Last year we had C&L look at a problem we were having with our central AC unit. We had used C&L in the past and their tech have always been very professional and knowledgeable. When the C&L tech came out he identified the problem. He said we had a leak in our refrigerant line and were slowing losing our freon. The tech told us that he would need to try and recover any remaining freon in the system, replace the suction side valve that was on the lines, and refill the system with the proper amount of freon. However, he said he couldn't perform the work right then because he didn't have the suction side valve part that we needed. We'd need to reschedule so that he or another tech could come back with the correct part. So he wrote me what I thought was an estimate for about $800. He told me he wasn't sure exactly how much freon my system would hold but he was estimating it high (about 14lbs) in order to cover it. Also he estimated 2 hours labor. He asked me to sign the estimate and they would return once they had the part we needed.
A few days later, a different C&L tech came out and made the repairs to our AC unit. He was there for less than an hour before he was finished. I asked how much freon he ended up putting in the system, he said 7 lbs. Freon costs about $30 a pound, so 7 less pounds than estimated would equate to $210. To myself I was thinking great, this repair is not going to cost as much as I thought. The tech went to his van and filled out some paper work and handed it to me. The amount due listed on the paperwork was the original estimate I was given a few days earlier, about $800. I asked the tech was there a mistake because my original estimate included 14 lbs of freon and 2 hours labor, but it looked like I only needed 7 lbs of freon and 1 hour of labor. The tech said he didn't know anything about it, that was the price that he was told to put on the bill. If I had any questions I'd have to talk to the office. I went ahead an paid the tech then with a check.
So far, no big deal, just call the office and clear things up. So I called and my wife called multiple times. Each time we got the receptionist (if we got anyone to answer) who told us we'd need to talk to the owner and he wasn't in. The receptionist said they would tell the owner to call us back but he never did. Weeks went by and finally my wife was able to catch the owner at the office an got him on the phone. She simply asked if we could get a line item receipt of the charges for our repair and to compare that to what we paid. The owner said he didn't make the original estimate but that he'd talk to the tech who did and get more info to us. A few more weeks went by. We would call once or twice a week to see if there was an update, but same old story was told to us - the owner is not in. Finally my wife was get the owner on the phone once more. However, this time he was very rude and angry. He told my wife that she just didn't want to pay the bill and to let it go (we had already paid the bill). Again, my wife was just asking for a line item receipt of the charges we paid. He was very rude and unprofessional to my wife and told us he would not assist us any further at getting an explanation for what we paid for. This man's deriding and condescending tone and words used towards my wife left us speechless. We were shocked that someone could be this way and be in business. Unfortunately, after that phone call we did let it go, but it never set well with me. We were not rude to them, we only asked questions very calmly and without accusation. At this point though, what else could we do- sue them for overcharging us by a couple hundred bucks and best case win to pay a few thousand in legal fees to prove a point?
My mistake was maybe not reading the fine print on the 'estimate' I was given. Apparently by me signing I was agreeing to pay that price even if the real cost only ended up being 10 bucks. But my real mistake was paying the tech when I didn't agree on the amount. I bet if I didn't pay them C&L would have been much more willing to get on the phone to discuss.
Ultimately, my issue with C&L was not what they charged us. It's that given the reasonable and respectful approach of me and my wife that they couldn't give us the time of day to provide any explanation of the costs, no line item receipt, no explanation on why the charged were not reduced in light of less materials and hours used than expected and most of all the very unprofessional response from those running the company. I would not use or recommend this company for any services. read more
