- Report: #401116
Complaint Review: Gold Medal Plumbing Heating Cooling Electric - East Brunswick New Jersey
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Gold Medal Plumbing Heating Cooling Electric
11 Cotters Lane East Brunswick, 08816 New Jersey, U.S.A.
Phone:
800-562-2402
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Gold Medal Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, Electric Ripped me off for $500 after doing NOTHING about a gas leak in a new furnace East Brunswick New Jersey
On 3/4/08, I used Gold Medal to install a new Lenox furnace and Aprilaire humidifier - both to replace the "ancient" heating/humidifying equipment in my house. That cost me over $4,700, but I was told that Gold Medal did excellent work - and they seemed to have done so.
Around 11 p.m. on 10/16/08, when my furnace 1st went on for the season, I noticed a MARKED smell of gas in one of my rooms. I'd have called PSE&G first EXCEPT for the fact that I've found that PSE&G's service is not always reliable - half the time the meter reader can't find my gas meter - so, since the furnace was only 7 months old, I called Gold Medal, the contractor that had installed it.
The Gold Medal technician (Tony?) and I determined that the gas odor was coming from a pressure-control valve, located at the front of my crawlspace. This valve is PSE&G's property. So, before the techician left, I called PSE&G, who sent THEIR technician, who comfirmed the source of the leak and shut the gas off in my house. (PSE&G completed their work the next day, since, by the time both technicians arrived and checked out the problem, it was around 2 a.m. on 10/17; they put in a new valve, new piping, etc.)
MEANWHILE, the Gold Medal technician handed me a bill for $508 - for doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING but SHOWING UP. AND, to add insult to injury, he said he was giving me the "member's price," which is presumably cheaper.
First, at the suggestion of the then-office manager of Gold Medal (who has since quit), I filed a claim w/PSE&G for the expenditure. They declined to pay. The claims agent even CALLED Gold Medal and ASKED them exactly what they DID to charge me the $508 ... and Gold Medal couldn't tell PSE&G anything about any repairs they did - because they DIDN'T do ANYTHING.
So I - on a fixed income - lost $508, which is not "chump change." There's no point in my trying to dispute this claim with the NEW Gold Medal office manager, since he/she wasn't working for Gold Medal at the time of this incident and since, when PSE&G called Gold Medal to investigate, no one at Gold Medal could tell PSE&G anything (see above paragraph).
Since that time, Gold Medal has sent me "dollars-off" coupons; called me to ask if I need any servicing, etc. The last time they called (12/11), I told them I was no longer doing business with them because they're a total RIPOFF. Their initial courtesy and installation of my furnace/humidifier were top-notch. SINCE that time, I've found them to be as dishonest a contracting firm as I've EVER dealt with - and I've dealt with MANY, since I've owned my own home for 22 years.
Diana
Edison, New Jersey
U.S.A.
Around 11 p.m. on 10/16/08, when my furnace 1st went on for the season, I noticed a MARKED smell of gas in one of my rooms. I'd have called PSE&G first EXCEPT for the fact that I've found that PSE&G's service is not always reliable - half the time the meter reader can't find my gas meter - so, since the furnace was only 7 months old, I called Gold Medal, the contractor that had installed it.
The Gold Medal technician (Tony?) and I determined that the gas odor was coming from a pressure-control valve, located at the front of my crawlspace. This valve is PSE&G's property. So, before the techician left, I called PSE&G, who sent THEIR technician, who comfirmed the source of the leak and shut the gas off in my house. (PSE&G completed their work the next day, since, by the time both technicians arrived and checked out the problem, it was around 2 a.m. on 10/17; they put in a new valve, new piping, etc.)
MEANWHILE, the Gold Medal technician handed me a bill for $508 - for doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING but SHOWING UP. AND, to add insult to injury, he said he was giving me the "member's price," which is presumably cheaper.
First, at the suggestion of the then-office manager of Gold Medal (who has since quit), I filed a claim w/PSE&G for the expenditure. They declined to pay. The claims agent even CALLED Gold Medal and ASKED them exactly what they DID to charge me the $508 ... and Gold Medal couldn't tell PSE&G anything about any repairs they did - because they DIDN'T do ANYTHING.
So I - on a fixed income - lost $508, which is not "chump change." There's no point in my trying to dispute this claim with the NEW Gold Medal office manager, since he/she wasn't working for Gold Medal at the time of this incident and since, when PSE&G called Gold Medal to investigate, no one at Gold Medal could tell PSE&G anything (see above paragraph).
Since that time, Gold Medal has sent me "dollars-off" coupons; called me to ask if I need any servicing, etc. The last time they called (12/11), I told them I was no longer doing business with them because they're a total RIPOFF. Their initial courtesy and installation of my furnace/humidifier were top-notch. SINCE that time, I've found them to be as dishonest a contracting firm as I've EVER dealt with - and I've dealt with MANY, since I've owned my own home for 22 years.
Diana
Edison, New Jersey
U.S.A.
3 Updates & Rebuttals
customerjim
Wisconsin,United States of America
hvac techs should not eat
#2General Comment
Tue, January 12, 2010
You decided not to call your local utility company, you decided to call your hvac company. That was your choice, not theirs. Gas leaks are almost always utility problems not hvac, especially since your furnace was new. Yourself state you called hvac company at 11pm. Most often after hours service is expensive. You woke up a tech at nearly midnight, he has to get out of bed, get in truck, drive to your house, pull out atleast a flashlight, and find leak. "did nothing" as you put it is extremly not accurate. Getting to homes throught the day in night is 80% of our jobs. If you are a good tech, fixing is a matter of minutes. I agree $508.00 is a little more that we would charge, but I doubt that is completly accurate unless your residence made it hard to find leak causing tech to take more time
Gold Medal
East Brunswick,New Jersey,
United States of America
Customer Satisfaction
#3UPDATE Employee
Mon, November 23, 2009
Gold Medal strives for 100% customer satisfaction. In fact Gold Medal has an outstanding reputation of satisfactory settling any and all customer complaints, a simple check with the BBB will show no customer complaints unsatisfied. If the poster of this report is not satisfied please do not hesitate to call and speak to the General Manager.
Memyself&i
Mentor,Ohio,
U.S.A.
never send a woman to do a...
#4Consumer Comment
Sun, December 14, 2008
Answer us this please...why did you pay the bill? You're on a limited fixed income yet you hand over the money. Com'on lady. You coulda easily defended yourself in court if it was so clear cut. Okay, maybe you were pressured into paying immediately on the spot - thats understandable. So...if you paid via credit card you could have disputed the charges. We know you didn't pay by cash since you're on a fixed income and wouldn't have $508 laying around. More than likely you paid by check and you could have stopped payment on the check as soon as they left. Another ripoff report where yes, you got screwed but you were too stupid to do anything about it except post on here. It's always about placing blame on "they they they" and not on "me me me".
