ComplaintsforAll About Air

• Initial Complaint

  12/09/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I entered into a contract for All About Air to install and ** mini split system that I purchased on line.The contract stated that their work would be guaranteed for 1 year. They installed the equipment but it has never been operational.I made a settlement offer - they refund my money or they get someone else to make the unit operational.They refused.

  

  Business response

  12/23/2021

  
  All About Air entered into a contract to install an ** ductless mini split system that the customer purchased herself online. The contract had a one year labor warranty on the installation of that equipment. This labor warranty did not cover any labor that should occur with any mechanical issues. We could not guarantee the quality of this equipment because it was not our equipment. We originally quoted the customer on a central heat and air system but due to sizing issues in her closet she was interested in a ductless mini split. Prior to customer making the decision to purchase her own equipment, we provided her with a proposal to purchase our equipment with all the warranties but she still opted to purchase her own. Labor warranty was noted on contract, invoice signed by customer and in my emails. 
  
  The equipment was installed on November 23, 2020 with the exception of the 220V electrical because the electrical still had not been ran. Customer was instructed to her electrician stub electrical wire out of wall and we would return to hook up outdoor unit. The electrician ended up hooking up the electrical to the outdoor unit himself. Also, per the customers request she wanted us to leave the covers off of the ceiling cassettes until after construction was done. We returned on June 17, 2021 to put the covers on the ceiling cassettes and to start the system up. We charged and ran system and it was working when left that day.
  
  On July 30th I received an email from the customer dated July 26th stating that the mini split had a flashing light. She stated that she called ** Tech Support and they would not talk to her because she was not the installing contractor. She also stated that the system had not worked properly since we left in June. I responded to customer and told her I would get back to her on Monday, August 2ndas I was out of the office and told her I would send someone out to her home for no charge this one time but if it continues we would have to charge her. I also reiterated that we could not guarantee the quality of the equipment and this is the reason why she should have had us install our own equipment because she would be completely covered. It is our belief that she knew that we were not responsible for the functionality of the equipment which is why she called ** Tech Support before she called us. It was after they told her they couldnt help her and my response to her email that she then said it was an installation issue. I would also like to add that she stated the equipment had not worked properly since we started it up on June 17th but she did not contact ** Tech Support or us until July 26th. (40 days later)
  
  On August 11th, I received a warranty registration email from ** showing that customer had registered the equipment. The contractor information she put in was simply ***** and she provided them with an incorrect installation date. The equipment was installed on November 23, 2020 and she registered it has being installed on August 1, 2021. 
  
  Our technician was sent back out to her home on August 30th again for no charge. Our technician was able to find a leak at one of the ceiling mounted cassettes. He checked the other cassettes but was unable to check one of the cassettes because it had been enclosed in plywood and was inaccessible. Despite not being able to check the cassette in the ceiling, he was able to get the system back up and running again. He told the customer if she had the same issue again we would have to cut through the plywood in the ceiling to access the other fitting. 
  
  I received a call from the customer the next day (September 1st) stating that the light was blinking again on the system and it was not working right. I informed customer that our technician would have to come back out again and get into the attic to check to check the other cassette. We returned to her home, again for no charge, on October 25th. Our technician cut through the plywood to access the cassette and found another leak. After repairing the leak and adding more freon to the system, it was still not working properly. Our technician contacted our equipment manufacturer tech support. He was on the phone with them for quite some time and they were not able to determine what was wrong with the equipment. They suggested that ** Tech Support be contacted. Our technician was instructed to leave customers home as he had been there for 3 hours. I spoke to the customer over the phone that evening and explained to her again that the warranty we provided was on the installation of the equipment and not on the performance of her equipment.
  
  On November 3rd, I emailed customer and told her we would come back out but we would have to charge her an hourly rate or she could contact a local ** Dealer. She emailed back the following day and said she will call someone else but would expect us to pay for it. She copied and pasted the wording from my contract regarding the warranty and insisted the issues were not the equipment but the way we installed the equipment. I did not respond to her email. On November 10th, the customer emailed me back stating that if she called another company we would be in breach of contract. She also wanted us to come back out and work with ** tech support on the issues. After consulting and getting legal advice, we were advised to fulfill what ever supposedly contract she thought she had because we were 13 days away from one year since the installation of the equipment. It was worth spending another few hours at her home to appease her. On November 15th I emailed her back and told her we would come back out on December 1st and contact ** Tech Support for no charge and if she was not satisfied with the date I offered she could proceed however she wished. She agreed. 
  
  On December 1st, our technician came back out to her home and per request we contacted ** Tech Support. ** Tech Support had our technician removing covers off of units and testing individual components inside of outdoor unit. That was not part of our labor warranty on installation. And as a reminder the 220V electrical was hooked up by customers electrician. Our technician was at her home for two hours and the second time he had to call ** Tech Support he held for 45 minutes. Our technician was told to pack up and leave. He did not make the equipment operational.
  
  On December 3rd, the customer emailed me stating that the unit was still not operational. She wanted to extend an offer of compromise and that was either we come back out with someone to get the unit operational or we refund all of her money. We emailed her back on December 7th and told her there was nothing to compromise and we would not be refunding her money and if she wanted us to come back out we would have to charge her.  She emailed us back the following day stating that I guess your license and contract are not important to you and that she would contact someone to make it operational. 
  
  The customers claim is false because as you can see we returned multiple times to your home despite what the labor warranty covered. We tried to help this customer out but we were not responsible for equipment that was purchased online which is why our labor warranty only covered installation. 

  Customer response

  12/27/2021

   
  Complaint: 16348492
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

  Customer response

  01/05/2022

  The facts of this case are as follows:

  This is new construction and therefore it was installed over a period of time.  Delayed because of the construction process and because the business availability to send technician.

  The equipment manufacturer - ** provides a 10 year warranty on the equipment.  I was required to register the equipment with the manufacturer in order to validate the 10 year warranty.  

  The business provided contract with 1 year warranty for labor.  

   

  On June 17, 2021 the business completed the installation and put covers on the 3 mini-split unit that were installed in the ceiling.  The unit could not be tested or made operational until that day.

  Paragraph 2 of business response - "we returned on June 17 to put the covers on the ceiling cassetts and to start the system up."  

  On July 26 the lights were flashing on all 3 units. 

  On August 21 business verified in email to me that system was not working.  "I saw the notes on the work order that when they started it up the air was not cold."

  On August 30th the technicial came out and found a leak. Paragraph 5 of business response.  At that time he did not check one of the cassettes. Same paragraph 5.  That was an incomplete system check. Verified by business in email to me 1-/13.

  On October 25 techncian can and did what he sould have done on August 30th.  He got to the unit that he did not check on that visit and found that it also had a lead and needed to add more freon. Verified in paragraph 6 of business response. "our technician cut through the plywood to access the cassette and found another leak.  After repairing the leak and adding more freon to the system it ws still not working properly."

  The technician contacted "our equipment manufacturer" tech support - not the ** support.  "They suggested that ** tech support be contacted" Again paragraph 6.  I had provided business with ** contact support and they also had an 800# for **. But instead they contacted "our equipment manufacturer".

   

  I paid the business $4,200 to install make the unit operational and provide a 1 year labor warranty.  They have breached the contract warranty.
  

   

   

   

   

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