Advanced Heating & Cooling

On 10/10/Their service tech came to do a furnace cleaning and 'diagnosed' that I needed a spark ignitor and board , price quoted at $I refused serviceAfter he left, I looked up the cost of the parts and found both parts for including tax and shippingI was charged a diagnostic fee, for which the diagnosis was incorrect Another HVAC person (friend of a friend )talked me thru the issue over the phone, the Blink Code (Blinks) pointed to a inch clogged PS hose which I was able to clear myself I feel that they attempted to overcharge me for parts and I was charged for a diagnosis that was wrong

Thank you for letting us know about this complaintI have enclosed/attached copies of the customer's invoices office notes and subsequent emails with Mr***At the beginning, communication with MrLeavens was inconsistent as he was travelling by air on the day of the first appointment
We worked with him, speaking with him before getting on a plane and briefly during a layoverI won't bore you with all the details as they are readily apparent in the notes, invoices and emailsI will respond to each individual complaint that he listed:'We recommended an OEM (original equipment manufacturer) board over the generic board In speaking with Mr*** during his layover on January 12th, he indicated that he had replaced this board within the past two years with a generic boardBased on that, we provided him with two options, an OEM board that was considerably more expensive and a generic boardMr*** definitivly requested the OEM board at the higher replacement cost'Slow service': *** spoke with his wife, Ms*** ***, on January 14th to let her know the board was delayed in shipping*** promised to keep her informed as she tracked the package *** spoke with Mr*** on Thursday, January 15th and informed him that the board was due to arrive by the end of day Friday'No one told Mr*** that his furnace was years old, at the end of it's life span': Please refer to his very first invoice - dated Jan 12, It was recommended, in writing, that "Due to the age efficiency, and overall condition of the furnace, recommend obtaining an estimate to replace the furnace." The mentioned invoice was left with Ms*** on our January visitWhen *** spoke with Mr*** before dispatching the technician, with the new board on Friday, Jan she followed policy and procedures in a matter of this nature and asked him if he was sure he wanted to move forward with the repair, she sighted cost of repairs on the year old unitBeyond the control board there was a venting problem that needed to be addressed before we would consider the unit safe to operateWe also stated that the unit needed to have a maintenance completedThe total cost of the original service call, the new board and a complete maintenace was to be $990.25, this did not include the neccesary venting repair*** stated that there could be other issues found once the new board is installed and we put the furnace through our checklistMr*** agreed "this isn't the best choice but that he had no other options." *** made a suggestion that he could have us install a propane furnace now and switch over to Natural gas when it becomes available in the spring." Mr*** stated he had no propane tank and no other choice but to continue with the dated oil furnaceShe did not press him further'Part cost': We do not use internet sources for partsWe use reputable, quality, OEM supplier's who stand by their products and warrantiesThis allowing us to provide the homeowner with a parts and labor warrantyThe part prices are quoted ahead of time and approved by the homeowner prior to ordering anythingSo for clarification, all our parts are purchased from reputable sources, and our pricing includes the installation of the part, the testing of that part when in service, a safety check of the system when in operation, hour service after the repair and a parts and labor warranty for one yearIf a homeowner is interested in purchasing parts themselves from a less then reputable source, we can, for a lesser fee, install those parts but Advanced would not warranty the part'More damage occurred while waiting for part': Refering to both invoices, it was indicated on both of them, in writing: "Do Not Attempt to Operate!" They both also stated that operating the furnace in it's current state could result in personal injury or property damageIn both instances, we left the furnace off at the unit itself and in one case, disconnected the thermostat wire from the furnace to prevent it from being used.Working with Mr*** at the beginning of this process, while he was traveling, was a small problem but we did convey all the information needed for him to make an informed decisionHis wife had, in hand, the complete wriwith recommendations, for their review at any timeBefore the technician was dispatched on Friday, January 16, Mr*** was given the additional option of reconsidering, for a second time, other possible options based on everything we have listed in this letterMr*** chose, with all of this information at his disposal, to go forward with and have us replace the boardAt this time, Mr*** knew the cost, the age of his furnace, that there was an additional cost for a venting repair and the possibility of additional repairs once the system was operable.We installed the board on Friday, January 16, and found that additional repairs were neededAdvanced employees encouraged Mr*** to replace the system and use the repair money to invest in a new systemMr***' wife, Ms*** ***, via a twenty minute phone conversation on January 19th stated "any repairs would be "off the table" and that Mr*** was no longer interested in repairing but only replacing." At that point, we put together an estimate to replace the unit and included a $credit towards the replacement costOur proposal has been declined.Advanced Heating and Cooling made every attempt to steer Mr*** toward a better solution right from the start of this processHe did resist our recommendationsWe do not judge a client's decisions but we do work with our clients to a best option's outcomeThis is why we have a stellar rating with the Revdex.com, why we have such a loyal customer client base and why we have been so sucessful during our years in businessFrom the beginning, Advanced provided choices, we were forthcoming with pricing, we spoke with Mr*** and Ms*** *** on several occations and we interacted in emails over a period of two weeksMr*** made the decisions and we followed them to this conclusionWe will not be refunding the $he is requesting but we will honor the furnace proposal we offered until end of day on %

*** ***This reply echoes my voice message left at your daytime phone numbers a few minutes agoAfter receiving your complaint through the Snake River Region Revdex.com, I met with our Office Supervisor, *** ***, and our Service Superintendent, *** ***, to obtain all relevant facts and
information, including any update of actions taken. I learned that, indeed, our communication to and with you in addressing the furnace problem at your rental unit was insufficient and untimely. While the field technicians who were involved were properly diagnosing and relaying information to our office regarding the furnace problem and repair needed, the handoff and follow-through were not following a proactive and timely process for conveying to you, our customer, the diagnosis result and repair proposal. We always strive to obtain clear, documented approval for any recommended repair. In most cases, we collect at time of service, which further ensures the customer has been fully engaged in the repair process from start to finish. There should never be a situation as that you described, where the billing and amount are a surprise and received days after the factI was gratified to learn that *** and John had fully credited to you the entire $amount of the repair billing after *** talked to you by phone, and even before your Revdex.com complaint had come to our inbox. I believe the next best thing to a prevented problem is a quickly resolved one. I hope you agree. As I stated in my voice message, if there are any unaddressed issues remaining in your mind, please do not hesitate to contact me directly ** *** *** *** We hope to again have the opportunity to serve you and put a better communication foot forward. Thank you for your considerationSincerely,Bob Ginkel - President

On 10/10/16 Their service tech came to do a furnace cleaning and 'diagnosed' that I needed a spark ignitor and board , price quoted at $730.00 . I refused service. After he left, I looked up the cost of the parts and found both parts for 168.00 including tax and shipping. I was charged a diagnostic fee, for which the diagnosis was incorrect. Another HVAC person (friend of a friend )talked me thru the issue over the phone, the Blink Code (2 Blinks) pointed to a 5 inch clogged PS hose which I was able to clear myself. I feel that they attempted to overcharge me for parts and I was charged for a diagnosis that was wrong.