Tampa HVAC company can't fix unit, charges homeowner anyway

Published on October 1, 2009

Still hot

COMPLAINT: Charles Angela, Valrico, Fla.

I hired Sheppard's Air Rescue Air Conditioning & Heating to install an outside unit. I had six service calls because the unit will not shut off or keep the house below 77 degrees on a warm day.

Every visit brings a new cure and a new charge. I never received a bill of sale for the installation, and I've requested a copy prior to every service call. The problems are too numerous to list.

DESIRED RESOLUTION: I want my new A/C unit to work properly with no further cost to me.

STATUS: Penalty Box

Under pressure

COMPLAINT: James Allen, Tampa, Fla.

I hired Wright's Woodworking LLC to remove an old custom wood frame that had wood rot in several spots, build a new frame, and reinstall the existing glass. All was good until the summer heat came. Two of my plate windows cracked, one while I was right next to it.

I immediately called Scott Wright, who said he'd come out that day to look at it. He never came, even after five calls and several e-mails. I hired a glass company that replaced the plate glass with tempered glass and showed me exactly why each piece broke.

On one, glass was forced into a piece of bowed wood. When exposed to the summer heat, it cracked. The second piece of glass was put in at an angle, and the corner with all the pressure cracked in the heat.

DESIRED RESOLUTION: I would like for Wright's Woodworking to cover approximately $450, the cost of replacing the glass, minus the upgrade I elected from plate glass to tempered.

STATUS: Penalty Box

Inspection undermined

COMPLAINT: Dalia Cox, Dunedin, Fla.

I purchased a vehicle from Fitzgerald Countryside Automall. It was not under warranty; however, I was told it underwent a 138-point inspection and that the only thing the vehicle would need was new brake pads and rotors. Within a week of purchase, the vehicle overheated. My mechanic checked it out and found it needed a new radiator, oil change, new battery, new wiper blades and rear rotors resurfaced.

Two weeks later, the vehicle wouldn't start because the alternator went out, and the water pump started to leak. If the vehicle went through a 138-point inspection by a qualified mechanic and repairs were made, I wouldn't be encountering these mechanical problems. The company misrepresented the overall condition of the vehicle.

DESIRED RESOLUTION: I want them to reimburse me for all the expenses paid to get the vehicle running.

RESPONSE: Bill Cashman, used car manager, Fitzgerald Countryside Automall

The vehicle was advertised and sold as a handyman special, "fix it upper." The customer was aware at the time of purchase that the vehicle was sold as-is and that any necessary repairs at the present time or in the future were solely their responsibility. The customer signed documentation that they were aware of this, and purchased the vehicle with these conditions.

STATUS: Stalemate

Wrong wires

COMPLAINT: Eileen Klinck, Tampa, Fla.

I hired Tampa Bay Air Conditioning Inc. to do an annual checkup on the air conditioner. Their technician was here for about an hour and a half. He showed me that the people who installed the system didn't connect the wiring heat strips, and he connected them.

When my husband got home, he said they didn't connect the wiring because the wiring in the house wasn't strong enough to carry it. I called Tampa Bay Air Conditioning, and they said they'd send their worker back out the next day. He never came, and they haven't returned my calls.

DESIRED RESOLUTION: I'd like Tampa Bay Air Conditioning to either call my husband and walk him through the disconnecting process, or return and remove the wire if it's a safety hazard.

STATUS: Resolved

Editor's note: The member informed Angie's List that the company fixed the problem and she considers the case resolved.

Coil confusion

COMPLAINT: Jeanne Krupit, Clearwater, Fla.

I hired Bayside Heating & Air Conditioning to install an air conditioning unit. The coil broke after only six months. I was out of air conditioning for five days because they said they had to order the part from Texas. The service technicians were great, but I've had to have them out to fix this five times.

DESIRED RESOLUTION: If the company is not going to replace the air conditioner, I am requesting a refund in the amount of the price that I paid for the original.

RESPONSE: Gary Robinson, vice president, Bayside Heating & Air Conditioning Inc.

The coil in the outdoor unit developed a pinhole leak, and we explained that we could replace the coil with a new one under warranty at no charge, but she became belligerent and demanded we install a brand new system instead. We tried to explain that if you bought a new car and it developed a leak in the A/C coil, the manufacturer was going to replace the coil and not give you a new car.

There was a delay in getting the new coil shipped partly due to the customer's lack of cooperation. We know without a doubt that we did everything possible, but we realize that some people will not be satisfied no matter how hard we try.

STATUS: Stalemate