poisoning. 

I asked him about the water heater and he said that would be another service call.

I told him to shut down the furnace and check the A/C.  He then insisted the A/C must be in my attic – I told him it was not but he insisted on going up to the attic anyway.  Of course it was not there – it was in the top of the garage.  We walked out there and he stood staring at it and said, it looks ok to me.  I told him that my man always went up there with a ladder and something like a shop vac and did something but he went up there.  He said well maybe he checked a filter so I said well then check it please.  He said he didn’t see a filter.  He then asked me if I had a ladder. I did not so he said I don’t see a filter so it should be fine not to worry.   I was getting more aggravated by the minute.

We walked out to his truck and I told him I was worried about the furnace but since it was still warm out I would not do anything  at this time and I was upset that he was considering shutting off the gas to the house.   He gave me a huge sales pitch and said he was not going to shut of the gas but would write it up as a hazard  and when did I want an appointment for a new, efficient, safe furnace at a wonderful price.  I told him I would call to set up an appt. and away he went.

I called customer service – I number of times and finally got someone who said they would send a supervisor over to check the situation.  After 2 days of torture and worry on 10/27, a supervisor Brian Fairchild came over.  He said identified himself as maintenance technician. 

I tried to stay cool and see what he had to say.  I had the heat cranked way up and he went in and looked around at it and said.  This is not the newest furnace but I can see it has been well maintained.  He took out the burners, cleaned them, started it up and said this furnace is fine.

I asked him what he was told when he came over to my house and he said all they told him was it was a redo.  I told him the story about the last guy and he said well he was probably just a maintenance guy.  I said well that is what I was looking for maintenance on my furnace and A/C.  He didn’t say anything more and we went out to check the A/C.

We got out to the garage, he looked up and asked me if I had a ladder.  I almost blew a gasket.  I said you service units in attics and garages all the time, they didn’t tell you that you needed a ladder. He replied there were no instructions given.  I asked him what the hell he had in that HUGE shiny truck that wouldn’t allow him a 12’ ladder.  He went on to tell me the procedure for requesting a ladder. 

I told him that I would call a few friends, or go to Home Depot and get a ladder and put it in my Mercury Mariner SUV and I insisted he wait.  I got the ladder and was back in 20 minutes.  He went up the ladder took a look and got his shop vac out to blow out the line so it wouldn’t freeze.  I mentioned that Mr. Mayweather had said something about a filter.  He said there would not be a filter up there.

I thanked him profusely for doing the right thing.  I am going to report this to anyone and everyone I can think of. 

These people are con artists.  If you catch on, they send someone to smooth it over.  You’re not getting over on this woman.