Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. 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.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/18/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Applewood plumbing went to my elderly mothers home to fix the heat, which was a thermostat battery. While at the residence they told my mother that there was a leak from her faucet that needed to be replaced and they would be back in a few days. I visited my mothers house and looked for a leak and didnt observe any leaks but figured it would be nice for her to have a new kitchen faucet. They came back and installed a cheap kitchen faucet and removed a garbage disposal, which max should have cost $1000. MAX! They charged my mom $2500 for this work that wasnt even needed. This is a total scam and very targeted cause my mom doesnt hear very well or understand the cost of services.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/24/2025

  *****, 

  Thank you for taking the time to reach out and express your concerns.  I am happy we were able to come to am amicable resolution for everyone and get this issue resolved in a timely manner. Please feel free to call in if you have any further concerns. 

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/13/2025

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  We recently hired Applewood to perform a tankless water heater flush. The price -- $1800. My partner was at home and signed off on the work, not knowing that the quoted price was around 5 times as much as a comparable plumber would charge.Your estimate form states "Owner further acknowledges that he/she has been informed that there may be other services providers willing to perform this work at a lower price than Applewood's price." Applewood's technicians did not inform my partner that this was the case. Rather, when she asked whether this was a reasonable price, she was told that "this is our price" and pressured into signing the estimate. It's worth mentioning that she is a 5'1 girl and the two plumbers larger men -- she felt that she could not say no. I cannot emphasize enough how negative our experience was with Applewood.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/14/2025

  Mr. *****,
  We are sorry to hear that you are dissatisfied with the cost of the tankless water heater flush and descaling with the 2-year, 100% parts and labor warranty, completed at the ************** address yesterday. 

  The way that Applewood prices our repair and installation costs is broader than many companies. The total price of work is provided up front and in writing to avoid any surprise charges after the work is completed.  Instead of fees for hourly labor and parts, our prices are standardized by the job and set by the company to ensure that all customers pay the same price for the same repair or replacement with us. 
  Of your own admission, you were not present for the appointment and did not hear or witness any conversation between Maya and the technicians, therefore it is impossible to know and address exactly what the conversation was regarding the costs. Knowing our techniciansjob requirements and our process, it would be out of character for them to change their regular dialogue and behaviors on this occasion.  Our technicians are not salesmen; they may make suggestions for services, but you are not obligated in any way to have work completed unless you want to.  There are absolutely no intimidation tactics used by our technicians, ever.
  
  When a customer books an appointment, we have no idea what their physical attributes will be prior to arrival.  A very brief ****** search easily identifies that nationally, plumbers are overwhelmingly male, dominating about 98% of the trade over female technicians. Often, when people picture having a plumber come to their home, they picture a male, not a female.  You mention your girlfriend is only 51, therefore it would be reasonable to assume a large majority of people she encounters each day are in fact taller than she is. 
  
  Maya called on March 10th around 2:15 pm and requested the appointment, which was scheduled for 3 days later, on March 13th, from 3 pm 5 pm.  She confirmed with the customer service representative she would be the one meeting with the technicians.  If there were concerns about men coming to her home and being taller than her, in turn making her feel uncomfortable, it is reasonable to also assume she would have arranged within that 3-day time frame to have another person such as a friend, family member or spouse, be present with her for the appointment. 
  
  It is the responsibility of a homeowner to do their due diligence and obtain multiple quotes for work from different companies if they are concerned about skills, services, value, and cost differences between businesses.  This research would typically be completed prior to authorizing a company to complete any work at the home, to ensure they are the best choice to meet your expectations, needs, and financial budget. The signed customer authorization (attached) also states this information clearly, as you noted.

  We do have 3 authorization signatures on file providing consent to the technician to proceed.  As such, it appears that the total cost was provided up front, before any work was started, and then authorization was given for that work to be completed, while knowing the price to receive this service from our company, in advance.  

  With that being said, our overall goal is 100% customer satisfaction after each job we complete.  As a one-time courtesy, we can offer a 20% refund of the invoice total of $343.24 (rounded to $350). If accepted, this refund would be issued within 48 business hours directly to the credit card used for payment of services.  We would anticipate it reflecting on the account within 7-10 business days. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/18/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Applewood Plumbing and Heating was contacted on November 7, 2024 to service our furnace. The technician said backpressure was a little high and turned down the fan speed as he said it would create less pressure along with installing a fiberglass filter. We later learned that turning down that fan speed was not good. Less than 2 months after, our control board burned out and this is on a unit that was installed new 2 years before. The same technician came back and replaced the control board at a cost of $981.09. Unfortunately this did not fix the issue and the furnace was still overheating and shutting down. We called again and the same technician came out for the third time. After he left, the unit was still shutting down due to it overheating. I called again the very next morning which is the 4th time to call them for the same issue and ask for a different technician to come out. The technician immediately notices that the fan speed is below manufacturer recommendations and says that the lower fan speed is causing the unit to overheat as it is not getting enough airflow across the motor and control board. He raised the fan speed back to manufacturer specs and our unit has worked correctly ever since. Overheating furnaces cause control boards to burn out and this is exactly what happened after the original technician lowered the fan speed and it never happened again after the last technician set it back to the correct manufacturer recommended speed. Applewood offered us a $200 refund but only due to the fact that they would not submit our warranty which the manufacturer requires of the installer. We felt that this was unfair as the part did not fix our issue and was most likely caused by Applewood. It is a fact that the settings the original technician set caused the furnace to overheat proven by that the new fan settings corrected that issue. We are asking for a full refund and will gladly revoke the remaining warranty provided by Applewood henceforth.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/19/2025

  ********,

  
  You contacted Applewood on November 6, 2024, to schedule an appointment, citing that your approximately two-year-old furnace,which was not installed by Applewood Plumbing Heating & Electric, would run the heat cycle for about 20 minutes, then shut off for half an hour or more.  The thermostat was calling for heat, but the temperature was not increasing or maintaining a set temperature.Our technician came out to your residence and was there for over two hours assessing the unit. There are very detailed notes on all the records from the visits to your residence and neither of the technicians notes about their findings match your claims.  I have attached all invoices with detailed notes to this record for review, as well. 

  
  The HVAC technician, *******, specifically mentions in his notes that there were concerns on the control board at this initial visit, as it was saying idle upon inspection.  The voltage coming from the control board was not meeting specifications to provide sufficient power to properly run the furnace. The technician trouble shot the wires and their connection ports, spliced them and reconnected them and got the proper voltage restored to the unit for function. He noted that a secondary filter had been placed in the furnace return and was advised by you it was there to filter out smoke from a neighboring tenant.  When this secondary filter was removed, the furnace ran consistently for 15 minutes, until it was put back in and the unit then went into lock out mode within 5 minutes of the reinstallation.

  
  The units static pressure without the filter was noted as .7 and with it was almost at a .9 reading. The technician placed a fiberglass filter and ran the unit for over 30 minutes and there were no concerns noted, and no other adjustments were made other than removing the filter and replacing it with a fiberglass one to reduce the pressure. No fan speeds were adjusted. The technician was at your residence for over two hours, working to restore heat to your unit, which he did, and then he only charged our $29 service call fee, he did not charge for any of the repairs.  You left us a glowing review on ****** citing how happy you were with the visit and how great the technician was, which I have attached here for review.

  
  Two months later, you contacted us on January 9, 2025, and specifically requested for the same technician, *******, to come back out,stating the furnace was not coming on at all. When he arrived to assess it, the control board was flashing an error code and again in idle mode. The technician mentions in his notes that it is a power issue, or the board was not providing consistent power to the system. He checked all voltages, and everything was consistent and running at the proper levels. Once he removed the lead from the inducer motor and tested the power there, he was getting no reading, indicating the control board was bad and needed to be replaced. Again, no fan speedswere adjusted.

  
  The technician explained to you at that time that since your furnace was only a few years old the part was likely under warranty from the manufacturer,and you should contact them to see about getting the replacement part at no cost to you. You wanted the technician to handle contacting your furnace manufacturer for you and that is not a service our company offers, so you chose to just move forward with having our technician install a control board we purchased and provided. He gave you an estimate for the cost to replace the control board with us prior to any installation being started, and prior to going out and purchasing the control board from the supplier specifically for your home.  You then signed off, multiple times, authorizing the estimate and the technician to move forward with repairs. I have attached your signed authorization for documentation purposes as well.   The new control board was installed, the furnace was tested and everything was functioning properly prior to his departure. He advised you that you may still be able to be reimbursed for the control board by the manufacturer and suggested you reach out to them.  You specifically mentioned, as is standard with manufacturer warranties, that they would only replace the part free of charge, but they would not cover the cost of labor for installation, you would be responsible for this portion of expenses.  

  
  Another month passed and on February 7, 2025, you again contacted us, saying the furnace was working, but not staying consistent. ******* came out and assessed the unit, which was not throwing any error codes upon his arrival.  This is the first visit where there was any attempt to adjust static pressure (fan speeds), which is a month after the control board was replaced. The static pressure was tested and came in at .8 and ******* noted that either the system didnt save the settings when he replaced the control board, or he may have not set it up to save the settings in the program. He got the static pressure adjusted down to a lower reading of .58, saved the system settings at the factory recommended level, and again tested the unit for proper function prior to leaving. This was all done at no additional cost to you since the control board installation is under our 2 year, 100% parts and labor warranty a warranty that would not have been offered on a customer-supplied part installation.

  
  We were called back out the very next day on February 8, 2025,for concerns about the heat not increasing higher than 62 degrees. We sent out a different technician with a fresh view of the situation and he noted that upon his arrival the unit was clean, and the fan speed was set to F02, the correct,factory recommended setting.  He then adjusted it slightly from the F02 factory recommended setting, to an F03 setting, attempting to provide a higher flow rate and decrease the risk of reaching the high temperature limit and throwing the error code.

  s the number and location of the return grilles installed, are undersized for this furnace, as evidenced by the specific error codes being produced with the high temperature limit and the banging of the ductwork when the fan turns on.  Between the multiple, improper,style of filters installed in the furnace, the improperly sized ductwork and the location and amount of return grilles, all of these issues can decrease the flow through the system, causing the unit to run at higher temperatures and throw error codes.  To reiterate, no adjustments were made to the static pressure until after the control board was installed, a month prior.
  It is the responsibility of a homeowner to do their due diligence and obtain multiple quotes for work from different companies if they are concerned about skills, services, value, and cost differences between businesses.  This research would typically be completed prior to authorizing a company to complete any work at the home, to ensure they are the best choice to meet your expectations, needs, and financial budget. The signed customer authorization (attached) states this information clearly, as well.

  
  As a courtesy, we offered to refund you $200 to cover the cost of the part, since you were not able to be reimbursed by the manufacturer.  This offer was $40 over the expected reimbursement amount of the part that would have potentially been covered by the manufacturer.  This was not our debt to cover, but in an attempt to provide what we feel is a fair resolution for you, the customer, we offered to assist with this expense. You then moved your perspective to indicating our technicians repairs were the cause of the issue and stated you wanted a full refund for the work that you contracted us for and authorized,and we have gone above and beyond already by not charging you for initial repairs, suggesting your save yourself expenses by contacting the manufacturer for warranty information and going so far as to offer to refund you for a part that we are not responsible for replacing. As you were already aware, the manufacturer would only cover the cost to replace the part under warranty, not installation costs.  *********** you utilized, whether you supplied the part from the manufacturer or you had them install one they acquired for you, would have charged installation costs.

  
  There is absolutely nothing in the very detailed notes from either of our technicians that indicates anything we did would have caused these issues for your furnace; it was already not functioning properly when you contacted us to assess it in the first place. As such, there is no justification to warrant a refund of any kind, the $200 for the part was offered as a courtesy attempt to help with a difficult situation of unexpected expenses, not Applewoods responsibility to cover the costs for the manufacturer.  This offer for the courtesy reimbursement of $200 does stand, at this time. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/19/2025

   
  Complaint: 22957965
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  The explanation given is not correct or accurate in any way either due to your technician not being honest or Applewood not wanting to claim responsibility.

  The filter in the return was only there for around a week and I mentioned to ******* that the furnace had not been running correctly for 6 months.

  The furnace did not start working correctly after it was removed as we had to call ******* back again even after he replaced the board due to it was still shutting down as it had before. This proves that it obviously could not be due to the filter as it was removed during his first visit and ******* did not fix the unit even after installing the control board. ******* stated to me that he did in fact turn the fan settings down which was the entire point of his 3rd visit. When he came back the 3rd time, he mentioned that when he installed the control board he forgot to lower the fan speeds to what he had previously set them to, reset the fan speeds to a lower setting and told us we should be good now. And again, what he did did not help as it still was shutting down. Only the new tech, ******, was able to resolve the issue by adjusting the fan speed back to factory specifications. If there is an explanation as to why our furnace was still overheating after 3 visits from ******* and a new control board and then ****** being able to fix it somehow, I am open to another explanation. The control board continued to overheat after ******* changed the fan settings to where the control board went out, and continued to overheat even after until ****** resolved the issue. We should have not been out the almost $1000 if ******* had correctly diagnosed our furnace.

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

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/21/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Just before the arctic storm last week In ******, **, my mother in law reached out to Applewood Plumbing, Heating and Electric due to issues with her water heater. They charged her an alarming $6500+ for the service, without providing her with an itemized receipt. The receipt only lists a $198 service fee and a vague charge of over $6,300 for the service performed. They never gave her a quote, they just charged her. After the fact, we called several other companies to get quotes for the same service and discovered that she was grossly overcharged. My mother in law is a widow of a Vietnam veteran and lost her husband just this past year. As you can imagine, she wanted her water heater fixed quickly with the storm approaching and the temperatures dropping. We recently learned of the investigative story covered seven months ago regarding Applewood's alleged overcharging and predatory practices, particularly toward elderly individuals. Unfortunately, it seems this has happened to to my MIL as well, and we are devastated that she has been taken advantage of in this way. They told her she would get a savings of '********' and the total bill was *******. They originally charged her $7,400! THEY are PREDATORS!!!

  

  Business Response

  Date: 01/23/2025

  ***** ****,

  Thank you for reaching out regarding your mother-in-laws water heater replacement on Friday, January 17, 2025.   After listening to the recorded call, ***** had stated the water heater, located in the basement, had made loud screeching noises,started leaking, then shut itself down. She very briefly mentioned she would like to get it fixed before the cold front came in and asked if we could come on Saturday to look at it.  Our customer service representative checked the schedule and verified we could have a technician out on Friday if she preferred. She said that that she would be available and expressed that she was happy we could come out sooner than anticipated.

  The appointment was booked around 9:18am, for a 2-hour arrival window between 1pm-3pm that same day. We do not charge "weekend" or "emergency fees of any kind,or surprise customers with hidden or extra fees at the completion of the work. If a customer decides not to proceed after they are provided with the estimate(s),the only expense incurred is the $29 service call fee.  We do not and did not, change, adjust, or inflate our prices in any capacity, despite the weather forecasts, or any other factors, especially those legally protected by law.

  While our technicians can provide a range of estimates for services with our company, we cannot speak about the work quality, availability, service,warranties or prices offered by another company; we have no insight into their practices.  Ultimately, the responsibility falls upon the homeowner to do their due diligence and obtain multiple estimates from different companies. This research would typically be completed prior to authorizing a company to begin working to ensure they are the best choice to meet your expectations, needs and financial budget. 

  Upon further review, ***** was provided with 3 estimates from our technician. The first, being a lower cost option for repairs to the existing 50-gallon water heater, a mid-range option to replace it with another 50 gallon tank and 10-year, 100% parts and labor warranty, or the highest option, for the 50 gallon tank and an 18 year, 100% parts and labor warranty.  Of the 3 options provided to her, she elected to replace the water heater and have the 10-year warranty.

  Applewood utilizes job-standardized pricing, and we do not break out our charges by just parts and labor; there are more than just parts and labor to consider when determining costs. Job-standard pricing ensures that any customer who is having the same work completed, whether they are 26 years old or 96 years old, will be charged the same price. There are extensive options online for parts to purchase, and they often have a wide range of prices listed. These prices do not account for things like product quality and availability, installation by a vendor or any warranties offered, in addition to the cost of the parts and labor. Pricing our services by the job allows us to provide customers with the total cost of the work up front, in writing, and requires customer consent prior to anything being started in the home. 

  The documentation on record shows your mother-in-law signed off on the estimate approving the cost, she signed off a second time, providing the technician authorization to begin work, and she signed off a third time upon completion of the installation.  If there were questions or concerns about the work or the costs, there were a variety of opportunities for further discussion or questions, or to decline having our technician complete the work at that time to allow other companies to provide their own estimates for work. ***** did not express any concerns on her own behalf, and still has not expressed any to us.

  ***** elected to join our ************ Agreement membership to save 15% on her invoice.  In addition to those savings, the membership is valid for 1 year, offers 15% off any other jobs completed with us, waives all service call fees and provides one free system check per year.  These benefits are described and listed out on the invoice she was provided, and are not vague, nor are they listed as a service fee.  I have attached the invoice to this response to exemplify the verbiage on it is specific, and the description of work states what the technician did.  All our technicians are drug tested, background checked and licensed or certified in their trade in to ensure we are sending the safest, most qualified people into our customershomes. 

  With all that being said, our overall goal is 100% customer satisfaction after each job we complete. We would be happy to discuss your concerns further, hear what your expectations are, and see if we can come to an amicable resolution for all involved.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/23/2025

   
  Complaint: 22838861
  
  I am rejecting this response because: At no time did they provide an itemized receipt, or the three options that they stated in their response. Theres no documentation or evidence that this ever occurred. She stated that she did not receive any of those options or any documentation of them. 

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** ****

  

  Business Response

  Date: 01/30/2025

  *****, 

  As previously explained multiple times, both verbally and in writing, we do not offer itemized invoices due to standardized job pricing; unfortunately, we cannot provide to this type of document, as it does not exist.  We provide the cost estimate options up front, allow the homeowner to choose what options suits them, and then we require signature authorization prior to starting any work.  Attached are additional supporting documents, including the estimates that you have stated were not provided.  You will see these attachments include the estimate ***** signed off on for her selected work option, as well.  As a reminder, we spoke over the phone this morning before this reply was posted and we reached an amicable agreement regarding these concerns.  Once you return the signed documentation, we would be glad to upload that to the BBB to verify this issue has been resolved, as the document states we have the option to do. Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/07/2024

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On Saturday 11-2-24 I had a hot water heater break and start to flood the condo below me. During this emergency I was able to find Applewood Plumbing to correct the flooding issue and replace a broken hot water heater. During this issue I was informed by the plumber that the installation costs would not be itemized and this is a one and done job and that it was a fair price to pay ($5,690.49). The plumber stated that if I paid $198.00 (included in the in the $5690.49 price, that I would receive a discount on the invoice. I received a 40 gallon ******** ***** hot water heater with expansion tank, pan and standard valves and gas hoses. I shared this information with my neighbor and he stated I was ripped off. After researching the prices of what a hot water heater ($2,000.00) expansion tank($60.00) and pan ($15.00) cost I have to agree that I was taken advantage of during a difficult time (emergency). I called Applewood to explain my concern and have not heard back from a supervisor. The secretary who answered the phone offered me a 10% discount and explained that they are "a little pricy". Can someone please help me? Could the cost of installing a hot water heater really cost $3,687.00?

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/08/2024

  *****,

  Thank you for reaching out regarding your hot water heater replacement on November 2, 2024.  We show that your call came in to report your dissatisfaction on November 7, at 11:41am and lasted about 10 minutes with our customer service representative. Once she finalized the report and sent it to the Service Experience Manager for follow up, that notification came through at 12:16 pm.  After listening to the recorded call with our customer service representative, she clearly stated to you, twice, that you would "hear from someone by tomorrow afternoon," meaning the afternoon of November 8, as our company policy is to contact customers within 24 hours.  We then received notification from the BBB of your concerns regarding this issue at 5:46 pm on November 7, where you mentioned you "called Applewood to explain my concern and have not heard back from a supervisor," yet, the expectation set with you was that you would hear from someone by the afternoon of November 8th to allow time for a manager to review the job, speak with the technician and their manager and address your concerns.  We were not afforded the opportunity to comply with those clearly set expectations prior to you writing in to the BBB.

  When you called in to request our services on the weekend, the job was booked at approximately 1:10 pm and we had our technician at your residence by 2:54 pm.  You had stated the water heater was out on your patio and possibly leaking into the unit below.  We did not charge a "weekend" or "emergency fee" of any kind, nor did we charge our service call fee of $29, since you moved forward with having the work completed.  If you decided not to have the work done, the only fee would have been the $29 service call fee.  While our technician is able to provide you the cost for the necessary work with our company, it is the responsibility of the homeowner to do their due diligence to determine what company best suits their needs and price point to complete the work in their home.   

  Applewood utilizes job-standardized pricing, and we do not break out our charges by just parts and labor; there are more than just parts and labor to consider when determining our prices.  There is a variety of options online for pricing of these items, which does not account for things like mark up or warranties, therefore those prices do not reflect a valid cost when going through a 3rd party vendor. Job-standardized pricing allows us to provide customers the total cost of the work up front, in writing, and requires your consent prior to any work being started in your home, with no additional costs or unexpected expenses upon completion.  This also ensures that any customer who is having the same work completed pays the same price. The documentation on record shows you signed off on the estimate approving the cost, you signed off a second time, authorization to begin work, and you signed off a third time upon completion of the work, verifying it was done to your satisfaction.  If there were questions or concerns about the work or the costs, there were a variety of opportunities for further discussion or questions, or for you to not move forward with having the work completed at that time, by our company.

  You were offered the option to join our ************ Agreement membership to save you 15% off the work; you elected to sign up for this, it was not required   You paid $198 for the *** membership and saved $988.65, or a total savings of $790.65, after spending the $198.  In addition to those savings, this membership is valid for 1 year, offers 15% off any other jobs completed with us, waiving of all service call fees and 1 free system check per year, as well.  The technician sent to your home is drug tested, background checked and a licensed, master plumber.  He was at your residence for over 4 hours installing the new, 40 gallon hot water heater, added the expansion tank, a new drip pan, all new shut off valves, new gas line piping, a new flex line shut off valve and a new flue.  The service also comes with a 10 year, 100% parts and labor warranty, which is of course, considered within the price point for the work.  This means that if you have any issues over the next 10 years with the hot water heater that we installed, there are no surprise costs to you at that point in time, as the work is already covered under the warranty. 

  As previously advised, we will be reaching out to you via phone today as well to discuss your concerns further, as requested. 

   

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/30/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  AVOID THIS COMPANY AT ALL COSTS! THEY ARE DISHONEST, UNPROFESSIONAL, AND HAVE ZERO RESPECT FOR CUSTOMERS.I would strongly advise against using this company. They are only interested in squeezing as much money out of you as possible and will provide inflated quotes with no reasonable justification.I scheduled an electrician and a plumber to visit my home between 1-3 pm. After 1 pm, I received a call that both technicians were running late and would arrive between 3-5 pm instead. Since I needed quotes for an electrical panel replacement and a water leak repair, I rearranged my schedule to accommodate their delay.The electrician arrived and spent less than 10 minutes inspecting the electrical panel before presenting me with a quote for over $13,000! This was by far the highest quote I received from any company. When I called the office to question the exorbitant price, their only explanation was that they have 50 years of experience and are a family-owned business. This was completely unacceptable. I later had a qualified and experienced electrician from another reputable company come out, who spent 30 minutes thoroughly inspecting the panel and provided a quote for $4,500, and with 30 years of experience in ***************The plumber's behavior was even worse. He arrived and parked down the street, so I didn't see him. After waiting for 10 minutes, I went outside and poke to him, he was incredibly rude and said he was leaving and told me I would have to reschedule. This company clearly has no regard for its customers' time or money. They provide inflated quotes, their technicians are rude and unprofessional, aside from the nice ladies at the dispatch number. Save yourself the frustration and find a reputable company that values its customers and provides honest, transparent service, and QUOTES!

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/01/2024

  Marina, 

  After following up with both technicians and the dispatch department, it was advised that since your doorbell was non-functional, our technician was asked to text you upon arrival to your property. *** text you as requested and waited at least 10 minutes there for a response, even after our dispatch department had already spoken with you to confirm he was on his way and his general, expected arrival time. The *** tracking system we utilize shows our electrician was working at your residence for just over an hour and the call was for a panel upgrade, as required by the *** in which you reside. As explained previously, we do not breakdown our invoices based off of parts and labor, we provide job-standardized pricing so that all customers who are having the same work completed, pay the same price. We are aware there are cheaper companies around town, however we do not strive to be the cheapest, we strive to be the best.  When our plumber arrived at your residence, he too, texted you and you again did not respond. He waited at your residence for 21 minutes, our dispatch department reached out to you and left a voicemail and after still receiving no response, the plumber was sent to another job. At this point you came out of your residence and spoke to him and he advised you that because there was no response and he waited over twenty minutes he was dispatched elsewhere and could no longer assess your concerns. We offered to send out the next available technician to your residence and you declined. We do have a schedule to keep, which is why we advise our customers at the time they book a job with us that our dispatchers will reach out3 ***** minutes prior to the technician's arrival to your home, to give plenty of time for customers to be prepared for the technician.  We also reached out upon arrival via text, as requested. I do not show any record of either of our technicians charging the service call fee for their time in your home, therefore I do not see any refund owed to you at this time. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/29/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Applewood came out to repair our 7 yr old AC system that was not cooling to normal levels. It was working but not to spec. Applewood added refrigerant and upsold us on a guaranteed "leak seal" chemical that was added to the system. The was suggested by the service person that came out. He said he would refund the additive is it did not work. No mention was made that it could potentially clog our system. The system worked to specs for a short time then completely stopped cooling at all. We called Applewood back out. After spending hours looking for other causes and blaming it on a condenser that they had installed previously, I lost confidence in this service tech. He made statements about the condenser that I knew were not true. Eventually, he showed me solid evidence that the condenser coil was completely blocked up. So after working for 7 years, it becomes completely clogged (per Applewood). This is right after THEY installed "leak sealer" in the lines. HE gave me quotes starting at nearly $10,000, and up to over $30,000 to get the system working again. I called the condenser manufacturer of the condenser coil who said they should have repaired the leak by replacing the leaking part. I called several other AC places, NONE suggested the use of "leak sealer" additives. My research shows that this is a common problem with "leak seal" products and that they can clog many parts of an AC system. That is exactly what happened to us. I called Applewood and filed a complaint. I told them that I hold them responsible for this system being completely inoperative now. They said they would get back to me. I explained that the system is now completely broken and we are in a house with no AC in the August 90+ heat. They did not seem to care now. Applewood is NOT returning my calls now.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/29/2024

  Mr. *******, 

  Your initial call to our offices was reported yesterday, 8/28/24 at 10:06 am, for work that was completed 7/1/24.  I personally attempted contact regarding your concerns yesterday and left a voicemail which was not returned. You then called again this morning, twice, at both 10:35 am and then again at 11:04 am, less than a half hour time span, when I was unavailable. I do apologize for that, but I did return your call at 11:12 am and we spoke, so I am not sure why it is being stated we are no longer returning your calls. Once we spoke, we made arrangements for not only a refund to be issued to you, but also a different technician to come out to your residence for a second opinion on the situation. We are working to rectify your concerns as quickly as possible and appreciate your patience while we do so.

   

  Thank you,

  ******* *.

  Service Experience Manager

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/04/2024

   
  Complaint: 22213192
  
  I am rejecting this response because:  Nothing has been resolved.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *** *******

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/13/2024

  ***,

  A refund was issued to you and a technician was sent back out and replaced the malfunctioning part under warranty at no additional cost to you. We are unsure how this is not resolution for the issues addressed? If there is something specific you are looking for in addition to the resolution that has already been provided, it would be helpful to know what that request is.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/23/2024

  We have not received a satisfactory response from Applewood.  They completely break our system, they did provided a partial refund they initially promised.  It was less than half of what they charged us to BREAK the AC.  The malfunctioning part WAS NOT replaced.  And it certainly was not done "under warranty" as they claim.   They did send out a second tech who quoted us a ridiculously high quote to REPLACE our entire system, after they broke it.

   

  We are requesting a FULL refund at a minimum.  We were forced to hire another company that properly diagnosed and repaired our AC system.  That cost us 5 times what Applewood charged us for BREAKING our system.

   

  Sincerely,

  *** *******

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/25/2024

  Mr. *******, 

  We are sorry that you feel the work completed by Applewood was not up to your satisfaction, but the air conditioning system was already not functioning as it should upon our arrival to your home, our technician was not responsible for breaking the unit. As a courtesy, we will refund the cost of the refrigerant added to your system per your request. A refund of $483.03 will be issued to your credit card and we would expect you to see this credit reflected in your account within 7-10 business days. This will reflect a 100% refund of services at this time. Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/04/2024

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Applewood always has stellar customer service and provide professional work. I called Applewood on 8-4-2024 to request service for my back patio drain to be jetted out. The customer service rep was rude and clearly did not understand what I was asking for.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/08/2024

  ************, 

  Thank you for the feedback you have provided regarding your interaction with our customer service department. This is not the type of service we want to provide our customers and assure you that we will pull the call recording to verify which representative you spoke with and work with them through further coaching and training as needed. We do not provide jetting services at this time, and it is very possible they were unclear about the service you were requesting, however, that does not excuse poor service. We appreciate our loyal customers and strive for 100% customer satisfaction with all work and employee interactions. If you ever have a future concern regarding an Applewood employee or our work, please do not hesitate to reach out to our office directly to discuss; feedback from our customers is imperative to our continued success.

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/23/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I called to have a breaker replaced which is typically an $80 part. When I received the quote it reflected a price of $943.64. When I asked for a breakdown of the cost the tech said that corporate only gave the total for the replacement. The company on purpose hides the cost breakdown of services and products. Additionally, they charge $29 to come out but it is deceitful to not provide a breakdown of service costs. I would like a reimbursement of my $29 charge.The tech had an explanation of the elevated cost but it wasnt reflected on the work order.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/24/2024

  ********, 

  We apologize that you felt the cost of this repair was too high with our company, and yes, we do charge a $29 service call fee to cover the gas and time of the employee coming out to give you a quote for your specific needs, which is significantly less than many other companies charge. If you had called into our customer service department to express your concerns, they would have offered to refund your $29 service call fee without question, but we were unaware there were any issues prior to this BBB message. At this time, I have filed the paperwork to have our accounting department refund the $29 to your credit card. You should see this refund reflected on your account within 7-10 business days. Thank you for your time and feedback. Please call us directly if you have any further concerns or you do not see the refund in your account after 10 business days so that we can look into things further for you. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/24/2024

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  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

  Date:07/19/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On April 11, 2024 a hot water pipe above my hot water heater burst and essentially destroyed the unit's insulation and electronics. I have used Applewood Plumbing for several years and they seemed OK, so I phoned them and they said they would come the next day, April 12, to replace it. The technician came at 8 am and left at 5 pm. He said he wanted to be sure the water heated up to 120 degrees.They charged me $12, ******. This is outrageous! A hot water heater costs about $2K and can be installed In 3 hours or less. A local plumber said he charges between $3500 and 4500. State ************** said they would cover this amount under my house insurance because it was a flood -- my kitchen and laundry area was under water. The water drained down to the crawl space. A mess. Applewood claims they include their overhead in the cost, a very hefty overhead....I was in shock, since I was hit on my forehead by a gush of very hot water when I opened the closet where the hot water heater resides. I am almost 80 years old, but I went down to the crawl space to try to turn off the water main. Some neighbors came and helped me. It has taken some time to process this event.....I recently phoned Applewood and asked for a refund. A friend had told me about an Aurora couple who were charged $13K for their replacement of a hot water heater. They talked with Channel9 Denver ************ ************************* and were able to get a refund of $8K -- aired on June 27.Applewood offered a refund of $4,243.11 or about 30% of the total. My brother, a retired banker, said it sounds like a scam, and I should ask for 50% and I will walk away.I sent Applewood an email, but haven't heard back. Any advice or assistance on this would be greatly appreciated.Thank you,***********************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/22/2024

  We have reached out to *********************** yet again to discuss her concerns and are again waiting on her response to the offered solution to her concerns. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/29/2024

  I checked and found that Applewood did send me a voucher for my credit card for $7983.70 on July 26, 2024. 

  So I can't complain further, although I am talking to the *************************** hot water heater people about whether it is legal for Applewood to cancel the warranty on the hot water heater.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/02/2024

  Yes, I think we can close the complaint as resolved at this time.

   

  Applewood Plumbing sent me a refund of about $8K.  

   

  This is similar to what the couple in ****** received (see the Channel 9 *********** report on June 27, 2024, by *************************, community investigations).

   

  Thank you so much for helping me with the outrageous bill ($13K) I received for a hot water heater replacement. It should have cost $3500 to $4500.

   

  You gave me hope and kept me going on addressing this issue.

   

  Blessings on all of you!!!

   

  Best regards,

   

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

  ********, *************;