Atlas Butler Heating And Cooling Reviews (%countItem)
Atlas Butler Heating And Cooling Rating
Address: 4849 Evanswood Dr, Columbus, Ohio, United States, 43229-6206
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Why is the company still in business? I will never do business with Atlas Butler again. Eight years ago I paid over $6,000 for a new furnace with a 10-YEAR PARTS GUARANTEE. Now, 8 years later the blower motor in the furnace blew out and the charged me $979.00! We asked about our 10 year parts guarantee and were told: "Oh, that is for any Manufacturer's defect in the blower motor." Really?! 10-years?!
Our negative experience is very similar to the ones described below. An Atlas Butler technician came to our home and without doing any diagnosis or looking at the system told we probably had a leak. It was likely that we needed to replace a $4300 part where most of these leaks occur. He went on to say that in his opinion we needed to replace the cooling system as it was 13 years old and we should not replace the part on such an old system, but rather purchase a new warranted system for 5-10K. He offered to recharge the system if we joined the service plan ($190) that night, alleging the pressure was low and therefore we definitely had a leak. We refused the plan but indicated we would would pay to have the system recharged and talk to their sales associate about a possible replacement. His story then changed and he indicated it would be illegal to charge the system with the alleged leak. It became obvious to us that he was not there to fix anything but rather to sell us a new air conditioner and service plan. After calling another company and spending 45 minutes with the technician who showed us each step of the diagnostic procedure, we found that not only was the system fully pressurized did not need a "charge", and was not leaking, the actual problem was with a $600 circuit board that controlled the compressor unit.
We apologize for your experience. We will have a sit-down with this technician and will continue to coach our associates to ensure a more positive customer experience. In addition, we have waived the diagnostic fee for this visit.
On 5/6/2015 I had an HVAC system installed by Atlas Butler. I was told, and it is stated in the contract that the parts were under warranty for 10 years and service for 5 years. On 6/29 the AC unit stopped cooling. I called AB and they sent a technician out the same day. $89.95 service call. He determined that the unit had iced up and he began running tests. He determined that the coil was leaking and needed to be replaced. He replaced the coolant ($300). I was so happy that the parts were under warranty until he told me the charge to replace the coil would be $2499. I questioned why, if it was under warranty, it would be $2500. He said that was the way it is. It would have been $5,000 if I didn't have the warranty. I questioned why something that was under warranty was that much but got no where. On Tuesday I had a text conversation with an AB customer service rep. She confirmed that I had a 10 year parts warranty, and it would $2499 to install the coil. To me it seems that if a company warrants a part for 10 years, it probably won't break.That led me to conclude that the part must have been inferior to start with. I have been told by a licensed, certified HVAC technician that AB quit installing that particular unit shortly after mine was installed. I asked the CSR if I could come pick up the part and have it installed by an individual of my choosing. She told me she couldn't sell me a part, because I'm not a HVAC person. I told her that since it was under warranty, I wasn't asking to BUY it, but to just pick it up. She said NO. I then asked her if the installation charge was really $2400, she said yes. I asked her how many hours it would take, she said they schedule 4 hours, so that says I would be paying $600 per hour for labor. I feel like they trapped me and wanted to force me to use them for a repair. In my opinion very unscrupulous. Mark S advertises on TV about how customer service oriented AB is. In fact posted on the website: It is our mission to serve others with honest solutions for our customers’ needs and to be creative, work smart and have fun. I am a senior citizen on a fixed income. I went to AB because I believed they were the most reputable company. I feel now I was so wrong.
Installing an EVAP coil can take anywhere from 4 -8 hours as
it is a complicated part install. The client does have a parts warranty, but
the labor warranty has expired. That parts warranty can be utilized by any company
of her choosing. That company would have to contact the manufacturer to start claim
which is something I am sure they know how to do as it is a common practice.
The quote of $2100 to replace the coil is a labor charge as the part itself is
covered. This is an accurate quote. No licensed HVAC company will sell or give
parts to a client.
I am rejecting this response because: The CSR said AB schedules 4 hours for this job. $600.00 per hour for labor is exorbitant. I had the part installed for much less. I will stand as a dissatisfied customer and be happy to tell anyone about my Atlas Butler experience. The CEO’s claims of excellent customer service are false advertising
Regards
I had Atlas Butler come to diagnose why my air conditioning was not cooling the house. They diagnosed it as a metering device in the AC, but the technician admitted he wasn't really sure. After trying for two weeks to get a solid answer from them, I paid to have another company come to look at my system. The 2nd company found burnt wires in the furnace from a bad sequencer which was causing the heating element to be on while the AC was trying to run. I was told this could have caused a fire. I called Atlas Butler the let them know of the error and request the refund of the $89 diagnostic fee. The manager refuses to call me back and customer service tells me the manager refuses to issue a refund.
The client paid $89 for our technician to diagnose his issue. Client received a different opinion from another company and never requested for AB to come back to the home to defend our diagnosis. We would have happily refunded the diagnostic fee if it was determined by one of our service managers that our technician made an error. Since we weren't notified until after the client paid another company to touch his system, we weren't given the opportunity to help and have to stand by our initial diagnosis. We are unable to issue a refund at this time.
AB agrees to refund $89 diagnostic fee to client.
Hi, I am satisfied with the refund of the $89 diagnostic fee. I just wish the manager would have called me back and/or agreed to the refund before going through all of this. Thanks!
I explained that I was hiring a private contractor because I have home owners insurance. The salesman didn't follow through with approvals according to the home owners warranty company. In addition, I received an original bill for $$5097 and this was the price I was quoted. I have a purchase order that was emailed. I paid $89 that day and was told it would go towards the purchase of the service if I went with them. I just received a bill from them for $$5515! How did it go up $500 dollars! In addition, I am still fighting with the homeowners warranty company because they are saying that Atlas Butler didn't follow through the process with them! Very Dissappointed!
Atlas Butler does not collaborate or work with home warranty companies in any capacity. Please see attached estimate for $5515.00 provided by our *** the client. There is no other estimate in the system.
The screenshotted conversation is a quote to repair the unit, not to replace it. The quote provided of $5,515.00 that was provided to the client is the quote for the new system. Replacement was recommended vs replacement due to price. Client agreed and scheduled replacement.
You keep sending documents which aren't the original documents I was presented with. In addition, you were aware that I have a home warranty company and texts were exchanged about it that I attached before. You state that you won't work with homeowners insurance which you were aware that I had. So you are saying that you don't provide customer service and really care less if I get the money from the contract that I originally thought I would. Your responses are just documents provided after the original document. So basically, you are saying sorry about [your problem, we knew about it, we aren't helping take any of the responsibility, we just want your money, we don't care even though you were a customer?
Complaint: ***
I am rejecting this response because:
Regards
Hello, I live in a condo that was built 1985 and on 1-2-20 my furnace had enough and stopped working properly. I called Atlas Butler to come and see what the issue was, at that time the service person came and said that he would fix it but he didn't know how long it would last. then on 1-3-20 it stopped again, called them out again and this time they stated I needed a new furnace certainly not what I wanted to hear. the tech shut off the furnace and red tagged it and called his advisor to come and speak with me to purchase a new unit. Advisor came and was there until 11:00 pm , he measured and accessed the old unit and also convinced me to purchase the AC along with the heating total $8270.00. The unit I had was a 50,000 BTU , not sure about the AC unit, the advisor did not advise that they would be placing a smaller heating unit in and with him measuring he didn't advise that the air ducts would not be replaced. The unit was placed in the following day which was a Saturday and he stated it would take at least 5 hrs and it was less. I went down looked at it and didn't realize until later that the ducts were not changed the furnace was to close to the hot water tank and other issues. I have called them back several times because the unit roars and and they stated that there was nothing they could do about that, I called because the wall thermostat went out, I called them because the air unit fan didn't work. I called them back recently because the AC made the thermostat click three times when the unit starts up again they said it was normal- not normal my old unit was quite and didn't click when either unit stated up. the tech all turned up the flow of air and now I have to turn my TV up louder each time the AC comes on. I am so over this experience with this company and they come with a different excuse each time. My neighbor got a unit put in and it look professional by another company that is not a household name like Atlas Butler. My unit looks like silver tape is holding it together and it has been pieced up with my old unit it looks tacky. I am truly not happy with this heating unit and how they keep saying there is nothing they can do to make it better, this is so efficient so they say, I say it is not. I can hear when my heat kicks (roars) on and AC (click x3) starts up. I should not have that much noise in my house this will be a mark against me when I go to sell because of the noise nobody will want that.
Clients concerns have been forwarded to the Install Manager and he will be reaching out to set up a time to take a look at these issue. I apologize for the inconvenience.
I purchased a home with a brand new furnace and A/C unit installed by atlas butler. They installed the unit at the end of september 2019 and I purchased the home in october of 2019. Thereafter I called them to have the warranties placed over into my name as im the current home owner. Since getting into the warmer part of the year we have turned on our air conditioner for the first time since living here and noticed it doesnt properly cool our home and the unit runs for 3 to 4 hours continuously and turns off for ten minutes or so and then again runs for a few hours straight. This even happens throughout the night when the temps are cooler and the sun is down.
I first contacted them by phone about these issues and they sent a technician out to look at the unit and system. During his inspection of the unit he asked me numerous questions about the size of my home and mentioned the a/c unit size may be too small but told me that atlas butler has "comfort specialist" that handle those things. He did turn up the blower motor in the furnace and said other than that everything looked fine and if things didn't improve to contact the company again to look into things further.
I did contact them later that evening as the unit still wasn't performing well to cooling our home or lowering the humidity in our home. I spoke with an advisor who sent over my complaint to a "comfort specialist" and said they would be contacting me that next day. I was never contacted the following day and again called them to ask why I hadn't been contacted and this time a supervisor spoke to me and went to his manager who he stated " had my complaint on his desk" but was on the phone with another customer and would either contact me later that day or the following day. Both of which did not happen. The following day I called to ask to speak to a manager directly about the issue because my calls weren't being returned and after explaing the problem to a represinitave. She was persistent to not allow me to speak to anyone with any authority and then stated " she wasn't going to argue with me" and hung up on me.
On their website they state "Atlas Butler offers, in writing, a No Lemon Guarantee, a Comfort Guarantee, a Property Protection Guarantee, and a two-year 100% Money-Back Guarantee"
I've expressed both complaints with them about not being happy with the inadequate size of unit that was installed and that we are not living in "comfort" so we would like for them to stand by that guarantee.
Atlas Butler has been to this home multiple times and it was never determined that the unit is undersized. The unit is however under warranty (2 years for service, 10 years for parts) and we have been to the home to perform warranty services on the unit on 6/8/2020. The new homeowner is not the original purchaser of the equipment so the 100% money Back guarantee doesn't apply to him, neither does the No Lemon Guarantee (even though the unit was working upon our departure on 6/8/2020). We will continue to honor any warranty work for the remainder of the warranty period. If the client insists that the unit is undersized, then he would have to purchase a new larger unit at full cost.
Complaint: 14450946
I am rejecting this response because:
Regards,
***
I have never asked for money back from this company. My request was to pay the difference in my current size unit to a larger unit that cools my house properly. In my complaint I never stated the unit didn’t work but that the unit doesn’t cool my home properly. It’s humid and warm in my home even when the a/c unit is running and has run for hours continuously. Of course someone who isn’t living in the home can assume that the unit works fine or because their technicians have looked at it and determined that it’s running that all is good as far as comfort and that isn’t possible. If a company isn’t willing to listen and help with your concerns then they aren’t a fair company. I’ve offered to pay the difference on a larger unit and that isn’t possible. What a joke. They insist that I just buy a new larger unit which would make no financial sense to anyone who just bought a home with a brand new unit and furthermore knowing how they do business now if I were to do that I damn sure wouldn’t have them do it. They’ll leave you uncomfortable
Phoned Atlas Butler to come to business location to assist with AC units not cooling. Technician arrived and looked at thermostats and said they were on the wrong setting. Total time in the building was 35 minutes. No tools or material used in this service call. Technician sat in service van for a while after he left the premises. I received an invoice for 2 hours of labor ($115/hour), a $35 charge for "trip" charge , and a $10 charge for "consumables". When invoice received it was for $275. Should have been $150. I called and complained. Atlas Butler is padding their invoices and expecting consumers and businesses to pay for time when technician is not present. Initially they said they would remove the extra hour of service. Today they said they would have done that if I was going to due a 'Maintanence agreement" with them. The person I spoke to in order to resolve this was nasty( listen to the tape AB). She accused me of doing similar billing as anesthesiologist. I refused to pay their full amount and sent a check for $150 today. I will not be using AB in the future and will not give them a recommendation to the rest of my business colleagues in our condo association or medical communities.
The customer originally complained that we had billed him
for 2 hours when our tech was on site for 35 minutes. Our service calls for
non-contract customers have a 2 hour minimum with a $35 truck charge. We also
utilize GPS to ensure our techs are honest with billing and in this particular
case, the GPS verified the entire call did legitimately take 2 hours with
drivetime included. We offered to adjust the bill to reflect a service contract
rate if the customer signed up for a service agreement. He ultimately did not
sign up for a service agreement so the bill was adjusted back to reflect the
original bill. This minimum call is standard for the commercial hvac industry
and many customers fail to understand the cost involved in performing services
for a customer that involves us coming to them and often expect their own
business practices, that may or may not involve their services being mobile, to
be the same as ours. We strive to treat everyone with the utmost respect while
remaining profitable, these practices are fair, acceptable within the industry
and necessary for our company to maintain the stability to employee over 150
employees in central Ohio.
Obviously not their first complaint on this issue as they fall back on the “industry standard “ line to bilk money from their customers. There was no mention of the two hour minimum labor amount. I ask the tech about a maintenance agreement and suggest some call me for a quote. Not once was it mentioned that it was tied to the invoice . They charged a trip charge to cover the drive time for their tech. They are double dipping to be “ profitable” on the backs of their customers. Think about it... job time 35 minutes.... charged two hours of labor. Thief equates to almost 90 Minutes of extra charge time. I’ve paid $150 and am done with them.
Regards
Technician Mica J talked me into a tankless hot water heater and I agreed to have it installed yesterday by Trevor W. This evening I found it leaked all over the basement. Called three hours ago, no response yet and it is leaking fast. I've never had a problem with a hot water heater for 28 years in this home until I let Atlas Butler plumbing in this week.
On March 24, 2020 I had Atlas Butler come to my home for furnace issues. They told me I needed a mother board for my furnace. When the new board was installed they then were unable to get the furnace to work. I had to show them where the electric box was located and another technician was called in and said I needed a blower for *** more. Before that there was no problems with the blower or electrical problems. The technician said that I could get a new furnace for *** verses $*** for the blower. The first technician said I had to pay for the board even though it did not fix the problem. Later that night Mike came in and told me the estimated cost would be *** and he would have to talk to his boss about taking *** off for the board and I was not provided an invoice. On the invoice I was charged *** for installation which made the cost ***. He then deducted *** because I was a club member which took the cost down to $***. I called Atlas Butler back on March 31, 2020 and requested an invoice. I asked how much I would be financing and I was told *** And that was the $975 deducted from the cost. When I received my bill the *** was not deducted and when I called Mike he said that the amount I had to finance was $*** and the *** was not deducted. I did not receive an invoice from Mike until April 1, 2029. I feel that I was way overcharged and I would like a refund for the
Total cost was $5705.00. Client received two separate discounts of $978.00 and $922.00 for the original cost of part and the club member discount leaving a total of $3805.00 which is what was financed. Please see attached invoice.
Total cost was ***. Client received two separate discounts of *** and *** for the original cost of part and the club member discount leaving a total of *** which is what was financed. Please see attached invoice.
A Check for *** is being processed and will be mailed to clients home address.
Atlas Butler Invoice ***4849 Evanswood Dr, Invoice Date 3/25/2020Columbus, OH 43229 Completed Date 3/25/2020Technicians Phillip ESam BCustomer POBilling Address Job Address***
***
***Description of WorkS 80 % 44 k f utility roomTask # Description Quantity Your Price Your TotalPKG-117 Standard GF / 80% / 44K BTU / 3 Ton Blower / 14.25" Width 1.00 $5,705.00 $5,705.00DiscountREP Applicable service repair discount 1.00 $***DiscountCLUB Your Club's membership discount 1.00 ***Standard Furnace Standard Furnace 1.00 ***
Atlas Butler ***Paid On Type Memo Amount3/30/2020 Synchrony Financing ***Member Savings $0.00Sub-Total ***Tax $0.00Total Due ***Payment ***Balance Due $0.00The above price (***) and specifications of this quotation are satisfactory and are hereby accepted. All work to be performedunder same terms and conditions, unless otherwise stipulated.3/25/2020The above price (***) and specifications of this quotation are satisfactory and are hereby accepted. All work to be performedunder same terms and conditions, unless otherwise stipulated.3/25/2020
A Check for $975 is being processed and will be mailed to clients home address.
I reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID, and find the resolution is satisfactory to me.
Regards
Revdex.com:
I reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID, and find the resolution is satisfactory to me.
Regards
I had a Furnace and Air Conditioning unit installed last May and they sold me a service contract. I called in September to cancel the service since I felt that I did not need this any longer. They mentioned that I could not cancel since it was part of the installation agreement. If I cancelled, I would have to pay them $500 so I inquired how long I had to keep this service contract. They mentioned that I had to keep it till February 2020 and at that time, they would cancel it. I received a call on March 18th that they wanted to come out to do an inspection as part of the service agreement. They mentioned at this time that it was part of the service contract and nothing else so I scheduled this. They came out today and said that everything looked good and I then called the company to make sure that my service contract was cancelled. They said that I had to stay with the service contract and pay for April and possibly May as I agreed for them to come out and check their installation that they did last year.
If I did not pay this, I would owe $400 for them coming out. I was really taken back at this type of Business trap and was very deceived. The representative that I spoke to today was very uncooperative and said that they had my voice as agreeing to the payment until May. I told her that it was agreed that the service contract would be cancelled in February of this year and there was nothing discussed at extending this by them coming out to look at the furnace/air conditioner. She was very rude and should not be representing the company
Client was told on 7/31/19 that the agreement ran until may and was a 12 month agreement. Client even repeated it back multiple times. It was never discussed that plan would be canceled in February. He was told that there would be a charge to cancel due to discounts he received, client stated he would keep for the remainder of the contract but would not renew. Client paid past due balance on account and the call ended. The next call was to schedule his annual maintenance on 9/3/2019, again no mention of agreement canceling in February.
Complaint: ***
I am rejecting this response because: I did not agree to pay this until May as the rep mentioned on 7/31/19 that the contract would be cancelled in February. There was no annual maintenance done on 9/3/2019 as they said it was not necessary and the first that they came out was today 3/19/2020. There was no prior commitment to continue until May. In fact, the rep today mentioned that since I had the maintenance check today, that it would now be continued until May. Total entrapment by Atlas Butler. I am not happy by their conniving activities and will never recommend them to anyone. Be AWARE!
Regards
Atlas Buttler Heating and Cooling . A TOTAL RIP-OFF
Their $89.00 service call was acceptable and they came out the same day.
After researching the part replaced, it was the blower motor run capacitor and could be bought direct from *** for $29.00. Atlas Buttler charged me $299.00 for the part. Markup of 967.857%. Profit of $277.00. The labor needed was the removal of 5 screws, unplug the old part, plugin the new part and replace 5 screws. Total of about 10 minutes.
I was also told that when he plugged the new part in I would be charged for it whether it fixed it or not. When I called to complain I was curtly told their prices are what they are and nothing could be done.??
Atlas Butler has set pricing on all our repairs. This is to
protect the consumer form price gouging. Ig the repair takes 10 hours or 30
minutes, the price will be the exact same. Parts are available online for
cheap, but they do not come with a warranty, or a qualified and certified technician
to install it. We did provide the client with the desired repair and the system
worked as it should upon the technicians departure.
I am rejecting this response because: Atlas Butler did not address my specific complaint. 1. The extreme markup of the part, to use their term, (price Gouging). 2. Why would they charge me for a part that might not fix the problem. The technician wouldn't plug in the new part until I gambled on a $299.00 part that might not fix the problem. The part I researched was an OEM part with a warranty commonly available. What was the $89.00 service call for? Their answer just dances around my complaint. My expectation is fix the problem, charge me for the part with a reasonable markup. I would also like an invoice. when I called them for service they said they needed my email so they could send an invoice.
Regards
1.The part comes with a manufacturers warranty as well as the workmanship warranty (which cannot be purchased online with OEM part or otherwise) in the event of an installation error caused by our technician.
2. I don’t see this documented anywhere. The service notes (which were emailed to you on 3/2/20 at 3:30pm) stated what the issue was, what our recommendations were, and what was actually done. “Found blower cap failed. Recommended replacing motor with cap, client declined. Replaced cap only for $388. Thank you!”
3. The $89 fee was for the diagnostic of the system which was completed.
I reiterate that the requested services were completed and
the system was in proper working order upon our departure. Or prices are
uniform across the board for this level of repair.
I am rejecting this response because: your statement that you recommended blower motor replacement is a lie. *** OEM parts are available.***x start capacitor 7.5 mfd/370v *** never used a *** branded capacitor. They used several different vendors. Your technician failed to tell you that he didn't install the correct part. He told me that he didn't have the right part but this bigger one will work. WILL THIS DAMAGE OR LESSON THE LIFE OF THE BLOWER MOTOR.
You have not addressed the issue of potentially charging for a part that might not work. My original resolution stands.
Regards
Called for service. They came and "fixed" problem. Payment in full was rendered at that time. Day or two later problem returned, so I contacted the company to return. Guy came and said he was unable to fix because unit had a gate around it that his hands could not fit through. He started sawing the gate without my permission and I ran out and told him to stop because the gate belongs to the property owners and he can not saw it down. I signed a form that he was here but there was a 0. balance. I called another company to get problem fixed. Then. 2 or 3 months later, Atlas started sending me a bill for him coming a second time. I told her he damaged my property and never fixed issue. I never signed or agreed to pay for his return. She informed me that he is no longer with company but I am still responsible for bill and have since sent to collections. I have bill from other company showing how they had to come service the unit that Atlas did not fix. Also have photos of where he sawed the gate
Amount was billed in error. Has since been removed from collections. We apologize for the error.
I am satisfied with the resolution
Apologies for the length of this complaint; however, I felt it important to provide a detailed account in order to substantiate my complaint and request for resolution.
Background: After a great deal of rigmarole regarding a promise made to me on Nov. 26, 2019, by Atlas Butler HVAC technician Nathan S and several subsequent appointment requests on my part beginning No. 25, 2019, Ms. Debra S, Client Service Representative, finally—on Jan.14, 2020—scheduled me for furnace cleaning and inspection to be performed on Jan. 20, 2020. (The Nov. 6 promise and resulting issue is indirectly related to this complaint. I’ve not included those details here due to this already lengthy complaint but am happy to provide them, should they be requested.)
For the Jan. 20 appointment, I requested—and was promised—technician Nathan S as he’d been here on Nov. 25, and I’d been very happy with his professionalism, willingness to provide information, and friendliness. Ms. S offered me an appointment for Jan. 16 but told me Nathan wouldn’t be available until Jan. 20. So, in order to have Nathan, I waited the additional 4 days and scheduled for Jan. 20.
On January 20, 2020, Mr. Rudra N—not Nathan—arrived at my house to do the work. I was unhappy (and later emailed Ms. S to say so) but assumed Mr. N was equally qualified, so had him go ahead and do the work.
Approximately. 1 - 1.25 hrs. later, after Mr. N had already (supposedly) inspected/cleaned the furnace (which Ms. S had told me, on Dec. 5, would take 1.5 - 2 hrs.), he came upstairs and told me I needed a new furnace, and that it should be replaced immediately. (Note that Mr. N had gone ahead and allegedly performed the $150 service—on a furnace that ostensibly needed immediate replacement—before informing me about the need for replacement. He failed to ask whether I still wanted him to clean it.) Mr. N repeatedly emphasized that the replacement should be made ASAP because (1) the heat chamber had cracks and (2) carbon monoxide was leaking from those cracks, (2) it is impossible to repair or replace a heat exchanger; the entire furnace must be replaced.
Mr. N offered no evidence of these claims, so I asked numerous questions, including whether the CO was an imminent danger, to which he replied no. He also told me that a heat exchanger cannot be repaired or replaced. He strongly emphasized only that I needed to replace the furnace right away and mentioned nothing about any other problems with the furnace.
He then returned to the furnace for approx. 5-10 minutes to finish his work. When he came back upstairs—just before leaving—he suddenly told me the motor was “very hot” and that it was ready to go out “any day.” Again, I asked numerous questions, including whether the motor was a fire hazard, to which he replied no. However, he continually repeated that I should replace the furnace immediately. I paid the $150 fee, and Mr. N left.
It is my practice to carefully research and obtain several estimates before spending large amounts of money on goods or services. So, I began doing that on Mr. N’s departure. Approximately 2 hrs. into my research, I became chilly and went to turn up the thermostat. I discovered that it had already been turned up, but the room temperature reading was well below the setting. I checked the register; there was a slight warmth emanating from it (due to heat rise, I presume), but the fan was blowing no warm air out. I double-checked the thermostat, fan, and basement power switch to be sure I wasn’t overlooking something. I was not.
I called Atlas Butler immediately; they said someone would be out in a short while. It was Mr. N who came. Before heading to the basement, he stated that the problem was likely an internal switch—to which an owner/customer has no access—that had tripped because the furnace was in such bad shape. After looking at the furnace, he returned and stated that it was indeed the internal switch, he’d flipped it back, and there was no telling when it might flip again due to the furnace condition. I thought it quite odd that this switch had never—in 28 years—tripped, yet it had reportedly done so within 2 hrs. of Mr. N’s departure.
Mr. N AGAIN urged me to replace the furnace immediately. When I told him I needed to research/get estimates and that it would likely be at least 2 weeks before replacement, his face visibly fell. When I mentioned that I needed to decide what type of air filter I wanted, he replied, “You’re thinking too much.” He handed me an Atlas Butler furnace pamphlet and told me exactly which of the 2 or 3 advertised furnaces I should buy. I stated that I would continue researching, and if Atlas Butler’s estimate was comparable to the others, I might indeed choose them for the replacement. Just before leaving, Mr. N, in what sounded like a tone of genuine concern, stated, “I want you to get that new furnace right away.”
While further researching, I ran across a review in which a customer stated that a tech (company unknown) had “sabotaged” her furnace so she would buy a new one. I mentally scoffed, thinking, “How would she know?” However, after the very odd “coincidence” of my furnace going out within 2 hrs. of Mr. N’s leaving, it did cause me to wonder.
For estimates, a friend recommended C & Son Heating and Cooling very highly; their reviews were excellent, so I chose them for my first estimate. Mr. Scott C, the owner, came to give me that estimate on Jan. 24. I mentioned a tech having told me the heat chamber was cracked, CO was leaking, the very hot motor was about to fail, and the odd “coincidence” of the furnace failing immediately after it was supposedly inspected and cleaned. Being somewhat suspicious by this time, I decided (of my own volition) to pay Mr. C for another inspection ($115) before having him give me an estimate.
He inspected the furnace, performed a test for CO, and later inspected the chimney outdoors. When he finished, Mr. C came upstairs and stated, “You’re fine.” He told me that
(1) there is no such thing as an internal switch that flips when a problem occurs,
(2) there were no cracks in the heat chamber,
(3) there was no CO leak,
(4) the motor “running hot” was no different than any other motor that is working hard, and
(5) I did NOT need a new furnace.
Moreover, when I asked if it looked clean, he stated, (6) “It looked like no one had been in there.” (He also repeated that statement later in writing, which I can produce.) He did show me that rust had begun to accumulate on the flue pipes (never mentioned by Mr. N), which should be replaced at some point, but not necessarily immediately. He also went outdoors to inspect the chimney from the ground.
I was astonished! I might have expected deception from a fly-by-night company, but not a longtime, big-name company such as Atlas Butler. Truly incredulous, I asked more questions of Mr. C, including what I now suspected: Whether techs receive bonuses if a customer purchases a furnace based on a tech’s recommendation.“That’s how they sell furnaces,” Mr. C replied. I also learned that technicians often recommend replacing a furnace when no such replacement is needed.
In fact, in further after-the-fact research, I learned from NUMEROUS websites that Mr. N’s exact claims are a common scam tactic. For instance, an article titled “Beware of These HVAC Scams” states “Be extra vigilant when a technician tells you that your heating unit is leaking gas and carbon monoxide and recommends replacement right away. The contractor should be able to show some proofs such as a crack on the unit.” (https://nappsac.com/blog/beware-hvac-scams/) And, verifying Mr. C’s statement, another source states “In most cases where a technician has deemed a heat exchanger “cracked and unable to be replaced,” only about 10% of them are true. The rest usually turn out to be unethical tactics to sell new furnaces. (https://www.americasbestcomfort.com/blog/heating/crackedheatexchangerfraud/)
Regarding simply replacing the heat chamber, though most articles state that replacing an entire furnace MAY make more financial sense a heat exchanger CAN be replaced: “The best way to repair a cracked heat exchanger is to remove it and put in a new one.” (https://www.trustcolliers.com/blog/heating-service/furnace-cracked-heat-exchang...⇄ />
Furthermore, despite Mr. N’s assurance that the small amount of CO he claimed was leaking was not harmful, another article states “Your furnace can develop a crack in its heat exchanger or flue pipes, causing a CO leak into your home’s air. If a CO leak were to develop from your furnace, you and your family could quickly be in danger.” (https://6andfix.com/the-dangers-of-carbon-monoxide-leaks-from-a-furnace/) Apparently, Mr. N either engages in deception or knows nothing about CO and is dangerously unqualified for this work.
Regardless of whether such deception is common practice, Mr. N clearly fabricated 6 claims: (1) The heat chamber was cracked, (2) CO was leaking, (3) it is not possible to repair or replace just a heat exchanger (4) the motor was about to fail, (5) the furnace NEEDED to be replaced, and (6) it NEEDED to be replaced immediately. I also suspect, based on Mr. C’s “It looked like no one had been in there,” comment that Mr. N may neither have inspected nor cleaned the furnace at all.
Whether this kind of deception is encouraged by Atlas Butler in general or whether Mr. N is simply one dishonest technician among numerous reputable Atlas Butler techs (such as Nathan S seemed to be), I do not know. However, even if the latter is the case, Atlas Butler bears responsibility in that they failed to send Nathan S, whom I requested and had been promised, and hired/sent a dishonest and/or unqualified technician instead.
In total, I have paid $354 to find out that not a thing is wrong with my furnace, which is still, according to Mr. C, in need of cleaning:
11/06/19: $89.00 to Atlas Butler (5-min. visit to be told what I needed was an electrician, not an HVAC tech)
01/20/20: $150.00 to Atlas Butler (alleged cleaning and inspection)
01/24/20: $115 to C & Son
TOTAL: $354
Apparently, of that $354, the ONLY service ACTUALLY PERFORMED on my furnace was Mr. C’s legitimate charge of $115.
While Atlas Butler’s $89 charge is far from equitable for 5 min. and no service performed, I do understand that that’s simply how Atlas Butler operates…it’s just the customer’s tough luck.
That leaves $150, for which I received Mr. N outrageous lies and, apparently, nothing else. Therefore, I wish to have my $150 refunded. Should Atlas Butler or the Revdex.com request a third inspection to validate Mr. C’s report, I welcome that opportunity, at Atlas Butler’s expense.
I did not take this complaint directly to Atlas Butler before submitting it here, as a potential argument would have further compounded the situation. Thus, I have chosen to bring it directly to a neutral third party. My hope is that this matter will be quickly resolved and that no further action will be necessary. Thank you.
Under normal circumstances Atlas Butler would dispatch a service manager to the home to review the work of the accused technician to validate the claim. However, since another company has already touched the furnace we will give client the benefit of the doubt and refund $150.
Revdex.com:
I reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID, and find the resolution is satisfactory to me.
Regards
Our heater stopped working this morning. I called Atlas Butler for service. A technician came to review and said I had a crack in my system. He said not to use it because of a potential for carbon monoxide poisoning. I had another company come and review. The gentleman cleaned the flame sensor and tested for carbon monoxide with an actual detector. The output was at a normal level. Atlas Butler turned off heat to our house based on potential that didn't exist. They was a scam, this is not a review. They wanted me to buy a new furnance, not even temporarily what we had on a cold day to be warm. I called the business to report this and asked for a manager, and they hung up on me.
Atlas Butler will refund the $89 diagnostic fee.
Revdex.com:
I reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID, and find the resolution is satisfactory to me. I will look forward to the refund actually processing and if so will consider this matter closed.
Regards
We had Atlas Butler come to our home to provide an estimate for replacement of our heat pump and air conditioner early last Spring. We did not select them, yet they are billing us for $56.05. This was a free estimate, not a service call, so we have no idea what this charge is for. We have left multiple messages and even sent a letter by mail asking for an explanation. A lady named Rachel sent us an email just after the estimate and we’ve tried reaching out to her with no response. We’re not paying for something we never received.
Client signed up for one our maintenance agreements on 5/24/19 which entitled her to a diagnostic fee waiver in the event of a service call. Client received that service call the same day and of course the fee of $89 was waived. Client canceled membership shortly after and we ask for any received discounts to be paid back if membership is canceled before one year. The client paid us $32.95 to start the membership, so the $56.05 balance is the difference of the $89 fee that was waived and the $32.95 that was already paid to us. A voicemail explaining this situation was left on 7/16/19.
At no time was this explained to us. In fact we were never informed of any balance owed or given any explanation as to what the charge stemmed from. Why weren’t our phone calls returned or a response to our letter? There was never any contract signed for said membership either.
Regards
Atlas Butler has not received any phone calls or letters on this account. Every phone call that comes into our building is recorded and stored on our server. We have only had contact with the client on 5/24/19 and it was multiple times. The last account activity was on 7/16 which is when we left a voicemail explaining the charge to the client. In addition, an invoice was sent to the client on 6/6/19 via USPS explaining the charge. We have not received any correspondence from this outside the initial conversations. The initial phone call consisted of the client being told about the membership to which she replied “I saw that online… How much is it per month?” Our terms and conditions are located on our website along with the memberships. I am attaching the outstanding balance invoice as well as the invoice from the service visit on 5/24/19.
I am rejecting this response because: We tried contacting Atlas Butler multiple times. We sent a letter and returned invoices with a question as to what the charge was. It was NEVER explained to us that we would be responsible for the consultation to give us an estimate. What kind of company charges for estimates? They didn’t do anything! In fact their representative sat at our kitchen table and tried to pressure us into purchasing a $15,000 heat pump and AC from him. He was very upset that we turned him down. So no, we don’t feel we are responsible for the $56.05 and are prepared to take our complaint to the *** office.
Regards
Posting a bad review for Atlas Butler is simply not enough, this company should be charged for fraudulent diagnosis and service. As part of my yearly maintenance service contract with Atlas Butler I had a technician at my home this morning to service our furnace. Having spent some time in our attic he came downstairs and told me that he needed to red tag my furnace, he said that it had cracks that were leaking CO and it needed to be shut down. He said that my options were to replace the part which was cracked, approx $3,000 (part & installation) or entire replacement of furnace. He wanted me to sign a form stating that I had acknowledged his diagnosis of a furnace that was dangerous and should not be used. He hadn’t filled in any information on this form, so was asking me to sign a diagnostic form minus any of his written details. When I questioned his diagnosis he said he had pictures, but then fumbled to find photos in his phone, which I found strange given that he supposedly had just taken photos. He also failed to give me any information on the CO levels he found; were the levels high or low, etc.. Coincidentally I had heard the same story from a friend of mine who had her furnace red tagged and had to replace her system with Atlas Butler, remembering her story was also giving me pause. Conveniently this technician could have another Atlas Butler person out to give a quote on the furnace replacement within a two hour window. In the meantime I called *** Plumbing & Heating for a second opinion. A professional technician from *** Plumbing & Heating carried out a diagnostic on the furnace, he tested for CO levels and looked for the reported cracks. The technician from *** Plumbing & Heating said that there was nothing wrong with our furnace, there was no CO leak or cracks. He took the red tag off our furnace & compiled a complete report including pictures. Atlas Butler should not be given the opportunity to continue to scam home owners in our community.
Upon viewing the service summary for the address, it has been determined that this client did in fact have an unsafe furnace unit. There are multiple pictures of the cracked heat exchanger that we will be happy to share with client. The form that was presented is known as an "unsafe appliance" form which details that our company inspected the furnace and explained why it was unsafe. Any company will have such a form for liability reasons.
I have read the response from Atlas Butler, the photographs that they make reference to cannot be photographs of my furnish. This continued claim of theirs is so unprofessional that it cannot be left without further recourse. The company who kindly came and inspected our furnish on the same day as Atlas Butler also took photographs and documented that the furnish was in perfect working order with NO cracks. Companies like Atlas Butler who refuse to take responsibility for shoddy technicians and bad business practices should not be able to continue to do business in our neighborhoods. I am happy to provide actual photographs of our furnish to any interested party!!
I found out today that, as Comfort Club members, they were not actually performing maintenance services on our HVAC system. Our furnace, despite being "maintenanced" regularly, had not been cleaned in YEARS! It stopped working today because the flame sensor was FILTHY and the burners were rusted. A wonderful local company (not Atlas Butler) was able to come out and perform the maintenance and told me I really needed to get regular maintenance done and not let it go for years. That's when I told him Atlas Buter was SUPPOSEDLY doing that for us and he was shocked. I asked the guy from the local company if he thought our furnace would need replaced soon as Atlas Butler has been harassing me for several years about replacing it stating it isn't doing well and could go out any time. Turns out it's in GREAT shape and we should have no problem getting another 5-10 years out of it. I immediately called Atlas Butler to cancel our Comfort Club membership. The girl on the phone was more than happy to cancel, but told me that I would still have to pay out the remainder of my contract. I asked why I should have to pay Atlas Butler when they aren't holding up their end of the contract and she got nasty with me. Apparently I have to hold up my end of the contract or be sent to collections (yes, she did threaten this) but Atlas Butler can lie in their documentation and not actually perform any service to my HVAC system.
Atlas Butler has indeed performed maintenance on this clients furnace annually for the past few years and I am uploading the invoices detailing those visits. The client has had dirty igniters in the past and has been urged to replace furnace unit do to age and cost of repairs The client opted to forgo repairs which is the reason the flame sensor became dirty again so quickly. We have decided to cancel the clients membership with no further charges.
Revdex.com:I reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID, and find the resolution is satisfactory to me. However, several other companies disagree with your assessment of the furnace. You have been telling me for years to replace it but it should last for at least another 5 years according to several area experts. Perhaps if you didn't give your employees commission on selling a furnace they wouldn't do such a crap job cleaning them (or not clean at all) to force you into buying something you don't need to line their pockets.
Regards
I am being charged for an annual billing membership where the terms and conditions say the monthly fee on the annual membership pays for the "free" services I received. I canceled my membership and the company billed me for the remaining annual membership to cover the portion of the "free" services.
I talked with Atlas Butler Heating and Air about the situation. They went back and listened to the phone call where I was sold the annual membership. The company admitted that they did not provide any of the fine print disclosures about terminating the policy. She then admitted that I should have been told about the fine details of the cost structure and she apologized for not doing that.
I was not told of the cancellation policy and Atlas Butler admitted to not providing me this information but yet I am still being charged.
Although the client didn’t receive a copy of our terms and agreements, the client was explained the cancellation policy via phone on 11/21 and 12/9. In addition to this, they were directed to the website where this information is available. No refund can be given, amount billed was to offset discounts received.
Complaint: ***I am rejecting this response because: You just admitted that you did not share the disclosure with me and then penalize me for that. Yes, you explained the terms to me six months after we entered into the agreement.
Your employee admitted to me that they failed to give me the details at the inception of the agreement.
Regards
The client was made aware of our cancellation policy twice, giving them ample time to make an informed decision. They chose to cancel membership as opposed to keeping until it expired. No refund will be given as client received quite a few discounts on services we provided.
I am outraged by what happened. Our furnace was out. The tech from Atlas Nathan S came and said it is not fixable and NO tech will fix it because it is not safe. A fuse and or a transformer was out. He showed us the inside of what he claims to be an issue with some water and corrosion and is pushing a replacement heat exchange or what he recommended a new furnace all together. I do have a home warranty, I called them and they had someone come out. I had them look at it, and they fixed it right on the spot. Replaced the fuse, found why it was blown and fixed that, and the water was because of a clogged drain pipe which he cleaned. IT WAS A SIMPLE FIX!!! How could anyone sleep at night knowingly letting people have no heat in DECEMBER!!!! I understand if he had concerns....the other tech had concerns, and my wife and I will consider them. But, not just simply replacing a fuse to allow a home to be heated just to sell us something is shameful. I never report businesses or people because we all have to support our families but this is horrible to do to people. I haven't been this mad about a experience with a person representing a company ever. I don't have children yet (which he asked which is why he might have did what he did) but if I did and he did that knowing what I know now we would have a serious issue.
Our technician found a crack in the heat exchange. When a crack is located, we take a picture and red tag the furnace for liability reasons. We will not perform any service on the system until the heat exchange is either replaced or repaired. We will not perform temporary fixes on a unit with a bad heat exchange because it isn't safe.