Bowden's Fireside

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:
I was not given 30 days to pay half the invoice - I was told it had to paid that very day or the offer would be rescinded. A credit card number was demanded, which I refused because I did not trust that it would be accurately charged.
I was not provided a service. My option was to either pay $180 for no service provided, or pay thousands of dollars for a new unit, with that 180 being applied towards it.
I was not told a 5-10 minute visit to tell me I needed a new unit would cost $180. Again, if there was real service, an estimate, repair options and real time spent on my fireplace then the bill would have been paid without incident.
Regards,
[redacted]

We could not have worked with this customer more.  Our expertise was provided and we informed the customer that her unit was unsafe and needed to be replaced.  We do charge for service even when at completion of the service it is to give a customer guidance...

towards replacement.  We told the customer we would take this fee and apply it towards her new unit which essentially is no charge for the service.   The customer really had no choice but to replace the unit.  We just needed a visit to the store to select a new unit.  The customer never showed.  We truly work with customers and honestly had she showed up we would have taken such good care of her.   The customer was also told that we would except half price if the invoice was paid in a timely manner.  We waited 30 days and did not hear from the customer.  We then proceeded with the original bill.  The customer lead us to believe that they understood and was going to come in to begin the process of replacing the unit.  I can not understand how customers ever feel that a home visit and a full inspection a unit should be done free of charge.   Our expertise is of great value and our many years of experience with gas fired direct vent units is invaluable.  Customer safety and satisfaction if our main concern and we could not have worked more flexibly with this customer.  Nothing could have been done differently.

This issue was taken care of by the owner of the company with a full credit and an apology for the delay in responding on the same say the complaint was issued. I am actually surprised the customer did not delete this review. Our gas service tech as over 30 years experience and was not given the...

proper chance to follow up. That being said the customers feelings matter more to us and this matter has been closed.

Review: On November 6, 2015, Bowden's attempted a repair in our home to fix a gas leak. The repair included the replacement of the gas line with tubing and the insertion of a new Dante valve. The day after the repair was made, the basement was full of gas upon our arrival home from shopping. We called Bowden's and were told to turn off the shut off valve to see if this would stop the leak. We turned off the valve, opened the basement Windows, and the basement cleared of gas within a few hours. The next available appointment for Bowden's to return to our home was 4 days later, despite our asking for an emergency repair. We did not want to wait that long in case there might still be a problem. In the interim, we called another company to inspect the line and the other repairman found that the Dante valve that had been replaced by Bowden's was tightened too much and caused it to crack. He believes that this was the cause of the leak as subsequent replacement of the Dante valve solved the problem.

We have been billed by Bowden's for this repair. I have not paid Bowden's; instead I have twice sent letters explaining what happened and asking that the charges for the repair be dismissed due to faulty workmanship. Both times I requested a response in writing within 10 days and have not received anything in writing except for another bill; the latest bill included the fact that a collection agency would be called if we did not pay the bill.Desired Settlement: I ask that not only that the charges from Bowden's be dropped ($215.46); I also ask for reimbursement of the additional charges we incurred from the second repairman ($150). More importantly, I ask that the telephone employees at Bowden's be trained that whenever a customer calls and complains of a gas leak that they properly instruct customers to immediately leave the premises and call 911.

Business

Response:

This issue was taken care of by the owner of the company with a full credit and an apology for the delay in responding on the same say the complaint was issued. I am actually surprised the customer did not delete this review. Our gas service tech as over 30 years experience and was not given the proper chance to follow up. That being said the customers feelings matter more to us and this matter has been closed.

Consumer

Response:

In any case, the business called and apologized and then returned the partial payment. The account balance is now $0. Thank you for all of your help.

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Regards,

Review: Bowden's was contacted to provide service for my gas fireplace which had stopped working. A serviceman arrived, and after 5 minutes, determined that the fireplace was an electrical hazard and should be completely replaced. There was no service on the unit provided, no estimate provided on what repairs might be made, no options other than to go in to the store and shop for a complete replacement unit. Additionally, no estimate was provided on what the service call would be. When I made the appointment, I assumed like most contractors, an assessment and estimate on repair work would be provided.I was billed $180.00 - again, absolutely no service was provided, no estimate of repair work, no options other than a complete replacement of the gas unit. When I spoke with Bowden's they recognized that no service was provided but still insisted that the bill be paid. I bought my house less than a year ago. Both the township and my private housing inspector had reviewed the fireplace and deemed it in safe working condition at the time of the purchase. The unit was indicated as newly replaced at the time of the home purchase.Desired Settlement: I should not have been billed as no service was provided, no estimate or repair options provided.

Business

Response:

We could not have worked with this customer more. Our expertise was provided and we informed the customer that her unit was unsafe and needed to be replaced. We do charge for service even when at completion of the service it is to give a customer guidance towards replacement. We told the customer we would take this fee and apply it towards her new unit which essentially is no charge for the service. The customer really had no choice but to replace the unit. We just needed a visit to the store to select a new unit. The customer never showed. We truly work with customers and honestly had she showed up we would have taken such good care of her. The customer was also told that we would except half price if the invoice was paid in a timely manner. We waited 30 days and did not hear from the customer. We then proceeded with the original bill. The customer lead us to believe that they understood and was going to come in to begin the process of replacing the unit. I can not understand how customers ever feel that a home visit and a full inspection a unit should be done free of charge. Our expertise is of great value and our many years of experience with gas fired direct vent units is invaluable. Customer safety and satisfaction if our main concern and we could not have worked more flexibly with this customer. Nothing could have been done differently.

Consumer

Response:

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because:

I was not given 30 days to pay half the invoice - I was told it had to paid that very day or the offer would be rescinded. A credit card number was demanded, which I refused because I did not trust that it would be accurately charged.

I was not provided a service. My option was to either pay $180 for no service provided, or pay thousands of dollars for a new unit, with that 180 being applied towards it.

I was not told a 5-10 minute visit to tell me I needed a new unit would cost $180. Again, if there was real service, an estimate, repair options and real time spent on my fireplace then the bill would have been paid without incident.

Regards,