ComplaintsforBuchanan Refrigeration Heat and Air

• Initial Complaint

  06/22/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  August 5,2022 I contacted the Buchanan's to see if they could come out and look at my ac unit as it wasn't working properly. They came out and told me that I needed a whole new outside unit. August 8, they called and let me know they were ready to install the unit for me. They came over, installed it, were there for about 30 minutes. They came inside, turned on the unit, then said they would be back to check the lines. I never heard from them again. April 21 2023, I emailed them asking if they could come back out that our unit was being odd and that we got to thinking and nobody had come back out to check the unit after they first installed it. April 24, 2023 ***** Buchanan emailed and asked if I could be there in 30 minutes. She then text me that they were on their way. I let them in, they touch the pipes on the inside unit. They thought it was my freon line at first but I told them it was a different pipe that was frozen. They go to the 8 month old outside unit and the drier was bad. ******, the owner, told me he would replace it for $300. I told him I didn't have it right now and he said they could take payments. They replaced the drier, came back inside the home, looked at the inside unit and told me they would need to come back to check the freon levels because it wasn't hot enough outside yet to get an accurate reading. I said that was fine to just have ***** call me to schedule. They left. I called another hvac company to ask about the drier to ask if it is installed with the new unit and he confirmed it is and if it's not working, it's due to how they installed it and that I shouldn't be charged since it's been 8 mnths and parts are under warranty. I told ***** Buchanan and they agreed to not charge. June 17, 2023 my unit was frozen, it was my freon line. I have POTS and my 10 yr old has asthma. Buchanan's couldn't come out for a week. I have no warranty information on my unit. I want a full refund. I paid $2800 for something that broke twice within one year.

  Business response

  06/22/2023

  We inspected the system &found the fan motor was running slow causing it to overheat & lock up. We installed an AC unit on Aug. 8. We did get a permit for inspection on Aug. 10 by ***********************. The customer texted me on Aug. 15 needing a letter for her insurance,so I emailed her one. A new unit comes precharged with freon. If there was a leak, it would have showed up within days. We still had ninety-degree temperatures in Sept. &we received no calls from the customer and assumed that it was working correctly. It takes about 1-1.5 hours to change out an AC unit. You must evacuate the freon into a cylinder & after you weld in the unit, there must be a vacuum which takes about ***** minutes. Apr. 24, I received a text from the customer. We went over around 10:30 to change the drier. We contacted the distributor & verified that the drier is considered an outside part &is not covered by the 5 yr. manufacturer parts-only warranty unless it fails at the time of installation. However, we installed the replacement drier free of charge to ensure customer satisfaction. We went back around 1:30 & checked the freon level & installed the coil cover screws. The customer texted us on June 18 at 2:40 saying that her unit was frozen up & we are closed on the weekends. However, I did respond to her that evening. She wanted us to schedule her in for the following day, June 19. I told her that I was not in the office, but I would let her know when we would be able to get her in. I texted her June 19 at 7:22am & told her that we were booked for the week. The customer was upset & said that she wanted a full refund & let us know she needed info for her attorney to take us to small claims court. We have since cut off communication until we are notified by her attorney. As far as a refund is concerned, we completed the installation of the unit, replaced a part that wasn't covered by the manufacturer's warranty & she is still using the unit.

  Customer response

  06/28/2023

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

  I have attached emails from the Concord who makes the outside unit and as you will see Buchanan's never registered my unit. I wasn't left any paperwork so I could do it. This is my first time purchasing a unit, I do not work in hvac and never had, I do not know how to tell my freon is bad or even the levels as I am not licensed. It should not be left up to the consumer, I've had multiple hvac companies tell me that the business is responsible for calling the consumer. I am attaching screenshots from texts between the owners wife and I. As you will see on April 25th, they did come out and check my unit, they didn't know the issue until they got here, they had a drier on the truck and the owner ****** told me they try to keep those on hand. They replaced it immediately, no call was made to a distributor to check the warranty. In the text on April 24th you will also see ***** told me they forgot to put the screws back in and that they needed to come back and do that, no mention of checking my freon. They came in, put the screws in and we even had a chat about a local chiropractor. Also, there is a text between ***** and i after the drier was replaced where i told her another hvac company told me driers go out due to not being installed correctly, that if it was his job he woild have changed it free of charge because driers do not go bad due to the consumer, in the text provided you will see where she reaponds with ****** thought it was older so no charge. There was absolutely no mention of them checking the warranty and it not being covered. **** when I reached out I also let ***** know I have a 10 year old and that I also have a condition where heat makes me pass out. It's called POTS. With a 10 year old and me having a health condition where triple digits can be fatal to me.

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

  Business response

  07/05/2023

  I didnt see an attached email from Concord, but the customer is correct, we did not and do not have to register the units. It is like when you purchase a new appliance. The consumer is required to register the product. On page 13 of the installation manual, you will see where it says that the units are charged with freon by the factory and as per our previous message we checked the freon levels on April 24. I am also attaching the registration manual and you will see that on page 1, it has a list of what is not covered under the limited warranty, which includes the drier and freon (refrigerant). HVAC companies are very busy in June and July. The customer wanted it to be done immediately,but that was not possible. We contacted the supplier from the office, not at the customers home.  Also, we only replaced the outside unit; the customer left the inside unit as is, so we have no way of knowing if the interior unit was cleaned or maintained properly.

  Customer response

  07/06/2023

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

  I was not left any paperwork to register it. I didn't know I needed to ask for that, the company should have given it to me before they left. Also, they never left my house before fixing the drier. They stayed there the whole time, went to the front where their truck was, grabbed the drier, went to the backyard, installed it and left then came back to put in the screws they forgot to put in. It's not the consumers job to babysit a company, they should know what they are doing. If the consumer is having to babysit the company then the Company should not be operating. I understand that hvac companies are busy in the summer. However, children, the elderly and people with health conditions come first, that's even been on the news and that has came from other HVAC companies in my area as well. This company failed to come back and follow up, the company failed to give me the warranty information and the company cannot own up to their mistakes, it is not my job to remind them they need to come out, this should be in their computer system. Or they should have called and perhaps stated they needed to come check and make sure everything is running smoothly. Again, i do not know about hvac. This is not a company that should be operating. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

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