Company wants to prove its point

By NANCY PARADIS

© St. Petersburg Times, published July 5, 2000

I called Acree Air Conditioning in Tampa to request a tune-up. I also said I would probably need Freon, because the air coming out of the ducts did not feel very cold. When the tech came out, he said I could have an electronic leak test for $117. After doing this test, he said he had bad news for us. He said he found three leaks and we would need a completely new system. His estimate was for $6,092 to $7,486. We told him we would get a second opinion.

We called another A/C company and it found only one small leak in a valve. It found no leaks where Acree said it found some. Since the visit by the second company, our A/C has been fine. Acree has refused to refund our $176.95, insisting it was correct. We feel it was just trying to sell us a new A/C. Your help will be appreciated. George Eckman

Response: Jack Westenbarger, operations manager for Acree Air Conditioning in Tampa, said that you called the company to your home for a tune up and indicated that you were also having cooling problems. The company's technician found low refrigerant operating pressures and, after quoting a price and obtaining your authorization, performed the test using an electronic leak detector. Leaks were found in the evaporator and possibly around the compressor. Westenbarger said you were then quoted a price for repairs as well as replacement. The company did recommend replacement to be your best option.

He said you later called Acree to express your dissatisfaction with what you claimed was the company's dishonest attempt to sell you a new system. Westenbarger insisted Acree was correct in its findings, but said he agreed, conditionally, to refund your money. What you failed to tell Action, he said, is that he offered to refund your money, pay the bill of the other company and pay its technician to come back to meet with him and Acree's technician so they could show them the leaks and how they had detected them. He said he has done this dozens of times in the past and Acree was found to be wrong only once. That technician no longer works for Acree because of the company's very clear policy regarding lying. He said if a technician tells a customer there is a leak when there isn't one, that technician loses his job.

Westenbarger disputed the other company's contention that the small leak it found was the result of a valve cap that had no O-rings. These valves are similar to the caps on the stem of a tire, he said. Their purpose it not to seal the valve but to keep dirt, debris and moisture from getting into the valve stem area which could cause it to stick. The caps could be entirely removed from a properly sealed system without an ounce of refrigerant being lost.

His offer still stands, he said. He will refund your money if his man was wrong. If his man was right, then no refund is due you. He will pay the other company's expenses either way.

Mortgage question resolved

I took out a mortgage with GMAC Mortgage on property I owned in Hollywood. I sold this property on Dec. 31, and the mortgage was paid in full on that day. I am sending you a copy of the satisfaction of mortgage. Nonetheless, on Jan. 4, $702.40 was taken out of my checking account. This was the amount my monthly mortgage payment had been. I made numerous phone calls to GMAC Mortgage, and on March 29, a check for $420.40 was sent to me, leaving a balance due me of $282.

Subsequent phone calls revealed that that balance was withheld in my escrow account for cancellation of flood insurance. I notified GMAC Mortgage that I took out my own flood and liability insurance on said property and the policies were always in force and never canceled. I cannot get GMAC Mortgage to change its story that the balance of $282 was withheld for flood insurance escrow. I would appreciate any action you may take on my behalf to have this issue resolved. Louis Izzo Sr.

Response: Your problem has been resolved. We're glad we could help.

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