Im going to keep this review objective except for my recommendation at the end.
I called LB Heating on Monday/Tuesday for help regarding a clogged condensate line from my AC/Furnace. They asked me to email photos to them to review, which I did. After a few emails back and forth, Ted from LB Heating called me to discuss. I explained the issue. We set up an appointment for Wednesday morning for Teds technician (Delaney) to provide the service.
Delany showed up on time. I spent ~10 minutes explaining the issue to Delany. He made several attempts to unclog the line using CO2 cartridges, but was unsuccessful. He called Ted for advice. I overheard the call. Delaney explained that he had used three CO2 cartridges and was unsuccessful in unclogging the line. Ted responded with "Oh man those are expensive!". Delany recommended using a 1-gallon air compressor and air gun to clear the line. Ted responded with something to the effect of We dont have that, but I can get that for you later. Whatever you want. For now, just bill the customer and get out of there.
When Delany and Ted discussed the billing, Delany mentioned that hed been at my home 30 minutes. Ted corrected him by saying hed actually been there 41 minutes, and I should be billed accordingly. Note that the 41 minutes was inclusive of the 10 minutes I spent explaining the issue to Delany when he first arrived (I had already explained the exact same details to Ted over the phone when we were setting up the appointment).
Delany and Ted recommended an unsatisfactory solution (which would leave the condensate line visible in my finished basement). I declined. Delany provided an invoice which was rounded up to 45 minutes. I declined to sign the invoice. Delany left.
On Friday, my father-in-law came over with an air compressor and we successfully cleared the line using the method that Delany recommended to Ted.
I saw the charge for the visit on my credit card on Saturday. I called LB Heating and spoke with Ted. We were unable to come to an agreement on a fair price. During our conversation, in contrast with what he said to Delany, Ted suggested the use of an air compressor would not be appropriate. During our conversation he also called me self-serving several times because I waited three days to call and discuss the issue. Note that Ted was aware that I was unsatisfied with the service and chose to simply bill and not contact me. The amount charged was also greater than the invoice amount due to added interest they charged me one month of interest though the charge was put through one day later.
The LB Heating invoice states the customer agrees to pay 5% per month (60% annual rate) or the maximum allowed in the province of residence on all unpaid balances after 1 day of service date. LB Heating reserves the right to charge interest up to the legal limit before its considered usury.
In summary, LB Heating showed up to my home knowing what the issue was and did not bring the appropriate equipment for the job. They billed me as if they completed the job successfully, rounding the time up, plus they charged an additional interest fee over and above what was stated on the bill. The owner of the company attempted to get every penny for a service which was not provided. He was also quite unprofessional to deal with. The phone conversation between Ted and his tech had a starkly different tone than his initial conversation with me. It seems like this may be a company that will take any job for billable hours despite not providing the service beware. I would not recommend using LB Heating. As Ted repeatedly stated during our call, if you choose to employ their services, the risk that they cant fix your issue is on you. I have had more than a few instances of contractors not being able to fix an issue and we were always able to work out an amicable and fair price for their time. This was not the case with LB Heating. I dont believe its fair that I pay full price for an unresolved issue, particularly as the company did not have the necessary equipment.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $292.00
- Company Response
We won’t enter in a debate what was said. Its petty and a fruitless exercise where no one wins. Everyone knows there are two sides to a coin. What is not up for debate is M*** agreed to our rates and allowed us into his home.
Since M*** brought it up, what we would like to talk about is Risk. As a Bank of Montreal employee (3rd Party Risk Manager), he should know a little about customer risk. Anyone reading this review should ask themselves when was the last time a Bank accepted responsibility when you (the customer) lost money on an investment (stocks, bonds, mutual funds,etc) through your bank? Did a bank ever offer to cover the difference of your lost investment? No, the investment was completely the customer's risk. As a bank employee, M*** doesn’t seem to practice what he preaches.
Since we’re on the topic of banks and procedures, yes we charged interest on late payment. However, as a Bank employee, M*** knows that banks charge interest if you are one day past the due date on your Credit Card statement. (19.9%?) Has anyone ever been late with a Bank Mortgage payment even for one day? Banks charge interest. What about if you overdraw from your bank account? Interest charges apply. Yet M*** opposes it when it applies to him. Seems hypocritical for a bank employee to cry about paying interest on a late payment.....