Pitzer's One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating

On July 16 we called Pitzer’s Air Conditioning service. [redacted] came out and looked at our A/C; he called his boss and discussed the A/C problem with him, then gave us a quote on what it would take to do the repairs. He took our credit card number and my husband signed a contract. We were going to be out of town for a few weeks and during this time I was having surgery. We explained this to [redacted] and he said if we would leave a key, they would get the work done and have it ready for me when I came back after surgery. We were assured that they would have it done by Aug 10. [redacted] was even grateful that we were giving so much time during this busy season for them to get the job done. We stressed to him that I would be here resting after surgery and that this had to be done. He assured us that it was not a problem and that the company had plenty of time to get the job done and get it done right.

On Sun, Aug 10 we arrived home to an unfinished job. The skirting was torn out around our house in multiple areas; the A/C was pulled away from the house. When we went inside it was over 100° inside the house. They had turned off the power to the house and did not turn it on and everything in the refrigerator and freezer was ruined. We did not know if it was safe to turn on the power. I was sure that [redacted] had given us a copy of the estimate and we left that on the table, it was not there. I was concerned that someone had our credit card number. We were since told that all three copies of the estimate were together. We called Pitzer’s and talked with [redacted], we told her our problem and she looked up our information. She confirmed with what she was seeing that no one had even come out to start work until the 7th of Aug. She was going to have “[redacted]”, a super visor call us back. We asked if she could email us a copy of what she had, she said she would, but she did not. We also informed her that due to my condition and the smell in the house plus the fact that we did not have a working A/C that we were going to have to get a hotel room for the night.

[redacted] called us, we gave him the information. He said he would look into it and call us back. When we got the second phone call from [redacted]. He told us he had talked to [redacted] and that yes they had missed the deadline. He assured us that someone would be there on Monday am and would not leave until the job was completed and everything was put back together. He also stated that he would be here himself in the morning (Monday).

We got to the house on Monday and shortly thereafter [redacted] showed with another worker. I asked [redacted] what happened, that this was not completed. He said that he took all the paperwork to the office, explained to them that it had to be done by Aug 10 and the reason. Then he left town and somehow the ball got dropped. I asked him about the paperwork missing from the table, he said that [redacted] was the person that came out here and that we would have to ask him. Because I was uncomfortable from the heat and being fresh post-op, my husband took me back to my hotel room. We he returned to the house, [redacted] had arrived. He and my husband discussed the situation and my husband asked what he was going to do to make it right. He stated that the job had been grossly underbid. In reading the other comments underbidding seems to be a big problem with this company. [redacted] said that the damage to the food was not more than $150.00 dollars (obviously he does not shop in his household). He said he would knock so much off the bid and we were responsible for the food and hotel bill, and that was all he would do. And he guaranteed the work would be finished that day.

We came back to the house on Tue. I walked straight to my bedroom to lie down and almost fell thru a big hole in the floor. Yes, the A/C was working and the house was cooled but they had not covered the return air vent, or replaced any of the vents that they were supposed to replace. Again, we talked to [redacted], he spoke with [redacted] and said that they would pick the vents up on that day and have them out here to complete the job. We did not hear from anyone for the rest of Tues or Wed. My husband called [redacted] again on Thurs and told him that the way we have been treated was not acceptable and that he wanted to talk to the owner. [redacted] told him he could not talk to the owner. He told [redacted] that he wanted to talk to his supervisor; [redacted] said he did not have a supervisor that he would handle this and someone would come out today and complete this job. My husband was not going to be here for the rest of the time, so he asked that they called before they came out. Since I lie down periodically thru out the day.

[redacted] showed up, later that day, no prior phone call, woke me up, when I asked about the phone call he said well they knew I was coming out didn’t they call you. He started to work. After about 10min he came to me and said that they would have to be back in the morning that he did not have the right size registers to replace. He did cover the return air in the bedroom. I can’t believe that a company can be in business this long and be so incompetent as to not know the size you need before you drive to a job, especially when you have been out there before and know what is needed. Again I talked to [redacted], he said that he had just talked to [redacted] and they were locating the registers at this time and that they would be here by 8:30 in the morning to replace them and finish this job. I told him to please call before they came out. He said he would personally make sure they did. Well, guess what folks it’s now 11:00 AM on Friday, as I type this and I have not heard from anyone from Pitzer’s.

The food replacement was about $270.00 I did not replace all the condiments and meat. There were eight stakes, T-Bone, Porter House and Rib eye bought from a local meat market in the freezer that we lost, among other meat and vegetables. Estimated loss in refrigerator $300.00(my underbid) and the hotel bill was about $300.00 and all [redacted] can do is say how they lost money on this. I Lost money, time, pain and suffering and it is still not completed.

I received one of their fliers in the mail, advertising 50% off a service call. So I called and made an appointment to have it serviced. There was nothing wrong with my system, this was just preventive maintenance. The technician looks it over and proceeds to tell me I need a condenser, but it is just cheaper to replace the whole outside system. Plus I should get a new evaporator coil too, so it matches. Basically wanting us to spend $4,000. I called another company for a second opinion, they came the next day. I was only 1.4 lbs low on freon. That was it. My system was perfect. I feel they are using scare tactics to get people to make large purchases they don't need. Also the first technician didn't even tell me my system was low on freon.

received service from this company employee regarding a/c repair.

todd was very professional in appearance and how he conducted his service for me.

Excellent knowledgeable service, very nice young man!

Kevin C. did an outstanding job for us. He answered every question we had and gave us all the information on things we can do to make our unit work even better. He is an asset to your company !

Laura was very helpful on the phone and kept us up dated on every step of the process.

Jonathan F[redacted] did a great job in providing an estimate. He was knowledgeable, thorough, and patient in explaining the processes and options for the job and answering my many questions.

Jim was very efficient and had wining personality.

Johnathon was very courteous and profes

Jim F[redacted] did my HVAC System Tune-Up. Very courteous and professional. He walked me through what future services I need to keep my system running smooth and efficient while saving me money in the long run!
Thank you Jim for your service, will do business soon!
:)

[redacted], the technician, did a fine job in the hot afternoon. He was efficient with his time, kept me informed on status and costs to resolve problems, and maintained a neat and clean job site.
I've been with Pitzer for several years and their technicians are quite good.
My only issue with this service call was the cost of replacing 3 capacitors, which was not [redacted]'s problem. I feel the cost was excessive.

Great people, great service.

Review: I'm writing on behalf of my elderly parents who do not use the internet. They have reviewed and approved this complaint. I have power of attorney for my mother who made the purchase and owns the home. I am the primary caregiver for both my parents and handle the majority of their affairs.

Complaints on the sale:

Unit sale: Pitzer performed repair on the old unit that soon after failed. They charged $1038.00 for that repair. When my parents called them out again they were told they needed a new unit. [redacted], the rep told them that they must decide by the next day to purchase the new unit in order to receive the credit for the repair. They felt pressured, not wanting to lose the credit so made the commitment before getting another bid. On a blank white sheet of paper the sales rep scribbled down terms and had my father sign it rather than use a formal proposal. He later provided a formal proposal for him to sign. The are both dated the same but my father is confused about what the timing was. He is 80 years old and has difficulty processing information well so it's not entirely clear he understood what was in front of him.

Warranty sale: My parents were unsure of buying a lengthy warranty given they are in their 80's and told [redacted] they wouldn't be in this home that long, but they made the purchase after [redacted] assured them that the warranty would transfer with the sale of the house and that "it would be a good selling point." It does not transfer.

Failure to provide Itemized invoice: We have been provided only an invoice with the "all in" price of $9,678.00 so there's no way to tell what they charged for the bundle, parts, installation, labor etc. We have asked for one, but so far the company has not provided it.

Complaint on the performance of the new system:

The unit performance: My parents were clear that they wanted a quiet unit and were told this unit would be just that. Now as an additional issue, the unit has a noise problem and there is general agreement among the professionals that have examined it that there is something wrong with it. We expected a manufacturers tech to come out but were visited by the distributor rep this morning instead as a way to "speed up the process." He made it clear he was not a technician and would only be taking measurements which he did. The distributor rep told us he would recommend the unit be replaced. We have been told by the owner that will not happen. They will only replace the condenser. However without a written diagnostic report from a qualified manufacturers tech it's impossible to know what the issue is.

I contacted the business to share my concerns last week and received a call from [redacted] Thorton, the owner, this morning. He was dismissive of my parents complaints surrounding the sale and told me none of them were "valid." He was fully supportive of [redacted] but claimed he had not spoken to him yet because he was out of state. I asked him if he wanted to speak to [redacted] first and call me back but he said no. He made it clear he was not going to address their complaints on the sale and, said he would not agree to replace the unit. He told me he wouldn't speak to me "moving forward" implying I was making up these issues and only wants to speak to my father. He asked if I had power of attorney. My father was planning on calling him back but is nervous to do so given what he overheard during my negative call with [redacted] this morning. He is fearful he may face confrontation and direct dismissal of his complaints and since [redacted] has already said his claims are invalid he has no hope an additional call with him will resolve anything.

This was an unethical sale that resulted in a unit that doesn't work properly. My parents are in their 80's. The sales rep took advantage of that and the owner is simply refusing to address the issues around the sale or replace the unit. We have nothing in writing from a qualified manufacturers tech about what might be wrong with the unit or what [redacted] plans to do next but authorize no additional work or replacement at this time.Desired Settlement: We want this contract and the relationship with this unethical company ended. The other complaints not withstanding, my parents bought the unit based on the reps declaration that they only had until the following day to make the purchase and receive the credit. By the owners own admission that policy is 30 days, not "next day". Based on that fact alone the contract and sale should be null and void. They felt pressured. Had they believed they had more time to receive the credit they would have pursued other bids. Additionally, we now have a new unit that doesn't work properly and have no confidence we will be treated fairly or ethically for repair or replacement after speaking with the owner.

It's not reasonable to think we could maintain a relationship moving forward with this company now that it has turned contentious. [redacted] handling of this issue has been simply, horrible.

My parents are available by phone to talk to anyone at Revdex.com they just don't use the internet or email. However, my power of attorney covers the home the faulty unit sits on so you are free to contact me directly.

Business

Response:

To Whom it May Concern;I am in receipt of the aforementioned complaint. And tostart, I will agree that I was less than professional in my dealings with Ms.[redacted]. When I was contacted by my assistant, [redacted], she told me that[redacted] was extremely rude and condescending and even though that may have beentrue, I should not have entered the conversation with a chip on my shoulder. For that I apologize.Now to answer the letter and the allegations. When I spoketo [redacted] on the Phone Monday, I directlyasked if she had Power of Attorney for Mr. and Mrs. [redacted] and she expresslytold me that she did not. Had she explained to me Monday that she had Power ofAttorney, I would have been more than happy to discuss this with her., butbecause of her attitude and her admitting that she did not have power ofattorney, I felt the easiest thing to do was explain I was not going to discussthese concerns with her.Now to set the record straight.Mr. and Mrs. [redacted] have been a customer of ours since Aprilof 2013. This past spring on April 14, they called us at 12:34 in the afternoonand on the recorded phone call, which lasted 8 ½ minutes, and explained thattheir AC was not blowing out cold air like it should and that they neededservice. Our Customer Service Rep, [redacted], explained our pricing andavailability and an appointment was booked. A Senior Technician, [redacted] B. wasdispatched and according to our GPS arrived 2 hours later at 2:33 and was thereuntil 4:16. [redacted] performed a number of repairs and left with the unit runningfine.9 days later the customer called back and informed us thatthe system was not cooling. When our technician arrived he found that there wassome thermostat wire on the roof that had deteriorated and caused a short. The ‘WorkPerformed’ section of notes from that call state:Arrived a customer’s home for a possiblewarranty call back to repairs just performed on heat pump split system.Customer informed me that thermostat was not working properly and problemoccurred after the last technician was out for repair. Went on roof to checkwiring to the pump and found old sun damaged wiring that had shorted to thefilter dryer. [Note: We have pictures ofthis sun-damaged wire][redacted] was at the customer’s home for 4 hours, and in thattime, he performed a heat load on the home to determine the proper size of a systemand shared with them a few options they had should they decide to replace theirsystem. The ‘Work Suggested’ section of notes from that call state:Due to age of system dating back 30 years andpoor condition of all components other than the new components that I justinstalled I recommended to the customer that they consider replacing equipment.I temporarily installed a new non-programmable digital thermostat and make surethe wires were not grounding. We then discussed options for replacement andcustomer was on the fence about going with a basic or the better value of adeluxe. As it was late in the eveningapproaching 9 o'clock and the customer I shared me they wanted a new system buthad to consider finances before choosing basic or deluxe. They will let me knowthe following morning. I informed customer that if they decided on thereplacement within a day I would credit the customer back the repair they justpaid for with the last tech out.[redacted] returned to the client’s home the next day and atthat time was informed that the customer had decided to have us install theDeluxe System. That was Friday. We did not install the system until thefollowing Tuesday, April 28th.On May 7th, we returned again and performed theduct cleaning, which was part of the package that the customer had included intheir deluxe system.My assistant, [redacted], cannot count the number of times thatshe has spoken to [redacted]. He has always been friendly, clear in his communicationand was always situationally aware. Never did [redacted] feel that [redacted] was senileor unable to understand what was being done at their home, as I believe Ms.[redacted] is implying.On May 27th, again as part of our normal procedures,we returned to perform a Post Install Visit and ensure that everything wasperforming as promised. It was during this visit that [redacted], who hasbeen with the company for 28 years, discovered that the outdoor unit wasextremely loud. [redacted] called me and said he thought we needed to get a new unitin. I explained to [redacted] that we had to jump through some hoops with themanufacturer prior to taking that step. Later that day, when [redacted] came to the office, he explainedto [redacted] that the client’s daughter had been present and was pretty upset.[redacted] called and spoke to [redacted]. She specifically asked him if she should talkto the daughter and [redacted] told [redacted] no. Sometime later, the next day, Ms.[redacted] inserted herself into this situation and that is when the hostilitiesbegan.This past Monday, June 1st, just 3 business daysafter [redacted]’s Post Install Visit, we were able to get a representative out withour technician. After the Manufacturer’s Rep and our Technician left, I spoketo them and then called Ms. [redacted].Had I taken the high road and ignored Ms. [redacted] rudeness andbad attitude I would have done a better job of explaining our findings andresolution. Unfortunately I responded in the same fashion and it is clear, fromthis complaint that I did not do a clear job of communicating what exactly weare doing to make this right.What was determined after I spoke to the manufacturer’s repwas that the noisy outdoor unit is going to be replaced at no charge to Mr. &Mrs. [redacted].As to the concern that the customer bought an extendedwarranty, it is my experience that almost every one of my technicians who arequalified to design and sell new units will always strongly recommend anextended warranty because they are the ones that have to deal with a clientwhen the mechanical equipment has a failure. In other words, based onexperience the technicians believe strongly in the parts and labor warranties.Also, this warranty does transfer to the next owner, at no charge, inthe event the [redacted]’s decide to move. To clarify, there was not an additionalup-charge for an extended warranty, the extended warranty was included in thepackage they chose. (see pricing below and in attachments)In regards to a breakdown of our pricing, our company, whichis a franchise uses cookbook pricing. We do not calculate our pricing using theold school style of parts and labor. Asking for this would be akin to going to[redacted] and asking for a breakdown of their Big-Mac. Below is what thecustomer was charged and the detail of what is included:Deluxe Split System Heat Pump $9,860.00 sb/ $10,248.00Lineset $524.00 s/b $745.00Ductwork $332.00TOTAL $10,716.00Credit for Repairs $1,038.00Total Due and Paid $9,678.00 In writing this letter and detailing the above, I havejust discovered that the customer was undercharged. [redacted] mistakenly used the3.5 ton system price of $9,860,as opposed to the 4.0 ton system price of $10,248and he also used the wrongprice of the lineset. The lineset price is supposedto be $745 as opposed to the $524 he charged. In other words, the[redacted]’s actually got an even greater discount ($609 less) because ourtechnician made these two errors. . Secondly, there was no “extra” charge for an extendedwarranty as Ms. [redacted] implied, as the additional warranty is included with theDeluxe System the client purchased. In closing, Mr. & Mrs. [redacted] were given two choices.We did not pressure them as Ms. [redacted] implied. We have fulfilled our end of thecontract completely and will continue to do so. The customer was asked if weshould involve the daughter and we were told no. Ms. [redacted] was directly askedif she had power of attorney and she told me she did not, yet now in thiscomplaint she says she does. To me that is a dubious claim. Lastly, she saysshe has gotten the complaint approved by her mother and step father, yet thereis no signature from them. In all our dealings with Mr. and Mrs. [redacted], who againhave been customers since 2013, they have been polite and fun to deal with. Itis only when Ms. [redacted] became involved did the dialogue become hostile. Ifreely admit that I should have acted in a much more professional manner andagain, I apologize. Our company has been around since 1969, was the firstcompany in Lake Havasu City to ever join the Revdex.com, are an accredited member andwe have an A+ rating. I would formally ask that all of the aforementionedinformation be taken into consideration and that this complaint be dismissed. Respectfully; [redacted]PresidentN&L Investments, Incdba: Pitzer’s One Hour Air Conditioning

Consumer

Response:

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

Regards,

[redacted] And [redacted]

me and my wife are very happy with the work that was done by Mario and david at putting in our heatpump and staying and making sure it was working right. in a timely manner.

very nice and helpful, explained every aspect of the job to be done. gave good information on other things to help the performance of the unit.

Johnathan was a very good when he came to check my heat pump, he was very polite and answered all of my questions, I would recommend him

[redacted] was prompt, informed, and courteous. He was also dog friendly. Service from Pitzers has always been good. Kudos to them.

[redacted] with Pitzer's is terrific. He is conscientious and thorough and does a great job. I will always request Jim for any additional service if needed.

Review: Approximately 2 years ago I purchased a new air conditioner from Pitzers, and through their recommendation, got what is supposed to be a "Better" unit. I spent $10,000 for this air conditioner, and already the compressor has gone out on it. When calling Pitzers out to fix it, they first tried to tell me that nothing was wrong with it. After insisting that they check again, I was told that there was a leak, but most likely a small one and that they filled it with coolant and would be back on Monday to fix it. I called again on Sunday because it was out of coolant again. They came out and filled it. On Monday they came out and told me that the compressor was leaking and that it would be 1-2 weeks to get the part, but that they would come out every day to add coolant to it. On Tuesday they didn't show up so I called and they finally came out again and added coolant. On Wednesday I called again and at that time I was told that the part hadn't been ordered yet, would take about a week to get, and that they couldn't put coolant in it any longer and we would just have to wait for the part. It's July, in Arizona, I have a house full of people, including a new baby and 3 dogs, and now we're left without air for 1-2 weeks on a unit that I paid $10,000 for 2 years ago. That's not acceptable.Desired Settlement: I'd like something done ASAP so that we can get the air running. 1-2 weeks is not okay.

Business

Response:

Spoke to this customer yesterday and again this morning.All has been resolved.[redacted]

The Tech that serviced my home a/c today was did an excellent job. He listed all current problems, and any potential problems that could occur in the future.

One of Pitzer's technicians (I don't have a name but the job# is [redacted])Prescott, AZ misdiagnosed a faulty furnace claiming "Multiple cracks in the heat exchanger, won't pull vacuum", he then recommended a new one. I got a second opinion and found out it was just a plugged vacuum line from the blower.

This is an unacceptable business practice. If it was truly a bad heat exchanger he should have disable the furnace to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning, which he did not.

Too me this was a scam to sell more furnaces.