ComplaintsforBest Tec

• Initial Complaint

  01/26/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Given all the sketchy reviews this company gets, one would think they would go the extra mile to ensure customers are happy with their work. After how I was treated I can only say they're a horrible company and warn others to stay away. They were not able to correctly install an *************** water heater (for $7000+) despite multiple attempts to do so. Eventually (based on information they provided to the manufacturer) the unit was found to be defective and the manufacturer authorized the return and exchange. Initially they refused to work further on the unit (despite being an authorized dealer / installer). After discussions with the manufacturer, they agreed to do it - only their availability was weeks out and they would charge and additional $1200 for the switch out. Additionally, the scheduler / receptionist was extremely difficult to work with and seemed to enjoy playing mind games around scheduling. One of the owners was extremely condescending once they decided they were going to wash their hands to make right the work they had done. All in all a truly awful experience- the kind of "you're on your own" treatment that gives contractors with integrity a bad name. I'm going to tell as many people as I can what my experience was and hope that the court of public opinion will provide appropriate consequences for their atrocious behavior.

  Business response

  02/05/2024

  When the customer contacted us, he had already researched and determined the make and model of heater that he wanted installed.  That heater was a high-end heat pump heater that has only just recently made its way to the residential water heater market.  

  We installed the heater and it was installed per manufacturer specifications.  We have been an *************** warranty station for decades and are aware of their requirements for installation.  Almost immediately, the customer began having trouble with the heater.   We went out more than once at no charge to the customer  We conferred with *************** on the issues he was having and at their suggestion, we modified the air intake (at no charge to the customer).  He continued to have issues.  *************** subsequently determined that the unit had a bad compressor and has agreed to replace the unit.  *************** pays $100 toward the cost of installation of a new heater.  They otherwise do not cover any labor or materials associated with the replacement installation.   *******************, the balance of installation charges and material costs are to be paid by the homeowner.  This is a heavy heater in a raised cubby - it is a three man installation and will take the better part of a day.

  Best Tec did not select this heater for the customer - he was adamant that this was the heater he wanted installed.  He had researched it thoroughly and did not ask for our input.  When ************** went out to look at the site to provide a quote, he spoke with the customer about his choice, and the pros and cons associated with it.  He remained adamant in his choice.  The warranty on the heater runs between the customer and the manufacturer.  ******************** has no control over that warranty, particularly since we did not recommend or sell the customer the heater.

  Throughout this process, the customer has been a difficult customer - twice he insisted that he had been given different appointment times than actually given.  We have office video tape of our office conversations with the customer and are happy to provide that to the BBB.  In the videos, you clearly hear the dispatcher identifying him by name and during the course of the conversations specifying an appointment time, which the customer denies he was given.  We offered to show him one of those videos when we went out for our appointment, but he declined to even watch.

  Although the customer has now convinced *************** to pay $1,000 toward a new installation, the customer relationship is irretrievably broken.  He has gone on Yelp and other social media sites and defamed our company, as well as going to the BBB.  Had he not been so difficult from the beginning, rude and belligerent to myself and my staff, things might be different, but putting us on blast to anyone and everyone and spreading falsehoods was the last straw.  This is a case of buyer's remorse where he was the sole selector of the product he purchased, together with it's warranty terms, for better or for worse.

  *FYI - we did not receive your first notice of this claim.

  Customer response

  02/05/2024

   I am rejecting this response because:
  
  At no time in my communication with the installer did the company recommend not purchasing the heater and job they charged $6099.33 for. The fact that they now want to claim their absence of a recommendation is the same thing as a recommendation against purchase is further evidence of their slippery use of the English language. The fact that I am one among many with similar experiences posting on social media should serve as a message to the company to that they are the common denominator in bad experiences.

  
  Ive spoken with *************** numerous times during this process and sent them pictures of the installation. Every time one of their reps has reviewed pictures of the install they stated that it was not installed in an appropriate location. They also stated that the company did not take adequate steps to ensure adequate air flow. Further, the fact that the water heater was not installed in an appropriate location is stated in the manual: **************************************************************** page 2, stating a requirement of 700 cubic feet around the unit, with a minimum of 3 feet on the back, left and right sides.

  
  Whatever excuse the company wants to use to draw attention away from their improper installation is irrelevant. They should be accountable for their work and do the job correctly and make it right, in whatever way they are able to.

  
  

  Business response

  02/13/2024

  1)  We have been an authorized warranty station for the *************** family of companies for decades.  We are very much aware of the requirements for installation of all of their products, both commercial and residential.  In addition, we are one of  only a handful of companies across the country trusted to handle ******************* National Accounts.  The customer's heater is installed per the manufacturer's guidelines.   His current problem has nothing to do with installation - it is a failed compressor.

  2)  When the customer called in initially, he said he had already decided on the heater he wanted, which was an *************** heat pump.  When ************** was at the customer's home for the initial job walk, he spoke to the customer about alternatives, including tankless and solar hot water.  He specifically advised the customer that there have been issues with the residential heat pump systems.   The customer has a camera in his garage.  We invite the customer to provide the unredacted footage of our initial visit.  We even provided the customer a written quote for a solar hot water system as an alternative.   Nonetheless, the customer was dead set on a pricey heat pump water heater.

  3) At the end of the day, the heater has a bad compressor, which the manufacturer has agreed is THEIR issue.  It has nothing to do with installation.  If it did, *************** would not have agreed to replace it at no charge to the customer.  They have even agreed to pay $1000 for installation costs.  The customer is free to seek out the contractor of his choice to replace the heater. So, really, where is the issue?

  Customer response

  02/13/2024

   I am rejecting this response because:
  
  I've spoken with *************** numerous times during this process and they have told me, based on pictures of the installation, that the installation does not meet the specifications for this water heater. What's more, the manual for the product (attached - see the top of page 9, under #2 of the installation section) very clearly states the space requirements for this product, and the space selected by the installer in my house is much too small - something that the installer should have said initially and subsequently suggested a better location. Their claimed credentials are irrelevant if the manufacturer states verbally and in the published product manual that they didnt install it right.
  They are providing false information when they claim it is a compressor issue.
  
  
  The installer is fixated on providing video proof. They claim to have video proof of scheduling conflicts where theyve proven" me incorrect in times they initially alleged they scheduled, but was in fact different than the time scheduled when they spoke with me. I submit this is a tactic used by the installer to manipulate and condescend to their customers, and in fact they can produce no evidence of the actual conversation with me, despite what they claim. I further submit this is a pattern of deceitfulness and underhandedness that has worked well for the installer in the past, and that this is no more than and exhaustive tactic used by unwell people to divert attention away from the quality of their work and their overcharging customers. *************** confirmed that $6099.33 for an installation for this water heater is excessive.
  
  
  They claim it is a bad compressor, but the only reason *************** agreed to replace the unit is based on information from the installer, whose word is already suspect. They know full well that replacing the water heater would cost far more than the $1200 additional dollars they wanted to charge me. This whole racket is nothing more than a shakedown on customers who would otherwise assume that such underhanded practices wouldnt happen.
  
  
  At the end of the day, the issue is we only have the word of the installer as to whether the issue is the compressor (if true, they would further profit). The fact that they do not stand behind their work alone calls into question their commitment to providing an honest service at a fair price. Instead they employ underhanded tactics to cheat customers.
  

  Business response

  02/22/2024

  Nothing new has been added.  The end result is that the manufacturer has agreed to replace the water heater under warranty with $1,000 toward labor.  If the manufacturer believed there were installation errors, then they would have required corrections before replacing the heater.  Otherwise, the new heater would fall victim to the same issues as the old.  They have not required any corrections.  This is an extremely expensive heater - they would not replace it unless they believed it was unrepairable, and they certainly would not agree to replace it if they believed the installation location was incorrect.

  Best Tec has had a decades long relationship with the *************** family of companies.  We are fully authorized and trained to handle all commercial and residential issues, as well as to handle their National Accounts.  

  The system will not allow me to upload a video but I can certainly email it to BBB.  The video will establish that the customer, identified during the conversation by both his first and last name, was given a specific appointment time.  The customer later disputed the time and insisted he was given a different time- he was rude and belligerent to the staff and insisted that we were deliberately lying to him and incapable of doing our jobs.

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