ComplaintsforMountain Aire Heating & Air Conditioning

• Initial Complaint

  05/07/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We had a new furnance/AC unit installed about 3 years ago. We paid $7000. Every year it has had a problem including directly after installation. We have paid each time labor and/or visit fee for them to figure out what was wrong. This time he wanted to charge $500 labor for a part that shouldn't be bad. Instead of investigating this he parted ways with us. We have to pay another place to inspect it and see if it was even installed correctly. I am waiting on the paper work detailing all of the visits and fees we paid.

  Business response

  05/07/2024

  WE INSTALLED A HEAT PUMP & ELECTRIC FURNACE APPROX 3 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO.. ( SEPT 30,2020).

  THE SYSTEM HAD A 10 YEAR PARTS & 1 YEAR LABOR WARRANTY.

  THE CUSTOMERS HAVE HAD A TOTAL OF 5 SERVICE CALLS SINCE INSTALLATION. THEY HAVE ONLY BEEN CHARGED FOR 2 OF THE 5 CALLS, DESPITE 4 OF THESE CALLS BEING AFTER THE LABOR WARRANTY EXPIRED. THEY HAVE NOT PAID EACH TIME, AS WAS STATED IN THE COMPLAINT.

  WE UNDERSTAND THAT ANY REPAIR, NO MATTER HOW LARGE OR SMALL, CAN BE VERY FRUSTRATING WHEN EQUIPMENT MALFUNCTIONS. THAT IS WHY WE HAVE NOT CHARGED ON SOME OF THESE CALLS.   UNFORTUNATELY, ANYTHING MECHANICAL WILL HAVE PROBLEMS & BREAK FROM TIME TO TIME. AND THAT IS BEYOND OUR CONTROL. WE WOULD LIKE TO BREAK DOWN THESE REPAIRS, SO YOU CAN SEE WHERE THEY HAVE ACTUALLY PAID AND ALSO SEE WHERE THEY HAVE NOT BEEN CHARGED.

  09/30/20- INSTALLATION DATE

  10/23/20- NO CHARGE (UNDER WARRANTY)-  LESS THAN 30 DAYS AFTER INSTALL. THERMOSTAT WENT

                     BAD.  THIS IS AN AFTERMARKET PART. SOMETIMES THERMOSTATS ARE DEFECTIVE EITHER

                     SHORTLY AFTER INSTALLATION AND SOMETIMES DIRECTLY OUT OF THE BOX. THIS IS

                     BECOMING MORE & MORE COMMON, REGARDLESS OF THE BRAND YOU PURCHASE. QUALITY

                     CONTROL IS NOT WHAT IT USED TO BE.

  08/16/21- NO CHARGE (LABOR WARRANTY EXPIRED)-  CONDENSATE PUMP WENT BAD. (THIS IS ALSO

                     AN AFTERMARKET PART.)  THESE PUMPS SOMETIMES HAVE PROBLEMS IF THEY ARE NOT

                     REGULARLY FLUSHED OR MAINTAINED…AND SOMETIMES THE “FLOAT” SENSOR JUST GOES

                     BAD.

   

  NOTE:  AFTERMARKET PARTS ARE PARTS THAT ARE NOT PART OF THE HEATING/AIR CONDITIONING

  SYSTEM. THEY ARE NOT MANUFACTURED BY THE BRAND….MUCH LIKE A CAR BATTERY. THEY ARE “ADD

  ONS” TO THE SYSTEM.                  

  07/09/22-CHARGED FOR SERVICE CALL- (LABOR WARRANTY EXPIRED)- A CONNECTION/WIRE HAD

                    WORKED LOOSE OVER TIME. THAT CAN HAPPEN ON MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT AT ANY TIME.

  04/21/23-CHARGED FOR SERVICE CALL-(LABOR WARRANTY EXPIRED)-  HAD TO FLUSH DRAIN. THIS IS

                    NOT A MECHANICAL FAILURE. IT IS A MAINTENANCE ISSUE, MUCH LIKE CHANGING YOUR

                    FURNACE FILTER.

  05/02/24-NO CHARGE- LABOR WARRANTY EXPIRED-  FOUND A BAD PART  (TXV).

  THE 05/02/24 SERVICE CALL IS WHAT IS IN QUESTION HERE.  WE WERE AWARE THAT THE CUSTOMERS WERE FRUSTRATED THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THEIR SYSTEM. SO WE DID NOT CHARGE FOR THIS SERVICE CALL . (WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN $111.30). AND WE WERE NOT GOING TO CHARGE ANYTHING FOR FREON, IF IT WAS NEEDED. SOMETIMES YOU CAN RECOVER THE FREON ON THESE REPAIRS & SOMETIMES YOU CANNOT. BUT YOU DON’T KNOW UNTIL YOU PERFORM THE WORK.  IF WE DID HAVE TO USE NEW FREON, & WE DID NOT CHARGE FOR IT, THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A SAVINGS TO THEM OF UP TO $700.00. WE THOUGHT THAT WAS FAIR. AND THE HUSBAND DIDN’T SEEM TO BE UPSET.

  HOWEVER, AFTER THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN LEFT THEIR HOME, THE WIFE CALLED IN VERY UPSET & AGITATED. (DESPITE THE FREE SERVICE CALL & THE POSSIBLE $700 OF FREE FREON). SHE STATED THAT SHE FELT THE REPAIRMAN WAS VERY DISHONEST & WANTED TO SPEAK WITH MANAGEMENT.  THE OFFICE STAFF ADVISED HER THAT THE TECHNICIAN WAS ONE OF THE OWNERS. SHE THEN ASKED IF HER PARTS WARRANTY WAS GOOD ELSEWHERE, (WHICH IT IS GOOD ANYWHERE THAT IS ABLE TO PROCESS THIS MANUFACTURER’S WARRANTIES).  SHE PROCEEDED TO STATE THAT SHE WOULD CALL ANOTHER COMPANY TO SEE WHAT THEIR PRICES WERE.  WE THEN RECEIVED A CALL ON 5/7/24 FROM HER HUSBAND. HE WAS ASKING IF THE PART HAD COME IN YET. WE WERE VERY CONFUSED & LET HIM KNOW HIS WIFE SAID SHE WAS CALLING SOMEONE ELSE, SO THE PART WAS NOT ORDERED.

  THEY THEN CALLED BACK AGAIN & ASKED IF WE COULD GO AHEAD & ORDER THE PART, BUT SHE WAS STILL UPSET ABOUT THE COST. WE HAD ALREADY PREVIOUSLY GIVEN FREE SERVICE CALLS OVER THE 3 YEAR PERIOD, AND WE TRULY FELT THAT US AGREEING TO ABSORB THOSE POSSIBLE FREON COSTS IF NEEDED, AS WELL AS GIVING HER THIS SERVICE CALL FOR FREE AGAIN, THAT WE WERE BEING VERY FAIR.  BUT SHE WAS STILL NOT HAPPY WITH OUR RESOLUTION. WE FELT, AT THAT POINT, THAT WE WERE NOT GOING TO MAKE HER HAPPY NO MATTER WHAT, SHORT OF GIVING THE ENTIRE REPAIR FOR FREE. SINCE SHE HAD ALREADY EXPRESSED INTEREST IN CALLING ANOTHER COMPANY, WE THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE THE BEST ROUTE IN THIS SITUATION.  

  WE RUN IN TO THIS ISSUE FROM TIME TO TIME WHEN HOMEOWNERS CHOOSE TO NOT PURCHASE AN EXTENDED LABOR WARRANTY WITH US.  THE EXTENDED LABOR WARRANTY WOULD COVER ALL THE SERVICE FEES FOR ANY NEEDED SERVICE CALLS & ALL THE LABOR ASSOCIATED WITH THE REPAIR. WE OFFER THIS TO OUR CUSTOMERS FOR THIS VERY REASON. IT IS A LARGER EXPENSE UPFRONT, BUT IT REALLY DOES PAY FOR ITSELF OVER THE COURSE OF THE 10 YEAR PERIOD.  WE ARE A SMALL COMPANY WITH 12-15 EMPLOYEES AND UNFORTUNATELY, WE ARE JUST NOT ABLE TO ABSORB ALL THESE COSTS FOR CUSTOMERS WHO DECLINE THE LABOR PROTECTION.

  Customer response

  05/08/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********* and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  

  I would certainly hope the first and second calls were free as they were SUPPOSED TO BE. This unit has failed every summer since it was purchased. 

  We had another company come and repair it today within a half hour. It was NOT THE PART THEY STATED WITH A $500 LABOR FEE. That part was demostrated to us and performed as it should. So the owners whole rant about "free" freon means nothing to me because we didn't need that part nor did we need freon. Therefore, the owner was DISHONEST and/or UNKNOWLEDGEABLE about what needed to be repaired and played a guessing game. And there was a serious price difference in the two issues that were presented. We only had to pay a visit fee today and it was resolved under warranty for the part. I don't appreciate the dishonesty as we have been loyal customers despite NON STOP PROBLEMS. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ******** ******

  Business response

  05/16/2024

  THE BBB ASKED US TO RESPOND TO THE COMPLAINT & ASKED US TO STATE WHAT OUR OFFER TO RESOLVE THE SITUATION WAS. WE ANSWERED BY EXPLAINING ABOUT THE FREE SERVICE CALL & THE FREE FREON BECAUSE THAT IT WHAT OUR OFFER WAS. IT WAS, IN NO WAY, SUPPOSED TO SOUND LIKE A “RANT,” AS STATED.  IF IT CAME ACROSS THAT WAY, THEN WE SINCERELY APOLOGIZE.  WE WERE SIMPLY DOING AS INSTRUCTED & TRYING TO ANSWER THE QUESTION. 
  

  AS FAR AS THE REPAIR GOES, WE HAVE NOT SPOKEN TO OR RECEIVED ANY DOCUMENTATION DIRECTLY FROM THE OTHER COMPANY THAT THE CUSTOMER CONTACTED.  THERFORE, WE ARE NOT ABLE TO  ACCURATELY COMMENT ON THE REPAIR THEY PERFORMED.  WHAT WE CAN COMMENT ON WAS THE FACT THAT WHEN OUR TECHNICIAN WAS ONSITE, THE PART WE CONDEMNED WAS INDEED MALFUNCTIONING, CAUSING THE SYSTEM TO EVENTUALLY FREEZE UP.  IT WAS AN INTERMITTENT ISSUE AND THE TECHNICIAN HAD TO RUN THE SYSTEM FOR SOME TIME BEFORE THIS PROBLEM FINALLY PRESENTED ITSELF.  HE WAS IN NO WAY TRYING TO BE DISHONEST. THIS PARTICULAR TECHNICIAN ONSITE ACTUALLY HAS 20 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN THE FIELD & IS VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE. 
  
  IN THE LONG RUN, WE WANT OUR CUSTOMERS TO BE HAPPY…EVEN IF THAT MEANS PARTING WAYS WHEN NO RESOLUTION IS ACCEPTED. WE ARE GLAD THEY FOUND ANOTHER COMPANY THAT THEY ARE HAPPY WITH AND FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE WITH. THAT IS IMPORTANT TO US.  WE HAVE BEEN IN BUSINESS IN THIS COMMUNITY FOR 35+ YEARS.  WE HAVE ALWAYS TRIED TO PROVIDE THE BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE POSSIBLE.  EVERY EMPLOYEE HERE (TECHNICIANS, INSTALLERS, OFFICE STAFF, MAINTENANCE, MANAGERS, & OWNERS) ALL CARE ABOUT OUR CUSTOMERS. IF WE WERE TO FIND ANY OF THEM BEING DISHONEST OR INTENTIONALLY TRYING TO OVER CHARGE OUR CUSTOMERS AT ANY TIME, THEY WOULD NO LONGER BE EMPLOYED WITH OUR COMPANY. IT IS UNFORTUNATE THAT THIS CHAIN OF EVENTS HAS MADE THIS CUSTOMER THINK OTHERWISE.

*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. ↩