I have never written an online review for any product or service, until today. The compromised ethics and discriminatory practices of Burkhardt make it worth this becoming my first one. We contacted Burkhardt to diagnose an issue with our furnace. They nearly completely disassembled the unit before ultimately identifying a part that they felt needed to be replaced. We informed them that the home we purchased came with a warranty, for which we would like to file a claim for any needed repairs. They recommended trying the recommended part and proceeding from there, which we agreed to. The part ultimately did not correct the problem, nor did the warranty company cover Burkhardt as a service provider. They refused to attempt to return the part and left the furnace in pieces. We nevertheless signed the final invoice, provided our credit card number, and agreed to move on. To our surprise, we were then actually charged more than the amount on the signed invoice and also charged 28% sales tax. When calling to dispute the excess charges, we received no explanation from the person we spoke to (Terry), but overheard his conversation with Kelly through the phone line. Kelly resolved our dispute by telling Terry that we "lived in a million-dollar house and could afford to pay the extra amount". Further appeals to the owner (Doug) did nothing so we disputed the additional charges with our credit card company. In response to the dispute, Doug submitted the invoice that we had signed, which had been clearly marked up with new numbers after the fact. There is no other explanation for the side by side comparison of the original invoice and the "doctored one". He also submitted a new invoice (321 invoice numbers later in the sequence) for work that was not approved or completed and was never presented or signed. The discriminatory over-billing based on our address and the forgery of documents is shocking. There are many reputable HVAC providers in the area - Burkhardt should not be on anybody's list. I am happy to provide all the documents above to confirm the facts for anybody who may be considering using their services. Please email burkhardtlies@gmail.com and I will forward the paperwork.
Response to owner's comments:
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Our experience and this review is neither fabricated, nor about the money. We also do not find being overcharged or discriminated against to be "laughable". The dispute with the credit card company was to force Burkhardt to provide a real defense for the fraudulent charges. This dispute produced the altered and forged invoices. The "before" and "after" invoices have been submitted to the BBB, the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services, and the Wisconsin Department of Revenue (for the 28% sales tax we were charged). They have also been shared with the three general contractors who have requested them via the email address I provided. Unfortunately, the comment regarding our ability to pay unapproved and unearned charges due to our "million-dollar house" was verbal and I will have to stand by my word that it was made. You will see that the complaint filed with the BBB requested NO compensation. My intent is only to share our experience with others so that they can make a better decision than we did.
Response to owner's additional comments:
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Doug may need to read things more closely. There is no inconsistency here. We agreed to the charges that were presented and signed for, including the part referenced by Doug. The unearned charges comment refers to the fact that we were then billed MORE than what we signed for, including 28% sales tax! We were then told that we could just pay because of our "million dollar house". When asked to justify these excess charges by the credit card companies, Doug submitted the invoice we signed, which he clearly altered AFTER we had signed it. The credit card companies were interested to see the "before" version of Doug's doctored invoice and have adjusted payment accordingly. I will continue to send the before and after invoice to anybody who emails burkhardtlies@gmail.com. It is perfectly clear what this unethical owner did. Just want to save others from this company.
Final response to owner's latest comments:
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Doug seems frustrated that he has been caught in his fraudulent billing and that the credit card companies have now confiscated his money. My comments never said anything about tuneups including repairs - beginning to grasp for straws. Again, we signed for everything we authorized, including the repair part. We were then charged more than what was on the invoice and also 28% sales tax and told to just pay it because we lived in a nice house. I have no more time for this, but it is nice to know that Doug is praying for me. I will leave the rest up to the smart buyers in the Milwaukee area. read more