8/24, 2011 I wrote this letter to ARC..
I would like to file a formal complaint and to request a refund of monies paid for an air condition repair. Air Around the Clock has been our service provider for over 12 years and we have always been satisfied with your services, however now I am extremely disgruntled.
We purchased a new unit 8/22/09 from your company for $5,590.00 and the unit has a 10 year warrantee. On 8/18/2011, we came into our home realizing the air was not cooling. We both work and typically arrive home after 6pm most nights. We called for help and appreciated a repairman coming over to our home within in the hour to diagnose the problem which took all of 20 minutes. This was at a cost of $175.00 due to it being an emergency call. Then I was informed that the part was covered under warrantee but the labor was not, so the part would be ordered and installed the next day with a labor cost of $ 295.00. With 90+ degree weather in mid summer, we did not feel we had much of a choice . The part was installed the next day, which took approximately 1 hour, my total cost was $470.00 ? this is outrageous !!!.
1. A brand new unit should not have a major breakage within a 2 year period; the unit was not mishandled in our home.
2. and why should the consumer be strapped with the labor cost, this should also be passed on the manufacturer, it?s a new unit ? it shouldn?t break.
3. Why the emergency call of $175.00 was not waived or included in the $295.00 labor cost is certainly not fair. We didn?t know the unit was broken until we arrived home, I would not consider 6:30 ? 7:00pm being ?emergency time?, maybe 11 ? 12pm yes, but not early evening when 85% of all working peoples arrive home from work. Plus the situation was not even solved the evening of the ?emergency call?. I have never worked with a company that did not waive their ?service call? if there were parts & labor cost of the repair.
4. I really have a problem paying $470.00 for 1 hour and 20 minutes of labor for a less than 2 year old unit. These are hard times and my monies are tight, I would think a company as reputable as Air Around the Clock would be a little sensitive to their loyal clientele?.. I am shaking I am so angry.
This is the letter I wrote to Air Around the Clock. They responded with offering me a discount to an annual maintenance contract.
Their responce is that all emergency calls are $175.00 after 5pm and Pam said she works more hours that I ever worked and that I get home way before she does and this is company policy. The response to as why it was not incluced in the next days serviceis because it costs tech time, vehicle/gas time - she also said they were a ""FLAT RATE COMPANY""..... well they can have thier flat rate and I will find someone else who will appreciate my business.
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