Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  03/27/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My rain soft water softener malfunctioned resulting in wasting over 15,000 gallons of water and a substantial water bill. I called Home Water Solutions and the call taker advised me my system was under warranty and I would need to pay $104 to have the system REPAIRED. The rep asks me to send a picture of the system to confirm the tech would bring proper tools and parts for repair. I sent the picture and waited 4 hours for the tech. Tech arrives and says “that’s a dinosaur, we’re not fixing that.” Makes no effort to repair or troubleshoot and leaves. This could have been the response from the beginning but instead I was scammed into believing they would repair for $104. No effort at all was made to repair so I dispute being charged for repair. After speaking with management, they agreed this was their fault and a training issue. Instead of refunding me, or repairing the system, their solution was only to sell me a new system in the ballpark of $20k. Seeking complete refund and apology.

  Business response

  03/31/2023

  At Home Service Solutions, we strive to provide 5-star service, and are disappointed to receive Mr. *********’s feedback. On February 15, 2023, Home Service Solutions received Mr. *********’s call at 9:54am as the client received a high-water bill. Mr. ********* was told by the customer service representative that when the service technician arrived, they would assess the situation and provide him with a quote for what needed to be done to fix the system. Mr. ********* was scheduled for the same day, February 15, 2023, with an arrival window of 1:00pm-3:00pm. The service charge, which included the trip charge to the customer's home and the labor for the technician to service and diagnose the unit, is normally $124.00. However, we reduced it to $104.00 for Mr. *********. The photo submitted prior to our arrival, was a RainSoft gold series water treatment system which dates back to 1992, and many customers throughout the world are still using these units to this day trouble free. However, without a proper in-person diagnosis there is no way to tell if we will be able to repair a unit based on a photo. The technician arrived at 1:38pm and found that no service had been done on the system since Mr. ********* moved into the home in 2009, and Mr. ********* is the NOP (not original purchaser) of the unit. The technician tested the water, ran cycles, and found the mechanical components on the flushing carbon unit had failed. It was also found that the automatic regeneration is inoperable on the conditioner. The system was left in bypass to avoid future high-water bills. The customer stated he would continue to manually regenerate the system. The technician explained to Mr. ********* that the system was extremely old, and that we couldn't order parts for the equipment any longer. In response to Mr. *********'s concerns, the $104.00 he was charged was for the service fee that included the labor for the appointment and technician’s diagnosis. There was no option to repair the system due to the age of equipment and inability to receive parts. The technician never attempted to sell a new system to Mr. ********* at any time. However, Mr. ********* was buying a new home and requested us to conduct a water test due to a high level of sulfur smell in his water, which he later canceled. Therefore, there is no refund for a dispatch and labor charge. The managing director at Home Service Solutions has apologized to ***** ********* verbally over the telephone. In closing, we regret we were unable to meet Mr. *********'s expectations and are consistently striving to improve our day-to-day operational procedures.

  Customer response

  04/07/2023

  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: Company states they strive for 5 star service. Company states they would repair the system. Company states the system is under warranty. None of these claims are accurate, legitimate, or stood behind by said company. I lost hundreds of dollars in wasted water, was told the company would repair my system for $104, (which I paid) and that the system was under warranty. I'm out several hundred dollars due to this malfunctioning equipment, plus do not have a working system anymore. The company offers complimentary water test. This is the ONLY service I received at my home. However, I was still charged $104. No effort was made to repair, or replace the defective product that I was told would be fixed prior to agreeing to have a tech come out to repair the product. No warranty was honored despite the call taker informing me the system was in fact under warranty. The company says the system can't be diagnosed from a photo, however they technician made no effort to touch the system. They didn't open a valve or turn a screw- simply said- "that's a dinosaur and we can not fix it." Who would pay for that service? The managing director did call, apologized for the charge, apologized for the false promises of warranty, admitted to the false promise of repair and was going to "talk to the employee" who made these promises. That is an admission of the companies' error and grounds for a refund. I am not asking for my product to be covered under warranty despite being promised such. I am not asking for my product to be repaired by the company despite being promised such. I am not asking for any reimbursement for lost time or the tens of thousands of gallons of wasted water resulting in hundreds of dollars in charges. I am not asking for any compensation for my time. I am simply asking that this company return my money for services not rendered, in the amount of $104. The company is out nothing as they provide "complimentary water tests" anyway. While I am out a system valued by the call taker at $20,000, hundreds of dollars in water bills, $104 to the company, and approximately 5 hours of my time. Refund the $104- it really is the least you could do.

  Regards,
  ***** *********

  Business response

  04/10/2023

  Mr. ********* agreed and signed the invoice confirming to pay for services provided. The technician shut down his system to avoid any further water usage.

  The fee he paid was for the trip charge and labor.

  Customer response

  04/11/2023

  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: 1. There is no trip charge or labor for a complimentary water test as advertised on your website, see attachment. This in the ONLY service I received. 2. There was no option given to not sign. I was provided a signature box on an iPad after the tech informed me he couldn’t repair or even diagnose my equipment. 3. The technician did not shut the water off- it was turned off prior to their arrival. Again, the technician only stated “that’s a dinosaur, we can’t fix that” no other work was performed and I will continue to reject your response until a refund is provided. You know as well as I do, they promise of the system being under warranty was and REPAIR for $104 was merely a ploy to get the tech into my house to attempt to sell me a new system. Management called and did the same thing, asking how they could get my business and get this system running again. I want nothing other than my money back for services NOT provided.

  Regards,
  
  ***** *********

  Business response

  04/20/2023

  We are refusing to refund at this time as the charge was for a dispatch fee only. There was no service fee charged as the unit was inoperable.

  The appointment was never set up as a complimentary water test. The customer was getting ready to rent  the service address home and moving into another. Stated the water was bad and inquired about a water test at the new address in which he later canceled.

  There will be no refund!

  Customer response

  04/20/2023

  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  In your last response you indicate I was not charged a service fee because the unit was inoperable. In your first response you say " In response to Mr. *********'s concerns, the $104.00 he was charged was for the service fee that included the labor for the appointment and technician’s diagnosis."

  This is another example of the non-stop wishy washy false charges, false services provided, false warranty, false everything else. You say I was charged a dispatch fee (which is 49 dollars not 104 dollars) because I scheduled a repair not a water test. If you scheduled to have your transmission repaired in your car, but the shop just put complimentary air in your tires and did not touch your transmission, would you pay for a transmission repair? I will pay for the service I received, and nothing more. The only service I received, was a water test. You advertise your water test as complimentary. I have provided a screenshot of that advertisement in previous posts in case your next response says you don't offer that. I say this again, I will accept nothing less than a full refund. My next step is to share my experience with your company on yelp, google reviews, social media, and next door. Why are you fighting this, you charged me $104 after promising me a repair on a unit that you said to me, admittedly, was under warranty. You knew before you arrived the equipment I had because I was required to send you a picture of it. Then you arrive and say you can't work on it and think I should still pay you? That's insanity. I WILL ACCEPT NOTHING LESS THAN A FULL REFUND

  Regards,
  ***** *********

*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. ↩