Tri-City Heating & Cooling

Mr. [redacted],We spoke this morning at 8:14 am and you brought your concerns to my attention. As the job was only yesterday I advised you that I needed to get the technicians paperwork, speak with my technician to get the full story look into the status of the part. Before we got off the phone you...

gave me your home number, and cell and I confirmed with you that you would not be leaving your home for work before 10 am. As such, I promised you that I would call by 10:00 am, today 3/17/15. By the time I called at 9:31 am you had already left your home. At this point I was informed that you had already left for work and would be there by around 10:15 am. I called and left a message at your work number Ext [redacted] at 9:32 am so that would receive my message as soon as you arrived and we could resolve this.  As far as the misdiagnosis goes, you seem to have some facts mixed up. The source of the issue is the pressure switch and there is nothing wrong with the technicians meter. We left the home yesterday, picked up the control and returned to install it the very same day when you had left for work. Once we returned and installed the board is when we found that the pressure switch was the true cause of the issues you are experiencing. It was a simple mistake that I am doing everything I can to rectify this for you.  Your part is going to be arriving tomorrow afternoon and you are completely covered for this breakdown so the voided check will be returned and you will not be required to pay a dime. I also feel that I should mention that I did offer to bring more space heaters to your tenants today to get them by until we can return and install the part tomorrow. In addition, you had originally called for emergency service on Saturday 3/14/15 at 2:27 pm and told my technician that you did not want to pay the emergency fee and that your tenants can wait until Monday for service. If you would like I can attach a picture of your voided check so there is no confusion. PLEASE return my call so that together, we can put this to bed. [redacted] is my direct line.-[redacted]Heating and Cooling Service Manager

[redacted], I'm sorry that you had a less than excellent experience with Tri-City. It is our goal to ensure that every client we visit has an exceptional outcome. However, I do feel that it is necessary to mention that the technician responsible was sent back as the first appointment the very...

next day to rectify the situation and that once he was done your water heater was back up and running and the oil was effectively cleaned up from the leak. In addition, the flush of the water heater has nothing to do with the system leaking oil and shutting down as the oil lines got air in them from the oil leaking out. As you mentioned, the cost for flushing out the system was about $300 and the cost of the maintenance, $99. Therefore I believe it is fair to issue a refund of $105.29 or $99 plus tax rather than the entire amount. I have authorized this refund already and you should be receiving it shortly.

As you would find with any servicer we charge a diagnosis/ trip 
color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5px;">charge plus parts and labor for the repair. The first day the unit was cycled multiple times and showed no issues at the time of service. Sometimes these problems can be tough to diagnose if they are not present when we are at the home. At that time our technician signed you up for our maintenance contract so that you would receive the benefit of yearly maintenance, priority service, no trip charge and discounted pricing in lieu of just paying the trip charge. We scheduled the return visit immediately the next morning when we learned from you that your heat was out again. With your help of writing down the error code when it was malfunctioning we were able to discover that you were having an intermittent issue with the pressure switch circuit. At that point we ordered the part and gave you the quote for labor to complete the repair, as is normal business practice in the trade. Unfortunately, my techs are not able to carry every part for every furnace that we work on, so we carry as many universal and oem parts as we can so that we can try and fix the units in one visit as we understand that being without heat for any amount of time is very frustrating. When you called, upset that you had to pay for the repair, I gave you the option of a refund so that you can call another company that may suit your needs better because I cannot do work for free. I was calm, understanding and merely trying to present you with as many choices as possible so you could make the most informed decision for you. Never once did I say " if you dont like it you can take your business elsewhere". That being said, your repair was completed at no additional charge and I will be refunding all money you have spent with us so far.

Mr. [redacted],
We spoke this morning at 8:14 am and you brought your concerns to my attention. As the job was only yesterday I advised you that I needed to get the technicians paperwork, speak with my technician to get the full story look into the status of the part. Before we got off...

the phone you gave me your home number, and cell and I confirmed with you that you would not be leaving your home for work before 10 am. As such, I promised you that I would call by 10:00 am, today 3/17/15. By the time I called at 9:31 am you had already left your home. At this point I was informed that you had already left for work and would be there by around 10:15 am. I called and left a message at your work number Ext [redacted] at 9:32 am so that would receive my message as soon as you arrived and we could resolve this.  As far as the misdiagnosis goes, you seem to have some facts mixed up. The source of the issue is the pressure switch and there is nothing wrong with the technicians meter. We left the home yesterday, picked up the control and returned to install it the very same day when you had left for work. Once we returned and installed the board is when we found that the pressure switch was the true cause of the issues you are experiencing. It was a simple mistake that I am doing everything I can to rectify this for you.  Your part is going to be arriving tomorrow afternoon and you are completely covered for this breakdown so the voided check will be returned and you will not be required to pay a dime. 
I also feel that I should mention that I did offer to bring more space heaters to your tenants today to get them by until we can return and install the part tomorrow. In addition, you had originally called for emergency service on Saturday 3/14/15 at 2:27 pm and told my technician that you did not want to pay the emergency fee and that your tenants can wait until Monday for service. If you would like I can attach a picture of your voided check so there is no confusion. PLEASE return my call so that together, we can put this to bed. [redacted] is my direct line.
-[redacted]
Heating and Cooling Service Manager

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:
Sincerely,
[redacted] The part has been replaced and by a very pleasant and professional technician, however, the claim that the homeowner was contacted, is happy with the service and that they are working with him on other projects is false. I have a voicemail message from [redacted], Service Manager, on July 7, 2014 at 5:10pm in which he states that he "did some research and I'm going to have [the thermostat] at the shop here tomorrow I'd like to be able to come out tomorrow afternoon to have that installed for you" I spoke to the homeowner on July 7th to update him on the situation and he advised me that he would call TriCity in the morning. I then received a text from the homeowner on July 8, 2014 at 1:14 stating: "Seamus told me this morning that they have the part already." Additional text messages from the homeowner all July 8, 2014 "What did they do? Why the technician did not fix the problem last week?". "TriCity sells parts as well. It is interesting to know that they don't have part for a week. How do they do its business?"
Please be informed that the homeowner does not own other homes in the state of Connecticut which serves to explain that he does not have any other projects that he is working with TriCity on.
Another note: [redacted] from TriCity frequently uses the term "That's not a problem" which is infuriating when you've just informed her that the company she is working for has inconvenienced you yet again.
It is very sad that it is only after a complaint to the Revdex.com that the company chose to obtain and replace the part in a more timely manner.

Mr. [redacted]
It is Tri-City’s full intention
to repair your boiler so that it operates quietly, reliably, and efficiently
over the course of its life. As you’ve discussed with our General Manager we
are returning with a factory specialist from your boilers manufacturer. During
this visit...

we aim to pinpoint the exact cause behind your boilers operating
issues and rectify it promptly. We understand that you have lost trust in the
boiler however if we simply replace it without addressing the gas line you will
continue to have the same issues. Tri-City guarantees 100% satisfaction and
wholly intends to make this right.

You are correct, my apologies, we did send a tech on to complete the repair but no one was home when we sent the tech. At this point all repairs have been completed as you have requested. thank you for your patience.

Review: Purchased a gas boiler from Tri-City on September, 2014. Already had several issues with it in last 1.5 years. Latest issue with huge noise coming from the boiler. After several visits over last 3 months, troubleshooting, promises etc still did not fix the issue.

After spending $10000+ on a brand new boiler we should not be having so many issues. We suspect a faulty installation or a defective boiler or a combination of both!

I have to be honest that I have no issues with Tri-City customer service which had been quite courteous and accommodating in sending the technicians even in bad weather. However, that still did not resolve my issue. Especially Jenn from customer service has been quite nice and helpful!

I have copied a detailed description of the issues with sequence of events below:

September/October 2014:

About one and half years ago (September 2014), I switched my boiler from Oil to Gas. I had selected Tri City who contacted us at Home Depot. We purchased a [redacted] gas boiler from them including installation of the new Boiler, and replacement of our Oil tank. We thought it's worth spending the money and was pleased with the promptness of Tricity Sales person. Little did we know then the hassles to come after!

Within a month, just right after the installation I started having problem with hot water. My first call to the Tri City service and Maintenance. Apparently something was not proper within the boiler. Some loose connections. The factory wire was not plugged in! Checked all Wires! Unit came right in! Exactly the words from my service invoice!! We were told it is fixed.

Couple of weeks after we started having problem with the heat. This time no heat no hot water. It was diagnosed to be an improper installation of the exhaust pipe which was not properly inclined! All the moisture was going back into the Boiler drain unit. The guy who came readjusted the slope of the exhaust pipe. Drained out all the water from the draining unit. Seemed to have resolved the issue.

February/March 2015:

Couple of months went by, another problem in February/ March 2015. The maintenance guy came in and this time re-calibrated the boiler. Told us that the boiler needs re-calibration.

November 2015:

Fast forward couple more months and in November 2015, we started hearing huge rumbling noise from the boiler. We thought it would blow up! With 2 kids at home, naturally we were very concerned.

Called Tricity again and the maintenance guy who came had no knowledge of the boiler. He tried to re-calibrate and still could not resolve the problem. It looked like he had no clue.

I was charged for that visit as it happened after their 1 year warranty! Now I think, I should not have paid it! A new Boiler with so many issues within 1 year!!

Made another call and this time Tricity has sent a senior technician who appeared to be more knowledgeable. He initially told that something might be loose inside the boiler causing the sound. However, on further troubleshooting with the Boiler manufacturer he told us that the Main gas line regulator in our house is rogue causing low gas pressure which is having a cascading effect on our boiler. Called our Gas provider who replaced the regulator and checked all Gas pressure which appeared to be ok.

But we are still getting the same loud noise!

December 2015:

Rolled over to December 2015, this time another senior lead technician dropped by, checked everything and confirmed that Gas pressure may not be an issue. He told that our Boiler capacity needed to be resized to match our HVAC unit. He reduced it to 80%.

All the above explanations still did not explain at all that why we did not get the noise issue all along till November 2015if Boiler capacity is the issue.

In any case we thought we found a fix and settled for that.

January 2016

January 2016, we started hearing the noise again with louder bits almost like an airplane engine.

Called Tricity again and the same senior Technician dropped by. This time they found the problem to be with the Gas pipe between the main line to the boiler appears to be smaller. They recommended increase in the gas pipe diameter, and replacing the connection pipe. Not sure why it was not installed at the first place itself. I was told this is the only solution and installation guy will come to our house and take couple of photos.

After couple of phone calls and reminders he finally dropped by and checked everything. We also discussed how the pipe could be taken out of the house and connected to the main gas line.

I was told I will receive a call from Tri City's installation dept. They will schedule to replace the pipe. Two days went by and as expected I did not receive any call! I called back and now to my surprise I was told that their installation manager did not agree to the approach (remember I was told that this was the only single solution available to fix this issue)!

They are looking for other alternatives and will call me when they find a suitable solution.

February 2016

Ran into another problem with the boiler. All of a sudden at midnight the heat and hot water stopped. Went downstairs, found that the boiler stopped. My 4 year old daughter has asthma and bad cold with tendency to develop walking pneumonia. She was lineally shivering all night!

Called Tri-City in the morning 9 am, Technician arrived @ 10:40 am and restarted the boiler it started working again! Technician explained it is normal and all we have to do is to restart the boiler. Just can’t believe it!

Today February 9th

Received a call from Installation manager, Tri-City that they are ready to schedule the pipe installation. However, they cannot run the pipe from outside. They will need to break my basement drywall to take it inside. This is after I just finished my basement, repainted everything!

I am kind of stuck with this now, and regret everyday purchasing this Boiler from Tricity!

This to and fro troubleshooting over last 3-4 months is already a huge pain. I have a full time job, and my wife is busy with my 2 kids. We do not have the luxury to be at home every time a Tricity technicians are dropping by. I would like to have a permanent solution once and for all!

Now I seriously believe that I was provided a malfunctioning Boiler which Tri City is not willing to replace. There may be issues with the gas pipe size as well or combination of both.

I need a prompt and permanent resolution now!Desired Settlement: Honestly I want a permanent, and immediate solution at no cost and hassles to me which will fix the issue. This means a fully efficient operations with satisfactory heat, hot water with full safety as promised to me during the purchase!

The gas pipe size which was found to be smaller than recommended to be increased.

I want the above fix with Tri City to pay for the Dry Wall repair and re-painting.

As we have lost all trust in the boiler , we would like to have the Boiler replaced/exchanged too.

Business

Response:

Mr. [redacted]

It is Tri-City’s full intention

to repair your boiler so that it operates quietly, reliably, and efficiently

over the course of its life. As you’ve discussed with our General Manager we

are returning with a factory specialist from your boilers manufacturer. During

this visit we aim to pinpoint the exact cause behind your boilers operating

issues and rectify it promptly. We understand that you have lost trust in the

boiler however if we simply replace it without addressing the gas line you will

continue to have the same issues. Tri-City guarantees 100% satisfaction and

wholly intends to make this right.

Review: Tri-City install and new boiler and took the old one after I told them not to take it. I mention it was missing and they told me that someone else took it after they left. They left two holes in the wall. When they came to cover the holes it they just slap the cement on it and left. The hole was not cover correctly. The water tank that was install is too close to the ground so I ask them to move it up at least 4 feet from the ground. I was told it was install correctly and I would have to pay additional money to have Tri-City move the tank. I ask them for a copy of the permit that was pull. They told me that I should go to the city clerk and request a copy and have an inspector come out and inspect the until. My understanding was that Tri-City would pull the permit, do the work and have an inspection done after installation was completed.

There was also a rebate for the new boiler that Tri-City fail to mention. When I confronted Tri-City about the rebate. I was told that because it was a rental property, I would not be able to get the rebate. I eventually got the rebate.Desired Settlement: Repair and credit for the old boiler that was taken

Business

Response:

Mr. [redacted],

Firstly, we would like to thank you for reaching out to us

with your concerns and we would like you to know that these worries are

extremely important to us. We would like to address the trepidations you have

presented to us one at a time.

Upon completing the installation we left the old boiler and

water tank in the basement next to the new boiler as you requested. Whatever

happened after we left is beyond us and you were not at the home when the job was complete.

The holes that were left in the chimney were the result of

removing the old boiler. These holes were capped with sheet metal caps. The

caps were then cemented to the chimney to protect from outside air, moisture, and/or animals entering the house through the chimney. This is standard

procedure.

The tank that is

piped in near the floor is an air tank to relieve boiler pressure. The tank

needs to be placed according to the piping diagram of the boiler and the

existing piping in the home. The current positioning of the expansion tank is

correct based on the existing piping. Moving the expansion tank would require a

significant amount of re-piping, time and material.

We pull permits on every job we install. The paper copy of

the permit is mailed to us. The homeowner is able to retrieve a copy of the

building permit at any time from the city building department. All permits

require a final inspection in order to be closed out. The homeowner needs to be

present at the time of the inspection so they are required to call and set up

the inspection.

The rebate is a consumer rebate. We often facilitate getting

the rebates to our customers but the homeowner is ultimately responsible for

submitting all necessary paperwork to the State.

I hope this has helped in resolving your misgivings.

Review: The company sent out an unlicensed technician to assess the leak in my hot water heater. The technician gave two quotes for replacement -one electric, one gas. He assured me that all necessary hookups were present for either. I chose gas, the manager then called the next day to say they had to have another technician come out because the first one forgot that it had to be hooked up to the chimney if it was gas. I told them to install the electric instead if that was the case- it took them another 2 days to obtain the electric heater and schedule the install. The technician who came to do the install sat at the house next door to mine for 20minutes before the company called to tell me that he was there -our houses both have the house number in large letters directly by our front door. That technician then said that the first unlicensed technician had ordered the wrong parts and would be on his way shortly. I heard the licensed technician telling the other that he should get his license, and that he is lucky he didn't fry the whole breaker because of something he didn't do and that he should have drained it when he came out so it didn't leak all over my floor for the 4 days it took them to finally replace it. Upon completion of the install the unlicensed technician came up with yet another amount due for the install and insisted on calling the home office when I told him that was not the original amount, he tried to tell me that he hadn't included sales tax in his original quote but the home office finally agreed with me. It took them 2 months to refund the $170 difference to me.July 3, 2014 I have no hot water. I call them, they come out and say it needs a new thermostat. Today, July 7th, they tell me it will be 5-7 business days and there is no manager nor the owner available to speak to. The owner's [redacted] live down the street from me and apparently a passcode is needed to leave them a voicemail.Desired Settlement: I would like the hot water heater replaced today.

Business

Response:

[redacted] is in fact a tenant in the property and is not the property owner. The owner of the property has been contacted and is satisfied with the repair on the water heater. The water heater was repaired on 7/8/14 at no cost to the property owner. There are always managers available for customers to speak with, and I am not sure why the tenant is attempting to contact the owners wife at her home or mentioning her in the complaint, as she does not work at Tri-City. Please let us know if anything else needs to be addressed but as far as we know, the heater is fixed, the owner of the property is happy, and we are working on other projects with him. Thank you.

Consumer

Response:

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because:

Sincerely,

[redacted] The part has been replaced and by a very pleasant and professional technician, however, the claim that the homeowner was contacted, is happy with the service and that they are working with him on other projects is false. I have a voicemail message from [redacted], Service Manager, on July 7, 2014 at 5:10pm in which he states that he "did some research and I'm going to have [the thermostat] at the shop here tomorrow I'd like to be able to come out tomorrow afternoon to have that installed for you" I spoke to the homeowner on July 7th to update him on the situation and he advised me that he would call TriCity in the morning. I then received a text from the homeowner on July 8, 2014 at 1:14 stating: "Seamus told me this morning that they have the part already." Additional text messages from the homeowner all July 8, 2014 "What did they do? Why the technician did not fix the problem last week?". "TriCity sells parts as well. It is interesting to know that they don't have part for a week. How do they do its business?"

Please be informed that the homeowner does not own other homes in the state of Connecticut which serves to explain that he does not have any other projects that he is working with TriCity on.

Another note: [redacted] from TriCity frequently uses the term "That's not a problem" which is infuriating when you've just informed her that the company she is working for has inconvenienced you yet again.

It is very sad that it is only after a complaint to the Revdex.com that the company chose to obtain and replace the part in a more timely manner.

Business

Response:

Tri-City does not actually sell any parts for heating and hot water. What sort of resolution is the tenant looking for at this point, since the unit has been repaired and is working properly? Please advise. Thank you.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], agree that the matter has been resolved and will forward the answer to the homeowner.

Sincerely,

Review: Tricity Heating an Cooling installed a new heating unit in one of my two family houses. They failed to get the appropriate permits with the city to perform the job, and they installed the unit incorrectly. I've tried solving the issue directly with the company, and have talked multiple times with [redacted], who has been unable to resolve the problem, and now ignores my phone calls. This has been an ongoing process since August 2013, and at this point I'm seeking legal advice, however I haven't been able to get anyone in the company to send me a copy of the contract and receipt for the job performedI've been given a written warning by the city, in regards to the lack of permits and the incorrect installation of the heating unit.Desired Settlement: Fix the problem or refund the money so that a reputable company can fix it.

Business

Response:

Upon original research we had found that Mr. Murcia had an open file with the Bridgeport Building Department that was completely empty indicating that a file had been started or made but did not make it into their file. Upon further inspection of his original proposal and paperwork we had found that no permit was pulled for this job. As such we agreed to send out our subcontracted electrician to bond his unit and then pull any permit necessary to resolve Mr. Murcia's concern. We are currently working with The [redacted] as well since they were involved with the original installation of the job, and have made them aware as well. The last piece to resolving Mr. Murcia's concern is to simply have him and our electrician coordinate a time for him to perform the necessary work and then pull the permit.

Review: 24 days to install a hit water heater and no resolution. Every step of the process has been riddled with delays and excuses. Operations manager is disrespectful and unprofessional. Company has been unresponsive to me and their business partner the home Depot. This company has been nothing short of incompetent and has shown no professionalism

Product_Or_Service: hot water heater and boiler

Desired Settlement: DesiredSettlementID: Other (requires explanation)

Communication

Review: I called Tri City to restore heat to a condo I own in [redacted] that had tenants in it who had been without heat for two days. I had supplied a space heater and the tenant had borrowed a space heater to make up for the heat loss in the interim. When the technician came on Monday to inspect the furnace, he told me first that the problem was with a pressure switch. He then said that there was a problem with his meter and the pressure switch was okay. He then determined that the problem was with a control board that was not sending 120 volts to the igniter of the furnace. He told me that he didn't have the part on his truck and he had to order it, but he wouldn't do anything else until payment was received. The total was $364.24. His trip charge was $138. The labor was going to be $204.50 and the tax was $21.74. Before I wrote the check, I asked him why he wanted money if he hadn't done any work and he said "we're going to get you heat for your tenants this afternoon". So, I wrote him a check for the full amount. In the early afternoon, I received a call from Tri City indicating that the control board the technician thought he needed was not the right one. The correct one was $20 cheaper to install, but was not in stock and I'd have to wait until Wednesday afternoon to get it. This means more days without heat for my tenants. How could Tri City not know the correct part that is required from the outset, and how can they justify this delay in service when the comfort of fellow humans is at stake?Desired Settlement: I would like heat to be permanently restored to the condo as soon as possible, with no interruptions in service, for the next several years.

Business

Response:

Mr. [redacted],

Review: I called and scheduled an appointment to have my washing machine fixed, under warranty as I purchased it only 3 months ago, and the warranty is one year.

I spoke with the manufacturer ([redacted]) as well as the Tri-City, who does the service work for [redacted]. I described the problem to both companies, which was the "washing machine does not complete the full cycle".

First, they told me it was not covered by warranty because I supposedly bought the machine in July of 2013. I provided the purchase receipt proving I purchased it in September of 2014. Then they said it would be covered by the warranty. Specifically, I was told by [redacted] and Tri-City that the problem was covered by the warranty. Now Tri-City has sent me a bill for $109, saying the service call was not covered by warranty after all because the "problem is related to the drainage hose which is not covered". My claim is against Tri-City because they are the ones sending me a bill, after telling me it would be covered by warranty.

Here is why I disagree with the bill:

1. When I called to schedule the warranty service call, I spoke with both [redacted] and Tri-City about the problem of my “washer not completing the full cycle”. In both cases, I was unequivocally told it was covered by the warranty.

2. In neither of these discussions did [redacted] or the Tri-City rep ever say anything about a possible charge for the service visit, or that it might not be covered by the warranty. There was no discussion about a possible service charge, and Tri-City did not ask or have my agreement to come out and possibly charge me anything. Tri-City never asked and I never agreed to this.

3. When the Tri-City technician arrived and worked on the machine, he told me that “there were error codes in the computer, but it didn't pinpoint what caused the problem”, and “it could have been caused by a number of different things.” He suggested I replace the drainage hose only as a precaution, and didn't know if that caused the problem or not.

4. The Tri-City technician said he reset the machine error codes, he didn't say anything about the work not being covered by the warranty.

In short, I was told by Tri-City that the service visit would be covered by warranty, and there was no mention of even the remote possibility of being charged for the visit. Second, the Tri-City repair technician told me the error codes he found "did not pinpoint the problem, so he couldn't be sure what caused it". Yet, someone in their billing department decides to send me a bill for it.Desired Settlement: I was told by Tri-City the service would be covered by warranty, I was never told or alerted to the fact that there would be a service charge, and then, after the fact, they decide to send me a bill that I did not agree to. I think this is deceptive and unethical business practice, and I expect them to rescind the bill in its entirety.

Business

Response:

Mr. [redacted],

We completely

understand your displeasure stemming from the bill we sent to you. It is not

our intention or business practice to act deceitful and have you pay for

something that is not your responsibility. The situation we ran into is that the

model and serial numbers sent to us from the manufacturer states your machine

was purchased 7/17/2013; which would mean your washer is well out of the one-year

manufacturer’s warranty.

Fortunately,

there is a simple solution to this! We would be happy to eliminate the bill if

you could get us some basic information from your washer. We simply need your

model number, serial number, and a copy of your receipt to submit this claim

under the one-year manufacturer’s warranty. Please advise of a good time and

day that we can reach you by phone to help you facilitate the retrieval of this

information and resolve your concerns.

Thanks for

your cooperation and understanding!

Consumer

Response:

Dear

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

I have attached 2 documents with the proof they requested:1. Model and Serial Number2. [redacted] Receipt showing the purchase date of 9/16/14.Please provide them with these documents, so they can cancel this bill, as they said they would. Thanks very much for your help with this matter.

Sincerely,