Arvada Heating and Air Conditioning

Revdex.com: I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted] , and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because: Please find attached several documents which do not support the claims made by Arvada MechanicalHere are my issues with their response: 1) Arvada claims that I called them on October [redacted] and agreed to pay for a diagnosis of my pilot light intermittently going outHowever, I have attached an e-mail from my hot water tank manufacturer, dated September [redacted] at 12:PM, with full debugging information that I used to diagnose the problem that day and isolate the issue to the gas control valveI do not know why Arvada is now claiming I agreed to pay them on October [redacted] to perform the same diagnosis I did the day before, especially when they confirmed that they were aware I replaced the entire pilot assembly on my ownThey are right in saying the manufacturer wants a diagnosis before sending parts, but they are wrong that the diagnosis has to come from them because I did the diagnosis myself and that was sufficient for the manufacturer to send me the part directlyThe part receipt, proving the order was placed on October [redacted] at 10:AM before Arvada came to my property and showing it was sent directly to me by the manufacturer, is also attachedGiven that, there is no reason for me to request, or pay $for, a diagnosisThey did not perform any diagnosis for me because none was requiredI already knew what the problem was and told them that when I called them on the phone and when they arrivedWhat I paid for was replacement of my gas control valve, which I was not comfortable doing myself2) Arvada claims they performed a diagnosis where they “checked the air intake, checked the combustion venting, and checked the thermostat/gas valves.” However, I have attached the receipt, which Arvada filled out and provided me a copy of, clearly stating the work they performed that dayThe receipt states “found unit off at pilot, re-lit pilot, if problem persists may want to check gas valve, air intake, smoke pipe.” Clearly they did not perform any diagnosis like they claim according to their own words in the receipt they provided meThe only thing they did was light the pilot3) Arvada claims they stated on October [redacted] that “we will install any part(s) that he would like, but that would be a separate charge from our diagnosis- Especially if it is days later!” This statement is completely falseIf they told me that on October [redacted] I would never have paid them because no diagnosis was done and lighting my pilot did not resolve the issue of my pilot light intermittently going outTheir attached receipt even has a warranty that states “all labor performed by the above named company is warranted for days or as otherwise indicated in writing.” I do not know why Arvada is now claiming there is a separate charge “especially if it is days later!” According to their warranty, all labor is warranted for daysIn this case, the only labor they performed was lighting my pilot and that obviously did not fix my problemSo, why did they try to charge me again to actually fix the problem they could not fix when they first came because they did not have the part? What good is a labor warranty if they do not honor it and instead try to charge customers more even if it is within the day warranty period? These are my issues with their response and I hope it is clearPlease do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questionsThank you In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above Sincerely, [redacted]

Revdex.com: I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted] , and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because: Please find attached several documents which do not support the claims made by Arvada MechanicalHere are my issues with their response: 1) Arvada claims that I called them on October [redacted] and agreed to pay for a diagnosis of my pilot light intermittently going outHowever, I have attached an e-mail from my hot water tank manufacturer, dated September [redacted] at 12:PM, with full debugging information that I used to diagnose the problem that day and isolate the issue to the gas control valveI do not know why Arvada is now claiming I agreed to pay them on October [redacted] to perform the same diagnosis I did the day before, especially when they confirmed that they were aware I replaced the entire pilot assembly on my ownThey are right in saying the manufacturer wants a diagnosis before sending parts, but they are wrong that the diagnosis has to come from them because I did the diagnosis myself and that was sufficient for the manufacturer to send me the part directlyThe part receipt, proving the order was placed on October [redacted] at 10:AM before Arvada came to my property and showing it was sent directly to me by the manufacturer, is also attachedGiven that, there is no reason for me to request, or pay $for, a diagnosisThey did not perform any diagnosis for me because none was requiredI already knew what the problem was and told them that when I called them on the phone and when they arrivedWhat I paid for was replacement of my gas control valve, which I was not comfortable doing myself.2) Arvada claims they performed a diagnosis where they “checked the air intake, checked the combustion venting, and checked the thermostat/gas valves.” However, I have attached the receipt, which Arvada filled out and provided me a copy of, clearly stating the work they performed that dayThe receipt states “found unit off at pilot, re-lit pilot, if problem persists may want to check gas valve, air intake, smoke pipe.” Clearly they did not perform any diagnosis like they claim according to their own words in the receipt they provided meThe only thing they did was light the pilot.3) Arvada claims they stated on October [redacted] that “we will install any part(s) that he would like, but that would be a separate charge from our diagnosis- Especially if it is days later!” This statement is completely falseIf they told me that on October [redacted] I would never have paid them because no diagnosis was done and lighting my pilot did not resolve the issue of my pilot light intermittently going outTheir attached receipt even has a warranty that states “all labor performed by the above named company is warranted for days or as otherwise indicated in writing.” I do not know why Arvada is now claiming there is a separate charge “especially if it is days later!” According to their warranty, all labor is warranted for daysIn this case, the only labor they performed was lighting my pilot and that obviously did not fix my problemSo, why did they try to charge me again to actually fix the problem they could not fix when they first came because they did not have the part? What good is a labor warranty if they do not honor it and instead try to charge customers more even if it is within the day warranty period?These are my issues with their response and I hope it is clearPlease do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questionsThank you In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above Sincerely, [redacted]

Revdex.com: I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted] , and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because: As stated in my initial statement, I would like to be refunded the $I could have avoided paying if I went with another service provider who had the partI stand by that because if Arvada had the part, as they suggested on the phone on October ***, when they said “all of their trucks are fully stocked and they would likely have the part,” I very easily could have cancelled my order and avoided the $chargeMy intention all along was to cancel the order if I was able to find a service provider who had the part, but I made the mistake of believing anything Arvada saidBased on everything that has happened since then, it appears Arvada would have said whatever it took to come to my house just so they could charge me, with no regard for their ability to provide any of the real billable service that they were contacted forIn Arvada’s most recent response, they say “we have been a Service Provider for many years for American Water Heater - I am shocked they sent [redacted] a pilot assembly AND a gas valve.” Well, I just got off the phone with American and they told me it has been standard procedure for many years for them to send parts to their customersSo, either Arvada is not even aware of the operating procedures for American or they are making things upI told American about my issue with Arvada and they apologized to me for recommending them and told me to provide Arvada their Technical Support number ( [redacted] ) so Arvada could educate themselves about American’s proceduresThey even suggested that Arvada be given the case number ?Support Case [redacted] ? which can be referenced to obtain proof of the diagnosis that was performed with American’s guidance and supportAmerican was very surprised when told that Arvada was questioning the diagnosis that was conducted, with technical support from American, and stated that all of the diagnosis information they sent has been tested and proven to workFeel free to call American Technical Support and reference the case number to have them explain all this directlyAs stated in my last response, “Arvada claims that I called them on October [redacted] and agreed to pay for a diagnosis of my pilot light intermittently going out.” Based on Arvada’s most recent response, it seems they misunderstood what it is I am disputing: to clarify, I am disputing their claim that I called about and agreed to pay for a diagnosis, NOT the fact that I contacted them at allAs I stated many times now, I called Arvada to replace my gas control valveThis is because the true experts on the subject of issues related to American Water Heater Company’s hot water tanks is American, NOT Arvada, and they told me to replace the gas control valveThe exact debugging information used to diagnose the problem and isolate the issue to the gas control valve is attachedThe e-mail, dated September [redacted] at 12:PM, from American which provided this information was provided with my last responseIn Arvada’s most recent response they claim “we would want nothing more than to resolve this issue with [redacted] , but he has to remember that our technicians told him from day 1, that to replace a thermostat it always takes an hour and a half to do the job, therefore it costs an hour and a half to do the job.” Like many of Arvada’s other claims, this is completely falseEvidence of this comes straight from Arvada’s first response where they claimed, more than once, that I knew from day that there will be a half hour, NOT an hour and a half, labor fee to install the thermostatBased on this contradiction alone, it appears that Arvada’s intentions all along were to charge me an hour and a half to replace the thermostat and all of their other claims about performing a diagnosis were bogus and made up to try to justify their initial charge of $for lighting the pilot, which was the only thing they didFinally, also in Arvada’s most recent response they claim “lastly, we have found no mechanical failure upon testing his unitIn my opinion I believe [redacted] may have tricked American Water Heater into giving him a new pilot assembly as well as new gas valve.” Later, they state “we tested every working part AS WELL AS outside conditions and found no failure, therefore he should be happy the hot water heater he has is working correctly!” The absurdity of these claims cannot be understatedI will not even dignify their suggestions that I tricked American with a responseWhat goes on between American and their customers is none of Arvada’s business, periodAs stated before, American, NOT Arvada, is the expertAmerican is the one who told me to replace my pilot assembly, which is why they sent me the part and installation instructionsAmerican is also the one who told me to replace my gas control valve, which is again why they sent me the part and installation instructionsUnfortunately for me, I was not comfortable replacing the gas control valve and made the mistake of calling ArvadaEven worse, I made the mistake of showing good faith by paying them in advance to replace the partSince Arvada never provided the service I paid them for in advance, I was left with the same problem I initially contacted them for, which is that my pilot light was intermittently going outArvada never performed a diagnosis of my unit and I wonder how many other former customers they have put in this same situation, because my hot water heater was NOT working properly and it DID have a failed gas control valveIf my hot water heater was working properly, why would I have called Arvada? After I grew tired of having to go out in the cold to light my pilot every time it went out, I called a better, honest service provider to come in and replace the gas control valve for meI have attached a receipt which shows work performed and it clearly states “after removing gas valve I found a lot of sediment build up on the temperature sensor on the back of gas valve which is what was causing the valve to work sporadically.” If that is not sufficient evidence to convince Arvada of their technical incompetence, I have attached a picture of the failed gas control valve showing the build up the service provider is talking aboutAfter replacement of my gas control valve, NOW I have a hot water heater that is working correctlyAt this point, I would hope Arvada would admit to their mistakes and do the right thing by refunding me the $shipping charge and the $I paid them to replace my gas control valve, which I then had to pay another service provider to do for meIf this issue cannot be resolved by the Revdex.com, I will have no choice but to take legal actionI have already started getting some preliminary legal consultation and have been told that based on the receipt provided by Arvada, American’s Technical Support case file, this Revdex.com case file, the receipt provided by the other service provider, another unresolved Revdex.com case file against Arvada, and publicly available reviews by other customers who have had similar issues with Arvada, there is no question who the judge will rule in favor ofIf this goes to court, Arvada may end up paying much more than the $that I’m asking for hereThat is where I am at this point and hope my intentions are clearPlease do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questionsThank you In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above Sincerely, [redacted]

[redacted] states that he would like to be refunded $10.00 for shipping in “which I could have avoided paying if I went with another service provider who had the part”. He clearly states in his 2nd response that he himself ordered the part on October 1st 2015 at 10:00AM before Arvada came to his property. He already knew of the $10.00 and had already paid the $10.00. We have been a Service Provider for many years for American Water Heater- I am shocked they sent [redacted] a pilot assembly AND a gas valve! Usually when a customer calls American Water Heater, they tell the customer to call an experienced provider to diagnose the problem. I don’t know how [redacted] was given a pilot assembly. However, he states after the pilot assembly that he installed had the same issues; now they send him a gas valve! That’s usually why they don’t just send homeowners the part! They ask a qualified technician to diagnose the problem, so they don’t waste money in unnecessary parts! We will NOT under any circumstances deceive the warranty company by installing a part that is unnecessary. If the gas valve was deemed defective, we would then change out the gas valve with a new one. [redacted] would then be responsible for a half hour labor charge in addition to the diagnosis charge. All customers are aware of this before we agree to send a service truck! [redacted] ’s gas valve was in good working condition, therefore a gas valve was not needed. [redacted] said American sent him debugging tools AFTER both parties (Mr. Chinnan AND American Water Heaters Technical Support) both diagnosed incorrectly- that the pilot assembly was defective. Never in the existence of Arvada Mechanical Corporation, have we heard of American Water Heaters sending “debugging tools” ever; nonetheless after incorrectly diagnosing the problem. If there is a manufacturers defective hot water heater, it could only be one (1) of two (2) parts- 1. The Gas Valve or 2. The Flame Prover (i.e. thermocouple,thermopile, etc.) so they would not send you “debugging tools” after both parties incorrectly replaced 1 out of the only 2 parts that could cause pilot outage. Two (2) other reasons for pilot outage are clogged air intake and venting issues, which are not mechanical parts. We don’t claim that [redacted] called us on 10/01/2015 because Mr.Chinnan DID call us on 10/01/2015 and we sent our technicians out on 10/01/2015 and [redacted] paid us on 10/01 as well as signed out invoice on October 1st 2015. With all due respect to our former customer, if he already and incorrectly replaced the pilot assembly, how could he state that he set up a C.O.D appointment for 10/01 (with his thermostat still not received by that date) allow us to diagnosis that there were zero visible problems at the time, pay us, sign our invoice for “Satisfactory Work Completed” and then claim that all our testing was unnecessary because he already knew what the problem was. If [redacted] knew what the problem was and knew that the shipment hasn’t arrived, why would he allow our technicians to enter the premises and thus pay us when the thermostat was still in transit. For a possibility that our truck has a gas valve for him so he could defraud American Water Heaters for a 2nd gas valve? In regards to [redacted] ’s SECOND complaint stating that we did nothing but re-light the pilot- I apologize that our technicians did not write the most detailed invoice, but he knows very well that the technicians checked Mr.Chinnan’s gas pressure, combustion chamber, air intake AND chimney! They could not condemn anything because there was ZERO fault at time; [redacted] ’s knows that! [redacted] ’s paid us for One (1) hour worth of time and diagnosis and understood that if the gas valve that he had needs replacing it we be an additional half hour charge at $62.50. [redacted] ’s 3rd claim about our warranty is very simple. If we install a part that turns out to be defective, the manufacturers warrants the part! If our labor caused a water heater defect we will warrant our labor, however OUR LABOR DIDN’T FAIL! If we do not determine that there is any fault with any functioning part due to our professional testing; there is no need to exchange a part under warranty if the unit is functioning! We would want nothing more than to resolve this issue with [redacted] , but he has to remember that our technicians told him from day 1, that to replace a thermostat it always takes an hour and a half to do the job, therefore it costs an hour and a half to the job and at time it wasn’t needed. Lastly, we have found no mechanical failure upon testing his unit. In my opinion I believe [redacted] may have tricked American Water Heater into giving him a new pilot assembly as well as new gas valve. Now he is trying to get a refund on shipping charge and our diagnostic charge as well. [redacted] should be content he has one (1) new pilot assembly and one (1) gas valve sent to him under warranty. He also has a hot water heater that is not malfunctioning. [redacted] knew of a diagnostic charge to evaluate his hot water heater. We tested every working part AS WELL AS outside conditions and found no failure, therefore he should be happy the hot water heater he has is working correctly!

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

Please find attached several documents which
do not support the claims made by Arvada Mechanical. Here are my issues with
their response: 1) Arvada claims that I called them on October [redacted] and agreed to pay for a diagnosis of my pilot light intermittently going out. However, I have attached an e-mail from my hot water tank manufacturer, dated September [redacted] at 12:55 PM, with full debugging information that I used to diagnose the problem that day and isolate the issue to the gas control valve. I do not know why Arvada is now claiming I agreed to pay them on October [redacted] to perform the same diagnosis I did the day before, especially when they confirmed that they were aware I replaced the entire pilot assembly on my own. They are right in saying the manufacturer wants a diagnosis before sending parts, but they are wrong that the diagnosis has to come from them because I did the diagnosis myself and that was sufficient for the manufacturer to send me the part directly. The part receipt, proving the order was placed on October [redacted] at 10:00 AM before Arvada came to my property and showing it was sent directly to me by the manufacturer, is also attached. Given that, there is no reason for me to request, or pay $125 for, a diagnosis. They did not perform any diagnosis for me because none was required. I already knew what the problem was and told them that when I called them on the phone and when they arrived. What I paid for was replacement of my gas control valve, which I was not comfortable doing myself.2) Arvada claims they performed a diagnosis where they “checked the air intake, checked the combustion venting, and checked the thermostat/gas valves.” However, I have attached the receipt, which Arvada filled out and provided me a copy of, clearly stating the work they performed that day. The receipt states “found unit off at pilot, re-lit pilot, if problem persists may want to check gas valve, air intake, smoke pipe.” Clearly they did not perform any diagnosis like they claim according to their own words in the receipt they provided me. The only thing they did was light the pilot.3) Arvada claims they stated on October [redacted] that “we will install any part(s) that he would like, but that would be a separate charge from our diagnosis- Especially if it is days later!” This statement is completely false. If they told me that on October [redacted] I would never have paid them because no diagnosis was done and lighting my pilot did not resolve the issue of my pilot light intermittently going out. Their attached receipt even has a warranty that states “all labor performed by the above named company is warranted for 30 days or as otherwise indicated in writing.” I do not know why Arvada is now claiming there is a separate charge “especially if it is days later!” According to their warranty, all labor is warranted for 30 days. In this case, the only labor they performed was lighting my pilot and that obviously did not fix my problem. So, why did they try to charge me again to actually fix the problem they could not fix when they first came because they did not have the part? What good is a labor warranty if they do not honor it and instead try to charge customers more even if it is within the 30 day warranty period?These are my
issues with their response and I hope it is clear. Please do not hesitate to
contact me if you have any questions. Thank you.
 
 
 
 
In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

[redacted] states that he would like to be refunded $10.00
for shipping in “which I could have avoided paying if I went with another
service provider who had the part”. He clearly states in his 2nd
response that he himself ordered the part on October 1st 2015 at
10:00AM before Arvada came to his property. He already knew of the $10.00 and
had already paid the $10.00.
               
               
We have been a Service Provider for many years for American Water Heater- I am
shocked they sent [redacted] a pilot assembly AND a gas valve! Usually when a
customer calls American Water Heater, they tell the customer to call an
experienced provider to diagnose the problem. I don’t know how [redacted] was
given a pilot assembly. However, he states after the pilot assembly that he
installed had the same issues; now they send him a gas valve! That’s usually
why they don’t just send homeowners the part! They ask a qualified technician
to diagnose the problem, so they don’t waste money in unnecessary parts! We
will NOT under any circumstances deceive the warranty company by installing a
part that is unnecessary. If the gas valve was deemed defective, we would then
change out the gas valve with a new one. [redacted] would then be responsible
for a half hour labor charge in addition to the diagnosis charge. All customers
are aware of this before we agree to send a service truck! [redacted]’s gas
valve was in good working condition, therefore a gas valve was not needed.
               
[redacted] said American sent him debugging tools AFTER both parties (Mr.
Chinnan AND American Water Heaters Technical Support) both diagnosed
incorrectly- that the pilot assembly was defective. Never in the existence of
Arvada Mechanical Corporation, have we heard of American Water Heaters sending
“debugging tools” ever; nonetheless after incorrectly diagnosing the problem.
If there is a manufacturers defective hot water heater, it could only be one
(1) of two (2) parts- 1. The Gas Valve or 2. The Flame Prover (i.e.
thermocouple,thermopile, etc.) so they would not send you “debugging tools”
after both parties incorrectly replaced 1 out of the only 2 parts that could
cause pilot outage. Two (2) other reasons for pilot outage are clogged air
intake and venting issues, which are not mechanical parts.
We don’t claim that [redacted]
called us on 10/01/2015 because Mr.Chinnan DID call us on 10/01/2015 and we
sent our technicians out on 10/01/2015 and [redacted] paid us on 10/01 as well
as signed out invoice on October 1st 2015. With all due respect to our
former customer, if he already and incorrectly replaced the pilot assembly, how
could he state that he set up a C.O.D appointment for 10/01 (with his
thermostat still not received by that date) allow us to diagnosis that there
were zero visible problems at the time, pay us, sign our invoice for
“Satisfactory Work Completed” and then claim that all our testing was
unnecessary because he already knew what the problem was.
               
If [redacted] knew what the problem was and knew that the shipment hasn’t
arrived, why would he allow our technicians to enter the premises and thus pay
us when the thermostat was still in transit. For a possibility that our truck
has a gas valve for him so he could defraud American Water Heaters for a 2nd
gas valve?
In regards to [redacted]’s SECOND complaint stating that we
did nothing but re-light the pilot- I apologize that our technicians did not
write the most detailed invoice, but he knows very well that the technicians
checked Mr.Chinnan’s  gas pressure, combustion chamber, air intake AND
chimney! They could not condemn anything because there was ZERO fault at time;
[redacted]’s knows that! [redacted]’s paid us for One (1) hour worth of time
and diagnosis and understood that if the gas valve that he had needs replacing
it we be an additional half hour charge at $62.50.
[redacted]’s 3rd claim about our warranty is
very simple. If we install a part that turns out to be defective, the
manufacturers warrants the part! If our labor caused a water heater defect we
will warrant our labor, however OUR LABOR DIDN’T FAIL!
If we do not determine that there is any fault with any
functioning part due to our professional testing; there is no need to exchange a part under warranty if the unit is functioning!
We would want nothing more than to resolve this issue with
[redacted], but he has to remember that our technicians told him from day 1,
that to replace a thermostat it always takes an hour and a half to do the job,
therefore it costs an hour and a half to the job and at time it wasn’t needed.
Lastly, we have found no mechanical failure upon testing his
unit. In my opinion I believe [redacted] may have tricked American Water
Heater into giving him a new pilot assembly as well as new gas valve. Now he is
trying to get a refund on shipping charge and our diagnostic charge as well.
[redacted] should be content he has one (1) new pilot assembly and one (1) gas valve sent to him
under warranty. He also has a hot water heater that is not malfunctioning.
               
[redacted] knew of a diagnostic charge  to evaluate his hot water heater.
We tested every working part AS WELL AS outside conditions and found no
failure, therefore he should be happy the hot water heater he has is working
correctly!

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

As stated in my initial statement, I would like to be refunded the $10 I could have avoided paying if I went with another service provider who had the part. I stand by that because if Arvada had the part, as they suggested on the phone on October [redacted], 2015 when they said “all of their trucks are fully stocked and they would likely have the part,” I very easily could have cancelled my order and avoided the $10 charge. My intention all along was to cancel the order if I was able to find a service provider who had the part, but I made the mistake of believing anything Arvada said. Based on everything that has happened since then, it appears Arvada would have said whatever it took to come to my house just so they could charge me, with no regard for their ability to provide any of the real billable service that they were contacted for.In Arvada’s most recent response, they say “we have been a Service Provider for many years for American Water Heater - I am shocked they sent [redacted] a pilot assembly AND a gas valve.” Well, I just got off the phone with American and they told me it has been standard procedure for many years for them to send parts to their customers. So, either Arvada is not even aware of the normal operating procedures for American or they are making things up. I told American about my issue with Arvada and they apologized to me for recommending them and told me to provide Arvada their Technical Support number ([redacted]) so Arvada could educate themselves about American’s normal procedures. They even suggested that Arvada be given the case number ?Support Case [redacted]? which can be referenced to obtain proof of the diagnosis that was performed with American’s guidance and support. American was very surprised when told that Arvada was questioning the diagnosis that was conducted, with technical support from American, and stated that all of the diagnosis information they sent has been tested and proven to work. Feel free to call American Technical Support and reference the case number to have them explain all this directly.As stated in my last response, “Arvada claims that I called them on October [redacted] and agreed to pay for a diagnosis of my pilot light intermittently going out.” Based on Arvada’s most recent response, it seems they misunderstood what it is I am disputing: to clarify, I am disputing their claim that I called about and agreed to pay for a diagnosis, NOT the fact that I contacted them at all. As I stated many times now, I called Arvada to replace my gas control valve. This is because the true experts on the subject of issues related to American Water Heater Company’s hot water tanks is American, NOT Arvada, and they told me to replace the gas control valve. The exact debugging information used to diagnose the problem and isolate the issue to the gas control valve is attached. The e-mail, dated September [redacted] at 12:55 PM, from American which provided this information was provided with my last response.In Arvada’s most recent response they claim “we would want nothing more than to resolve this issue with [redacted], but he has to remember that our technicians told him from day 1, that to replace a thermostat it always takes an hour and a half to do the job, therefore it costs an hour and a half to do the job.” Like many of Arvada’s other claims, this is completely false. Evidence of this comes straight from Arvada’s first response where they claimed, more than once, that I knew from day 1 that there will be a half hour, NOT an hour and a half, labor fee to install the thermostat. Based on this contradiction alone, it appears that Arvada’s intentions all along were to charge me an hour and a half to replace the thermostat and all of their other claims about performing a diagnosis were bogus and made up to try to justify their initial charge of $125 for lighting the pilot, which was the only thing they did.Finally, also in Arvada’s most recent response they claim “lastly, we have found no mechanical failure upon testing his unit. In my opinion I believe [redacted] may have tricked American Water Heater into giving him a new pilot assembly as well as new gas valve.” Later, they state “we tested every working part AS WELL AS outside conditions and found no failure, therefore he should be happy the hot water heater he has is working correctly!” The absurdity of these claims cannot be understated. I will not even dignify their suggestions that I tricked American with a response. What goes on between American and their customers is none of Arvada’s business, period. As stated before, American, NOT Arvada, is the expert. American is the one who told me to replace my pilot assembly, which is why they sent me the part and installation instructions. American is also the one who told me to replace my gas control valve, which is again why they sent me the part and installation instructions. Unfortunately for me, I was not comfortable replacing the gas control valve and made the mistake of calling Arvada. Even worse, I made the mistake of showing good faith by paying them in advance to replace the part. Since Arvada never provided the service I paid them for in advance, I was left with the same problem I initially contacted them for, which is that my pilot light was intermittently going out. Arvada never performed a diagnosis of my unit and I wonder how many other former customers they have put in this same situation, because my hot water heater was NOT working properly and it DID have a failed gas control valve. If my hot water heater was working properly, why would I have called Arvada?After I grew tired of having to go out in the cold to light my pilot every time it went out, I called a better, honest service provider to come in and replace the gas control valve for me. I have attached a receipt which shows work performed and it clearly states “after removing gas valve I found a lot of sediment build up on the temperature sensor on the back of gas valve which is what was causing the valve to work sporadically.” If that is not sufficient evidence to convince Arvada of their technical incompetence, I have attached a picture of the failed gas control valve showing the build up the service provider is talking about. After replacement of my gas control valve, NOW I have a hot water heater that is working correctly.At this point, I would hope Arvada would admit to their mistakes and do the right thing by refunding me the $10 shipping charge and the $125 I paid them to replace my gas control valve, which I then had to pay another service provider to do for me. If this issue cannot be resolved by the Revdex.com, I will have no choice but to take legal action. I have already started getting some preliminary legal consultation and have been told that based on the receipt provided by Arvada, American’s Technical Support case file, this Revdex.com case file, the receipt provided by the other service provider, another unresolved Revdex.com case file against Arvada, and publicly available reviews by other customers who have had similar issues with Arvada, there is no question who the judge will rule in favor of. If this goes to court, Arvada may end up paying much more than the $135 that I’m asking for here. That is where I am at this point and hope my intentions are clear. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. Thank you.
In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

To whom it may concern,Arvada Mechanical Corporation received a call from [redacted] on October [redacted] 2015, in regards to his Hot Water Heater. He said that his pilot light goes out at times, he asked us what could be the problem. We told him it could be a faulty pilot assembly, faulty gas valve,...

venting issues and/or air intake. We explained to him that we can’t tell what the problem is without seeing firsthand. We quoted him our diagnosis charge of $125.00 for labor and according to his Serial# on his hot water heater unit his parts (if needed) are under warranty from the manufacturer American Water Heater. He agreed and placed a service call.We arrived that afternoon of October [redacted] 2015, and found that heater in the off position. We lit the pilot and turned the unit on. We checked the air intake, which was free of debris and was in good condition. We checked the combustion venting and found a good natural draft. We then checked the thermostat/gas valves and found it performing well. At that time, [redacted] told us he just changed the pilot assembly himself, in which he said that American Water sent him the pilot assembly directly. We told him that it is unusual for the Manufacturer to send parts to the homeowner, they usually want our diagnosis first; he then said that he also has a gas valve/thermostat being sent to him from the Manufacturer. [redacted] then asked once he receives the parts, if we would be able to install the supplied gas valve/thermostat; we replied “Of course” and proceeded to tell [redacted] to let us know once we receives his parts so we can schedule the installation; and a lso made him aware that the fee of the install would be $62.50 (½ hour labor). [redacted] said that the install of the ordered parts should be included in our $125.00 diagnosis charge. We informed [redacted] that first of all we found no problems with the operation of the hot water heater, therefore he didn’t need a new thermostat; however we will install any part(s) that he would like, but that would be a separate charge from our diagnosis- Especially if it is days later! [redacted] understood and paid the diagnosis fee of $125.00 and assured us that he would call our Company once he received the parts to schedule the install. Two weeks later, [redacted] called and said he received his part and we scheduled the installation for October [redacted] 2015. On October [redacted], we called [redacted] to give him a half hour notice to let him know we were ready to send our technicians to his residence, but we had to leave a message- twice. [redacted] called our Company days later apologizing for missing the scheduled appointment, we then re-scheduled for October [redacted] 2015 to install the thermostat.On October [redacted] 2015, we arrived at [redacted]’s house to install the thermostat he received. He then stated “I’m not paying for this installation” and that it should be covered under the diagnosis of which he paid on October [redacted]. Again, we explained that we do not agree with the installation of the customer supplied thermostat because we did not find any fault in the current thermostat, we reiterated that we will install the part for him for the ½ hour labor ($62.50). He refused, so our company left. [redacted] knew from the first time we were at his premises that there will be a labor fee of $62.50 to install his thermostat, which he ordered. Also, we have a work order signed by [redacted] the date of the diagnosis on October [redacted], which states that we could not find a problem with the current operation of the water heater.If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us directly.Regards,[redacted]Office Manager

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

As stated in my initial statement, I would like to be refunded the $10 I could have avoided paying if I went with another service provider who had the part. I stand by that because if Arvada had the part, as they suggested on the phone on October [redacted], 2015 when they said “all of their trucks are fully stocked and they would likely have the part,” I very easily could have cancelled my order and avoided the $10 charge. My intention all along was to cancel the order if I was able to find a service provider who had the part, but I made the mistake of believing anything Arvada said. Based on everything that has happened since then, it appears Arvada would have said whatever it took to come to my house just so they could charge me, with no regard for their ability to provide any of the real billable service that they were contacted for.
In Arvada’s most recent response, they say “we have been a Service Provider for many years for American Water Heater - I am shocked they sent [redacted] a pilot assembly AND a gas valve.” Well, I just got off the phone with American and they told me it has been standard procedure for many years for them to send parts to their customers. So, either Arvada is not even aware of the normal operating procedures for American or they are making things up. I told American about my issue with Arvada and they apologized to me for recommending them and told me to provide Arvada their Technical Support number ([redacted]) so Arvada could educate themselves about American’s normal procedures. They even suggested that Arvada be given the case number ?Support Case [redacted]? which can be referenced to obtain proof of the diagnosis that was performed with American’s guidance and support. American was very surprised when told that Arvada was questioning the diagnosis that was conducted, with technical support from American, and stated that all of the diagnosis information they sent has been tested and proven to work. Feel free to call American Technical Support and reference the case number to have them explain all this directly.
As stated in my last response, “Arvada claims that I called them on October [redacted] and agreed to pay for a diagnosis of my pilot light intermittently going out.” Based on Arvada’s most recent response, it seems they misunderstood what it is I am disputing: to clarify, I am disputing their claim that I called about and agreed to pay for a diagnosis, NOT the fact that I contacted them at all. As I stated many times now, I called Arvada to replace my gas control valve. This is because the true experts on the subject of issues related to American Water Heater Company’s hot water tanks is American, NOT Arvada, and they told me to replace the gas control valve. The exact debugging information used to diagnose the problem and isolate the issue to the gas control valve is attached. The e-mail, dated September [redacted] at 12:55 PM, from American which provided this information was provided with my last response.
In Arvada’s most recent response they claim “we would want nothing more than to resolve this issue with [redacted], but he has to remember that our technicians told him from day 1, that to replace a thermostat it always takes an hour and a half to do the job, therefore it costs an hour and a half to do the job.” Like many of Arvada’s other claims, this is completely false. Evidence of this comes straight from Arvada’s first response where they claimed, more than once, that I knew from day 1 that there will be a half hour, NOT an hour and a half, labor fee to install the thermostat. Based on this contradiction alone, it appears that Arvada’s intentions all along were to charge me an hour and a half to replace the thermostat and all of their other claims about performing a diagnosis were bogus and made up to try to justify their initial charge of $125 for lighting the pilot, which was the only thing they did.
Finally, also in Arvada’s most recent response they claim “lastly, we have found no mechanical failure upon testing his unit. In my opinion I believe [redacted] may have tricked American Water Heater into giving him a new pilot assembly as well as new gas valve.” Later, they state “we tested every working part AS WELL AS outside conditions and found no failure, therefore he should be happy the hot water heater he has is working correctly!” The absurdity of these claims cannot be understated. I will not even dignify their suggestions that I tricked American with a response. What goes on between American and their customers is none of Arvada’s business, period. As stated before, American, NOT Arvada, is the expert. American is the one who told me to replace my pilot assembly, which is why they sent me the part and installation instructions. American is also the one who told me to replace my gas control valve, which is again why they sent me the part and installation instructions. Unfortunately for me, I was not comfortable replacing the gas control valve and made the mistake of calling Arvada. Even worse, I made the mistake of showing good faith by paying them in advance to replace the part. Since Arvada never provided the service I paid them for in advance, I was left with the same problem I initially contacted them for, which is that my pilot light was intermittently going out. Arvada never performed a diagnosis of my unit and I wonder how many other former customers they have put in this same situation, because my hot water heater was NOT working properly and it DID have a failed gas control valve. If my hot water heater was working properly, why would I have called Arvada?
After I grew tired of having to go out in the cold to light my pilot every time it went out, I called a better, honest service provider to come in and replace the gas control valve for me. I have attached a receipt which shows work performed and it clearly states “after removing gas valve I found a lot of sediment build up on the temperature sensor on the back of gas valve which is what was causing the valve to work sporadically.” If that is not sufficient evidence to convince Arvada of their technical incompetence, I have attached a picture of the failed gas control valve showing the build up the service provider is talking about. After replacement of my gas control valve, NOW I have a hot water heater that is working correctly.
At this point, I would hope Arvada would admit to their mistakes and do the right thing by refunding me the $10 shipping charge and the $125 I paid them to replace my gas control valve, which I then had to pay another service provider to do for me. If this issue cannot be resolved by the Revdex.com, I will have no choice but to take legal action. I have already started getting some preliminary legal consultation and have been told that based on the receipt provided by Arvada, American’s Technical Support case file, this Revdex.com case file, the receipt provided by the other service provider, another unresolved Revdex.com case file against Arvada, and publicly available reviews by other customers who have had similar issues with Arvada, there is no question who the judge will rule in favor of. If this goes to court, Arvada may end up paying much more than the $135 that I’m asking for here. That is where I am at this point and hope my intentions are clear. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. Thank you.
In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.
Sincerely,[redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

Please find attached several documents which
do not support the claims made by Arvada Mechanical. Here are my issues with
their response:
1) Arvada claims that I called them on October [redacted] and agreed to pay for a diagnosis of my pilot light intermittently going out. However, I have attached an e-mail from my hot water tank manufacturer, dated September [redacted] at 12:55 PM, with full debugging information that I used to diagnose the problem that day and isolate the issue to the gas control valve. I do not know why Arvada is now claiming I agreed to pay them on October [redacted] to perform the same diagnosis I did the day before, especially when they confirmed that they were aware I replaced the entire pilot assembly on my own. They are right in saying the manufacturer wants a diagnosis before sending parts, but they are wrong that the diagnosis has to come from them because I did the diagnosis myself and that was sufficient for the manufacturer to send me the part directly. The part receipt, proving the order was placed on October [redacted] at 10:00 AM before Arvada came to my property and showing it was sent directly to me by the manufacturer, is also attached. Given that, there is no reason for me to request, or pay $125 for, a diagnosis. They did not perform any diagnosis for me because none was required. I already knew what the problem was and told them that when I called them on the phone and when they arrived. What I paid for was replacement of my gas control valve, which I was not comfortable doing myself.
2) Arvada claims they performed a diagnosis where they “checked the air intake, checked the combustion venting, and checked the thermostat/gas valves.” However, I have attached the receipt, which Arvada filled out and provided me a copy of, clearly stating the work they performed that day. The receipt states “found unit off at pilot, re-lit pilot, if problem persists may want to check gas valve, air intake, smoke pipe.” Clearly they did not perform any diagnosis like they claim according to their own words in the receipt they provided me. The only thing they did was light the pilot.
3) Arvada claims they stated on October [redacted] that “we will install any part(s) that he would like, but that would be a separate charge from our diagnosis- Especially if it is days later!” This statement is completely false. If they told me that on October [redacted] I would never have paid them because no diagnosis was done and lighting my pilot did not resolve the issue of my pilot light intermittently going out. Their attached receipt even has a warranty that states “all labor performed by the above named company is warranted for 30 days or as otherwise indicated in writing.” I do not know why Arvada is now claiming there is a separate charge “especially if it is days later!” According to their warranty, all labor is warranted for 30 days. In this case, the only labor they performed was lighting my pilot and that obviously did not fix my problem. So, why did they try to charge me again to actually fix the problem they could not fix when they first came because they did not have the part? What good is a labor warranty if they do not honor it and instead try to charge customers more even if it is within the 30 day warranty period?
These are my
issues with their response and I hope it is clear. Please do not hesitate to
contact me if you have any questions. Thank you.
 
 
 
 
In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Review: I contacted Arvada Mechanical based on recommendations from my Hot Water Tank manufacturer, American Water Heater Company. They told me Arvada could be used for tank parts repair, so I called them on October *, 2015 and spoke to an employee named Jerry about my problem. I told him that I have an issue with my pilot light, which was intermittently going out. I told him that I spoke to American about the issue and they sent me debugging information that I used to isolate the problem to the gas control valve. I had recently replaced the entire pilot assembly, so I wanted my gas control valve replaced now and was not comfortable doing it myself. Jerry told me that they had a truck in the area and would be able to send one over to take a look. I asked Jerry if they had the part and told him that if they didn't, there was no reason for them to come because they would not be able to do anything for me. Jerry said there was no way for him to know if they had the part in their truck, but all of their trucks are fully stocked and they would likely have the part. I asked him how much it would be to replace the part and he said $125. I agreed to the price and asked him to send the truck. The truck came but they did not have the part. However, they told me that they still needed to charge me $125 for coming to the house even though they did not have the part. I told them that I did not understand what I was paying them for since they did provide me any service. They assured me that my payment would be for the repair once I got the part and that my ticket would stay open until then. I believed them and gave them $125 cash in good faith because they told me they do not accept credit payments. I ordered the part, which was under warranty, and paid $10 for shipping. I got the part about 1 week later and contacted Arvada to come provide the service they already charged me for. They told me that they were very busy and the earliest they could come provide the service was October [redacted] and I would get advance notice the day of before the truck was dispatched. That never happened and I had to contact them again to reschedule and this time they said the earliest they could come provide service was October [redacted]. This time, I was notified a half an hour before they arrived and there was no talk of any payment. The same mechanics showed up and when I tried to present them with my receipt they said they didn't need it. Then they proceeded to tell me that it would be $62.50 to replace the part. I tried to show them the receipt and remind them of their guarantee regarding my ticket being left open, which was the only reason I agreed to pay them in advance. They told me they had no idea what I was talking about and that I knew I would be charged $62.50 for the repair. I was shocked and told them what they were doing was not fair, but they just told me that they “are not playing around” and left. I tried calling Arvada to tell them what happened, but Jerry picked up and told me that they would not be able to do the repair without charging me. I tried my very best to explain to them that I already paid them $125 for the repair and even paid $10 shipping to get the part because they told me that they would repair it for me once I got it. He told me that he did not want my business, which is easy to say since I paid in advance and they already had their payment, and hung up on me.Desired Settlement: Based on my interactions with Arvada, I no longer trust them to provide any service for me. I would like to be refunded for the $125 they charged me for the service they never provided and $10 for the shipping I paid to get the part, which I could have avoided paying if I went with another service provider who had the part. So, a total refund of $135 is what I am requesting.

Business

Response:

To whom it may concern,Arvada Mechanical Corporation received a call from [redacted] on October [redacted] 2015, in regards to his Hot Water Heater. He said that his pilot light goes out at times, he asked us what could be the problem. We told him it could be a faulty pilot assembly, faulty gas valve, venting issues and/or air intake. We explained to him that we can’t tell what the problem is without seeing firsthand. We quoted him our diagnosis charge of $125.00 for labor and according to his Serial# on his hot water heater unit his parts (if needed) are under warranty from the manufacturer American Water Heater. He agreed and placed a service call.We arrived that afternoon of October [redacted] 2015, and found that heater in the off position. We lit the pilot and turned the unit on. We checked the air intake, which was free of debris and was in good condition. We checked the combustion venting and found a good natural draft. We then checked the thermostat/gas valves and found it performing well. At that time, [redacted] told us he just changed the pilot assembly himself, in which he said that American Water sent him the pilot assembly directly. We told him that it is unusual for the Manufacturer to send parts to the homeowner, they usually want our diagnosis first; he then said that he also has a gas valve/thermostat being sent to him from the Manufacturer. [redacted] then asked once he receives the parts, if we would be able to install the supplied gas valve/thermostat; we replied “Of course” and proceeded to tell [redacted] to let us know once we receives his parts so we can schedule the installation; and a lso made him aware that the fee of the install would be $62.50 (½ hour labor). [redacted] said that the install of the ordered parts should be included in our $125.00 diagnosis charge. We informed [redacted] that first of all we found no problems with the operation of the hot water heater, therefore he didn’t need a new thermostat; however we will install any part(s) that he would like, but that would be a separate charge from our diagnosis- Especially if it is days later! [redacted] understood and paid the diagnosis fee of $125.00 and assured us that he would call our Company once he received the parts to schedule the install. Two weeks later, [redacted] called and said he received his part and we scheduled the installation for October [redacted] 2015. On October [redacted], we called [redacted] to give him a half hour notice to let him know we were ready to send our technicians to his residence, but we had to leave a message- twice. [redacted] called our Company days later apologizing for missing the scheduled appointment, we then re-scheduled for October [redacted] 2015 to install the thermostat.On October [redacted] 2015, we arrived at [redacted]’s house to install the thermostat he received. He then stated “I’m not paying for this installation” and that it should be covered under the diagnosis of which he paid on October [redacted]. Again, we explained that we do not agree with the installation of the customer supplied thermostat because we did not find any fault in the current thermostat, we reiterated that we will install the part for him for the ½ hour labor ($62.50). He refused, so our company left. [redacted] knew from the first time we were at his premises that there will be a labor fee of $62.50 to install his thermostat, which he ordered. Also, we have a work order signed by [redacted] the date of the diagnosis on October [redacted], which states that we could not find a problem with the current operation of the water heater.If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us directly.Regards,[redacted]Office Manager