My A/C Unit was working fine, until I responded to a mailer from Goettl for a "$48 Tune Up".
They were quick to send two technicians who confirmed my a/c unit was in great shape. Now, just a month later, the unit had mysteriously quit working. I called them on August 4th, and they said it will take 2 or 3 days to come out, with no concern whatsoever for the record heat this week in Phoenix. I sincerely believe they purposely did something to cause my AC Unit to go bad. I should have done prior research, I now see they've been sued by [redacted] for deceptive practices, not to mention multiple complaints. (By the way, when I mentioned to them I was going to call the Revdex.com, they laughed!)
Arizona �...⇄ April 3, 2015Re: Complaint ID # [redacted]The [redacted] called the Company to come to their home todiagnose an AC issue on 3/25/2015. The approximately30 year old system (see attached) hada number of issues including visible heat damage to several components andvegetation growing in the unit. For his $54.15 our technician traveled to andfrom the [redacted] home to diagnose issues with his old unit and was on site forapproximately an hour. Mr. [redacted] didreceive the diagnosis (See attached service invoice). Of course a technician hasconcerns when a high voltage (230 Volts) electrical component reveals heat damagein a 30 year old unit in poor condition. The technician did identify repairs that could be pursued, but was notauthorized by the [redacted] to do them because they “did not want to put money inthe old unit” (makes sense). It wastheir decision to forego repairs then and take several days to evaluate theiroptions. We regret that they sweltered during that time (see attachedtemperature records). The [redacted] decided to discuss a replacement option with ourComfort Advisor who visited theresidence to meet with them. We did notsend a “sizer”, or supervisor to the home. The company does not have a positiontitled “sizer” and that is not an industry term I am familiar with. Any time a building is being evaluated for anew heating and air conditioning system the comfort advisor (industry term) isexpected to perform a heat load analysis on the residence to confirm theappropriate tonnage needed for an efficient and adequate sized unit based on newer equipment performancespecifications and the current load conditions/exposuresof the home. All energy conservationprograms including the US Government’s Energy Star Program and the US Departmentof Energy expect the contractor to perform this calculation (see attached). Mr. [redacted] believes he is entitled to a refund of thediagnostic fee he paid of $54.15 (veteran’s discount had been applied to thediscounted tune up special of $59). Ofcourse we will refund this amount to him within the next week or so and thankhim for his service.[redacted] Chairman[redacted]
[redacted]r
[redacted]: Re: Mr. [redacted]. We have been in touch with Mr. [redacted] and have a meeting scheduled with [redacted] on Monday, March 17th to review his concerns, inspect the work, and the scope of the contract. I am requesting an additional week to respond to this...
complaint so we can work with Mr. [redacted] to resolve his concerns. Thank you for this accommodation. [redacted]Our Plumbing Operations Manager met with Mr. and Mrs. [redacted] on Monday, March 17th at their home to inspect the work site and to discuss the scope of work expected (and basis for the estimate) as compared to what the conditions turned out to be after the plumbing was exposed. Based on our manager’s review of the conditions and discussions with Mr. [redacted] regarding the work, we agree that the repairs turned out to be less onerous than anticipated. The Company believes that a reduction in the costs is appropriate, and has issued a partial refund to the [redacted]s. Clarification: The work involved cutting numerous holes in the walls to locate the plumbing, as the concealed piping in the walls was not metallic and could not be located otherwise. Notes on the quote did say that that the Company would not be responsible for the dry wall repairs. At the site visit, however, the company offered to have the dry wall repaired by a dry wall company anyway, but Mr. [redacted] has that expertise and declined our offer. Mr. and Mrs. [redacted] have indicated their complaints have been resolved and that they are happy with the result and the work performed by our plumber. It is always our goal to have a satisfied client and we appreciate the [redacted]s assistance in achieving this.
In September 2010 our air conditioner crashed for the third time in six years. [redacted] was the installer and after paying them twice to fix it I wasn’t going to call them again. Since I had a Goettl unit on a previous home and based on a recommendation from a current Goettl customer I called Goettl. The technician that responded told me the unit had lost all of the coolant. Rather than spend more money on that unit I requested a new heat pump. I explained the issues with the current air distribution (hot and cold areas). Technician acknowledges issues and says we’ll take care of it.
A date was scheduled to install the new unit and the technicians showed up as planned. Technicians worked all day and well into the evening to get the new unit installed. My first concern was the use of the white Teflon tape (water line tape) used when they capped the natural gas service to the old furnace. The density of the tape is not the same as the yellow Teflon tape used on gas lines.
A new programmable thermostat was installed, but there was no instruction book on how to program the thermostat. The next day the technicians returned and replaced the thermostat with a basic model and left the booklet. No other information on the new unit was provided or any information on servicing, or warranty was provided.
The next morning in the day light I found a number of sheet metal screws in the garage floor, and driveway. The installers did try to clean up before they left, but it was dark by then and they didn’t get everything. Future flat tires were expected. When I went into the attic a significant amount of trash was left in the attic and I cleaned it up. I also found a wealth of free sheet metal screws laying everywhere. I also noticed the flexible duct work was not installed correctly. It looked like a roller coaster.
The next item to be scheduled was a time for the ducts to be cleaned and sanitized. At the same time the person was to fix the flexible duct work in the attic. The flexible duct work needed to be disconnected, stretched and trimmed. The excess duct work causes an air flow restriction when not installed properly. When Goettl came out to clean the ducts I helped them fix the duct work to ensure it was done right.
I turned on the fan to the unit to circulate the air in the house and the fan didn’t seem to come on. A technician came out and changed wiring in the attic and the fan started blowing. The change then caused the unit to not function when the heat was turned on. Another technician came out to fix the wiring and explained that by itself the fan runs very slowly as part of energy efficient feature. Ok air and heat work again, but not sure whether fan should or shouldn’t work better by itself to circulate air in the house.
A new 240 amp service was added to the house for the new unit. The wire meandered through the attic with lots of extra wire and comes up across the platform rather than around the stud creating a tripping hazard. In the electrical box no blank was installed when the 20 amp breaker was removed, and no electrical tape put on one of the hot wires for the new breaker to indicate it was a hot wire. Later I would learn they used the wrong breaker for that type of panel.
First time changing the filters since the new air conditioner was installed. Goettl had installed new grills or holders where the filters are for the return air. In order to get them closed again I have to twist one of them to get it closed because they didn’t install them squarely in the opening.
An electrician from the Solar Panel Company was inspecting the home and taking measurements in preparation for the installation of the solar system. He identified a concern about the use of the wrong type of circuit breaker, the empty slot where the 20 amp breaker was removed, and the wire not being taped in the electrical box to indicate it was hot. His concern was that when the city inspectors came out to inspect his work they wouldn’t pass it due to these other issues. I called Goettl and an electrician came out inspected the electrical box, replaced the breaker with the correct type, taped the wire, and installed a blank.
I noticed that the outside unit was leaking oil. The technician came out and said the valve was just over tightened. He adjusted it and said it was ok. After he left I put a piece of cardboard under the valve (not being very trusting at this point) and sure enough it was still leaking. Technician came out again and said the valve had to be replaced. When the new valve came in they came out again and replaced the valve. Leak is now fixed. I mentioned to the tech that I had not received any documentation of the warranty. I would bring this up multiple times to no avail.
While prepping the house to paint in the spring of 2011 I noticed the new electrical conduit that was installed on the exterior had come loose from the wall. They used plastic dry wall anchors on exterior stucco wall. I replaced the plastic anchors with larger metal anchors and added an additional clamp to hold the conduit in place.
It’s now the summer of 2011 during the start of the monsoon I noticed some water coming out of the drain pipe for the overflow drain and nothing from the main drain. I went into the attic and there was water on the deck below the secondary drain pan. Water was dripping from the unit into the pan and the pan was leaking at the fitting. I called Goettl and a technician said the problem was that the unit was not hung level so the water could get to the main drain and the PVC fitting on the secondary drain pan was not sealed properly. This problem would continue until the spring of 2014.
The technician made some leveling adjustments with rubber pads and sealed the PVC drain connection to the overflow pan with PVC glue. He didn’t have any silicone caulk with him so I later added silicone caulk around the PVC fitting. However the unit was still leaking into the drain pan and little or no water making its way to the main drain. Another call was made to get a technician to level the unit so it would drain properly. The leak has been going on for so long I was concerned the overflow pan was going to rust through before they got it fixed.
When the original technician told me Goettl would take care of the hot and cold areas in the house I was under the impression that they would be taken care of. Imagine my surprise when I was handed an estimate for additional work. At this point I decided to fix it myself. Although I have been told I have a 10 year warranty with 99 years on the compressor I have no documentation on what the warranty covers or any other requirements. Since my trust in Goettl has waned I again requested some documentation on the warranty so I have a good understanding of what is and isn’t covered. I have mentioned it to several technicians and have not received anything from Goettl.
I have no idea how many of their technicians looked at the water leakage problem, but I’m encouraged now. The latest tech to look at the problem says the only thing he can think of is the evaporator coil is cracked. He ordered the part and scheduled the install. After he was done he said the old coil didn’t have any visible cracks and he said the PVC fitting to the drain was loose and the coil may not have needed to be replaced.
Either way it’s now March of 2014 and the unit is no longer leaking. I do have a nice rust stain on the side of the house from the years of leaking. Only 3 years and 6 months after the initial install to fix the problem.
It’s now October 2015 and the unit is not cooling the house. It’s Sunday and I called Goettl for a repair. They are scheduled to come out between 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM. They arrived just before noon check the system and tell my wife it will be $400. When my wife mentioned the warranty the tech called the office. He was told the warranty I paid at a minimum several thousand dollars for and probably more was void. He was told it was void because I didn’t have the unit serviced twice a year and that the customer should read his contract. I went back and read all of the paper they gave me and there is nothing in there that indicates a requirement to have the unit serviced twice a year. Perhaps that is the warranty information I had requested numerous times?
From the above you can see that Goettl’s performance was at a minimum sloppy on the initial install and it took 3 years and 6 months to correct the problems. As far as the warranty and providing the customer with the information they would need to comply Goettl is negligent or perhaps it’s was part of the plan to dup customers so they wouldn’t have to provide the future service under warranty?
I will add that all of the technicians were very courteous. I had stopped documenting the issues back in July 2014, but after my recent experience I have decided to continue as you can see from above. I would have to say anyone considering using Goettl should pass and a find a more professional firm.
My A/C Unit was working fine, until I responded to a mailer from Goettl for a "$48 Tune Up".
They were quick to send two technicians who confirmed my a/c unit was in great shape. Now, just a month later, the unit had mysteriously quit working. I called them on August 4th, and they said it will take 2 or 3 days to come out, with no concern whatsoever for the record heat this week in Phoenix. I sincerely believe they purposely did something to cause my AC Unit to go bad. I should have done prior research, I now see they've been sued by [redacted] for deceptive practices, not to mention multiple complaints. (By the way, when I mentioned to them I was going to call the Revdex.com, they laughed!)
Revdex.com of...
Arizona �...⇄ April 3, 2015Re: Complaint ID # [redacted]The [redacted] called the Company to come to their home todiagnose an AC issue on 3/25/2015. The approximately30 year old system (see attached) hada number of issues including visible heat damage to several components andvegetation growing in the unit. For his $54.15 our technician traveled to andfrom the [redacted] home to diagnose issues with his old unit and was on site forapproximately an hour. Mr. [redacted] didreceive the diagnosis (See attached service invoice). Of course a technician hasconcerns when a high voltage (230 Volts) electrical component reveals heat damagein a 30 year old unit in poor condition. The technician did identify repairs that could be pursued, but was notauthorized by the [redacted] to do them because they “did not want to put money inthe old unit” (makes sense). It wastheir decision to forego repairs then and take several days to evaluate theiroptions. We regret that they sweltered during that time (see attachedtemperature records). The [redacted] decided to discuss a replacement option with ourComfort Advisor who visited theresidence to meet with them. We did notsend a “sizer”, or supervisor to the home. The company does not have a positiontitled “sizer” and that is not an industry term I am familiar with. Any time a building is being evaluated for anew heating and air conditioning system the comfort advisor (industry term) isexpected to perform a heat load analysis on the residence to confirm theappropriate tonnage needed for an efficient and adequate sized unit based on newer equipment performancespecifications and the current load conditions/exposuresof the home. All energy conservationprograms including the US Government’s Energy Star Program and the US Departmentof Energy expect the contractor to perform this calculation (see attached). Mr. [redacted] believes he is entitled to a refund of thediagnostic fee he paid of $54.15 (veteran’s discount had been applied to thediscounted tune up special of $59). Ofcourse we will refund this amount to him within the next week or so and thankhim for his service.[redacted] Chairman[redacted]
[redacted]r
[redacted]: Re: Mr. [redacted]. We have been in touch with Mr. [redacted] and have a meeting scheduled with [redacted] on Monday, March 17th to review his concerns, inspect the work, and the scope of the contract. I am requesting an additional week to respond to this...
complaint so we can work with Mr. [redacted] to resolve his concerns. Thank you for this accommodation. [redacted]Our Plumbing Operations Manager met with Mr. and Mrs. [redacted] on Monday, March 17th at their home to inspect the work site and to discuss the scope of work expected (and basis for the estimate) as compared to what the conditions turned out to be after the plumbing was exposed. Based on our manager’s review of the conditions and discussions with Mr. [redacted] regarding the work, we agree that the repairs turned out to be less onerous than anticipated. The Company believes that a reduction in the costs is appropriate, and has issued a partial refund to the [redacted]s. Clarification: The work involved cutting numerous holes in the walls to locate the plumbing, as the concealed piping in the walls was not metallic and could not be located otherwise. Notes on the quote did say that that the Company would not be responsible for the dry wall repairs. At the site visit, however, the company offered to have the dry wall repaired by a dry wall company anyway, but Mr. [redacted] has that expertise and declined our offer. Mr. and Mrs. [redacted] have indicated their complaints have been resolved and that they are happy with the result and the work performed by our plumber. It is always our goal to have a satisfied client and we appreciate the [redacted]s assistance in achieving this.
In September 2010 our air conditioner crashed for the third time in six years. [redacted] was the installer and after paying them twice to fix it I wasn’t going to call them again. Since I had a Goettl unit on a previous home and based on a recommendation from a current Goettl customer I called Goettl. The technician that responded told me the unit had lost all of the coolant. Rather than spend more money on that unit I requested a new heat pump. I explained the issues with the current air distribution (hot and cold areas). Technician acknowledges issues and says we’ll take care of it.
A date was scheduled to install the new unit and the technicians showed up as planned. Technicians worked all day and well into the evening to get the new unit installed. My first concern was the use of the white Teflon tape (water line tape) used when they capped the natural gas service to the old furnace. The density of the tape is not the same as the yellow Teflon tape used on gas lines.
A new programmable thermostat was installed, but there was no instruction book on how to program the thermostat. The next day the technicians returned and replaced the thermostat with a basic model and left the booklet. No other information on the new unit was provided or any information on servicing, or warranty was provided.
The next morning in the day light I found a number of sheet metal screws in the garage floor, and driveway. The installers did try to clean up before they left, but it was dark by then and they didn’t get everything. Future flat tires were expected. When I went into the attic a significant amount of trash was left in the attic and I cleaned it up. I also found a wealth of free sheet metal screws laying everywhere. I also noticed the flexible duct work was not installed correctly. It looked like a roller coaster.
The next item to be scheduled was a time for the ducts to be cleaned and sanitized. At the same time the person was to fix the flexible duct work in the attic. The flexible duct work needed to be disconnected, stretched and trimmed. The excess duct work causes an air flow restriction when not installed properly. When Goettl came out to clean the ducts I helped them fix the duct work to ensure it was done right.
I turned on the fan to the unit to circulate the air in the house and the fan didn’t seem to come on. A technician came out and changed wiring in the attic and the fan started blowing. The change then caused the unit to not function when the heat was turned on. Another technician came out to fix the wiring and explained that by itself the fan runs very slowly as part of energy efficient feature. Ok air and heat work again, but not sure whether fan should or shouldn’t work better by itself to circulate air in the house.
A new 240 amp service was added to the house for the new unit. The wire meandered through the attic with lots of extra wire and comes up across the platform rather than around the stud creating a tripping hazard. In the electrical box no blank was installed when the 20 amp breaker was removed, and no electrical tape put on one of the hot wires for the new breaker to indicate it was a hot wire. Later I would learn they used the wrong breaker for that type of panel.
First time changing the filters since the new air conditioner was installed. Goettl had installed new grills or holders where the filters are for the return air. In order to get them closed again I have to twist one of them to get it closed because they didn’t install them squarely in the opening.
An electrician from the Solar Panel Company was inspecting the home and taking measurements in preparation for the installation of the solar system. He identified a concern about the use of the wrong type of circuit breaker, the empty slot where the 20 amp breaker was removed, and the wire not being taped in the electrical box to indicate it was hot. His concern was that when the city inspectors came out to inspect his work they wouldn’t pass it due to these other issues. I called Goettl and an electrician came out inspected the electrical box, replaced the breaker with the correct type, taped the wire, and installed a blank.
I noticed that the outside unit was leaking oil. The technician came out and said the valve was just over tightened. He adjusted it and said it was ok. After he left I put a piece of cardboard under the valve (not being very trusting at this point) and sure enough it was still leaking. Technician came out again and said the valve had to be replaced. When the new valve came in they came out again and replaced the valve. Leak is now fixed. I mentioned to the tech that I had not received any documentation of the warranty. I would bring this up multiple times to no avail.
While prepping the house to paint in the spring of 2011 I noticed the new electrical conduit that was installed on the exterior had come loose from the wall. They used plastic dry wall anchors on exterior stucco wall. I replaced the plastic anchors with larger metal anchors and added an additional clamp to hold the conduit in place.
It’s now the summer of 2011 during the start of the monsoon I noticed some water coming out of the drain pipe for the overflow drain and nothing from the main drain. I went into the attic and there was water on the deck below the secondary drain pan. Water was dripping from the unit into the pan and the pan was leaking at the fitting. I called Goettl and a technician said the problem was that the unit was not hung level so the water could get to the main drain and the PVC fitting on the secondary drain pan was not sealed properly. This problem would continue until the spring of 2014.
The technician made some leveling adjustments with rubber pads and sealed the PVC drain connection to the overflow pan with PVC glue. He didn’t have any silicone caulk with him so I later added silicone caulk around the PVC fitting. However the unit was still leaking into the drain pan and little or no water making its way to the main drain. Another call was made to get a technician to level the unit so it would drain properly. The leak has been going on for so long I was concerned the overflow pan was going to rust through before they got it fixed.
When the original technician told me Goettl would take care of the hot and cold areas in the house I was under the impression that they would be taken care of. Imagine my surprise when I was handed an estimate for additional work. At this point I decided to fix it myself. Although I have been told I have a 10 year warranty with 99 years on the compressor I have no documentation on what the warranty covers or any other requirements. Since my trust in Goettl has waned I again requested some documentation on the warranty so I have a good understanding of what is and isn’t covered. I have mentioned it to several technicians and have not received anything from Goettl.
I have no idea how many of their technicians looked at the water leakage problem, but I’m encouraged now. The latest tech to look at the problem says the only thing he can think of is the evaporator coil is cracked. He ordered the part and scheduled the install. After he was done he said the old coil didn’t have any visible cracks and he said the PVC fitting to the drain was loose and the coil may not have needed to be replaced.
Either way it’s now March of 2014 and the unit is no longer leaking. I do have a nice rust stain on the side of the house from the years of leaking. Only 3 years and 6 months after the initial install to fix the problem.
It’s now October 2015 and the unit is not cooling the house. It’s Sunday and I called Goettl for a repair. They are scheduled to come out between 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM. They arrived just before noon check the system and tell my wife it will be $400. When my wife mentioned the warranty the tech called the office. He was told the warranty I paid at a minimum several thousand dollars for and probably more was void. He was told it was void because I didn’t have the unit serviced twice a year and that the customer should read his contract. I went back and read all of the paper they gave me and there is nothing in there that indicates a requirement to have the unit serviced twice a year. Perhaps that is the warranty information I had requested numerous times?
From the above you can see that Goettl’s performance was at a minimum sloppy on the initial install and it took 3 years and 6 months to correct the problems. As far as the warranty and providing the customer with the information they would need to comply Goettl is negligent or perhaps it’s was part of the plan to dup customers so they wouldn’t have to provide the future service under warranty?
I will add that all of the technicians were very courteous. I had stopped documenting the issues back in July 2014, but after my recent experience I have decided to continue as you can see from above. I would have to say anyone considering using Goettl should pass and a find a more professional firm.