Dalton's A/C Heating & Refrigeration

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Revdex.com:Attached is a note from the cleaning staff.  How dare the owners put words into our sons mouth that are blatantly untrue.  At no time was that faucet broken prior to the cleaning team being there.  We can close this matter as we do not want any future dealings with this company.   
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted]. 
Regards,
[redacted]

To Whom it May Concern at the Revdex.com: We routinely offer a coupon for biweekly service to new customers and are happy to honor it. In this instance, the customer was not a new biweekly customer but instead was a new customer seeking quarter weekly (monthly) service. Because of this,...

the $25 coupon was not applicable. The coupon does read as such and we are happy to provide a copy should that be beneficial. The customer was made aware of this during their initial in home estimate prior to any work being completed in her home. After cleaning the home and returning to the office, our cleaners advised us that the faucet in the customer's kitchen sink did not work and the teenage son told them it was not working, a man had been out to look at it and was coming back to fix it at a later time. I initiated a call to the customer in regards to the coupon, advising via voicemail that the coupon was not applicable to quarter weekly service as we previously discussed at her in home estimate. She called back and got the corporate call center which relayed her message to our office. During busy times, we use this call center to make sure all customer calls get answered. As you can imagine, leading up to the holidays is a very busy time for our teams. The customer has not sent an email. We attempted to call the customer back on 12/21 and 12/22, but repeatedly got her voicemail. We did not attempt to contact her over the holiday weekend.The damage, as admitted by the customer’s son, happened prior to our cleaning of the home. The coupon, as discussed prior to the clean, was not applicable. Despite the customer’s knowledge of the coupon not being applicable, we are willing to grant the customer use, remove the $25 balance and close their account.

They installed an electric heater for us a couple of years ago. It recently started smoking and sparking. I come to find out they installed the heater with 3 code violations. Therefore making it a fire hazard. I am still trying to get the problems resolved.

They installed an electric heater for us a couple of years ago. It recently started smoking and sparking. I come to find out they installed the heater with 3 code violations. Therefore making it a fire hazard. I am still trying to get the problems resolved.

Review: I authorized [redacted] at Dalton's A/C to purchase and replace my heater at my condo at [redacted] on Oct. 25, 2013. He quoted me $2450 and said that he wouldn't be able to pick it up until Monday and would install it on Tuesday. Meanwhile, I found that I could get it replaced for $1800 and called [redacted] at 8:15 on Monday morning, since his office is closed on the weekends, to cancel the job with him. Since his office was closed on the weekends, and he made it perfectly clear that he wouldn't be able to pick it up until Monday, I feel that I gave him plenty of notice of cancellation. He is now threatening to send me to collections for 1/5 of the total bill. He is wanting to charge me for travel time and mileage to and from my condo, as well as, travel time and mileage to pick up the part. His was very nice until I decided to go with another company, and then he got rude and hung up on me. He is price gouging and charging for things that he would not normally add to a bill, but did on mine because he is upset that I went with another company. According to his statement of not picking up the unit until Monday, I gave him plenty of notice of cancellation. He is now wanting to charge me all these amounts because he got the unit early. He had my number and could have called me to tell me he had it and that he wanted to install it Monday, but he didn't. So I followed the steps that I should have to cancel the job. He is also saying that he is charging me for time and mileage to travel to Flagstaff, but by his own statement, he said on at least two times that it is no big deal since he is in Flagstaff two or three times a week.Desired Settlement: I wish for [redacted] and his company to bill me a fair amount for the two visits that he made to my house. $462 is an excessive amount for two visits. I also wish for him to not contact me or my daughter by phone after this case is settled.

Business

Response:

RE: [redacted] - Complaint ID#[redacted]We were called to service this home as the furnace was not heating the home. We found a mid 1970’s unit had a bad electronic ignition module; however gas main to home had been shut off by Gas Company. As requested by Home Owner we contacted the gas company to alert them that the unit had been repaired. We received a call back that the gas had been turned back on to the home but the furnace was still not heating the home, we returned and found that the gas valve was also bad. The home owner decided on replacing the furnace with a new unit and presented us with a key to the home as well as a check dated 10/25/13 in the amount of $2450.00 authorizing the replacement unit to be purchased and installed. The customer showed “intent” to purchase and have a new furnace installed when they pre-paid for the equipment and work to be performed, so we immediately procured the new unit from the Supply House in Phoenix (3 hrs. @180miles round trip). The customer had inquired as to when we would purchase the equipment and they were vaguely told it would probably be on Monday, however as circumstances dictate our small business we were able to immediately procure the equipment and did so under the guise of the customers’ intent to purchase and install the equipment.On Monday we received a call from the customer that they were cancelling the job to install a new unit and that her husband and an electrician friend were going to install a new furnace and the customer had cancelled the check but agreed that they would pay for our time and services. We returned to the home and collected our electronic ignition module part and returned the key to the home owner.At this point we have 3 service trips @ $79.00 = $237.00(totaling an avg. of 360miles round trip)1 S&H trip to Phoenix (180 miles RT) and now an expected S&H trip to Phoenix (180 miles RT) to return equipment as well as a 15% restocking fee that we will be expected to pay to return the equipment that the customer “authorized “and “showed intent” to purchase by giving us a check for the full amount as well as a key to the home.As it now stands our “out of pocket” fuel cost alone are over $250.00. (for a total of 720 miles)Our services to the home are being billed at a total of 3 service calls/ for 3 service trips to the home = $237.00. The customer is being billed for this time and service, it is not price gouging by any means as we have not charged the customer the additional 15% restocking fee the supply house will charge us for returning the equipment.(The online avg. for a [redacted] furnace [redacted] 80K 80% is $675.00 @15% restock fee of $101.25)We stand firm in our decision and feel that our invoice is more than fair at $462.00 for all of our time and services rendered for this home owner and the amount is to cover 3 service calls @ $79.00 and 2 S&H of equipment @ $225.00 the shipping and handling fee hardly covers our expenses in procuring & returning the equipment and our expected “out of pocket” restocking fees to be paid back to the supplier. We procure our own equipment from Phoenix and experience a savings by doing so as we do not pay as much out of pocket if a freight service is used to deliver equipment to more rural areas outside of Phoenix.When we bid the job for the customer the service fees and costs to procure the equipment were factored into what we quoted her to complete the installation of a new furnace and is due to us because she showed “VERY CLEAR” intent to purchase and install new equipment. 3 service calls @ $79.00 = $237.00Out of Pocket Fuel Expense= $250.00+(3 trips to Flagstaff & 2 trips to Phoenix)6 hrs RT p/u & return Equip = $180.00$30hr. (+fuel surcharge incl. above)Suppliers 15% Restocking Fee= $101.25What the Bill COULD BE = $ 768.25(if we wanted to be stinkers and “price gouge” our customers) Actual Invoice Amount3 service @ $79.00 = $237.00S&H (2way) = $225.00Total =$462.00 With regards to our weekend “office” hours, the customer had the owner’s cell phone number and could call him personally at anytime, as well as call the office and leave a voice message, but did not call until Monday.With regards to hanging up on this customer, we have the right to end a conversation with an indecisive customer who is being belligerent and cannot conduct themselves as a mature adult should.We recognize that this customer is upset, however we have integrity and feel we are being more than fair with the invoiced services and intend on sending the customer to collections if they refuse to pay. The out of pocket expenses we have incurred to this point hurts our small business financially if we are unable to recoup our losses.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.In regards to the company's response, I disagree with most of it and there was no proposed action to resolve my complaint. I stand by every complaint that was made. I did not have the owner's phone number. Each time I called, I called the office phone. I didn't leave a message, because I called first thing Monday morning. As to the statement that he coordinated with the gas company, that is not true. I made all the calls to the gas co. They called him to tell him that is was turned on, but that is it. I don't see how he can charge me mileage for a job, that by his own admission, was in Flagstaff and he goes there two to three times a week. It is also not my problem that he got his equipment from Phoenix. He made it very clear that he was not going to be able to get the furnace until Monday. I have a legal right to cancel a contract, which I did at the soonest available time that the company was available. I was not rude to [redacted]. He was raising his voice at me and then telling me that I was yelling. His wife, or whoever was in the background, said that he is loud by nature, as if that is a reason to yell at me. Then she told him to hang up on me. Very professional. He wanted his part back, which is why he came to the premises three times. He didn't do anything on the third visit, except pick up his part and drop off a key. I have no problem paying for the visits, but the practice of charging for mileage to a place that by his own admission he is at weekly, as well as mileage to get a part that he told me he wasn't able to get until Monday, is not fair or ethical.[redacted] never coordinated with the gas company. He also hung up on the gas company when they were trying to explain to him that they couldn't leave the gas on if there was nothing to light, which also points to his unprofessional behavior. He did talk to them the next day, but they called him to tell him that the gas was turned on. I am sorry that it has come to this, but I believe that his business practices are very unethical and unprofessional. He texts me in all caps and, in fact, his first text to me stated that he was charging me $462 and that if I had a problem with it I could contact him, which I did. That statement tells me that he knows that the amount was excessive for what he did. He also threatened to send me to collections, without a written statement. I have never denied owing him something, but not the ridiculous amount he is charging me. Regards,[redacted]

Business

Response:

We have received customers partial payment of invoice and have decided to accept it as payment in full and will write off the remaining balance as a loss to our company. Pursuing the issue any further just continues to suck our time and resources and we recognize we can not afford to waste any more of our time on this issue. The old adage of "the customer is always right" (even when they are in the wrong and know it) is where we will leave the issue. Meanwhile we still hold the equipment the customer "authorized" to be purchased and installed; that either must be resold (if we find a home to match the equipment) or return it and pay the restocking fee as well as the expense of returning it to Phoenix. Whether the customer wants to admit it or not... we are the injured party, having been wronged by this customer!

THANKS SO MUCH!