ComplaintsforPipeworks Plumbing Heating & Air Conditioning

• Initial Complaint

  04/07/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On Feb 4, 2022 I called "Pipeworks." I spoke with "****"- person in charge and explained my furnace had issues, and because the company installed the furnace, I was calling them to service it. He said the cost was $125, then changed the cost saying it would not be that much. On March 1 at 8:30 am, a tech named **** Haight came to my home. I took him to the furnace in the basement and he first had a cell phone call, from a female, and proceeded to talk about personal things with her. I dismissed that, and told him what was going on with the furnace. Unfortunately, I did not not supervise him. I have had other heating / plumbing companies in my home, and never had a reason to not doubt their work or expertise. I was wrong with Pipeworks. The young guy came up to my kitchen, and promptly said my issue was not the furnace but the duct work. He said he took a video of the inside of the furnace and proceeded to tell me how dirty the duct work was and I needed to have the duct work cleaned. He said he would be willing to do the work on a Saturday for $300, taking the duct work completely apart, power hosing the pieces and resemble. He told me Pipeworks does NOT do duct work cleaning. He then informed me he was to get paid $100 before he left my house. I told him I would send a check to Pipeworks, I was not comfortable giving a check with my information to him. He proceeded to argue that he had to collect the money and wasn't suppose to leave without collecting $100. **** Haight never, not once looked me in the eye during all this. I ended up giving him a check for $100. I called EOC (the local Economic Opportunity Council) to apply for assistance; I am a senior with limited financial resources. **** was told by EOC to come to my home and check that is what is wrong with my furnace. Three times **** has been a no call, no show. I have now been made aware, through prior Pipeworks employees that Pipeworks / **** scam people; one who actually quit the day **** became in charge

  Business response

  04/22/2024

  First I can tell you that our service charge for the first hour is $125.00. Anything after the first hour is $100 per hour.  We reduced the price from $100 to $125 because at the time we believed that is how a clean and tune should be charged. We did not go out to Ms. ******'s on March 1st we were there on March 7, 2022 from 8:38am to 9:38am, in that time our technician checked over the return air ducts, cycled and ran the furnace as you should when performing a clean and tune, and looked over the furnace to ensure proper operation.  In this home we also discovered a pellet stove that also runs when needed ( we were not called to the home for that issue).  Pellet stoves create a lot of dust when not properly taken care of which makes the air ducts and even the surrounding area covered in dust or soot. This excess amount of dust gets into all of the cracks and crevesases of everything causing equipment to break down.  
  
  As for the employee who was sent to Ms. ******'s home.  Douglas, performed his job like he should have and spent 1 hour going over the equipment.  As for the additional claims of phone calls and attempting to clean her ducts for $300, the investigation into this claim was not founded.
  
  Ms. ****** was sent to us from EOC as we are a licensed contractor for the CRISIS, LIHEAP, ERR programs etc.  We did schedule Deborah on March 17, 2022. The Operations Manager and Douglas were going to go out to look at her furnace and with the complaints Ms. ****** had against Douglas we decided it would be best that he did not go so we rescheduled for March 23, 2022 when we received an emergency call and needed to reschedule.  This made Ms. ****** was upset and the EOC gave her work order to another contractor.
  
  Finally, there is no exact date as to when Nick transferred into the Operations Manager role here at Pipeworks, and no employees have quit due to him being in charge.
  
  Overall we did spend 1 hour on a clean and tune for the customer and that is what we charged $100.00 for.  We did explain to Ms. ****** that her furnace itself was in good shape but that because of the dirt and dust that it could get into the cracks of her furnace.  Pipeworks did call and text each time we needed to reschedule and explained why.  

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