ComplaintsforConnolly Heating and Air Conditioning

• Initial Complaint

  08/30/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  This complains about Connolly HVAC of *******, ** for services done in 2022. This does not relate to the final work product on a heat pump water heater, which is satisfactory.Instead, this regards Connolly delays and wrong information that together resulted in late filing for a TECH rebate that was no longer available after credits were exhausted.Attachments include: contract, letter to Connolly, text to salesperson, and chronicled emails to multiple parties. YELP review here: ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************(direct)Please consider all together, with focus on details in the attachments. Connolly reps have not responded to my written communications, despite my follow-up via the current office manager.Note from the attachments that I undertook (affirmatively, aggressively, timely) with relevant parties, to obtain what I expected to be $2000 of TECH rebates after concession of part to Connolly. Absent their delays and wrong position on filing, application for rebate could have occurred in Jun-Jul 2022 likely before credits exhausted.I feel that Connollys actions/inactions caused this loss and the company owes a duty to resolve in my favor in some way. Not only do they not resolve, they ignore me totally. I gave them 2 days notice that I would file this action and post negative YELP review; that did not motivate them.Note also a lesser issue I would not have raised separately with the BBB but for filing this complaint. Connolly sought a larger deposit than CA law permitted; they have not replied. They might still require more from customers than is allowed.

  Business response

  09/15/2023

  Hello ****************- Thank you for the long thought-out complaint to the BBB, Yelp review, letters, emails, texts and the like. Connolly has been in business for over 50 years and we have an outstanding reputationthat is not by accident. Let me explain the situation here:
  When you first signed the contract with Connolly, we were in the process of a heavy employee change and had pretty much all new staff right at the exact time your job was signed into contract.
  Unfortunately, the person who handled all the rebates and almost everything else in the office was let go unexpectedly, so, the rest of the brand-new employees had to pick where she left off as best they could. The problem was that that previous person had never ordered your rebate to begin with, so this is why it was overlooked by the new staff coming in.
  That being said, the lack of action by previous employees is irrelevant in this case, considering that the Tech Clean rebate Single Family and Multifamily general incentives were suspended due to budget exhaustion throughout most of the state in May of 2022 and your contract is dated July 2022, theres really nothing we could have done. Even if the funding isnt exhausted, rebates are dependent upon the permit approval and completion and how long that takes, which we use a third party for and have no control over.
  Furthermore, the wording on your contract says, Tech Clean Rebate Available $2,000 That means that upon qualification and fund availability, we will request a rebate for you after permits have been approved and installation is complete. I'm truly sorry for the misunderstanding on the process of the rebates, *****************
  I can assure you and anyone else reading this comment, that since your ordeal over a year and a half  ago, we have not had any other mishaps with rebates. Your situation was a fluke, and yes, they do happen from time to time,at the fault of no one in general. It doesnt mean that we are bad people, or a bad company to work with. I hope this clears up your concerns regarding the rebate.
  
  Thank you-
  Connolly Management

  Customer response

  09/16/2023

   
  Complaint: 20544246
  
  

  It is refreshing that Connolly acknowledged their faults in this matter!  My thorough documentation could not be easily rebutted.
  

  While it seems that nothing more can be done now regarding the **** rebate, for completeness I note the following.
  

  The contract, evidenced in my submission, was complete on 5/4/2022, not in July as Connolly replied.  Connolly conflates final installation (Jul) with contract completion (May).  Even had all gone perfectly and installation been finalized in May, it appears that funding for **** rebates was exhausted even by then.

  This is disconcerting itself.  The contract was substantial over $7000,after adjustments.  Total rebates ~$3000 were consequential; not getting the ~$2000 **** one was a big hit.  I do not recall anything that such rebates were first-come, first-served and depended on availability of funding.  For all I knew and believed, they were certain after project completion.  Despite Connollys reply, I feel the word available in the contract does not convey otherwise.

  Other delays, including wrong advice on who was to file for rebates and when, in the end had no bearing on the rebate itself.  Application could not be filed until after installation (late Jul) and certification (Oct-Nov), long after funding was unavailable.  While Connolly had no control over **** funding, they owed a duty to address clearly the matter of availability and timing including the possibility that rebate might be unavailable when application was eventually made.  I have no recollection or documentation that they did.

  In the end, Connolly could have communicated directly along the way, but did not.  This is no way to run a business.  Apart from summer 2022 snafus, no one responded to my Oct 2022 letter to Norm Grimes nor to my follow-up Aug 2023 phone call and email. Staff changes in summer 2022 do not excuse lack of communication for months thereafter.
  

  Nor does their reply mention the lesser matter of deposit amount that exceeded CA law. I noted this because new customers might experience similar.  If Connolly has rectified, so be it; their response does not mention.
  

  Finally, Connolly could have made a goodwill gesture in the circumstances by offering at least some monetary settlement.  I received none.

  Sincerely,
  

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

   

  Business response

  09/20/2023

  Hello again ***,

  I am sorry that you were expecting to get the $3000 total incentive for your $6,575.00 job. I'd like to remind you that we have the full history of correspondence from the day you initially called for the first appointment all the way till now. Which is why i am glad that i read through all the correspondence myself and found a message you sent to us on 5/23/2022 responding to our rating system text-
  

  Connolly HVAC-5/23/2022 How would you rate your experience with ********************* from Connolly Heating and Air Conditioning?

  ****************- 5/23/2022 4:51 PM
  ************** : Due to circumstances beyond ****** control, work is incomplete. Completion has been deferred to Jun-Jul, when a Rheem HPWH to my specs (produced after 1/21/2022) becomes available. I am reticent to accord any specific rating. But, **** seemed to know his stuff and worked capably. He also had solid ideas for addressing issues that arose. 5/23/2022 4:58 PM

  So there you have it. Yes, the work was pushed back to July due to your personal desire for a different unit. So regardless of the time the rebate was expired, it was upon your wishes ****************, that things were pushed back to a later date. We fully stand behind our technicians, our equipment, and our workmanship. Frankly, i have already spent too much time on this, so i thank you for your patronage and wish you the best of luck in future endeavors. Take care for now. 

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

   Connolly Management. 

  Customer response

  09/20/2023

   
  Complaint: 20544246
  
  I reject this response because:

  Connolly pushes back on my prior assertions ... points to my 5/23/2022 email message that completion was deferred to Jun-Jul, ostensibly at my choice.  It was, but only in context of what I explain below; it was not capricious!  Their inference does not consider all relevant facts and circumstances.

  From the outset, I was concerned about potential noise with Rheem units, a known issue.  I discussed this candidly with sales rep ******************* and visited the ********************** in ************** to "kick tires."  I documented this in my 4/16/2022 email to Connolly.

  In extensive documentation of communications, my 4/18/2022 email to Connolly discussed this.  I noted that ***** advised of changes made after 1/21 that addressed this.  I stated, "I expressed that I don't want to proceed without knowing that past issues have been addressed reasonably; I don't want to have to deal with such after installation ...."

  Shortly after, I discussed with ***** that I wanted a unit produced after 1/21/2022.   Unfortunately, I have no written documentation of that conversation.

  Still, the 4/18 email expressed my intent.  ***** knew what I required and, after a brief unexplained delay, got the contract to me on 5/1; I signed on 5/4.  The contract omitted mention of 1/21.

  When Connolly workers arrived on 5/23, I personally checked the unit that was delivered.  It had a production date in late 2021 ... before the date I specified.  My recollection is that, in phone conversation with ***** while workers were here, he acknowledged the requirement for production date after 1/21 but stated that without opening the shipping container, no date was evident.  It took opening the container and inspecting the affixed plate to know.

  The correct unit eventually was installed on 7/21, with production date 6/13.  My text message that evening to ***** (included with prior documentation) stated in part, "As you know, I was concerned about the potential noise; that's why I wanted a unit produced after 1/21/2022."

  It is now disingenuous of Connolly to suggest that the delay from May to Jul 2022 was all about me.  It was not; this is inescapable!  It cannot be my responsibility when Connolly delivered a unit that did not meet my specs.

  It is unreasonable to believe I made up the matter of 1/21, when 1) I documented my concerns in my 4/23 email to Connolly and 2) restated my prior expectation in my 7/21 text to ***********  This was all over a year ago, not something I now try to cover over with "alternative facts."

  I understand this does not change the circumstances, that TECH funding for the rebate expired apparently even before original 5/23 installation.  But, I want the file to reflect the true facts.

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

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