ComplaintsforAtlantic Heating & Cooling

• Initial Complaint

  01/13/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Atlantic Heating & Cooling is not honoring their warranty for their installation work on our heating and cooling units for our new construction home. The builder chose them as the preferred installer on this.Their reason being is that the builder contacted them to install a dehumidifier after we were in the the home, due to a design flaw causing our interior stairwell to buckle. The builder could not provide us with a working product (ie. our stairwell was unusable due to the humidity rising from the bottom stairwell) and the problem resolved at the install of the dehumidifier. Our understanding is this is and should be at the cost of the builder. The builder chose Atlantic Heating & Cooling for this - not us. We would not have chosen them based on the issues we had early on with the heating and cooling systems. Meanwhile, our heat in our downstairs unit quit working, we called them out, they sent out a technician. The technician struggled to find the issue and had to come back out with his manager another day. He took our thermostat, that was working properly as far as we were able to use it and adjust it. He claimed it was causing a short. When another thermostat was installed, the same issue persisted. We were told they would need to order proper parts to and replace the thermostat. That was around 4 weeks ago, I called for an update and was told they would not be honoring our warranty because of the outstanding balance. That balance is owed from the builder. I was told by the owner, ******, that "the builder says..." I am incredibly frustrated with our builder and will be filing a complaint there as well. But not to honor our warranty for something that is no fault of ours is outlandish. Neither one of these issues were a fault of ours. And the burden is being placed on us as consumers.

  

  Business response

  01/16/2023

  The customer owed us money for a dehumidifier that she asked us to install. We performed this installation at her request not the builder of the home. This was installed in September and was never paid so we had to tell her we could not provide service until it was paid. On Friday January 13, 2023 her builder called us and said he would pay the invoice for the dehumidifier. We called ***************** back and she did not answer her phone so we left her a voice mail and told her that her contractor was going to be responsible and if she needed service to call us back. ****************** called back later that afternoon and asked about her thermostat that we removed on Decmeber 20th, 2022.
  
  The tstat she refers to is not one that we purchased (she purchased it and we installed) so we can not warrant it. When we went out On Dec 20, 2022, it was found the thermostat was not calling for the compressor to come on which was why her unit was not working. We removed her thermostat and installed a temporary one. Our technician and Service Manager confirm that the system was working properly. Our technician brought the thermostat back to the office for our Office Manager to attempt to file the claim for the homeowner but she was unable to without proof of purchase. She called and spoke to ****************** and ****************** said she would send over her receipt for the thermostat but we did not hear back from her until January 13, 2023 asking that we bring the tstat back to her. It was explained again that she would have to file the warranty claim herself, as we did not provide the thermostat. We attempted to call her this morning January 16th, 2023 but got no answer. In reponse to ****************** stating that this **** persisted, we would have gladly returned to further inspect the unit. We offered to go out on January 13th, 2023 once she returned our call to the office in regards to the Dehumidifier invoice. Again, the last time we have heard from ****************** was on December 20th, 2022 and both our Service Manager and technician checked the unit in Heat mode to ensure proper operation of her system. The compressor was coming on like it should.
  
  Update: ****************** did return our call January 16, 2023. She confirmed that her unit is working properly with our temporarily installed thermostat and would just like her thermostat back. She will purchase her replacement Ecobee thermostat and if she would like us install the replacement thermostat, she will call us back and return our thermostat that we installed temporarily.

  Customer response

  01/17/2023

  (The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)
  A&H began their response with "the customer owed us money.." yet, the builder agreed to pay that cost because it is on them, as I told them. I have texts from the builder stating "We are coordinating with **** to resolve..." (**** being an owner). The company refused to listen to me, assuming the burden was just mine.
  
  The company has yet to acknowledge they told me they would not honor my warranty on the units that were installed by them for heating and cooling with that outstanding. That is unacceptable and illegal. The dehumidifier situation was separate of the warrantied equipment and that needs to be acknowledged. I am still under warranty and unsure about what kind of service I will receive for that warranty in the future.
  
  The company also failed to acknowledge that when the tech replaced the ecobee with a new thermostat, the unit still did not work properly. And the tech had to come back with their manager, work on the unit to make appropriate repairs, which we believe involved replacing a "board." A&H keeps referring to this as an ecobee issue.
  
  I did speak with ******* from company yesterday, and here again, they failed to acknowledge in this response that they would be charging me for installing the new ecobee - $120 - that they removed. And that I would have to bring the current thermostat back in to them because they would not be making an "extra" trip out there for it.
  
  
  I want all this on the record because of their actions in regards to this situation. The heat in my home is currently working & the builder has taken care of the dehumidifier, but I am very unsatisfied with how A&H placed an incredible amount of burden on us as the customers and think other customers in the future should be aware of this.
  
  I can understand they are upset for the complaint filed, but had I not been notified they would not be honoring any of our warranty work, we wouldn't be in this situation. Because I am not sure how reintalling the ecobee they installed initially and then removed is not covered under that warranty.
  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  10/10/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have an HVAC unit that just is 2 years old ( in August) I had a maintenance contract with Atlantic Heating and cooling where they were supposed to clean it twice a year. The very first time they "cleaned" it they did absolutely nothing and I had to have them come back. The second time they didn't do a great job either but you could tell they did some. A few months after that second cleaning the air handler started leaking. I called them and they came several times and did unnecessary things like unhooking vents and removing all the insulation from the air handler before finally deciding that the coils were clogged. They also bent the closet door. Then the technician proceeds to tell me they can't get Carrier parts and they no longer wish to deal with me. I called another company and they agree that yes the coils are clogged but state there is no way a 2 year old unit under a maintenance plan should be having this issue. I made a review on Atlantic Facebook page and he tried to blame me stating I probably didn't change my filter often enough and then blocked me. My filter is changed every 30 days or less and I have a high quality air purifier. Now the warranty company won't warranty it and I have to pay $4000 for a new air handler. I feel Atlantic Heating and Cooling is responsible and should be the one paying for the new air handler. I did what I was supposed to do as a responsible home owner by purchasing a maintenance plan and replacing my filters in a timely manner not to mention going the extra step of also buying an air purifier.. Thank you for your assistance.

  

  Business response

  10/28/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/10/11) */ We have already addressed these issues with the customer. She is aware of our postion regarding this manner. We found out from our Carrier Distributor that her system only had a one year warranty with Clayton Homes and that she would have to go through them to get any parts. She just started our maintenance program last Fall (2021). At this point her home is already approximately 1 year old. Thus, prior to that we had never been to her home. We are not responsible for the over abundance of pet hair that accumulates on her coil. Her system would require more extensive service to keep it clean due to this (more than twice per year). We tried our best to provide service for her and when we felt we could not accommodate her needs we refunded her the unused balance of her maintenance plan. For the record, we went to her home six times for service within an eight month span and all she ever paid was $132.66. It is beyond my comprehension that she would think we are responsible to purchase her a new air handler. We did not put pet hair all over her coil we tried to clean it off!!!! It is her air handler thus her responsiblilty to cover any cost involved with it. We do have before and after pictures of the coils if you would like to see those. Consumer Response /* (3000, 8, 2022/10/12) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) The unit is still under warranty with carrier (even tho Atlantic told me it wasn't)but they do not warranty dirty coils. At NO point before it started leaking was I informed it was excessively dirty and would need extra cleanings because I would have paid for that. The pictures they have of their cleaning were taken the 2nd time they came because they didn't clean it the first time! And you can tell by the tone of their message what kind of business they are. Most of those visits were after the air handler started leaking and they didn't charge me because they knew it was their fault, companies don't provide "free" service out of kindness. The only reason I need a new air handler is due to negligence from Atlantic Heating and Cooling. And after I left a negative review on Facebook they proceeded to block me so their customers couldn't see what kind of dirty business they run. Business Response /* (4000, 10, 2022/10/17) */ We would like to close this case as we feel there is nothing more to say regarding this matter. This is the customer's equipment and they are the one using it. We are in no way responsible for replacing THEIR EQUIPMENT. As stated before we have gone above and beyond servicing for this customer. We will not respond any further. Consumer Response /* (4200, 12, 2022/10/18) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) It is my equipment that I entrusted to Atlantic for proper maintenance which they failed to do. I feel I did what was required of me by setting up a maintenance plan and changing my filters regularly and having an air purifier. They were the negligent party and should be held responsible.

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