ComplaintsforTrue North Heating, Cooling & Electric, LLC

• Initial Complaint

  01/17/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  July 20 received estimate.paid $500 down...estimarer said all vent lines will be checked and repaired if disconnected. Did not receive written estimate..was suppose to email it to me. July24 trucks showed up. Said job done,did not install a fresh air line to burners..installed one 45 pvc which rain snow could enter..I added two additional elbows later and a fresh air intake so the furnace didn't pull warm air from house and pull bad air from crawl space..when job was complete I paid 14285.55 by check.while trying to contact supervisor I sent three messages and received no response to clarify billing. I actually paid 14785.55 and the bill I received is 14285.55

• Initial Complaint

  01/11/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  March of 2023 had True North install a Kohler generator, in April 6th they were done, tested unit and they said everything was done. Electric went out at my house in June and only 1 of 2 air conditioners worked. Called to tell True North about it and they sent repair man out and he said it needed a bridge to offset the starting of the air units. 6 months still waiting on part to come in. I would call about every other week. About Oct 2023 notice unit wasn't running maintenance , looked inside and seen nest and chewed wires. Called True North again, sent man out to take pictures. Installers left plugs out of back of the unit, that's how squirrel got in and tore up wires and inside covering. After calling many times, True North which is now *******( that's the way they been answering their phones) sent out a different Elec Co ******* ****). He fixed the wires by splicing them, don't know how many. The generator now only will run maintenance mode not house when electric goes out. *** let them know that it needs a mother board, which he said he could get in 2 hours and have it fixed. Ture North - ******* didn't give him the ok to do so. Said they were done with him. *** also said no need of bridge they True North just didn't hook up air unit. This was before Christmas. I called *** after New Year to see what was going on and that's what he told me. I called True North -******* and couldn't get passed the Ashley who answers the phone. Was told manager would call me back, they never call back ever!! I think if anyone was to buy a generator for that much money wouldn't want it with spliced wires on it before its even 1 year old.

• Initial Complaint

  09/13/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  *** had replaced our electrical board in the basement, and did a good job, so I called them and asked them to come out and check my thermostat. 

  I called *** and must have got True North. The girls in the office say they don't know which company is which. So I thought *** was coming out. On June 12th to replace my thermostat. I told them my house was way too cold.

  I was told the test would cost $4000, and a new air conditioner would cost $8000. They did not try to fix the thermostat. They just sold me a whole new HVAC system. They did not provide an estimate, nor did they provide any paperwork. He made me go to my computer, and told me where to click; he said click here, click here and click here. I didn't know I was signing anything. To me, it's like forging signatures.
  

  Everything was done on computer, even though I explained that my eyes were not good, and I needed hard copies. They financed me through a bank credit card, which I did not understand until the transaction was completed.

  I called that very day they installed it to say the thermostat wasn't working. A tech came out and reset it, and it began working. I asked the tech to take back their system. He said I would have to call the boss. I called, but he did not return my call. I've called the office multiple times, and talked to different girls, but never the boss. I told the girls to take good care of my system as I wanted it back. 

  Only later did I learn it was True North or ***/True North. 

  I did not receive a three day cooling off notice, so me calling them that very day and asking them to take back the system should count as as my notice to cancel the sale. 

  The cost was $13,524. I gave him a down payment check just over $2534, and now I owe the balance. My FICO score was in the 800s but no is in the 700s so they hurt my score 

  I contacted my bank. They said I got some kind of Generac credit card. I didn't apply for a credit card. I thought the financing would be through a bank. The bank filed a fraudulent dispute for me. I was told it would take 60 days to look over the transaction. They are waiting for more information from me. The transaction is currently on hold. 

  We are on Social Security, and cannot afford this system. My 85 year old husband and I have both been sickly over the last year. It was very hard for me to deal with him. 

  Business response

  09/13/2023

  To all concerned,

  Thank you for the email and an opportunity to help.  My name is Tom L*****, General Manager of True North, formerly *** ********* ******* *** *******.  I have received the complaint and would respond as follows.  The T****'s system was more than twenty years old.  These aged systems are costly to repair and very inefficient to operate.  We offered a repair option and replacement option.  The T****s reviewed and chose a replacement.  See attached signed estimate.  We did not coerce or pressure the T****'s into signing and financing this investment.  Options were presented, questions answered and a decision was made.  The install happened three days following the initial meeting and estimate approval.  

  Attached are notes directly from the technician that diagnosed the failing system and presented options.

  Dustin E****** said:
  Client called in because their AC unit was not working. The system is 20 years old and contains R22. Found the system to be low on refrigerant quoted to repair it versus replacement. The client chose to replace the full system. Scheduled install for Thursday.
  
  Install a full system, furnace and A/C. Carrier 2 ton 14 SEER A/C unit, new cased indoor coil, new pad, whip, disconnect, line set. Carrier 80% 80,000 BTU furnace, new furnace whip. Reattach duct work and use existing return. 10 Year Parts Warranty, 5 Year Labor Warranty, 20 Year Compressor Warranty, 20 Year Heat Exchanger Warranty. Financed $11,000 through *********, client put $2534 down on credit card.

  Please feel free to contact me with any questions or additional concerns.

  Tom L*****

  Customer response

  10/10/2023

  I am rejecting this response because: All details are not included, and not reported correctly. Please see below: These are the details of our experience with ***/True North Heating and Cooling Company when we called them for service:
  On 6/12/23 we had a tech repairman from ***/True North Heating and Cooling, which we were told was the same company now since True North bought ***, come to our home to check out the thermostat.  When he arrived, we explained we set our thermostat on 73 degrees and the air conditioner went down to 65 degrees.  At that point it was too cold, it would not stop dropping the temp. down, so we manually turned the AC off.  After explaining this to the repairman he went downstairs to the basement to see the AC.  When he came upstairs, he turned the AC on using the thermostat and set a temp. and went outside to check out the air conditioner.  When he returned, he sat down in our living room and told us that we definitely had a problem with the air conditioner, he said it was low on freon and could not just add more freon due to a new law, which required him to test for leaks in the AC and plug them, before adding more freon.  We asked how much it would cost for the test?  He said, $4,000 and sometimes we can't fix the AC, and you would have to buy a new AC anyway plus pay for the test too.   The cost of a new AC would be $8,000 is what he told us.  He said how he would hate to see that happen to us.  We listened to him talk on and how we would soon need a furnace too, and it was best to buy them together.  We finally asked how much for both the furnace and AC together?  We were told the cost of an entire new HVAC System was $13,000.  He also told us that they had financing available through a bank at 9.99% interest, no mention it would be through a credit card.  We decided not to do the test and get a new AC unit.  He kept talking to us about when the AC stops working the furnace is usually not far behind.  And that it is better to buy the two together as one system, because it is easier to test and maintain them in the future.  He finally got an OK, as I was not feeling well and just wanted everything to stop, and for him to leave.  
  He worked on his computer for a while and said he had sent some papers to my computer for me to sign.  I told him I didn't know how that worked.  He said I'll show you how it's done.  I said I'm not very high tech and that I wanted hard copies so I could read them in my hands, as I have bad vision.  He said I could call the office and they would send me copies.  He wanted to know where our computer was located, he pulled up some pages and showed me where to click the mouse on the screen, in a few places.  I didn't know what was happening, it was so fast, and I never got to read anything.  He got the info he wanted took our check for $2,534.00 as down payment and said, they would call when they were coming to install the system, and he left.  
  The HVAC System was installed on 6/15/23, it took about all day.  They turned the system on to make sure it worked, and it was running when they left.  They had left the old thermostat on our wall.  It was about a half an hour after they were gone their system was doing the same thing our system was doing when we called them to come and check the thermostat.  It just kept getting colder in the house, we had to turn the AC off manually.  I was upset and called the office hoping someone would answer the phone.  I had to leave a message.  I told them what the problem was and that proved we didn't need a new HVAC system.  I said I wanted them to take out their system and return mine and I wanted my money back. 
  They called the next day on 6/16/23 and said they would send someone out to fix it that day as we were under a warranty.  I told her I wanted my system back to take care of it - and reinstall our system, because it was still functioning.  I told them their system was doing what ours was doing earlier, and that proved it was the thermostat that needed changed to start with, not a new HVAC System.  
  Their repairman/salesman didn't spend much time really checking our thermostat out when he was in our home.  They replaced the thermostat on 6/16/23 and the AC worked right.  I told the repairman on 6/16/23 - I wanted to talk with the boss, and asked him to have the boss call me, because I wanted my system back.  The repairman said, "Oh I don't think he will want to do that; he might work something out."  With the new thermostat working it proved again, it was really the thermostat and not our HVAC system that needed to be replaced.  
  Mr. L*****, the boss at True North called June 19, 2023, and left a message saying, "he knew I had questions about the new HVAC system.  I will try to call back later or tomorrow he said, we will talk soon, I'll call back very soon." I tried for almost a month, by calling the office of True North several times, to get Tom L***** - the Boss - to call me, but he didn't call me, as of 10/10/23 - I have never spoke with him.  
  Later I got papers from a bank *********, as I read the info it sounded like it was a credit card, and at the top of one of the papers was the name Generac, which surprised me since we don't have anything to do with that company. So, I called ********* Bank to see what it was all about, and I said it sounds like a credit card, and she said it is.  I told her we didn't apply for any credit card I told her we had been taken advantage of and didn't agree to all these things.  And that there was a problem with the True North Company, and they would not communicate with us to work it out.  She said we could file a fraud investigation - so we did.  I called the Attorney General's office to report the problem.  Have also talked with Pro Seniors for an appointment and are just waiting for guidance.  
  I have never known a company to have two names, or to finance a business deal on a credit card, except for small purchases.  And not to return a call for almost a month after several attempts from a customer to contact the company.  And also have me click on pages on a computer and not explain what it all means.  It just doesn't seem right.
  We felt pressured from the repairman/salesman from True North to buy a whole new HVAC System.  Also, he ignored the reason we called him to our home to start with, which was to check out the thermostat. 
  We have since found different answers on HVAC Systems through reading and talking to people in the business.  We were told $4,000 sounded a bit high to check for leaks in an AC.  And that our furnace would not need to be replaced if it is still functioning, which it is working, or was at the time.
  We felt used to make a sale and steered toward buying more then we needed.  And financed in a way we would not have used, if known they were using a credit card.  Since this happened our FICA score has dropped from the 800's to the 700's.  
  We don't know what was installed or what the guarantee is, we asked for hard copies and never received them, I think three times.  I don't think they care what they do to old people.  
  
  Regards,
  
  ***** *****

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