ComplaintsforUniversal HVAC Corp

• Initial Complaint

  07/11/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Signed an agreement and had a new 5 ton Carrier Unit installed on 8/18/2022. Spent $8,854.24. The contract specifies a 1 year labor and 10 year unit warranty. The installation was not smooth to start. The technicians did not correctly wire the thermostat so the unit would run heat 247. Had to pay an electrician to come replace the thermostat even after their technician who came out out 8/30 (after having requested assistance on 8/22) did not resolve the issue. There was also immediate leaking and water damage to the platform in which the unit sat upon. The system would constantly shut off and finally on 11/4 they came back out to fix said issue. This is summer in ******* mind you. They flushed the drain line but blamed the builder for bad flow then complained I didn't pay them. It's under labor warranty so it's "covered". Then the owner ************************* me about not paying him $250 for a condensate pump that was on the original installation agreement. #1 They did not install said condensate pump. #2 It is not on the contract. I have the original copy. The owner refuses to repair this ongoing issue, I've spent hundreds of more dollars to band aid the unit and it's now almost 1 year of frustration. Today the unit leaked more than ever, even though the drain line is completely clear and draining, and it's ruined personal property in my garage and now molding inside the unit due to consistent leaking. I have documentation, photos, and a timeline. I will be pursuing legal action to recoup the cost of the unit so that I may cover the damages and repairs needed to be done. Since apparently the warranty means nothing and I've been well within my timeframe. All in all I was also taken advantage of on price, because they advertised a 4 ton for $2,400, so having a slightly larger unit shouldn't be more than 3x the cost.

  

  Business response

  07/12/2023

  Good morning:

  My name is *************************** president of Universal HVAC Corp not Universal HVAC Master Technical. We are located in ******* *******. We work locally. ************** make business with another company. You need to contact those persons. Sorry

  Customer response

  07/12/2023

   
  Complaint: 20305419
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  On the advertisement you go to the website UNIVERSALHVAC.NET. In the website it absolutely says your name as the owner and your license number: **********. I also did a records sesrch and your name is connected with this license. So either someone has stole your license number and is working under it. Or you are denying your connection with the company. Your license is attached to the company I called and the company that did the work. 

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

  

  Business response

  07/12/2023

  As I said before we are Universal HVAC CORP. My license number is public and it is possible that unscrupulous people are using it without my consent. I do not know who are those people, we are in ******* **. You have to find out who received the money you paid. Definitely it is not my company. Thank you and sorry again. 

  Customer response

  07/13/2023

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this company was falsely/illegally advertised by another company with an inactive business license and used this companies stolen contractors license. I have filed a secondary complaint against the Electra AC, LLC. I suggest Universal HVAC contacts that company to cease and desist or file legal action for stolen information.   
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************

• Initial Complaint

  04/13/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Good morning I'm filings this complaint against universal Hvac Corp. On behalf of myself. The reason for this complaint is I purchased an AC unit from them several years ago which I'm still under warranty with my unit , I called them out in December or January because my ac stop working come to find out it was the coils so they replaced the coils and I paid for the Labor. Now I start getting problems again in February my ac unit was making a lot of noise so I called them and they sent the technician out which he said it was the fan, they replaced the fan again I paid for the Labor. Now fast forward to March I start having problems again with a lot of noise coming from the unit also it being hot in my house ,called them again everytime I called I spoke with ****. He sent the technician out again and he said it was the coils again leaking freon now it needs to be replaced again, so he told me I had to wait until Monday for March 28. 2022 that's when the part will be in I said ok ,I also explained to him they just changed the coils what happened well he said they never no its the part is good or bad ok I said that being as though I just paid for that I shouldn't have to pay again .he told he wasn't sure how much I had to pay but yes I had to pay for the tech to come do the work which I explained to him it's not fair to me that was there fault . He was supposed to call me back with a price never did I've been calling, texting also I email them and the email was deleted. No one would return my call or come fix the problem and I'm under warranty my house is very hot I'm in ******* where it's 90 to 100 degrees outside can I please get so help I do not want to take the to court because I really like the company. Thank you *******************************

  

  Business response

  04/25/2022

  We have contacted the customer and are waiting for their response.

  Customer response

  04/26/2022

   
  Complaint: 17021949
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  In response to there response I ask that I be reimbursed the money that was paid out to  there company for 500 dollars. Where as the were charging me ****** for the job there company sent someone else out on April 13,2022 to replace the coils to my ac unit all because no answers from. Them also I had small ********* in my house so it had to be fix right away after waiting on there call back over 3 weeks . 

  
  
  

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

  

  Business response

  05/05/2022

  We will consider this request with management. 

• Initial Complaint

  08/19/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Universal HVAC, Corp. (Universal) negligently installed a new AC unit in our home in September 2019 by installing the wrong size unit and failing to properly seal the AC closet. This negligent installation caused the system to malfunction and create excessive humidity which caused extensive damage to our home. Universal also failed to correctly diagnose the issue over the course of months and had us pay for several incorrectly diagnosed repairs. As a result of the extended, unresolved extreme humidity, our kitchen ceiling collapsed, our newly installed our kitchen cabinets warped, our new appliances rusted prematurely, and we had extensive mold damage. We have contacted Universal to get them to reimburse us for damages. At first, Universal said it was willing to cover the loss but after I told them how much it was, the company is refusing to respond. Despite the fact that they advertise as having insurance, they have refused to provide their insurance information.

  

  Business response

  10/13/2021

  Business Response /* (1000, 6, 2021/08/25) */ Universal HVAC Corp is a family operated company, and our priority is customer satisfaction. We try to our best to meet the needs of our clients if a problem arises with their units. When we performed the initial installation for ******** on Sep 5, 2019, we replaced the existing unit with one of equal size. We visited his home 4 months after initial installation to perform a service on the heater which was not working. This was not part of the original contract for the installation of the HVAC unit and so they were charged for the service. We were not made aware of any humidity problem at that time, and we have not had contact with him since. Additionally, on the Terms and Conditions located on the back of the contract, it states in section 4 that we are not responsible for water or mold damage. This is the contract that was signed by the client at the time of the installation. Also, ******** seemed very pleased with the work we performed, shown by he 5-star review he made on Google about 2 weeks after the installation, on Sep 18, 2019. We are fully committed to resolving this problem. You can find our email address bellow. *******************@gmail.com Sincerely, ***** ******** Consumer Response /* (3000, 8, 2021/08/25) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) First, we never had Universal perform service on a heater at our home. I believe Mr. ******** has confused accounts and is referring to the service we had them perform at a rental property of ours. We are not disputing the payment for the heater repair at the rental property. We are claiming damages caused by the improper installation of our AC unit on our first floor and the cost of the misdiagnosed repairs we paid for. I am not surprised Mr. ******** is confused about the facts because we have never met or spoken with him. Our point of contact has been Avi, the Universal employee who installed our units. Second, it is not true that Universal had no contact with us other than the heater service after installation. I can provide a copy of a lengthily text message exchange between myself and Avi, Universal's employee who installed the AC units, dating from the time he installed our AC units up through April 2021. Throughout this text thread, I reached out to Avi multiple times shortly after installation with complaints about the AC units malfunctioning and specifically complaints about humidity. Avi and his techs came to our house multiple times attempting unsuccessfully to resolve the issues. At my request, Avi even came over to our house on March 15, 2021 while JS Construction was repairing our kitchen ceiling which was damaged due to his faulty installation. After **** from JS Construction explained to him everything he did wrong, Avi told me to send him the invoices. The text thread also shows Avi offering to refund us the cost of the unit. After I shared with him invoices with the cost of the damage and told him that reimbursement of just the unit was insufficient, Avi stopped responding. This too is documented in the text thread. As for the size of the unit, the role of the AC company is to select the correct size unit for the space. Even if the unit we had in the home previously was the wrong size (which it wasn'tthe previous unit was 2.5 tons, not 3 tons), Universal should have assessed the size of the space and quoted us for the correct size. As stated in the original complaint, they also should have told us that the AC closet needed to be sealed. These are basic things any licensed AC company should know. As for the review, I have recently changed the positive review to a negative one. I provided a positive review after repeated requests by Avi just two weeks after installation. Obviously, our opinion of the company has changed because of their handling of this matter. I gave Universal the benefit of the doubt and did not rush to change the positive review until it was clear they were not going to take responsibility. I reported Universal to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. I was told that the matter was being turned over to their legal department which left me with the impression that Universal ignored the DBPR's initial attempts at resolution. I then learned that the Better Business Bureau has mediation and so I am attempting to resolve this matter here. Given Universal's response to my complaint, I am going to assume that Avi concealed his errors from his supervisor, Mr. ********, and now that Mr. ******** is aware of the facts, I expect that he will make a reasonable settlement offer. Business Response /* (4000, 11, 2021/09/03) */ The heater was in fact changed at the property in question, not at the rental property. The client did not contact our office about the issue with the mold or humidity. We understand that they tried to make contact with Avi but it is the responsibility of the customer to contact our office when they experience difficulty. We guarantee our work for a year, and will make any needed repairs within that time at no charge. But we must be made aware of the issue and we simply weren't. We have an email, an office, and an office number that they could have contacted and in two years, the client did not leverage any of these. Furthermore, the only reason, as far as we know, that the client believes that the problem even originated from the AC unit is because the construction company that was working in the kitchen gave their input, but they are not experts in AC units or their operation nor are they a restoration company. Sincerely, ***** ******** Consumer Response /* (4200, 16, 2021/09/08) */ We do not accept the position of the business. Again, we have never had service on our heater at our home through Universal. What we have had is Universal (Avi) come out to repair the electrical line to our thermostat that stopped working due to excessive humidity. The thermostat was filled with water from the humidity, so Avi replaced it. Then he had his team fix the electrical line which had shorted out from the humidity. On the invoice, which is attached, the technician wrote that "new electrical line runned from Braker power to HVAC system." After that, the technician wrote "heater working fine now and new disconnected box". What he meant by "heater" was the thermostat, which controls both the heating system and the HVAC system. More importantly, Mr. ******** is wrongly attempting to distinguish Universal HVAC Corp. from his technician, Avi. When we contacted Universal and requested that a representative come give us an estimate, Universal sent Avi. Avi came to our home, provided an estimate, and ultimately signed a contract on behalf of Universal to install AC units in our home. As you can see from the attached signed contract, Avi scratched out any other phone numbers and put his own number. It was this number that we called when we began having problems with our units. We contacted this number for over a year and we have provided copies of the text messages which show that Avi (Universal) was indeed aware of the humidity issues and multiple problems we were having with the units. What appears to be happening is that Universal is allowing Avi to conduct business under Universal's license but, when something goes wrong, Mr. ******** attempts to deny responsibility by distinguishing between Universal and Avi. We have since learned that every HVAC technician is supposed to apply for a permit. Universal nor Avi did that. We strongly recommend BBB take the strongest action possible against this company. The whole point of BBB ratings is so that customers can be assured that they are working with a reputable company who will take responsibility for their promises and honor their warranties. Universal has not done that at all. They sent an incompetent technician out who did a terrible job and made mistakes that any licensed HVAC technician should have known not to make, and his incompetence resulted in damage to our home. Instead of taking responsibility, despite the overwhelming evidence we have provided, proving that Avi was in frequent contact and aware of the issues, Mr. ******** has the nerve to deny responsibility because we used the phone number his technician provided on the contract. This is the worst kind of business. Business Response /* (4000, 20, 2021/09/25) */ We are sorry for the customer's situation however, if the customer had contacted us and we had found a problem with the AC, we would not be here now. We are happy to make any repairs necessary, especially if it is our fault. But 2 years later, the customer has allowed the humidity problem to reach a point that resulted in damage to their property. No evidence has been provided that the AC was the actual source of the humidity problem. Consumer Response /* (4200, 22, 2021/09/27) */ We do not accept the response of the business. We called the number the technician wrote on the contract we were provided, which we have attached again. Universal's technician crossed out any other numbers on the contract. We called that number and Universal's tech responded to our calls for two years. Is Universal trying to say that they had no idea that their technician was servicing us over the course of two years? The business should have a copy of the altered contract.. Either way, the technician who came out was sent by Universal and acted on Universal's behalf for two years. Universal should not be able to deny responsibility for the actions of their techs by saying they had no idea because we called a number their tech provided on the contract. Universal doesn't deny that Avi works for them and that they sent Avi to install our air conditioners. We have provided the text exchange showing that their tech serviced us for two years due to problems with the units. Even if their tech was unauthorized to write his number on the contract, Universal is still responsible for the actions of their technician. The fact that Universal did not pull a permit for the job also shows their lack of professionalism. Had they pulled a permit like they are supposed to, the City would have caught the faulty installation. Sincerely, ******** ****** Business Response /* (4000, 24, 2021/10/07) */ We have no more to add to this dispute at this time. Consumer Response /* (4200, 26, 2021/10/12) */ ******** ****** Fri, Oct 8, 5:31 PM (4 days ago) to me We do not accept the response of the business. They have not addressed the issues we have raised, which is that their employee installed the wrong air conditioner in an unsealed closet, and that caused damage to our home. This employee also modified the contract such that his number was the only number we had. Despite the fact that Universal HVAC has a copy of this modified contract, they are refusing to take responsibility for this employee. This is not the type of business that should have a good rating with BBB because they do not do good work and they do not take responsibility for their errors

*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. ↩