Business ProfileforHeatwave Inc.

My air conditioning unit was not working so I made an appointment with this company for the first time because it was listed with the BBB. The technician determined that I needed ONE pound of refrigerant but was required to charge me for THREE pounds at a cost of $172.56. This is absolutely unreasonably ridiculous! If you need ONE gallon of gas for your lawn mower, but the gas station has a minimum purchase price of THREE gallons, would you pay $11.00 for ONE gallon of gas, or go find another gas station? I will never call this company again for service and I will tell everyone I know - family, friends, and neighbors - to never call this company for service.

Mr ******i - Thank you for bringing your concern to my attention. Our pricing structure is common for the industry and is priced as "flat rate". The refrigerant pricing that you were charged is for "up to" the first three pounds of refrigerant, but is not only for refrigerant but also includes ancillary items such as EPA licensing, Reclaim Disposal, Tools & Equipment usage, Overhead etc. While this pricing structure is an industry standard, we ALWAYS present the price estimate prior to doing any additional repairs. We do this so there are no surprises when we are complete. We did arrive to your home in a timely manner, properly diagnosed your issue, quoted repairs, received approval and made the repairs. I am sorry that you do not agree with our pricing structure, but the repairs were approved. My technicians are the best in the industry and our reviews will speak volumes from our customers. While we may not always be the cheapest, we are always competitive, and I am certain that we are the best. We serve every customer as if they are our most important and treat them with integrity and honesty. We stand behind everything we sell and install - 100%. While you may choose the cheaper gas station, you are likely to find that their gas has been watered down to stretch the product, hence the reason it is cheaper.

How NOT to operate a business: Thank you for your response revealing the collusion in the HVAC industry of gouging customers by charging them for THREE pounds of refrigerant when they only need ONE pound. Home A/C refrigerant on eBay costs $60.00 per pound, so your pricing is accurate for three pounds, but I only needed ONE pound and that is what I should have been charged for. Another issue is the “trip charge” of $99.95, which may not always be appropriate. When I made the appointment, I was told that the technician was “in the neighborhood,” so that should have been sufficient to cover the short trip, the diagnosis of the problem and the labor to install the refrigerant. Referring to my example, your justification for charging $11.00 for THREE gallons of gasoline when you only need ONE because the cheaper gas “has likely been watered down” is irrational and unfounded. Due to the HVAC collusion you described, I will probably be gouged again when I need my A/C unit serviced, and when I will eventually need it replaced, but my satisfaction is that it will be by a different company, NOT by yours. If I had been treated fairly, you could have had my repeat business, and positive referrals, but NO. Just imagine if you were the only HVAC company in the area who didn’t follow what is “common in the industry.” You would more than make up for the lower prices on the volume of increased business. You would just have to work a bit harder, hire more technicians and grow the local economy. There is nothing wrong with honest, hard work. Both you and consumers would benefit. I am confident that readers of my BBB review and your response will have the information they need to decide if the way you operate your business is appropriate for them.