How many times have you thought to yourself did I just get Scammed? Imagine you just wanted preventative maintenance done on your air conditioner, but instead you were scammed by a dishonest technician who tried to sell you something you did not need. In this post I will go over a few on the common scams that dishonest companies pass on to their employees.
Replacing parts that are not bad
A lot of HVAC companies pay their technicians a commission on what they call “up selling” a customer. What this means is the technician is expected to have a certain dollar amount per invoice and tries to sell you parts that are really not broken. However, there are instance where you might need a part replaced that was unexpected. While it may be true, it’s still one of the most common scams out there.
To avoid this type of scam, ASK QUESTIONS. Ask the technician to show you the part that is defective, ask them to explain the sequence of operation for that part, ask them how they diagnosed it to be bad, and let them explain how they know it needs to be replaced. If they sound like a used car salesman, well then they are probably in the wrong industry. There are some so called “technicians” that are just parts changers. Do your do diligence.
Sounds to good to be True? It probably is.
Some HVAC contractors bring a smoke and mirror show with them. Look for red flags! If you have a contractor that is offering you anything free to make the sale, I assure you it is not free. Any business is there to make profit , not give things away for free you will incur the cost somewhere in the sale.
Excessive Service Fees
Some HVAC technicians will charge you more for their services than needed. Remember when I spoke earlier about maintaining a certain dollar amount per invoice? While it is not unusual to have a job that can only be billed as time and material, this is not the normal. Some companies use flat rate pricing and some use billable hours on the job. Ask for a written estimate before any repairs are made. If you are not comfortable with the price provided, get a second opinion. It’s a red flag when your HVAC contractor insists on not having a written agreement on the services they will perform on your air conditioning system. A verbal agreements doesn’t support the client’s claim when things go wrong during the repair. A good HVAC contractor will always welcome a written agreement.
How can Hickman’s Heating and Air help
If you think that you have been part of a scam feel free to reach out to us for a second opinion. They can be avoided with proper research and education. We are here to help you.
Hickman’s Heating and Air
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