ComplaintsforA.P. Mathews Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  09/11/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  AP Mathews HVAC work is very much a mixed bag. AP Mathews Installed a new HVAC system for me. Some of the new HVAC system worked and some of it did not work at all, and as of 9/6/24, AP Mathews is still working on part of my HVAC to make it work as it should have worked all along. Installation work completed in an unworkmanlike manner: 1. BGE Peak Rewards control device was installed on the back of the Heat Pump unit where it could not be read by the homeowner. BGE requires these peak reward control devices to be visible and readable. Homeowner had to argue with the contractor to get it installed correctly on the wall where it belongs. 2. Honeywell thermostat was wi-fi enabled incorrectly with a wi-fi device hanging off the back of the Verizon router. Honeywell thermostats are supposed to be wi-fi enabled by wiring the thermostat correctly. Contractor’s excuse was that holes would have to be drilled in the floor to run wires. I had to explain to the contractor that wiring holes were already drilled in the floor and that new drilled holes were not necessary. Out of spite Contractor drilled a new hole anyway. 3. Humidifier was not wired to the controls; thus, did not function at all. 4. One air duct was left open and unconnected to the rest of the duct system. (September 2024) 5. Ceiling tiles were taken off to facilitate work, BUT WERE NOT RECONNECTED. 6. Canvas tarps were left in the house. 7. Propane supply lines to the house were not caulked. 8. HVAC condensate exit lines were not caulked. AP Mathews doesn't do any quality control at the end of the job, they just pack up and leave and wait for the customer to call in service requests. I had them back about a dozen times to fix multiple installation &/or service problems, and sometimes multiple times for the same installation &/or service problems. Their HVAC work is SLOPPY AND UNSKILLED. Trouble shooting never ends. Service & office management is just "catch as catch can".

  Business response

  09/19/2024

  At AP Mathews Heating & Air Conditioning, a family-owned and operated business with over 23 years of experience, we prioritize building and maintaining trust with our customers. Our success over the past quarter century is attributed to our commitment to high standards of service and positive customer relationships. With an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and consistent high ratings across platforms such as Angie’s List, Yelp, and Google, we have established a reputation for excellence.
  

  Educating Our Customers: Education is a cornerstone of our service philosophy. We take the time to explain every installation and repair process clearly, ensuring our customers understand how their new systems operate. We don’t just complete installations; we conduct the necessary Anne Arundel County inspections to guarantee compliance and safety. Our customers know they can reach us via phone, text, or email with any questions or concerns—they're never more than a message away from support.
  

  On October 20, 2020, the customer contracted us to install a new Dual Fuel Heating and Air Conditioning system. We adhered closely to the customer’s specific requirements, and our records show that the installation successfully passed all inspections by October 26, 2020. After installation, we addressed a few minor issues concerning the heat pump’s defrost control and an outdoor temperature sensor calibration, both of which were resolved under warranty at no cost to the customer. As part of our commitment, we also completed a warranty clean and check on December 16, 2022.
  

  On September 2, 2024, we received a notification from Google regarding a new review from the customer expressing dissatisfaction with our services. Our team took immediate action by reaching out to the customer on September 3, 2024. During the conversation, we learned that a duct had come apart. We quickly scheduled an appointment and resolved the issue on September 6, 2024. To uphold our commitment to customer satisfaction, we covered the repair under warranty, even though the warranty period had officially expired in 2022. Following this prompt response, our team noted that the review was no longer visible, perhaps an indication of satisfaction with the resolution.
  

  We value customer feedback as a vital part of our operations. It helps us assess whether we are meeting our high standards and service goals. Our work ethic, combined with open lines of communication, ensures that we continue to foster satisfied customers who trust us to meet their heating and air conditioning needs.
  

  At AP Mathews Heating & Air Conditioning, our dedication to quality service and customer relations remains unwavering. We look forward to serving our community for many more years to come.

  Customer response

  09/23/2024

  
  ********** ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: 

  AP Mathews HVAC response is replete with lies.  AP Mathews HVAC takes every opportunity to make false statements & omit facts.   Much of AP Mathews installation was unskilled, sloppy and unworkmanlike.

  AP Mathews states they “conduct necessary AA county inspections to guarantee compliance & safety”, & that’s a false statement.  After AP Mathews completed their work, AA county inspector did their inspection (with homeowner present) & determined the furnace was NOT correctly sign posted as “PROPANE” and heat pump electrical wiring was NOT correctly color coded; and installation would NOT pass inspection until both were corrected.  And all of that was never caught by AP Mathews, because AP Mathews does NOT conduct inspections after installation….AP Mathews just packs up and leaves.  AA county inspector had the homeowner write PROPANE on the furnace housing door, and that sufficed to pass inspection of the furnace.  The heat pump wiring color code issue was corrected to the satisfaction of the county inspector and system passed, but NO THANKS to AP Mathews trumped up and false flag “inspections to guarantee compliance & safety”. 

  AP Mathews states “customers can reach us by phone, text, or email for support”.   Reaching out for service support only works if AP Mathews follows up, and more times than not, AP Mathews does not follow up.  Voice mail & texts to office manager Gerry many times go unanswered or if she does answer her phone, she invariably says she will call back, but Gerry invariably doesn’t call back.  AP Mathews office communication is extremely poor and AP Mathews technicians just shake their heads at that!

  AP Mathews states “issue with the heat pump’s defrost control (causing heat pump soft lockout?) was a minor issue”.  The Heat pump was shutting off (soft lockout) and homeowner had to reset thermostat to emergency heat, sometimes in the middle of the night, and that is NOT a minor issue.  It took about 4 service calls (over 5 to 6 weeks) to get this repaired, and that is not a minor issue. 1st service call tech came with no tools, stared at the unit, called his office, did not work & left, 2nd service call was tech troubleshooting, 3rd service call determining correct parts to replace, and 4th service call to replace the parts.   A follow up call to office manager Gerry resulted in little more than Gerry screaming about her family health problems, and the homeowner had stay on the call listening to all of that to get service done (omg!)

  AP Mathews states on 9/2/24 they got a service call on a “duct that had come apart”.  This is a good example of AP Mathews false statements and omitting facts.   In 2022 homeowner called in a service request for a duct that was not connected, that had never been connected (it’s still under warranty), & AP Mathews was unresponsive.  The duct is in a space that is difficult to get to, difficult to see, but that’s no excuse for AP Mathews to leave it unconnected. Once again, AP Mathews failure to inspect after installation.  2nd service request, Paul Mathews said he didn’t get Gerry’s message for service call (post it note!).  3rd service request Paul ******* showed up and jerry-rigged a duct elbow out of duct tape (omg!).  The jerry-rigged elbow did ultimately fail as one would expected. Had Paul ******* made the repair in a workmanlike manner, the duct would not have ultimately failed.  4th service request in 2024 appears to have been finally done in a workmanlike manner.

  AP Mathews didn’t respond to other installation/service failures noted in the BBB complaint:   a) humidifier was NOT wired to system, b) BGE Peak Rewards device was zip tied to the back of heat pump unit, where it can’t be read, c) incorrectly wired Honeywell thermostat to internet using an after market gadget jerry-rigged to the back of the Verizon router, d) unnecessarily drilled holes in the floor to run wires to Honeywell thermostat (holes were already in the floor that would have accommodated one more wire), e) ceiling tiles in the basement were removed and not reinstalled, f) canvas floor covers were left scattered all over the 1st and 2nd floors.  Items A through F would have been caught, had AP Mathews conducted inspections before they just packed up and left.   
  
  Sincerely,
  
  **** ******

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