ComplaintsforKinetico San Antonio

• Initial Complaint

  11/28/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On Wednesday, November 22nd 2023, I had scheduled an appointment with ******* plumbing to troubleshoot my new water heater because it wasn't heating. I purchased this water heater after I had my Kinetico water softener system installed. The licensed plumber who inspected my water heater determined that the heater was fouled with resin material. He conducted a water test on my water from faucets inside our home and the results were Chorine 5, hardness 12. (See photos). He also found thick sludge inside the water heater. He told us that our softener was not working. He next tested the water at our outside faucets (connected to the city). The hardness level was 17. During his inspection, he could not locate the drain for the Kinetico water softener system. I contacted Kinetico to arrange for a pickup of their equipment. After that, I purchased a new system from *******. The licensed plumbers went into my attic to disconnect the Kinetico system and discovered the drain for the Kinetico system was connected to a vent going to my roof. The plumber told me this was the reason the system wasn't working, and that the installation was not according to local plumbing codes. Kinetico wants a $375.00 to come out and un-install their equipment.

  

  Business response

  11/28/2023

  I met with ************** and we came to an agreement that works for both parties.   

  Customer response

  11/29/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Regards,
  
  *********************

• Initial Complaint

  02/02/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  30 January 2023, a Kinetico Water Softener (Model ****s OD with Chloraban) and K5 Drinking Water System were installed in my house. During the installation of the K5 Drinking Water System, the technician drilled the granite top to make another hole right next to my existing faucet to install the drinking system. The following day, we found water under the sink. After looking for the leak, It appeared to be coming from the existing faucet which is connected to the K5 Drinking Water System. I called Kinetico service department to have someone come out to check the problem. I also called the sales representative *********************** cell # ************ who is sales representative that came to the house. They scheduled the service technician for today 1 Feb 2023. Upon arrival, the technician try to identify the leak. He then proceeded that the problem was not done by the technician who installed the system. Please know that prior to installing the drinking system, there was no leak and no problem with my existing faucet. Now, the technician (*****************************) insist that Kinetico is not responsible for the problem. Please be mindful that prior to the installation of the system, *************************************** did inspect the location where the softener and water drinking system were to be installed, he did not find any issue then nor find any leak under the sink or the existing faucet. The facts are, after the technician drilled a second hole on granite top, and connected the drinking water filtration, now I have a leaking faucet. These are the facts. But, the service technician who came out today, insist that they have nothing to do with the problem and that he could not do any repair to damage existing faucet that I am now to deal with as my problem. This is very unprofessional and very bad customer service. Thank you for your time and consideration regarding this very important matter.Sincerely,**************** Retired US Army Veteran

  

  Business response

  02/09/2023

  ****************, The issue with your sink was on the old copper plumbing which had nothing to do with your equipment.  However, you are on the calendar to have one of our plumbers fix that issue.

  Customer response

  02/10/2023

  Complaint: 18966995
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  

  The technians showed and did not replace the copper pipe. Instead, they told my wife that the problem is in the faucet. We have to replace the whole faucet or the cartridge inside to eliminate the leaks. The facts still remain that prior to them installing the water softener and the K5 drinking water filtration,  we did not have any leaks. Right after they drilled next to the faucet on a granite top, now we have leaks. The K5 drinking filtration tube is also connected with the same tube that faucet is connected. Thank you for your support.
  Regards,

  ***************************

• Initial Complaint

  01/13/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Kinetico seems to have lost my $5,000+ water softener. It broke and they brought it in for repairs last week. I have no tracking information for the unit, estimated date of completion, or way of knowing where my equipment is and in what state of repair. I have called on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and I am currently on hold with them for the second time today right now. No one can tell me where my very expensive piece of equipment is. No supervisors are available. I was promised follow-up on Tuesday and Wednesday but there is no follow-up. At this point I would like a full refund so that I can get a water softener with a different company.

  

  Business response

  01/23/2023

  Mrs. *****, we're sorry that your experience with us was unsatisfactory because we strive to provide the best service possible to all our customers. After you contacted our office to service your system when it took some damage during the December Freeze, we let you know that we would need to disconnect the system to run tests and inspect the system in our warehouse, which we did. Our records show that since then you've communicated with our Sales Manager, as we want to make things right. As you talked about with our team, the system is scheduled to reinstall on January 17th.

• Initial Complaint

  03/02/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I called Kinetico because water was leaking out of a plastic white connector attached to the hose of my water softner, at the point before it drains into the pipe in the wall. I had to shut off the water at the pipe because it had caused damage to my wall & would not stop leaking. I spoke to the rep at Kinetico & described exactly where the water was coming from & asked if I could speak to someone about it. She informed me that they hear about that problem frequently & that a service technician would have to come out, so I scheduled the appointment. On 10/5/2021 the technician arrived & I explained to him where the water was leaking from. He immediately told me that the problem was not with the equipment, but that I needed a plumber to come out because my pipe was clogged. I told him that I specifically explained where the water was leaking from when I called the company, & that the woman on the phone said that it required a technician to come out. He then stated that "They try to train the girls answering the phones." He was at my house 5 min. and did nothing to my equipment. I received a call from Kinetico stating that I needed to pay approximately $180 for the service call. I explained what happened to the ************* said she would charge $93.64 for the trip. I thought it was ridiculous to pay for something that I clearly had explained & was told required a service call. I asked her to have the owner call me to which she answered "He's out of the country." I told her that I would pay when I spoke to him.They have sent an invoice but despite several requests to talk to the owner, he's never called. Please see the invoice which falsely states the Svc Tech tested system & that I stated the issue was "System is leaking." This is poor customer service for such a costly ******************* false claims. They should train their staff properly before scheduling Svc Calls; this was a very simple and clear situation to diagnose over the phone.

  

  Business response

  04/27/2022

  Hi *****, Im sorry you had a bad experience with our company.  When seeing your response, I did look over the notes on your account and saw youve owned a Kinetico for quite some time.  ************** noted that the softener was not leaking but the drain was clogged which was a part of the house, not a part of your water softener.  This was causing the issue.  Wed be happy to help you if youd give us the chance.  Please reach out to our office and ask to speak with our Sales Manager and well work with you.

  Customer response

  05/03/2022

  Complaint: 16822811
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I have asked several times to have the owner of the business contact me.  When I call to speak to the office manager, she continues to refuse to let me speak to the owner and I have since received the attached invoice with a hand-written note stating that they have placed my account on a "Do not service" status until the invoice is paid.  I am not confident that they will do anything about the fact that they are charging me for something that they should have been able to diagnose over the phone...they clearly are aware that they location of the leak is not their equipment!  Furthermore, the technician falsely claimed that he ran the system through a cycle, which is not possible due to the fact that simply turning the water back on would cause the garage to flood with water due to the clog they have admitted was the problem.  I think it's ridiculous that the person responding to this claim is not communicating with the person who is mailing me the invoice, because one is stating that they want to help and the other is stating that I can no longer be serviced. 

  
  
  Regards,
  
  *************************

  

  Business response

  05/31/2022

  ***** and I have spoken by phone and had a good, constructive conversation.  Her Trip & Labor fee's have been waived and there is nothing at this point owed to Kinetico for the service issues on the date in question.  Kinetico has not sent payment information to collections.  *********** issues she has in the future we will dispatch a technician to her home, meaning she is not on a **************** list.  

• Initial Complaint

  03/02/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Water softener system from Kinetico was installed for the first time in our house back in November 2021 in the side of the property.Our opinion was not taken into consideration for the site of placement and installation. The side of the property was constantly flooded due to the system not working properly. Multiple visits were scheduled to fix this problem, but only doing patching work.First employees said system would not freeze, and upon digging the severed an orange cable and just burried it. Different people returned the first time flooding happened, saying the system could freeze and we should built some type of protection around it, changed a hose, and did not fixed flooding problem. A third time flooding continued, the employee only said "holy ****, you know what we have to do" his suggestion was dig deeper and drain, at this time they just replaced the system for a bigger one to fix the problem. They never sent a team to dig and drain. The problem continued, this time they connected a clear hose to drain the system on the back of our property. After freezing temperatures the problem continued only becoming worst every time. After salt as recommended, due to it being almost empty, the water inside the tank became dark and foamy, and the flooding continued. Salty water was coming out of one of our bathrooms. The water pressure in our kitchen was never the same up until now, and the employee said it was because of the hard water, which I did not understand because the whole point of installing a water softener is to have soft water in the house.Finally being tired of the situation, politely asked for our contract cancellation, removal of the system, and a refund for the damage to the property and inconvenience. So far they removed the system, leaving hoses and damage behind, our refund was denied, and today they have taken money out of our bank account, for a system that we don't evenhave Overall our experience with this company was just bad stressful.

  

  Business response

  03/16/2022

  *****************, We are sorry to hear about this negative experience you recently had. Kinetico of ******** very hard to ensure every customer gets best in class servicethats always our top priority. With this goal in mind, we did make multiple attempts to get your drain working properly but were unsuccessful in doing so.  As a result, we did refund all of your rental payments due to the unresolved drain issue.  While we regret we were unable to serve your water treatment needs, we do hope all works out for you moving forward. 

• Initial Complaint

  02/16/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  A Kinetico technician came to my home 11 days ago to bypass my fairly new Kinetico water system. When I initially called, ***** told me that someone could not come out to bypass my Kinetico system until the following Thursday. We had a freeze in ***** the day prior, as a result, I was receiving no water in my home. I checked with my neighbors, all of them had water. A technician eventually came to my home taking the system to their warehouse to check it out. Ive been calling leaving messages on three different voicemails at the San Antonio Kinetico office; however, no one will return my call. This is frustrating. This office continuously provides bad customer service. This is not what expected when I purchased the system. My neighbors have witnessed my struggle with Kinetico and also refuse to purchase their product. As a Veteran, I never expected such horrible customer service from a local company when I moved to **************** ***. I will be selling my house and moving. I will recommend the next home owner buy a different water system. Please assist! This is an ongoing problem with this company! Their ads are fraudulent!

  

  Business response

  02/21/2022

  Please see the attached response.

  Customer response

  03/16/2022

  Dear ******************: 
  
  I have received and reviewed your February 17, 2022 correspondence regarding the complaint filed by ****************************** against Kinetico Incorporated. Kinetico Incorporated is an international manufacturer and distributor of water treatment systems that primarily sells these systems through a network of authorized, independent dealers. TXQWS, LLC dba Kinetico Quality Water Systems of San Antonio is one of those dealers. 

  Because TXQWS and Kinetico's other dealers act independently, Kinetico has no actual knowledge of the sales and service issues they deal with unless such issues are brought to Kinetico's attention by the respective dealer or a customer, like ***********************. Until *********************** contacted the BBB last week with her complaint, Kinetico was unaware of any issue. 

  Kinetico has investigated this matter and contacted TXQWS. TXQWS informed us that they contacted *********************** immediately and reinstalled her Kinetico water treatment system on Friday, February 18, 2022. The repairs to her Kinetico system were made at no charge to her. TXQWS also offered to provide *********************** with a shed valued at $600 to protect her Kinetico equipment from the outdoor elements. The shed should be installed this week. We understand that *********************** was happy with the response and support provided to her by TXQWS and that her complaint with the BBB is now resolved. 

  Should you have any further questions concerning this complaint and TXQWS's response, please do not hesitate to contact me.

   

  Best regards,

  ***************************

  Legal Administrator 

*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. ↩