ComplaintsforEstes Services - Estes Heating and Air

• Initial Complaint

  01/19/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I was told in August 2022 that my service contract would end. I scheduled my final inspection in August but due to scheduling conflicts they needed to reschedule that final service to September 2022. I specifically asked if moving the final inspection to Sept would affect the ending of my contract and was told that it would not affect it since it was originally scheduled in August and my contract would end August 2022. In December 2022 I noticed that they were still debiting my account each month so I called. I was transferred to a very rude supervisor who basically told me that they would review my call in Aug and if I was told that the contract would renew then I would be responsible for the year contract. Next day I get a call that the contract would be cancelled. I have asked for a refund of the debits taken in Sept, Oct and Nov as I did not authorize a new contract to begin. I have been tossed back and forth between representatives. I explained that if a new contract was initiated by me then I should have received documentation about the new contract details which I have not! I also have not signed any new contracts! Do not sign any contracts with this company!!

  

  Business response

  01/27/2023

   The money will be refunded as of 1/27/2023, sorry for the confusion

• Initial Complaint

  10/20/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I had a plumbing problem in which my toilets were bubbling as I took a shower and then all of the water would drain out of the toilet and refill later.Called Estes to come out and check the problem and after a second or third call they came out and stated that I needed a newer line and that would fix my problem.They gave me a price for repair and installation and the plumber installed the sewer line.I had to take out a $5,000 loan as the repair cost was $4,755 for the work to be done.Within one week my yard was bubbling up water and sinking and continuing to do so. I have literally begged them to come and fix it to no avail. I chose this company because I thought that they were a reputable company able to do the job correctly, I am very disappointed.They are still refusing to correct the situation and I still have the original problem that I called them about.I am very disappointed and will never use this company again, nor will I recommend them to anyone.I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH THIS COMPANY

  

  Business response

  10/21/2022

  This plumbing work was completed on 6/25/21 and we are not willing to refund any money because of the following: 1. Since 6/25/21 we have been to the home 9 times and done a ton of work at no charge to prove there are no problems at ***********. the customer is complaining about a sinkhole that is literally small enough to be fixed with a couple bags of sand.  When you dig 6 feet into the gropund settling will happen.  We are not lanscapers and we did not promise to fix the landscaping after we dug up the yard to do the repairs. A year later the site has "sunk" about 3 inches and we have taken pictures to prove how minimal the sinking is.  Again, we did not promise to do any landscaping other than fill in the hole.  3. we ran an entire outflow line to the city tap which is 6 feet underground.  This completely resolved the customer's issue.  Each time we have been to the house on complaint of a clog or bubbling there is no clog and no bubbling present.  Additionally,a month after we did these repairs we went back out to the home on 7/21/21 to prove to the homeowner that the repairs made were correct and there were no more issues at the home.  The county WAS PRESENT at this time and signed off on the work we performed as satisfactory.

  For the reasons above we are not willing to do anything else.  The landscaping issues need to be referred to a landscaper and the plumbing is working perfectly.

  Customer response

  10/22/2022

   
  Complaint: 18250858
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Patrela ********

• Initial Complaint

  07/25/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I called Estes for various things estimates for home improvement projects including electrical, plumbing, and hvac services. On July 25 I met with both an electrical specialist and a plumbing specialist for estimates. The plumbing specialist quoted me a price for adding a tankless water heater. While in the basement i mentioned that we had some possible loose pipes that were making noise upon use. The plumber inspected the piping and informed me I had a bad pressure valve that needed to be replaced and quoted me $516. To repair on the spot. I agreed and paid. He replaced the valve. 5 hours later I return home to a flooded living room and bathroom. Ceiling to floor leak. I called to report the emergency. They said they would dispatch someone but they couldnt give me a time. The person they dispatched, *************************, called me a while later and very unprofessionally informed me he was 55 minutes out and that the company had first dispatched him and then cancelled it and then recalled him to come to my house all while he was trying to eat his sloppy joes for dinner. Was I sure I wanted him to come because he was sure that the problem was unrelated to the service Estes has performed earlier. My family was without water at this point as I had turned the main line off to prevent further flooding. He came to our house and did a cursory inspection called his supervisor took a bunch of pictures and again informed us the problem was unrelated to their service. We expressed our displeasure about doing without water and he left. After 3 attempts to reach someone else at Estes he called me back and told me it wouldnt do me any good to keep calling I was always going to get him. I asked For his managers name and number and he said no. He then gave me his managers name but refused to give me his number. I felt threatened by his demeanor and words throughout our interaction and am concerned he might be a threat to my family. We are still without water. I called another company

  

  Business response

  09/22/2022

  I have researched this and we did replace a pressure regulator valve in this home. After replacing the valve the customer called back later that afternoon and said they had a leak. We then dispatched our on-call plumber and he arrived and noticed the leak was coming from somewhere completely different in the house. I have attached both invoices for everyone. I'm sure the customer is upset they have a water leak but in this case there is no way we could have caused this leak.  

• Initial Complaint

  11/09/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  The initial consultation began on September 2, 2021. An employee of Estes, ******************, came to provide an estimate on my crawl space due to mold issues in my home. Having had this service done before, I knew what to expect. Estes has an overall decent review from ****, and I thought they would be a suitable company to perform the job in my crawlspace. Following ********************** visit, I received an initial cash quote, meaning that paying the cash would result in a $10 discount for the items/services at the following costs: dehumidifier for $4118, vapor barrier for $2119, and a new insulated crawlspace door for $800. However, when I decided to proceed with Estes and take the three-year no-interest option, the 10 dollar discount was removed, and the door's cost went up by $50. ****************** and I discussed what an encapsulation would look like; those notes were provided on the quote. However, the services ****************** and I discussed and the received services were two different things. Overall, I am very disappointed with the service received from Estes Services.On or around October 22, 2021, ****************** reviewed the crawlspace. On November 1, 2021, I received a harassing call from ******.On November 4, 2021, the same two persons who performed the initial install from Estes came out to review the work done. After their review, the crawlspace remained in the same unacceptable condition.On November 5, 2021, ****** called again in a harassing tone stating that the installation personnel said "Everything was fine" and that the finance papers needed to be submitted immediately. Finally, on November 8, 2021, an Estes Lead Installation person called and said they would take 10% or $500 off the total due amount. He then asked what resolve I had in mind, and I shared that I wanted Estes to come and remove everything they have installed to acquire a professional company to encapsulate my crawlspace the correct way. I still have not signed the finance agreement.

  

  Business response

  11/10/2021

  Everything we promised this customer we delivered upon. His crawlspace is fully encapsulated and his dehumidifier is operating perfectly. His crawlspace is 56% relative humidity which precludes mold from growing. We cannot come out and remove what we installed because the dehumdifier has been operated and the work/labor has already been performed. We met our end of this signed contract perfectly, yet, we still offered to discount the job $500 to satisfy this customer. This offer is still good for the next week, however, we will be proceeding with a Lien on the property if this debt is not paid within a timely manner.

  Customer response

  11/18/2021

  (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
  I have received your offer, however, I will accept $2,619.00 back due to your unprofessionalism and lack of business ethics, I find this amount satisfactory. The terms and conditions will remain the same: 36-months with no interest financed through ***** Fargo.
  
  The financed amount would now be: $4,592.00 creating a monthly payment of $127.55.
  
  I will not be signing the financing agreement until the new insulated crawlspace door is installed.
  
  ********************************
  November 18, 2021
  See Attachment/File: Reply to Estes ********.pdf

• Initial Complaint

  11/01/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Was not told that replacing my water heater would be at a flat rate. I had already estimated the cost on line, and also conferred with other people who had their water heater replaced. I even volunteered to go pick up the water heater at Lowe's. I estimated $700 for the A.O. Smith water heater. The technician said they sold Rheem's. I checked with a friend who builds houses and she said Rheem was comparable. I checked prices at Home Depot and prices were comparable $700. if I had know it was a flat rate, I would have gotten estimates from other companies. I have been a customer of Estes for 20 years and never felt ripped off. I was shocked at the cost. I would not have spend this amount had I known. In addition, I had no say in what heater was put in. Estes advertises on their website about getting an "estimate" to replace a water heater. When I scheduled the appointment I was not told it was a flat rate. The technician did not tell me it was a flat rate. The invoice does not say it was a flat rate.

  

  Business response

  11/18/2021

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2021/11/02) */ Mr. ****, I am sorry that you are not satisfied with the price you paid for the work we performed. We have experienced some significant price increases in 2021 and have faced product shortages that have made this year challenging. I would like to say that there is no connection between what a water heater costs at a big box retailer and what it would cost from a professional Plumbing company. Within 3 hours of contacting Estes we were at your home, installing a terrific water heater perfectly according to code and we left you with hot water; all of this comes at an expense and we have to charge for this. I contacted the Plumber and he informed me that you were told what our price was and the brand we would be installing before we did the work. Also, the Plumber told me that he told you he could go get and install an AO Smith water heater but it would be more because he would have to leave and go pickup the water heater. Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2021/11/08) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) No, plumber never said that. He said Estes did not sell **** ****** I asked if I needed to go get the water heater. He said Rheem offered a comparable heater. I had already checked on line and knew that the prices were similar. And he said a comparable heater would be delivered. Heater $600-$700, two hours work plus parts = +/- $1200. That is what I was expecting. It was not until he was almost done that he said $1800. And he never said $1871! And he said there were no available discounts or coupons to reduce the price. And he left a rusty water mess in my basement. I will never use Estes again. And why does your website say call for an estimate to replace a water heater if it is a flat rate? Deceptive pricing. Business Response /* (4000, 11, 2021/11/16) */ This customer has disputed $600 in credit charges and the credit card company gave her the money back. This case should be closed by BBB and Estes will be placing a Lein on the property or placing this customer into collections. Thanks

• Initial Complaint

  10/13/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Wednesday Oct 13, 2021 Good afternoon BBB, we called this company recently and reported that we had a clogged, slow upstairs master bathroom sink drain problem..also, we reported that that faucet and the one downstairs were dripping..one of their techs came out and diagnosted the issues..he stated that he could unclog the upstairs sink for $143..we asked him to do so and paid him that day for the work..he stated that he could obtain the parts to repair the upstairs sink and that the price to accomplish that was ?$160? or so..he said that the parts to repair the downstairs sink were no longer available as that was an older model sink..i asked him of the price for them to install brand new faucets..he stated that the price would be $202 per sink if we supplied the sinks..we agreed to that deal..we he came out the next time to make the installations he damaged the upstairs sink (fotos attached) and did not install the drain stop mechanisms.(please see attachments for the rest)

  

  Business response

  11/04/2021

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2021/10/18) */ There are two items of complaint here so I will take them one at a time. It's a little challenging to see the damage to the sink based on the pictures so I'm really not sure what can be done to fix the sink issue unfortunately. Secondly, we quoted replacement of the plumbing fixture (which is what we did) and the customer is requesting a different repair which is replacement of the drain stop. I will offer 2 different options of resolution #1 we can replace the drain stop mechanism at no additional charge or #2 we can refund the customer $404. Please let us know which option the customer would prefer. Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2021/10/22) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) ..Estes, thank you for your reply..however, we have never heard of replacing a sink without changing the drain stop, handle also..how could you catch water in the sink with no handle?..anyway, we would like the drain stops replaced (both of them) at no charge please..(please send a different tech to do this work)..also, if they could check out the water pressure, flow on the upstairs sink that would be great as that flow is not sufficient, especially coming from a brand new Moen faucet..thank you Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2021/10/25) */ Perfect! We would be happy to comne out and install the 2 drain stop mechanisms as long as you still have them and we would definitely look at the water pressure at the fixture. Please confirm that you still have the drains as you supplied the fixtures and we will contact you to setup a time for a different plumbner to come out and install the drains. Also, with respect to the water pressure, most newer faucets have lower water pressure than older faucets in ordcer to conserve water but we will make sure they are performing as best they can! Thank you Consumer Response /* (4200, 11, 2021/10/28) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) ..we don't have the full drain stopper mechanisms..their tech took the new faucet boxes away as rubbish..the new drain stops were in them..we do have the top part that you pull on to close the drain but not the part up under the sink..please assist anyway Business Response /* (4000, 13, 2021/10/29) */ SORRY! I have reached out to the plumber and we have your drain stops. Please let me know if it is ok for me to have someone contact you to get these drain stops installed and take a look at the water pressure issue(s) and we will get this resolved for you immediately. Consumer Response /* (4200, 15, 2021/10/30) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) ..yes and thank you for the offer..email is perhaps the best way to contact us..we look forward to hearing from you all to schedule this work..thank you again for addressing, responding promptly to our concerns Business Response /* (4000, 17, 2021/11/02) */ Great news. We will be contacting you via email shortly to get this resolved. Thanks, **** ******

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