https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/consumer-charges-ontario-safety-standards-1.5073697
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/home-energy-appliance-rental-crown-crest-furnace-1.5439572
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/man-nearly-bankrupted-by-door-to-door-sales-1.4829951
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/home-trust-hvac-rental-contracts-1.5067957
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/energy-group-charges-1.3537694
Nowadays, with many quick money-making scams in every business, it is always recommended to deal with businesses that are accredited BBB members, so that the company would have a transparent record of interactions with any unhappy previous clients. This is especially recommended when dealing with contractors. In fact, being a BBB member, brings about a unique sense of responsibility for the company to try and put its best foot forward in all endeavors.
It is a reasonable and definitely a good deal to be offered a free thermostat or a discounted humidifier install, with the installation of an eligible air conditioner and a furnace system. However, the promise of a “complimentary” A/C with the installation of a heating system, or being offered $1,000 for your old furnace, etc. is a sign you are going to be paying, in fact, more! You could be sure of this by calling the company in advance to request for a ballpark quote after the complete installation! A countless number of these irrational heating and cooling offers provided on flyers, web sites, etc. are merely an approach for the sales representatives to enter your residence and make an effort to convince you into purchasing products and services for which you will be obligated to pay much more, after the installation is complete.
Try and keep an eye out for false claims. Below, are two of these examples that I have personally encountered:
(a) “Save $500 on your gas bill annually, by replacing your hot water tank with a tankless model”
This statement has no logic behind it and is only an eye-catching marketing strategy overly exaggerating the benefits of tankless water heaters. An average household’s annual gas consumption for heating water using a conventional hot water tank could hardly exceed $400. How could one then save $500, if one currently doesn’t pay more than $400? Please visit the Tankless Water Heaters reviews under the tips section to discover why replacing your hot water tank with a tankless unit may even not be a smart investment, afterall.
(b) “120% efficient furnaces”
The Law of Conservation of Energy was perhaps one of the very first concepts concerning scientific laws of nature: Energy is neither created nor destroyed and can only be transformed into one state from another. Referring to such a thing as a 120% efficiency furnace, implies that for every dollar paid towards heating your home, another 20 cents worth of energy magically appears. This is perhaps even more outrageous than the previous statement.
First of all, be positive that this claim is clearly outlined in your contract and with absolutely no strings attached. Second, make all or at least a considerable percentage of the payment after the job is done. If a company is confident enough to guarantee 100% of your satisfaction, it should have no problem receiving your payment after completion.
It is a necessity for a credible heating and air conditioning business to have an administrative office, a showroom and a warehouse to appropriately function and serve its new and existing clientele. If you wish to make a deal with a reliable firm, do a background check to learn more about the company, their operations and facilities and do not make assumptions based on merely a website that may look neat. When you are paying thousands of dollars to replace or newly install an equipment in your home, would you not rather giving your business to a contractor that has established a proper work environment and does not try to maximize profit by eliminating vital overhead costs?
Most unfortunately, I have known of company owners who employ unlicensed technicians to avoid the obligation of paying higher salaries and to ultimately maximize the business profits. Always request for a licensed technician and be sure to check his licence and check to see whether he has legitimately tagged the equipment you have purchased.
In some cases, this may be more than just a sincere promotion. So be very cautious! Many of such proposals are to force you into purchasing much more expensive services. I have heard a countless number of stories where the technician enters your residence, magnifies and over exaggerates or even completely fabricates a false issue, leading you to believe your furnace or air conditioner needs to be replaced for the safety of your family and ultimately charges you a relatively high price for the sale. Aside from being misled into making an unnecessary purchase, some homeowners may also make a false assumption that just because their initial service or diagnostic fee was very low, that their installation prices must also be low and not bother to shop around. Unfortunately, this assumption has turned out to be very costly for some homeowners. Or imagine this scenario happen in the midst of a very cold winter day, when you are told by a maintenance technician that your furnace heat exchanger is cracked, who further shuts down your gas and leads you to believe that you are exposed to danger and that you need a new furnace system to avoid any hazard. Unfortunately, our cold Canadian winters or even our humid summer season makes it difficult for most consumers to get a number of other professional opinions and perform a thorough ‘shopping around’ and these scare tactics are unfortunately sometimes used to make a quick buck.
You can check out this article published by the Better Business Bureau: Don’t Get Burned by Furnace Fraud
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