I'll preface this by saying I have my phone conversation with the owner and his wife recorded if anyone wants to listen to how you can be talked to like you're garbage. And as you can see, the owner replies to all the bad reviews desperately trying to defend his business. The customer is always wrong.
I've had issues since day 1 dealing with Check Oil. The tech they sent out was probably the only nice person I've dealt with. The second time calling, I dealt with the owners daughter Cassandra B. I wanted to request a cleaning as my contract includes one. I had a cleaning a few months ago that was given to me free of charge as the tech said they would make an exception since they installed the boiler for the previous home owner, they would put the cleaning under the previous owners contract. So I signed up with them for a new contract.
When inquiring about the cleaning I should receive on my contract, she was extremely rude over the phone. (Note this is my first home using Home heating oil, I was very uneducated about the process) Cassandra spoke over me several times, not allowing me to finish my sentences and saying that they never extend contracts from previous homeowners and that the cleaning that was performed was done under my contract (exact opposite of what my tech told me). I requested to speak to the owner although I was not given an opportunity to. I told Cassandra I was going to go online and tell the public about how they treat people and do not honor contracts. After going back and forth she finally apologized on her end and I remained a customer and did not give the company any bad reviews. Little did I know, being very sneaky, she left notes in the computer on my account that I was a problematic customer. As you will see later.
Fast forward to 12/29. We had a very cold few weeks and I checked my oil tank. It was very close to the empty mark. I put in two calls to Check oil to request the quickest possible oil delivery. The website says 24/7 service. A message was left and not returned. (I have proof of the call records and a 50 second message that was left).
By the next morning my call still had not been returned. I could not wait on them and risk going empty as the temperatures were around 12 degrees F all week. I contacted another company and they delivered immediately.
A few hours later we received some vibrations in the house from the boiler. I now know that if the tank gets close to empty, the sludge build up can clog the nozzle and give an uneven spray.
My wife contacted Check oil on 12/31 about the boiler vibration and spoke to the owner, David Bell. My wife had him on speaker phone so I could hear. My wife told him that we had to go with another company to fill up because Check oil had not answered our calls or messages. This is where David became irate, then began talking about the notes that his daughter left in the computer from our conversation months ago and that they see I always have a problem with the company.
The owner spoke to me as if I was complete garbage, similar to the way his daughter spoke, except worse. He would not let me get a word in and just kept repeating that my contract is null and void because I received oil from another company, I never called or left a message. He told me he did not care that I had the phone records, he said he checked the answering machines and that I never left one. While going back and forth he later admitted I called but said I only called to check the oil price and decided to go with someone cheaper. This is not true, I would not have to call for pricing as they list pricing on their website.
Throughout the conversation which was laced with profanities on his end, I spoke very calmly calling him "sir" and trying to be as polite as possible. I even offered for him to come to my house to check my phone to see that I had called on my iPhone phone record. When I said this, David said, I don't want that because I don't know who I am dealing with, and started to chuckle. He later hung up on me. I called back and spoke to his wife Debbie S. Bell., who went on a screaming rant about how she won't be as nice as her husband. Screamed happy new year and hung up.
I actually feel bad that people's lives could be so horrible that they need to treat others this way. David Bell, if you ever decide to issue me a refund on the service contract, you have my info.
Update: 1/15/18
Owner David Bell, in a typical fashion of a company with two stars, attempts to defend his company just as I knew he would. As seen below in his response, he takes the low road and goes through my past reviews and decides to attack on one of my past reviews. It makes me wonder how an FDNY battalion chief can act so unprofessional in his private business dealings. But when asked to sit down and discuss things off the phone (because he doesn't let you speak), will not show his face. read more