ComplaintsforGault Electric, LLC

• Initial Complaint

  05/24/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On 22 May, I Contacted Gault Electric about a service call and they scheduled me (charged me *******) for 24 MAY visit between 1100 and 1300 hours. I called them at 1255 and asked where are the service technicians and was told they were tied up with another job. I then stated I was unable to wait since they never arrived as scheduled and for them to cancel my call I emailed them three times requesting a refund of the ******** since they never provided a service that I prepaid for, no response. Thanks for your attention in this matter.

  Customer response

  05/25/2024

  Cancel complaint, refund issued

• Initial Complaint

  12/01/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I paid Gault for an intial diagnosis of my heat pump not turning on, ***** ***** came out a few days later with a helper and I informed him that the control board, capacitor and contactor were replaced. He immediately looked sullen. After 3 hours neither ***** or his helper could identify the issue. He proceeded to inform me that the contactor was wired incorrectly and may have burned the board and that may solve the issue. I asked for an estimate but none was given. After discussing with my wife we escalated to *****’s boss **** because the diagnosis didn’t sound convincing. **** agreed to come out as he is Gaults master electrician but would only do it if we paid **** upfront to replace the control board, capacitor & contactor with OE factory parts. When pressed for a parts and labor estimate **** sent me a generic .pdf with parts listed but only a flat rate price that did not include tax. Hesitant to front such an amount to simply confirm a diagnosis we contacted *** ***** who was very nice and listened intently. When I told him my concerns **** interjected stating the contactor was wired incorrectly and burned the control board. **** a “master electrician” proceeded to incorrectly tell me the incorrect wiring for replacing a single pole contactor with a double pole contactor. **** stated once again incorrectly that a the shunted side of a single pole contactor was only live when the contactor is engaged. A simple google search refutes this and multiple others sources to include ********* ********* ******* and electrical engineers have agreed ****s wiring expertise was deficient in regards to this issue. To charge a customer to replace parts even if they are NOT bad is a menace to the service community and needs to be addressed. To boldly lie about electrical wiring AND to charge for services without proper cause is wrong.

  Business response

  12/08/2023

  Gault dispatched to a no heat call, in which a **** diagnostic fee was charged.  The **** diagnostic fee typically covers one hour of troubleshooting.  Upon arrival the technician was informed by the customer that the customer replaced the contactor, capacitor, and control board in his HVAC system.  The technician and helper were on site for 3 hours going over the system in detail.  There was no additional charge for going over the 1 hour diagnosis.  The technician determined that the contactor was wired incorrectly, and informed the customer that the contactor, capacitor and control board should be replaced to get the system running.  The technician needed to get a price on a new control board to generate an estimate.  The customer called the foreman and communicated concerns about the validity of the technician’s findings.  The foreman explained to the customer that he agreed with the technician’s diagnosis, and the board, capacitor, and contactor would need to be replaced to remedy the system and the price for the work would be ****. During this conversation, the customer requested the estimate be sent to them.  The foreman sent the estimate.  It is standard practice for Gault to email all estimates to customers whether requested or not.  The estimate was provided to the customer for **** utilizing a flat rate pricing structure, standard in the industry, which included parts and labor combined.   The customer called to speak with a senior manager in the company.  The manager listened fully and completely to the customers’ concerns, asked questions and did everything that he could to resolve the issue. He and offered for the foreman to come back out at no charge and validate the technician’s diagnosis himself and explain in detail his findings side by side with the customer.  The senior manager also assured the customer that Gault would not proceed with any repairs until all parties agreed on the diagnosis, the solution, and the customer feels comfortable with the proposal.  If the customer still was not comfortable, Gault would not make any further attempts to perform the proposed work.  The customer declined the senior manager’s offer.  Since the communication, Gault has validated the original findings using photos taken on the job.  Gault Electric strives to provide pricing that is competitive in the market, while ensuring the company can be profitable and continue to service customers.  Gault Electric has made every effort to provide a resolution to the customers’ concerns in this case.  After, in good faith, making their best attempt to assist the customer, the customer refused to participate in working out the best solution to create a win-win.  

  Customer response

  12/13/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I did not accept the diagnosis, hence why I requested an escalated review to which the company explicitly sired in their response to my original complaint.  If the company has proof (photos) of incorrect wiring let them post the photos showing such incorrectly wired components. It is an easy process to upload the evidence but they failed to do so, if they upload the pictures I will be more than happy to show them, upon verification that they are indeed of my equipment, to the local union **** as well has local **** for verification.  I have already included the wiring diagram for my unit.  As for the estimate I have also already included their estimate as an attachment something they seem unable to do, I specifically asked parts AND labor to which they did not supply.  In the companies response they start off with that I paid for an hour but there technician was here three and allude to the fact they didn’t charge for the additional hours.  This is the crux of the argument I heard their conversations over my ring camera and at the unit which is right above my kitchen window.  They were upset that instead of replacing a  *** capacitor, and then upselling a service plan he was at my house not getting additional money AND was late to his next appointment.  That’s not my problem if they wanted additional diagnostic money they should have asked for it then.  They should NOT demand parts be replaced that were NOT faulty just to recoup that lost diagnostic fee.  **** explicitly stated he would do NO additional diagnosis until those parts were replaced even though he had no idea if they were bad.  It even states that in the estimate they provided.  A win/win is not attempted to extort money from a customer.  A win/win is NOT trying to scare the lady of the house into paying for work that doesn’t need to be done.  I know the truth this company is not stating truth on the contrary they are being vague, intellectually dishonest, not providing documentation (as I have) and frankly outright lying.  Spoiler alert the unit has been fixed and it had nothing to do with the outside unit it was the zone control board in the air handler only putting out 12 volts to the compressor.  When testing the outside control board the one they said was “fried” because the contactor was “wired wrong”, the board had power but the “Y” terminal on the board is power in from the air handler not power out. It runs through the high pressure switch.  There tech never even went into my house other than to tell me he was leaving because he couldn’t figure it out.  If they want proof of the confirmed fix let me know.  This company tried to rip off the wrong person because they were not skilled enough and got mad because the tech over stayed his visit and was late. That is what happened they know it I know it.  I still demand and apology not only to myself because the work outside was correct and an apology to my wife for **** trying to scare her into additional unnecessary repairs.

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

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