Jacob Bros. Heating & Air Conditioning

Revdex.com: I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] , and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.] Regards, [redacted] it is accurate that I ordered the part on january 9, [redacted] , the tech from jacobs brothers, indicated the cost would be anywhere from [redacted] to [redacted] dollars I was not given a specific amount silly me thought that included the cost of the part [redacted] also said the part was under warranty and gave me the phone number of the [redacted] warranty place they told me that in fact the part would be under warranty I did not realize that the part would come with no charge from the manufacturer no one indicated that to me was a possibility.there were plenty of complaints from me before I had heat I was contacted by jacob brothers four or five times during the two week time frame saying that part was not there when I asked why they did not know I do realize that was coming from [redacted] but being in the heating and air business for so long I could understand why jacob brothers could ask for it quicker or tell me more thorough information they only contacted after I sent an email on a saturday(silly me) and left messages I still do not know how much the heat exchanger was, why it took so long, I have paid jacobs brothers over [redacted] since the day after thanksgiving.I continue to think that there is underhanded or shady business or least someone is not being honest and upfront I have always paid my way, but I have to believe that charging me [redacted] whether some of it was reimbursement for the part is outrageous no one has given me any indication the dollar amount for any of this I cannot help but believe being charged $ [redacted] an hour for labor is right.forgive his delay for not responding soonder yes it was cold weather and no one gave a hoot that I was without heat for two weeks

We did install a new Heat Pumps System
in November of The installation included a one year warranty. So clearly we are beyond the one year
warranty period and have no liability what so everWe have been out several
times to correct a noise problem and short cycling of the system
that occurs
only in the winterUnfortunately whenever our service technician was there
everything works perfectlyWe did replace the defrost control and thermostatic
expansion valve in an attempt to correct the problemWe have never been called
out for a problem during the cooling seasonIn fact *** stated that the cooling
system worked fine last summer and this summerAs *** stated we have not
been there since 12/20/
I received a call a few weeks ago from *** *** after she
had another person out to service her systemShe said that the other person
added pounds ounces of refrigerant and wanted us to pay for itI use the
term other person because she used a friend of a friend for this service and
not a professional heating and air conditioning companyThis can void the
manufactures warrantyShe stated also that the other person said that the
system wasn’t charged correctly in the first place because you can’t charge a heat
pump in the winter He stated that all
heat pumps installed in the winter need to have the refrigerant charge check
again in the cooling season or the charge will not be correctI asked *** if
the system was working properly before the other person was there to do the
maintenance and she said that it was working fine before and after the other
person was thereI asked *** if the person recommended that a leak check be
done when he was there and she said that he didn’t
I spoke to one of our service technician, our service
manager and the regional service representative for Amana and we all were of
the same opinion
Heat Pumps can be charged accurately in the
heating season or cooling seasonThere is no need to return to recheck the
chargeWe have charged heat pumps in the summer and the winter and never had
to come back and recharge the system
This is a ton heat pump system which holds
approximately pounds of refrigerantIf her system was over pounds low on
refrigerant the system wouldn’t be operating properlyIn all probability the
indoor coil would freeze upThere would surely be a loss of capacity and with
the warm and very humid weather we have been experiencing, the system would not
be able to maintain temperature in the home
If the system was low on refrigerant the other
person should have recommended and performed a leak checkThis is standard
accepted industry best practices
Because of the incorrect statements and procedures performed
by the other person I have to ask these questionsDid the other person need to
add the refrigerant? What are the other person’s qualifications? Is the system
overcharged now? Is it undercharged? Is there a leak in the system now? Did the
other person create a problem that didn’t exist? Not only does she expect me to pay for the
other person’s service, she also expects me to pay all the expenses to fix what
he may have doneIt seems extremely unreasonable to meKeep in mind that the
system is eight months out of warrantyQuestion: How long does a one year
warranty last? Answer: One yearSo when I was confronted with this issue I did
want to think it over. Later that
afternoon, she left a message for me to forget about it and that she never
wanted our company to come to her home againThen I received this notice
So here we are…
Many times in business we are confronted by the questions,
what is the right thing to do? What is the ethical thing to do? What is the
fair thing to do? I always try to put
myself in the same position and ask myself, “How would I feel if I was in the
same situation?”Well one thing for sure is that I wouldn’t expect everything
to be freeThat is not reasonableThen she calls me a liarWe have been
upfront and honest with Mrand Mrs*** and everything that I have stated is
the truthThe system is out of warranty and this issue relates to a problem
that didn’t exist before the other person got thereIf Mrs*** wants us to
evaluate her system we will charge her accordingly for this service and give
her an honest assessment of her system

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below
[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]
I don't expect to get anything for free and I know my labor warranty is up, but I have had problems since my unit was installed I just want Jacob Bros to stand by their service and products/parts The other company/business I used is a legitimate business, the owner of the company was a friend of a friend Also I was told by multiple companies that if a unit is installed in the winter, the charge level should be checked in the summer when the weather is above degreesThe other company came out to clean the unit and then came back when the weather was above to check the charge, and said it was too lowI was outside while they were adding the R410A, they had it all hooked up, and would put some in then wait to see what the numbers were, and would add moreSo they were able to watch the numbers as they were adding it, to get it where it needed to be I'm not sure why the other company didn't want to do a leak check at that time, maybe because Jacob Brossaid they had already done one, (Jacob Brosstill had to add the R410A on other occasions)
I gave them all the paperwork I had for all of the service calls Jacob Broshad done. The reason I didn't use Jacob Brosto service my unit is because I didn't trust them anymore When they had come out in the past, I felt they didn't know what they were doing Yes, when they were here the first winter, a little over month after being installed, the unit didn't short cycle, but on the third visit when they were here I was told it was just defrosting itself and something needed to be changed in it I don't understand why they didn't know that before and I feel they just wanted me to stop calling them to fix it I told MrJacob that I felt the only reason that the unit should need more R410A was either they didn't put enough in during the install or there is a leak, and he just kept putting it back on the other companyJacob Brosalready did a leak check and found no leak Since the unit isn't even years old, I feel there should not be a leak, unless they didn't do something correctly.
If Jacob Brosdoesn't want to make things right, that is fine I called Amana myself, and was told I don't need to use Jacob Brosfor warranty work, so I won't The only thing I wanted, was to make sure my unit was working the way it should, and to get what I paid for, I really don't think that is too much to ask for
Regards,
*** ***

The Heat Exchanger Part is under warranty from the manufactureIt does not cover any labor costsWe quoted the customer $***to install a In Warranty heat exchangerThe costs not only reflects the labor to replace the heat exchanger, but all associated cost which include shipping /
handling charges, and the processing costs required to obtain the heat exchanger under warranty*** *** authorized us to order the heat exchanger on January 9thUnfortunately it took about two weeks (through no fault of ours) for us to receive the replacement heat exchanger from the distributorWe installed the heat exchanger January 22nd, Ms*** is not entitled to a refund for the part because she was not charged for the partAlthough she knew the cost up front, there was no complaint from Ms*** until after the job was completedAfter the system was operational and she had heat.Please note that no manufacture warrants any labor costs for any heat exchanger replacement. They only provide a replacement heat exchangerPlease forgive my delay respondingWith the cold weather I was in the field quite a bit last week and unable to write this response in a more timely manner

Ms. [redacted] was
quoted $[redacted] to replace the heat exchanger prior to ordering the
heat exchanger. In fact we never order any parts without prior
authorization. This is especially true for heat exchangers and compressor. We
are not going to order anything without the customers go ahead. We use flat
rate pricing for our service repairs. The costs include all ordering, shipping or
processing charges, labor and paperwork to complete the work. The same is true
when we are working with a customer to install a new piece of equipment. If we
quote the customer $[redacted] to install a new furnace that is the price.
This is a
very simple process that is being made way too complicated. We tell the customer
up front what the costs will be. The customer authorizes us to do the work. We
perform the work. Then the customer pays us. Very Simple.

With regards to the concerns of [redacted] and [redacted]:
 
August 26, 2014 our service technician, [redacted], was at
the [redacted] Residence for their fall Heating Tune Up. During this service he
got a reading or 8490 parts per million of carbon monoxide in the furnace vent.
The only...

thing that would cause this is a defective heat exchanger. The device
that senses the carbon monoxide does not leave room for error. You turn the
meter on, insert the sensor in the furnace vent and you get the reading. There
is no adjustment to the device. All you have to do is turn it on. With the
furnace being 23 years old it was suggested that we replace it. Attached is the
invoice from the service technician.
[redacted], our Comfort Adviser, met with [redacted] and [redacted] later that day and quoted a new furnace. In the Installation Agreement it
clearly states “Customer aware we cannot take responsibility for paint or
drywall in connection with installation of PVC Exhaust, T-stat”. They approved
the installation and we completed the installation September 20th,
2014. Attached is a copy of the Installation Agreement.
During the process of installing the furnace the
installation team had to re-install the indoor coil for the air conditioner to
improve the looks of the installation. At that time they found that the air
conditioner had a defective Capacitor in the outdoor unit. Since they didn’t have
the capacitor on their vehicle a new capacitor was ordered and we had to
schedule another service call to return to install it. We did not charge them
for this.
On October 1st, 2014 the service technician
installed the defective capacitor and noted on his invoice that the valves in
the compressor were bad.
The [redacted]’s called another heating and air conditioning
company and they found that the valves were turned off giving the appearance of
defective valves in the compressor. [redacted], our service manager and myself
visited the jobsite and confirmed that the valves where closed. We opened the
valves and checked the operation. Everything was operating as it should. We
later learned that the installation team closed the valves when they re-installed
the indoor coil and forgot to open them up before they left.  Our service technician made an honest
mistake. I apologize to the [redacted] and [redacted].
At that time [redacted] mentioned that she was dissatisfied with
the holes in the ceiling we had to cut when we installed the furnace. I told
her that we were not able to repair the ceiling but we could cover the holes
with return air grills. We installed the return air grills on October 28th,
2014 (no charge). She states now that she is unhappy with the return air grills
because you can look through the louvers of the grill and see into the floor
joist cavity. This is the same as with any other ceiling return air grill. If
you’re looking at a ceiling grill and are in the right position we can see into
the opening. She could apply black spray paint on the inside of the floor joist
cavity but the paint will probably be applied to the surrounding surfaces as
well. She could put a dark color material behind the grill but if you’re
looking through the grill you will be able to see it. The best option would be
to have a Drywall Contractor repair the ceiling and then have their painter
come out and paint the ceiling as was originally agreed upon.
I have known [redacted] and [redacted] for 23 years. When you
know someone for that long you develop a relationship with the customer. I
consider [redacted] and [redacted] more than just a good customer. I know that both of them
are going through a difficult time in their personal lives.  I am truly sorry to hear about that. I admit
our service technician made a mistake regarding the air conditioner and I feel
bad about it. That doesn’t mean he was wrong about the furnace. I think it is
unreasonable to think we should refund you the money to replace your 23 year
old Furnace. The two are not related. I understand that there are a lot of
companies that try to sell you things you don’t need but we don’t operate that
way. It is not our policy.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]
Regards,
[redacted]
1.  Based on the horrific misdiagnosis of the a/c we don’t even know if a reading of 8490 ppm of carbon monoxide was the correct reading for the furnace - 2.  Forget about the damn holes in the ceiling - I was pointing out the ineptness of Jacob Bros. employees - Mark Wilson had no idea about installing ceiling vents which could have made this whole ugly process easier - he told us that it was at our expense to have the holes dry-walled  -  he never, ever mentioned ceiling vents that Jacob Bros. could install  -  btw why didn’t he know about ceiling vents?  -  this has never been addressed  -  he just said that it was up to us to pay for the dry walling of the holes in the ceiling -  had we known what an ugly mess these vents (when we found out that they could be installed, and this was purely by accident) would end up being we could have done something better at the time the vents were being installed- and, anyway, forget about the damn vents - they are insignificant at this point  -3.  Apologizing for a mistake of $[redacted] - $[redacted] isn’t comforting after we just spent $[redacted] on a new furnace and the mess with the installation and the ceiling and the continuation from the furnace room through the hallway and through the storage room and all the ceiling holes, to the ugly pipe outside and it has not ever been proven that we even needed a new furnace  -  I do not have any faith in the reading that [redacted] claims to have made  -  if he is, indeed, qualified as a technician, then there never should have been such a horrendous misdiagnosis on the air-conditioner  -  I’d hate to think what would happen if he were doing brain surgery - without a second opinion we would have been out $[redacted] - $[redacted]  (which doesn’t seem to bother Jacob Bros. nearly as much as it does me) - prove to me that he didn’t make a mistake on the furnace -  [redacted], I cannot simply take your word for it - you, [redacted] Jacob, weren’t even here so how is it that you keep insisting that you know that we needed this furnace?  - you were not here when the reading was taken -  if we had not gotten a second opinion, Jacob Bros. would be $[redacted] - $[redacted] ‘plumper’ and then we could have all held hands and danced around the mulberry bush and lived happily ever after  - when it’s an error to your credit life is good but when it is an error to our credit it’s being dismissed with “I’m sorry”  well, unfortunately, that doesn’t cut it  -5.  Something not mentioned before - since the installation of the new furnace and the new pipes in the ceiling and the holes cut into the downstairs ceiling for the pipes, something is definitely going on with the downstairs ceiling and the main level floor  -  there is a loud noisy vibration at times which we can only stop by standing in/on the main floor hallway over where the vibration is coming from  -  as soon as we step off the spot where we’ve stopped the vibration, it starts in all over again  -  something is loose somewhere in the downstairs ceiling to cause this  - I have no idea what is causing it  -   but it is like a pipe vibrating (?)  -  this, too, seemed insignificant when it first started, but it is getting louder and more noticeable and I find myself standing in the hallway to stop the noise -  it sounds like a car motor being revved up  -6.  And, please stop saying there is NO connection between the furnace and the air-conditioner when that is the WHOLE point of this complaint  -7.  It is beyond me to understand how anyone (Jacob Bros.) can even attempt to make a believable defense in this case  - there isn’t anything believable in this situation -  8.  I think when furnaces, air-conditioners, water heaters and the like are diagnosed to be replaced that Jacob Bros. should send another technician to give a second opinion  -  had this been done we would not have any doubts or questions, or this whole ugly claim -Please resolve this issue now.  Thank you -Sincerely, [redacted]  ([redacted]And, [redacted], stop and think if this had happened to you and you were about to lose $[redacted] - $[redacted]  -  would you simply dismiss this with an apology?  -  of course not  -

It is true that initially [redacted] was told the cost
would be between $[redacted] and $[redacted] by our technician. Our office did
quote her $[redacted] and she authorized us to order the heat exchanger. She was
told at that time that it was going to take a while to get it. It was ordered
as soon as she authorized us to proceed.
It is also true that Ms. [redacted] was unhappy with the time it
took for us to receive the heat exchanger. As to the reason why it took so long
I am unable to say as we were at the mercy of the manufacture. We had contact
with her almost every day to let her know if we had received shipment. I can
tell you that as soon as we received the heat exchanger we scheduled the installation
immediately. We received the heat exchanger at 3:10 pm and we installed it the very
next morning. If Ms. [redacted] would like to pursue the question of the heat
exchanger delivery she can contact the manufacture ([redacted]) and inquire as to
why it took that long.
I’m sorry it took so long but it was beyond our control. I
realize it was a terrible inconvenience but we can’t install a replacement heat
exchanger for you if we don’t have it. We did everything that we could to
restore your heating system as quickly as possible. The only other option would
have been to install a new furnace but that would have cost quite a bit more
money so she didn’t want to do that.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID[redacted], and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]
Regards,
[redacted] it is accurate that I ordered the part on january 9, 2015.  [redacted], the tech from jacobs brothers, indicated the cost would be anywhere from [redacted] to [redacted] dollars.  I was not given a specific amount.  silly me thought that included the cost of the part.  [redacted] also said the part was under warranty and gave me the phone number of the [redacted] warranty place.  they told me that in fact the part would be under warranty.  I did not realize that the part would come with no charge from the manufacturer.  no one indicated that to me was a possibility.there were plenty of complaints from me before I had heat.  I was contacted by jacob brothers four or five times during the two week time frame saying that part was not there.  when I asked why they did not know.  I do realize that was coming from [redacted] but being in the heating and air business for so long I could understand why jacob brothers could ask for it quicker or tell me more thorough information.  they only contacted after I sent an email on a saturday(silly me) and left messages.  I still do not know how much the heat exchanger was, why it took so long, I have paid jacobs brothers over [redacted] since the day after thanksgiving.I continue to think that there is underhanded or shady business or least someone is not being honest and upfront.  I have always paid my way, but I have to believe that charging me [redacted] whether some of it was reimbursement for the part is outrageous.  no one has given me any indication the dollar amount for any of this.  I cannot help but believe being charged $[redacted] an hour for labor is right.forgive his delay for not responding soonder.  yes it was cold weather and no one gave a hoot that I was without heat for two weeks.

Response to
[redacted] and [redacted]
 
A reading of
8490 ppm of Carbon Monoxide is very high and needed to be addressed. [redacted] and
[redacted] have indeed meticulously maintained their equipment. That is one reason
why the furnace lasted for 23 years. The average furnace life is between 16 and
18 years. If our goal was to sell equipment why did we wait so long to recommend
that it be replaced? We don’t want to replace something unless it is in the
customer’s best interest.
With regards
to the holes in the ceiling [redacted] stated that when he told them that we
needed to cut holes in the ceiling they did not appear to be very concerned
about it. They told him that they knew someone that would repair the drywall ceiling
for them. I’m not sure why this is being brought up now when they clearly were
informed before the installation. It doesn’t make sense to me. That being said
we installed return air grills to cover the holes at no charge.
When our
installation technicians installed their new furnace they removed the indoor
coil for the air conditioner to provide a nicer looking installation. To remove
the coil the refrigerant had to be recovered and the valves where closed. This
isn’t normally done and it took more time to do it but they felt it would be a
better installation. During the installation they found the defective capacitor.
When our service technician arrived to install a new capacitor he didn’t know
that the coil had been removed and the valves were closed. As a service
technician arriving at a jobsite with an existing air conditioner you don’t
normally find the valves closed. He did at that time feel that the valves in
the compressor were bad. I am not making excuses but you asked how he could
make that mistake. Well that’s how it happened. Once again I apologize for the
mistake. In fact I feel sick to my stomach about it. If I could change things,
I would, but I can’t.
We enjoy having
a good reputation in the community for being honest and truthful with
customers. For 23 years we have had a great relationship with [redacted] and [redacted]. We
have maintained their equipment and were there when they needed us. I
appreciate their many years trusting us with taking care of their system.
To summarize
the situation our service technician made an honest mistake when he thought the
compressor valves were defective when in fact the valves where closed on the outdoor
unit. There is no connection between the furnace and air conditioner. I don’t
know what more I can say.

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.  If you and the business have reached an agreement and compliance is set for a future date, we trust the business will comply.  Please contact us after that time if the matter is not resolved as agreed and we will review the complaint and proceed accordingly.]
Revdex.com:
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,
[redacted]
I am not arguing the fact of the quote as I have state many times before.  I just want them to tell me the hourly rate, the shipping and handling costs and any other costs associated with the [redacted].  this too is a very simple request.  I am quite certain jacobs brothers does not want to do business with me any longer just like I will not do business with them.  as a consumer I am entitled to the invocie with this information on it.  I accept their email however I find that their customer service lacks.  they would not allow anyone to treat their family member with poor customer service or an invoice without details

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]
Regards,
[redacted]
.I am not going to continue to argue the fact, however, I was not ever told it was [redacted] until the final invoice and at that time I still was under the impression that included the part.  [redacted], the tech, had given me the number for [redacted] warranty and told me the part was under warranty. With that information, why would I not think that included the part.   I am very interested in knowing what the [redacted] entailed since that included the shipping and handling.  [redacted] did tell me it could take up to four hours to install.  Never did I realize I would be paying $[redacted] plus an hour for labor.  I find that amount to be extremely high.Please just give me a break down of the labor and any other items that was included in the [redacted].  I am disappointed as a consumer that I still have no clue as to what the cost of the part was.  Hopefully I will never go through this again but if I do or anyone in my family should I will be prepared.Thanks much.