Complaint Review: United Restoration - Ft.Lauderdale Florida

Randy, I see most of the issues you have are related to the cost of the parts (such as the fan motor). The state of Florida does not regulate what contractors can charge for mark-up on their parts. Think about it. You set yourself up to be ripped off. You called a company to service your A/C system for $19!!! What do you honestly think it costs a HVAC contractor to send a service tech to your house? Lets break it down. $12 to $19 an hour to the service tech. $600 a month for service van $3000 equipment in each van (pumps, torches, recovery unit) $5000 truck parts stock $19 per 100 paid to employee for workers comp $$$ payroll taxes (matching SS ) $$$ benefits (vacation, health ins.) $3500 month office rent $1800 a month Yellow page ad $1200 a month phones on and on and on and on.. now take into account the average service company has 4 to 6 employees, two of which work in the office and dont contribute to income. So.. where does that leave us Just to break even for the day, each employee must bring in (at a minimum) $200. Now if they did an average of seven $19 service inspections a day that is only $133. But we all know a service tech cant do seven of these calls a day! There is drive time, time spent doing the work, and time spent with the customer. That all takes at least 1.5 hours. So if thats the case, a tech could only do 5.3 inspections a day, reducing income to $100.70, not enough to stay in business. As for the motor that cost $45.16 at the wholesale distributor. I think the $325 to replace it was a fair charge. If you took your car to a repair shop and they told you it needed a new starter for $325 would you have a fit? The starter only costs $40 to $60, and they didnt have to fight traffic, and agree to meet you in your driveway to make the repair. I do agree that there is rip-offs in the business. What the problem shows is a lack of ethics on the owners part, and lack of experience on the techs part. One thing I suggest is to try and find out if the service company you are calling pays their techs on commission. If they do, expect problems!

Please don't blame johnstone supply or any other supply house all they do is sell parts to any contractor that comes in the door. They are like a home depot. We both know this company is scum they have very bad practices and this is why I left along with most the other techs. But it was actualy johnstones that first tiped me off good luck in your quest with united and if you need any inside info from a 1.5 year vet of the biggest rip off company knowen to man. just let me know thinks any help i can be i will give

in united restoration letter to florida dept of business investigator, united responded that to replace a blower motor a wholesale supplier (johnstone Supply) clearly showed the price of motor to be $45.16 each,and not $325.00 as charged by an second contractor which had to resolve the problem of the unit not operating after uniteds service sell up,and mark up for connectors exceeded $304.00 In cooperation with the consumer product safety commission six companies announced a voluntary corrective action to repair or replace certain furnaces sold in California manufactured by consolidated Industries,the units involved gas fired furnaces equipped with steel nox rods installed above the burners,the CPSC issued a safety Alert that some of these furnaces present a risk of fire... Consolidated which is being liquidated under chapter 7 manufactured 190,000 of these furnaces for sale in California between 1983 and 1994,under 30 brand names,CPSC received about 50 reports of fires,consumers can review the ALERT sept 27,2000 and January 25,2001 by going to www.cpsc.gov for further information the companies participating in the corrective action are Goodman manufacturing(johnstone Supply)+ others,Goetti air conditioning,Carrier Corp,Bard Manufacturing, Amana And Trane company. In summary any associate of united restoration would be questionable! Including (Johnstone Supply).

sidney schwartz the primary licenseewas cited4/30/92 and disposition closed investigation by the department of business and professional regulation state of florida. an investigation remains pending with the department at this time august 2003.

Rick Cochran sent a letter to state of Florida investigator 6/14/03 that stated that after it was found that A/C was not working,and I had another company contractor diagnosis that afn blower motor needed to be replaced,that this was a bit overreaching and overboard in their attempt to tie the ridiculous charges of $400. for a fan blower motor that costs $45.00 with the previous work and unrelated parts that were changed by united Restoration for $304.00,which was contactor, put an acid solution on outside coil,and spray wash the solution with garden hose,replace transformer. and possibly clean and replace filter,(electrostatic) which took 2 hours to cut two wires and attach two wires to contactor,apply solution to outside coil,cut four wires and attach four wires to transformer. the surge protector was put in the technician toolbox and although on check list the tech marked that a relay was o.k. this was removed,at first the tech told me that relay was iffy,and he could bring me one from home,in 4 -5 days,when he checked on that,he said the supervisor or someone at office, wouldnt allow parts from home to be put on,so this relay had to be ordered when warehouse received it,it would be replaced at no charge, by this time the charges were already made,for $304. which I thought they knew what they were doing, but I paid before the work was finished,or completed,so then 5 days later I had a unit that wouldnt operate without the relay,and surge protector, so another united tech returned with a relay,didnt have the surge protector,the original tech still had relay in his toolbox or his own vehicle and was some where else,so then this tech has to go locate the other one, apparently after he put surge protector on unit finally,the system operated that night,and then it shut down. Thats when the other company was contacted,they completely checked system,removed housing, the coil was icing up,and unit wouldnt start from thermostat switch inside on my wall, again the coil was impacted on the inside,which united didnt treat with solution,so then this was done,freon added back to proper level, the unit wouldnt start,so I wasnt charged for this thorough service,it was determined that fan blower motor needed to be replaced,it had either shorted out,due to united replacing the contactor,transformer,relay,without checking the motor to see whether it would switch form heat,or cool,or whatever cutting wires may have been put back in wrong order,or connected to wrong part,I am not an electrician I am casual observer,so although my signature was on paper invoice,it has been pointed out,that questions are open about which technician,or company performed thr work proper and efficiently. My position is in keeping in good faith with the second contractors ability and expertise, There hasny been any trouble with the system since inside coil, motor were replaced and I was satisfied by their reputation, United deserves the disreputable label they have earned consumer beware title...

complaint filed state of florida dept of business and professional regulation investigation pending at this time,hopeful the company will have license suspended, revoked, fined, and eliminated from practicing in any state in the unites states. Other residents of florida may contact dept of business and professional regulation 1940N.Monroe St. Tallahassee,Fl.32399 850-488-6603 Attn: jerry Wilson administrator consumer services