Advanced Mechanical Solutions

On December 16th, 2014, we had Advanced Mechanical Solutions (AMS) come to our condominium to investigate why the heating system was not functioning properly. Prior to visiting, the issue was discussed on the phone by myself and [redacted] from AMS, and it was indicated that the likely problem was with the actuator, which regulates heat through the unit. During this conversation, [redacted] did not ask for instructions on what to do if the problem was not due to the actuator. A technician was then sent on Dec. 16th to investigate the issue. He determined that the problem was the thermostat, rather than the actuator. After making this assessment, he told my partner, who was home at the time, that he was leaving to get a new thermostat. The technician did not elaborate or ask my partner what type or model of thermostat we would like installed, even though they vary greatly in price from $20 to $300. Upon returning with a replacement thermostat, my partner observed the technician as he discovered that the thermostat did not fit the space occupied by the previous one. He told her that there were no thermostats the same size as our old one from his supplier. It was clear to my partner that he had not accounted for the size of the old thermostat, and thought it was acceptable to install a new one that did not cover the hole in the wall. In addition, during the installation, my partner heard distinct sawing sounds, as he was rubbing a tool against the hole, which may have made the hole larger [redacted] In addition to being an improper size, the replacement thermostat only reports the temperature in Fahrenheit, which is not something that we would have agreed. As well, the packaging on the box was written in English/Spanish, rather English/French as required in Canada, which makes it questionable as to whether this item was intended for Canadian resale. After the service was complete I spoke to my partner who was very upset with the poor quality of work that had been done. She did not feel comfortable addressing the problem without someone else present, nor did she realize that the thermostat was only in Fahrenheit and possibly not Canadian approved until after he left. Following this conversation, I immediately contacted [redacted] who had arranged the appointment and explained the situation. He agreed that it was unacceptable for his technician to fail to discuss options for the thermostat replacement, and to install a thermostat that does not fit properly into the space on the wall. [redacted] agreed to replace the thermostat with an appropriate sized one at no additional service charge, except for any difference in cost between the two thermostats. He asked me to email him a picture of the installation and the hole, and told me he would be in contact when they had more thermostat options for us to choose from. I then emailed him a picture of the hole that same day (Dec. 16, 3014) and let him know to contact me with a time for the replacement to take place.Overall, I was unimpressed with the work done by AMS as they had charged us a Truck fee, which was never explained, the technician had left a mess on the carpet under where the thermostat was installed, a number of the metal panels on the heaters had been bent carelessly when he was diagnosing the issue. As well, the technician billed us for the time it took him to drive to his supplier to get a new thermostat rather than having options on hand, and to write up the bill ([redacted]). However, I did not feel it was necessary to complain about these problems given that [redacted] had assured me that he would replace the improper thermostat with a suitable one. By December 29th, 2014, I had not received any follow up communication from [redacted] or anyone at AMS so I sent him another email inquiring as to the status of a replacement thermostat. I did not receive a reply to this or my previous email. On January 19th, 2015, I phoned AMS to see why the issue was taking so long to resolve. When I called I spoke with [redacted], he claimed to have not received the emails I had sent him [redacted]. He stated that he was no longer willing to reinstall a new thermostat as earlier promised, but that he would only waive the Truck fee. He stated that because his technician was not responsible for the hole he did not feel that he had to follow up on his earlier commitments, despite that the technician may have made the whole bigger during the installation (we do not know for sure because we had never viewed the hole without the old thermostat). As well, [redacted] would not take any responsibility for the poor quality of the work his employee completed. As the conversation progressed, [redacted] noted that the technician who completed the work on our thermostat no longer worked for him, but he would not acknowledge whether or not it had anything to do with the quality of work.Desired SettlementInitially the action promised to replace the thermostat with an appropriate one for the difference in price would have been sufficient. However, at this point, [redacted] would like a refund on the following items for which we paid:Thermostat (we will return the part) - $63.001 hour labor (time spent shopping for thermostat and writing up the bill) - $90.00Truck Free - $25.00GST - $8.90Total - $186.90