A Nightmare from a Free Inspection -- and I Still Don't Have Air Conditioning…read moreWhat started with a free inspection offered to me while I was walking through Home Depot has turned into a nightmare, and as of today, I still do not have a working air conditioner.
I was not looking for an AC repair or replacement. A salesman from North Bay Same Day Heating Cooling and Plumbing approached me at Home Depot and offered me a free inspection. My air conditioner was working fine, but he encouraged me to have it inspected, so I agreed.
When the technician arrived on Monday, August 10, 2026, I was charged $25, despite the inspection having been presented as free.
My AC was working perfectly before he arrived. The company's own service report states that the system had a 20° temperature split and, although they considered it undersized, it "has been working well for her."
The technician recommended several repairs. I chose what the company called the "A/C Bandaid"--a new capacitor and hard-start kit--for $680. The invoice described the capacitor as extending equipment life and the hard-start kit as reducing energy consumption and prolonging equipment life.
I did not use the AC for several weeks because the weather was mild. When I turned it on for the first time on September 6, it no longer worked.
On September 9, the technician returned. His written report states that the hard-start kit installed on August 10 was "completely fried" and that the compressor was "completely seized up and no longer functioning."
The technician called the office and told the office manager the compressor was fried. About 15 minutes later, he told me the owner had authorized a new compressor at no cost to me and that I would receive the money back for the repair work.
I was then told Ben would be coming out and could help me with my situation. I did not know he was a Field Supervisor.
When Ben arrived, he told me he didn't want to put a compressor in my old unit. He did not go over with me what installing a new compressor would entail. Instead, he presented me with an offer for a new AC system.
The price started at $8,400. About 10 minutes later, it was $7,000. Less than an hour after he left, I received another call offering it for $6,000.
The company's September 9 written estimate confirms the $6,000 proposal and shows a $4,125 compressor credit, $680 credit for previous repairs, and $2,689 manager-approved discount.
I did not authorize the replacement. I told them I needed time to research what had happened. I subsequently obtained an independent HVAC inspection, but the inspector could not determine the cause of the compressor failure because the parts had already been removed and the original wiring configuration could not be inspected.
I still do not have air conditioning.
For two weeks, no one from North Bay Same Day contacted me to check on the situation. On September 22, I called Ben and told him I could not afford the $6,000 replacement and would opt for the compressor. He told me that was not his department and that I needed to contact the technician.
For the past three days, I have repeatedly tried to reach the company by phone and text. I have only reached call centers that say they will pass along my message.
No one has called me back.
I am a homeowner who accepted a free inspection of an air conditioner that was working. I am now weeks into this situation without air conditioning, with a failed compressor and a hard-start kit that the company's own technician documented as "completely fried."
The September 9 follow-up report states, "Unfortunately the compressor going out was a coincidence after repairs were just performed." From my perspective, I had not called this company because my air conditioner was broken--it was working when the original inspection and repairs were performed.
What has been most upsetting is the entire experience--the sequence of events, the pressure to consider an expensive replacement, and especially the lack of communication afterward.
I am still trying to get answers and resolve this situation.
This review is based on my personal experience and the company's own written service documentation.