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Summer scourge returns: air-conditioner tuneup scam

By NANCY PARADIS
Published July 17, 2005

I hope you will have some suggestions on how to warn others about this scam. I saw an ad from a company for an air-conditioning tuneup for $23.95. I thought this would be a good idea since I had just moved to Florida and wanted to make sure I would not have future problems.

The technician said I needed Freon and that my air compressor was going to go within the next few days. It would cost me $1,800 for the compressor, he said. I told him to just put in the Freon, which cost me $321. The cost for the compressor was beyond my budget.

The rest of the day the air conditioning wasn't cooling at all. By 9 p.m., it was 90 degrees in the house. I shut the unit off as I was scared something was wrong. I looked up the original papers on my house to see who put in the air conditioning. This system was only five years old and the compressor was under warranty for 10 years.

I called the company and within an hour it sent out a technician who discovered I had no Freon at all. He found no leaks, and the compressor checked out fine. He added Freon for $138 and told me to call him if my unit developed problems. I immediately went to my bank and stopped payment on the $321 check.

The air continues to work fine. I would hate to see anyone else get taken as I did. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

- Mary Hildebrand

We're happy to use your experience to again remind readers not to fall for the air-conditioning scams that crop up, as if on cue, as the temperature and humidity start to rise.

While there are many reputable air-conditioning companies, there are also those, as your experience illustrates, whose primary goal seems to be parting unwary consumers from their money through unnecessary repair work and/or equipment sales. Since there is often little that can be done after the fact, prevention is the key.

In 2000, we passed along tips from Pinellas County TRIAD, a cooperative effort among law enforcement agencies, social services and seniors that focuses on financial crimes against the elderly, on how to avoid air-conditioning scams. The information remains as good today as it was five years ago.

First, how do some of these companies operate?

Some air-conditioning companies will offer to clean your air conditioner as a way of getting in your door. As they check your unit, dishonest repair people will often tell you that your unit is about to go and needs to be replaced. Some remove parts or allow coolant to escape so your unit loses its efficiency and does not cool properly, leading you to believe that it is, indeed, broken. You begin to cave in to the pressure to replace your existing unit.

Often, the repair person will just "happen" to have a new unit available on his truck or one in the area that he can install today. To seal the deal, he will likely offer a substantial discount if you buy the new unit now.

Don't do it! Better yet, don't let these people into your home to begin with.

To avoid being scammed, always check the company's complaint history with your county's consumer protection agency. In counties without a consumer protection agency, call those of the counties that do, since many of these outfits travel from county to county. In Pinellas, call (727) 464-6200; in Hillsborough, (813) 903-3430; in Pasco, (727) 847-8106. Also check the Better Business Bureau, and call the BBB if you become the victim of a scam. The only way crooks can be stopped is if the victims report them.

If you hire a company with which you have no previous experience, try to watch the repair person work on the unit. As already mentioned, there have been cases when units were intentionally damaged or critical parts removed.

Always get a written estimate that tells you what is wrong with your air-conditioning unit, what the repair or replacement cost will be, along with the make, model and serial number in the latter case, and the printed and signed name of the repair person.

If the repair is for more than $500, always get a second estimate from a reputable company.

Take your time and never allow yourself to be rushed into making a financial commitment.

If you allow your air conditioner to be replaced, keep in mind that once the repairman disconnects and removes your unit, it is no longer available for inspection to determine if it needed to be replaced.

There are many reputable air-conditioning companies. Doing your homework first and not giving in to high-pressure sales tactics can save you a lot of money and aggravation.

In a postscript to your letter, you said you hoped you wouldn't see your name in print since you were embarrassed that you were so stupid. Unless you make falling for such scams a habit, don't be. The only way consumers can become smarter is if they have the opportunity to learn from their own mistakes as well as those of others. Plus, you did the right thing once you realized you'd been had. You acted quickly and put a stop payment on your check. The fact that you did not hear from the company after you did so suggests it realized it had been "caught."

- Action solves problems and gets answers for you. If you have a question, or your own attempts to resolve a consumer complaint have failed, write Times Action, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731, e-mail action@sptimes.com or call your Action number, 727 893-8171, or, outside of Pinellas, toll-free 1-800-333-7505, ext. 8171, to leave a recorded request.

We will not be responsible for personal documents, so please send only photocopies. If your complaint concerns merchandise ordered by mail, we need copies of both sides of your canceled check.

- We may require additional information or prefer to reply by mail; therefore, readers must provide a full mailing address, including ZIP code. Names of letter writers will not be omitted except in unusual circumstances. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.

[Last modified July 14, 2005, 12:53:04]