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:02/28/2023

  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.

  Twice our air conditioning unit warranted repairs, we were sold a warranty through Air and Energy from TRAIN, the manufacturer that states we are covered for parts and repair until September, ****. The ************ was only a few hundred dollars and we paid out of pocket. The second repair is in progress and is around $2000. Our current air conditioning company contacted Air and Energy and were told the warranty did not cover the repair. The warranty cost $850.00 above the cost of the unit.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/02/2023

  We reached out to this customer as we have not serviced this Trane equipment since 2021.  The customer does in fact have a warranty for both parts and labor with Trane through ****, however, it is required that a Trane dealer perform the repairs.  The customer was not aware that a Trane dealer must perform the repairs and he did not call us to inquire about the details prior to having another company work on his equipment.  The other company is not a Trane dealer, so was not able to submit the warranty claim.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/03/2023

   
  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.

  The initial Trane dealer will make the repairs under warranty. This is scheduled but not completed yet.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/04/2022

  Type:Billing 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.

  Air & Energy serviced our air conditioning unit on May 17th for preventive maintenance. Our unit seemed to be working fine at the time and we wanted to make sure it was good to go for the hot summer months. The employee who came to service our air conditioning unit told us that the unit was in good in working condition. Approximately June 10th we had an issue with our unit working properly. We called the company and they had someone come same day to help us with the issue. They told us that a fan had malfunctioned. It had to be replaced. They walked us through the process of the warranty and ordered us the part. They had me pay that day for what the employee told me was the inspection that day and the service that would take place once the part was received. A few days later the part was received and the employee came to fix the part. A few days later I received an email with an invoice for another service call. When the employee came the day to replace the part they did not tell me I would be charged again. A few days later we received a bill for the day the employee came to replace the part. I called the company and they told me that the employee had been wrong when they charged us originally. I told them that this should of been communicated more clearly. They ultimately rescinded the charges due to it being their mistake. We had another issue come up with our unit and the compressor had to be replaced. This time also lead to them telling us that more work would have to be done. They did not tell us that they would be charging us on that trip. They did the same thing with sending us a bill a few days later without communication. I am always looking out for other consumers. The fact that my family has had this happen twice raises a red flag to me and they may be doing this practice to other customers. If I need my air conditioner serviced I strongly consider using another company for the future. Attached is a **** they sent me - without communication.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/25/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/07/06) */ First, Air & Energy did not install this 2019 Goodman air conditioning system. Our first visit to this customer's home was in June 2020 for a cleaning on their a/c system. Our technician found the system to be working properly. Then, we did not service this equipment for two years. On 5/17/22, we went out for a cleaning/maintenance. Our technician found the system to be working properly at that time. We were called out again on 6/7/22 for the system not cooling and being frozen. Our technician found the blower motor to be faulty. Without a working blower motor, a total diagnostic of the system can not be performed, and therefore we were not able to determine at that time if other parts were damaged. We provided a quote to replace the blower motor for $310.50, which was approved by the customer, and the part was ordered, under the manufacturer's warranty - this $310.50 charge was for labor to install the motor. Our charge for that diagnostic evaluation was $181.80, which our service manager wrote off due to the technician failing to disclose the charge at the time of service. This was our technician's mistake and we remedied that by writing off this diagnostic charge. The next day, on 6/8/22, we returned to install the blower motor under warranty and charged the customer the quoted price of $310.50, which was paid. No other issues were noted at that time. On 6/13/22, we were called out again for the system not cooling. Our technician found the compressor to be making a loud noise, which indicated that the internal bearings or scroll plates had failed, which can happen when a system freezes due to liquid refrigerant returning to the compressor, causing damage. This diagnostic service call was $207.80, which the customer paid. A quote was offered for a new compressor under warranty at $1,090.22, and approved by the customer. The $1.090.22 is for the labor to install the compressor, filter drier, and refrigerant to recharge the unit. The parts were ordered after customer approval. On Saturday, 6/18/22, our technician returned to install the warranty compressor as agreed at $1.090.22, which was paid by the customer. Our technician informed the customer that we would need to return in a few days to re-check the refrigerant charge due to the temperature inside the home being too high to get accurate readings. Unfortunately that message did not get relayed properly to our dispatch team, and the return visit was not scheduled until the customer called us. On 6/27/22, the same technician went out to check the charge and found the thermal expansion valve (TXV) was stuck in an open position, which means the unit was not metering or measuring the refrigerant levels. This particular system's TXV is adjustable and can be set to factory specifications for proper refrigerant metering. Our technician spent 3.5 hours trying to adjust the TXV and refrigerant charge to get the system to cool properly, to no avail. The technician asked the service manager to review the invoice since he was there for so long and the service manager adjusted the bill to what we considered to be fair - $223.20, which is 2 hours of service. We emailed this adjusted invoice to the customer, and the customer refused to pay this invoice. Air & Energy typically bills customers based on the time it takes to diagnose an issue. For this return trip, the customer was charged for a reduced invoice of only 2 hours. As I understand the customer's complaint, he felt this work should have been completed at no charge since it was a return trip. We felt this to be a fair and reasonable request, and we wrote off that invoice, but informed the customer that he would have to pay for the labor to install the TXV, which We ordered under the parts warranty. To reiterate, without the compressor operating, we had no way of knowing that the TXV was not metering properly. The TXV repair is above and beyond what was quoted for the compressor repair. Our service manager did not give a price to install the TXV, but instead told the customer we would do it as efficiently and as inexpensively as possible because of the multiple issues. It is unfortunate that this customer's equipment has had multiple failures. It is just the sequence of events that when diagnosing an air conditioning system that some issues can not be seen or detected until other issues are fixed. Air & Energy is a company that is family-owned and operated and we have been in business for over 38 years. We always strive to be fair and honest with our customers - we are not in the practice of selling a customer something that they do not need. We are sorry that this customer feels that he had a bad experience, but we feel that we have gone above and beyond by writing off $405 worth of service work. Our intentions are to always do the right thing. The TXV has arrived from the manufacturer and if the customer would like us to come back to install it, we would be happy to do so and the service manager will review the charges as promised. Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2022/07/11) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) First, thank you for the efforts that your company has put forth for assisting us with our air conditioning equipment. It is appreciated - especially the promptness your company has shown during the hottest time of the year. The communication you have shared with your reply to our complaint is detailed and extensive. This is the type of communication that we wish that we would have received over the last few weeks as a customer. The frustration I continue to have at reply as your customer begins on 6/18/22 when the technician came to our home to install the compressor. Prior to leaving, he told us that he would have to return to re-check the refrigerant levels as you stated in your response. As you said that message did not get relayed properly to the dispatch team. Our re-check was not scheduled until I called your office on 6/22 or 6/23. Upon looking at availability for that technician you said he was unavailable until 6/27. You offered to have someone come sooner though, I asked the question if the same technician should return to do the work, and it was encouraged by your staff that same technician return to do and complete the work. On the evening of 6/26 our air conditioning unit stopped working, the morning of June 27 both my wife and I called the Air & Energy office to let them know of this. We did not know the reasoning of this, It was not working the morning of June 27th before the technician returned. - This makes me question could this problem of the TXV valve occur during that week? If so would or could this of been avoided if the re-check could of been done had Air & Energy came and did the check during the week of June 20th instead of the following week. Lastly, when we were told that the technician would be returning for a re-check we were not told that a bill would due for that re-check. There was opportunity for communication of this by te technician on 6/18 and on the phone with your staff during the scheduling of the re-check. When the technician was there on 6/27, two technicians were present, neither of the technicians told us verbally or in writing that we would be billed for the time they were there that day. They did not have us sign anything electronically or on paper. This makes it even more disappointing that your company would send us a bill after the fact with out any type of communication. Our solution is that we would like to have our TXV valve replaced and have that labor be covered free of charge due to the lack of communication, this is the second time a miscommunication has taken place by your company. Your statement that you use above to reflect your company was "We always strive to be fair and honest with our customers". My family has received two bills that were not agreed upon in nearly the last two months. I hope that this is not a business practice happening to other consumers who are putting their trust in as you quoted "a company that is family-owned and operated and we have been in business for 38 years." Thank you, William C. Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2022/07/21) */ While we stand behind our diagnostics and business practices, due to the frustration felt by the customer, we will return to install the TXV part at no charge. Our dispatch team **** reach out to get this part replacement scheduled. Consumer Response /* (2000, 11, 2022/07/22) */ (The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.) Thank you for your response. My family appreciates this and we **** look forward to hearing from your dispatch team to have this work completed.