ComplaintsforFrancis Home Environment Heating & Air Conditioning

• Initial Complaint

  28/06/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On June 9th I paid Francis Home Environment $16,901.41 for the installation of a heat pump system that includes "premier dehumidification". They were contracted to install the unit, I would receive a $5000 rebate once installed to offset the cost of the unit. The company has to provide paperwork (2 pages from Canada Greener Homes Grant: Air source heat pump/ cold climate AND Mechanical or Electrical Eq. or System Installation) in order for us to receive the rebate. On around June 12th I informed the company that we are experiencing high humidity levels and a variance of temperatures greatr than 2 degrees celcius. The company sent a technician to replace the thermostat, when the technician arrived he decided not to replace the thermostat and was not able to resolve the problem. The company sent another technician who informed me that the resolution of the problem would be to add a vent, he would discuss with his boss and they were supposed to contact me with a plan to make the system work. He informed me that I should "put a lid" on my open sump pump, I agreed to do this and would notify them if it the problems persist. On June 22 I called the company for an update and was told that they would need to charge me $550 to resolve the problem. The company escalated my complaint to their ******* ******* **** ********, who was not able to resolve the problems. As per our contract, the company guarantees "a temperature variance of no greater than 2 degrees celcius at the thermostat. If the system does not achieve the temp. you desire, we will make any modifications - up to and including, replacement of the system at no charge". The company advertises on their website and during the sales pitch in our home that the unit will circulate the air in the home and remove humidity. "your heat pump will also dehumidify your home to prevent the growth of mold and mildew inside the home..." Our home currently has temperate and humidity problems which needs to be addressed.

  

  Business response

  29/06/2023

  The system installed has "enhanced dehumidification" which works with the AC in summer to remove humidity from the home.  It is not a "whole home dehumidifier" which was not requested during the initial consultation.  There is a high level of humidity in the basement which is potentially caused by an open sump,  as per a previous communication where you said you would cover the sump and then we could reevaluate the situation.  Has this been done?  And have you monitored the difference in humidity levels for a few weeks after?  If it doesn't completely solve the issue,  we would  be more than happy to provide a portable dehumidifier for the basement to remove more moisture from your basement air to see if this helps regulate the humidity levels and if it does work, we can look at adding a "whole home dehumidifier" in your home.  The other solution to ad venting to help recirculate the air which was quoted at $550. with a 20% discount is still an option and recommended as it is a duct work modification it is not part of the original installation contract, this work would not have been included in the original quote as high humidity levels in the basement were not mentioned as a concern but we are more than willing to help find solutions. 

  We do not make claims that "your heat pump will also dehumidify your home to prevent mold and mildew inside the home".

  Directly from our website:
  

  On top of the advantages of hybrid comfort, energy efficiency, cost savings & a long lifespan, heat pumps also offer options for improved indoor air quality: many units can provide air flow & dehumidifying, as well as enhanced filtration, to help you & your family breathe easier at home.

  Please call me anytime to discuss as we have offered multiple times to help you find solutions and we will be more than happy to help. 

   

  Customer response

  05/07/2023

  
  Complaint: 20250661
  
  I am rejecting this response because the company states they would like to help find a solution, however after many attempts to have them repair/replace the system as per our contract and their website advertisements, we were only offered to have the system removed which leaves us holes in our walls, no furnace etc.

  The company has decided not to respond or even provide required paperwork for us to receive the $5600 goverment Greener homes rebate. We have no choice but to file a claim with small claims court which is what we intend to do. The company clearly advertises their guarantees and product information falsely and intentionally to misleads consumers into purchasing products that 1) work as described 2) come with guarantees and warranties 3) come with rebates 4) repairs/ replacements up to and including removal for a full refund, however they have decided to breach contract and not provide us with this service, it's clear that they prefer to cause stress and confusion in attempts to discourage complaints.

  The company states we did not purchase a system with "full home dehumidifying" but our contract and their website states otherwise.

  The company refuses to repair the temperature variance which they guarantee. 

  The sump pump has been covered as per their request, no changes in humidity or temperature.

  To date, we spent over $17,000 for a system that is not working properly and would caution anyone from purchasing products from ***** **** ***** ** ********* ******** **** ************ ****** **** *******, and 23 other companies that provide same/similar services and guarantees) 

  Sincerely,
  
  ******* ********

  

  Business response

  05/07/2023

  In all due respect,  Mr. ******** had a major basement flood which has been omitted from all communication causing his furnace to no longer function and need replacement.  We sold him a Heat pump system which works perfectly fine for his home.  He has poor air circulation and higher than normal levels of humidity in his basement, when the **** ******* advisor visited his home, he noted a few dehumidifiers in the basement.  Comments were also made about "high levels of mold and mildew" which may well have been caused by the flood and the function of a heat pump is not to remove or control such. The heat pump system in cooling mode does remove moisture from the home but it is not designed as a "dehumidifier".  We have provided multiple solutions to try and help remove some of the humidity but Mr. ******** feels that we should complete this work over and above what he purchased from us, I have offered solutions with discounts to help remedy the situation.  We gladly supply all the required paperwork for Greener homes grants but Mr. ******** has mentioned on multiple occasions that he would like us to remove the system and give him full credit,  we are not submitting paperwork to the government for rebates based on this fact until Mr. ******** decides what he would like us to do.  

  We will gladly remove the system and offered 100% refund on multiple occasions if that's what he chooses.  Aside from the complaints on *** which I will promptly answer, we also are getting multiple emails in regards to this issue which I have also answered. 

  Please consider this case closed as I have responded directly to Mr. ********'s emails and answered all of his concerns multiple times. 

  As always, we are here to help offer solutions for all our customers and will do everything we can to make the situation right but buying a heat pump system and expecting it to do what it isn't designed to do are 2 totally different issues, the system has been tested and is functioning as it should. 

  The company does NOT advertise on our website that "your heat pump will also dehumidify your home to prevent mold and mildew inside the home..."

  Customer response

  06/07/2023

  
  Complaint: 20250661
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  We did not have a flood causing our previous furnace to no longer function. We upgraded our furnace to a heat pump system because of the rebates offered, the system would remove humidity and provide A/C in the summer. Our contract included "premier dehumidification". The company website(s) still advertise "your heat pump will also dehumidify your home to prevent mold and mildew inside the home..." (see screenshot attached) which is misleading if not true. 

  
  

  On June 5, our energy advisor from NRCan informed us that the company did not install the outdoor unit we contracted them to install, therefore our application for the grant would be denied. The company did not inform me of this change. I believe this is why they are withholding rebate paperwork and provided a false AHRI# on my invoice. I have requested the company to provide a revised invoice to reflect the unit they decided to install without my knowledge.

  
  

  As mentioned to the company, the heat pump they installed is currently not working properly 1) temperature variances 2) higher than normal humidity. We are now requesting the company to pay us $5600 the the rebate that we were supposed to receive- had they installed the unit we contracted them to install.

  
  

  We are requesting the company to:

  
  

  1) Repair, at their cost. (Temperature variance, humidity issue) Pay us $5600 for the rebate we can no longer receive. Continue to provide guarantees and warranty conditions as per our contract.

  
  

  2) Propose replacement options that are equal or greater in efficiency, that corrects our problems 1) temperature variance 2) humidity levels, free of charge. Ensure that we can receive our $5600 rebate. This may require an additional fees from our energy advisor to reassess the pre and post installation, at the company costs. Continue to provide guarantees and warranty as per our contract.

  
  

  3) Leave the unit as is, pay us $10,901.41, pay us $5600 for the rebate. We will hire a different contractor for repairs.

  
  

  4) Remove and pay us $29,399.41 in damages. Breakdown of costs have already been provided. 

  
  

  We ask that this claim remains open until the company provides a solution. 

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******* ********

• Initial Complaint

  23/04/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We recently purchased our first home. The heating system worked fine, but the A/C was not turning on, so we wanted a quote to fix it. We called Francis Home Environment. The representative was super friendly; indicated that a diagnostic was normally $170, but he was able to waive the fee as they installed the system. No other fees were discussed on the call. They arranged for a technician to visit us at noon the following day (April 15). The technician, ****, arrived promptly at noon, and was also friendly. He got to work immediately. Within a few minutes, **** realized the issue was a missing jumper wire in the thermostat which came with the house. He went out to his truck to obtain a piece of wire; installed it in the thermostat, and the A/C system fired right up. **** then told us that he was supposed to charge us for a “Level 1” service, which was $320. He said he felt that was unreasonable, so he’d knock it down to $200+tax. Before getting to work, **** never discussed any cost above the free diagnosis (which we confirmed he was aware of). **** was in our house for no longer than 30 minutes from start to finish. We have had a lot of new home expenses, and just wanted a diagnosis to help budget for the repair (assuming we’d get a quote on a new A/C unit, as our unit is in rough shape). That said, although it wasn’t clear to us when the free diagnosis shifted to an automatic repair job (at an undisclosed price), we were not trying to get something for free, so we paid **** and he left. Both my wife and I felt so blindsided by the expense, and were taken aback by being given a bill rather than a quote, on what was clearly a simple fix, especially given the free diagnosis. Later that day, I called back, and connected to the first representative who initially offered us the free diagnosis. He indicated that he would leave a note for the billing department to call us back on Monday (April 17). We waited a week and never heard back.

  

  Business response

  03/05/2023

  I have reviewed the file and there are no installation details in our system for this customer so we did not install the equipment on site according to our files.  If we had installed the system and there was an issue with anything, it is usually covered under warranty.  Since the files indicate that we did not install the system, and the diagnostic fees were not applied, the repair fees which were reduced by the technician, who drove there with a vehicle and actually fixed the issue is fair.  If ever there is something missing in our files about the installation of a system please do reach out so that we can follow-up immediately and update the files.

  Customer response

  03/05/2023

  
  Complaint: 19972477
  
  I am rejecting this response because: the company notes that the technician drove to our house and fixed the issue, so the amount charged was fair.  No quote was provided prior to undertaking the repair — we were only provided with the bill.  $226 for less than 30 minutes of work is unreasonable, particularly when the diagnosis of the issue was supposed to be free.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** ****

  

  Business response

  04/05/2023

  The original diagnostic fees are usually $169.00 + tax which we didn't charge for.  Repairs start at $324.00 + tax, depending on the type of work required it can be more. In this case, the technician reduced the fees to $200.00 + tax.  You called to have your AC fixed and the technician resolved the issue and discounted the invoice by more than $100.00.  We dispatched a licensed technician, in an insured vehicle full of parts to perform a service which you requested, if the technician gave you an estimate and you didn't want him to repair the AC, he would have charged you the diagnostic fee of $169.00 + tax for the visit.  Your invoice could have been $493.00 + tax and we charged you $200.00 + tax. to fix your AC which wasn't working at the time. 

  Customer response

  05/05/2023

  
  Complaint: 19972477
  
  I am rejecting this response because: the business again continues to point out the cost of sending the technician to our house with a van, when the diagnostic fee discussed over the phone was $0.  The agent over the phone was well aware we had just bought the house and had not had the equipment installed, so the reference to that fact above seems to be intentionally deceptive.  The business never explained what the costs could or would be before presenting us with a final bill.  We did not ask for the technician to show up with a van full of parts — even so, all the “parts” used was a piece of wire no bigger than a paper clip.  This approach, particularly when paired with the “free” diagnostic is unfair to customers and misconstrues our original complaint. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** ****

• Initial Complaint

  21/10/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  November 16,2021, I paid Francis Home Environment $270.52 for 2022 Annual Maintenance of our heating/AC equipment. It has been impossible to get Francis Home Environment to come here to actually do the annual maintenance. The company was supposed to be here in April and May 2022 to service the AC. The company never showed up. Now the fall is here and they are supposed to service the furnace. On Sept. 6 they set an appointment for 11 Oct and they cancelled. They rescheduled for 21 Oct and again they cancelled. This company has proven that it cannot be trusted. A full refund of the monies I paid ($270.52) last November is the only satisfactory resolution.

  

  Business response

  24/10/2022

  Dear Mr. *******,  I looked into our system and I don't see any requests for an AC maintenance in the spring of 2022.  Maybe there was an oversight on calling in to book this service?  As for the fall Furnace maintenance, yes we have had to rebook a few times this fall but our goal is to service all of our customers properly and not just haphazardly, that being said, we are not immune to Covid calls and we are now dealing with multiple situations that create a seemingly endless juggling act of moving maintenances and service calls.  We will gladly make this right for you, please feel free to contact me directly and I will take care of this situation. 

  Kindest regards,

  **** 

  Customer response

  07/11/2022

  ***** ************************** ***** ******* ******** ** **** **** ** *** ***** ******* ********************** ******** *** ****** ******** ****** ********* *** ********

   

  Good Morning,

   

  Friday 4 November at approximately 16:40 (4:40 p.m.) “****” phoned.  He ended up stating that he would contact the office staff to issue my refund.  I informed him that once I receive the refund the issue will be resolved in my view.

   

  I want to thank you for your assistance in this matter.  Hopefully the refund will be forthcoming soon and this matter will simply be a memory.

   

  Sincerely,

  ***** *******

• Initial Complaint

  14/07/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We contracted Francis Home in August 2021 to replace our AC/heating unit. During the installation they caused damaged (electrical). The repairs required electrician and wall patching/painting in our basement and 1st floor of the house. Both the electrician and repair companies were contracted by Francis Home. Last week I received an email from ********* (contracted by Francis Home to do the wall repair) that they had not been paid by Francis Home and were going to use a collection agency to recover the unpaid bill from us instead which would also cause our credit rating to decrease. I contacted Francis Home last week, and no resolution yet.

  

  Business response

  25/07/2022

  The issue has been resolved with the customer,  Francis Home sometimes have to make holes in walls and ceilings to install AC units,  we do not assume responsibility for the repairs of the holes but we provide patches to cover the holes and then they are access in case of any issues.  Manager who is no longer with the company apparently agreed to these repairs without authorization.  The customer had an outstanding balance on his account so we did not pay the said invoice.  Office manager spoke with the customer last week and resolved all issues. 

   

   

• Initial Complaint

  03/05/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Had the compagnie do duct cleanning at my house. During their work they broke the weather stripping of my front door . The supervisor on site acknowledged it. Told me it's was because the team should a put a protection on their airhose but they didn't. He wrote it on my receipt and told me a manager would call me to arrange a paiement of some sort. No one ever called me back. I called back on mars 31 ; on April 05 ; on May 02 ; May 03. They always tell me the same thing : I can see the note someone should have call you. I'll send an email to the right person. You should get a call asap.... I doubt that the compagnie is going to pay for any repair. Thanks for you help ***** ***** 

  

  Business response

  06/05/2022

  I just spoke with *** ***** and told him to forward information about weather stripping issue and that I would follow-up and close the file.  I sent him an email with my direct contact information so that I can follow-up with him directly.  I wasn't aware of this situation but will take care of it. 

• Initial Complaint

  04/01/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Date: Dec 1, 2021 Job # ****** Amount paid: 360.41 CAD Since Francis Home Environment changed our furnace in 2016, I had no complaints with the quality of their services. However, on Dec 1, 2021, I opened a service call with them as our furnace stopped working. I was told the diagnostic would cost 69.95 $ + tx, even if I have a maintenance plan with them. That was not the issue. The technician came, found the issue (defective humidifier flooded the motor with water), and removed the water. After one hour of work, when most of the time was spent testing the drainage, he charged me nonchalantly an extra 249 $ + tx. I have called 4-5 times to have this charge reviewed, nothing happened, no call back, no charge revised. So one hour = 360.41 $ to remove water. I find this way too expensive.

  

  Business response

  02/02/2022

  ****** has been credited and he was happy with follow-up and thanked us for the service.

  Customer response

  06/02/2022

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

• Initial Complaint

  25/10/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We contacted Francis Home Environment to get a quote to install central air conditioning in our home. We purchased our original furnace from Francis more than 20 years ago, and it was replaced about 5 years ago. The furnace is located in a crawl space; we do not have a full basement. Francis is aware of this as they installed our furnace. The Francis representative came to our home this week to produce the estimate. He contacted the installers, and they decided immediately, without taking any measurements, that they would not do the job. The representative told me the union simply refuses to do work that may be challenging, and there is nothing he can do. He refused to discuss options or alternate solutions, even though I pointed out our neighbours in an identical home have central AC. He shrugged his shoulders and had left our house within 5 minutes. * ******* **** ******** * ******* ******* **** ** **** ********** ** ******** ******* ** ******* ********* **** ** ****** ***** ** **** ***** ** ****** * **** ** ****** ** ******** ********* ******** *********

  

  Business response

  02/02/2022

  ***** **** ******** * ***** **** ************************************ ***** ******** ******** ** **** ***** ** *** ********* ****** ********************* ******** ********* ** ** ********

   

  **** ******** has agreed to another visit for A/C installation,  weather is not ideal at this time of year for that, but we will pay him another visit and find a solution.

   

  *** ***** ********* ****** ** *** ******** ** ***** ****  

  Jean L*******

  General Manager Ottawa

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩