ComplaintsforBarlow Heating, LLC

• Initial Complaint

  01/29/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  technician came and did annual cleaning and inspection and charged $385. This is nore than triple what it normally costs and I have been using them for 20 years. Boiler is 13 years old and has no issues but a small leak that was noted but not fixed.

  

  Business response

  02/07/2024

  In response to the complaint received 1/29/24, it appears to be a pricing issue as opposed to a repair issue which customer initially stated:
  Technician came and did annual cleaning and inspection and charged $385. This is more than triple what it normally costs and I have been using them for 20 years. Boiler is 13 years old and has no issues but a small leak that was noted but not fixed.
  This is correct, $385 is our normal oil boiler cleaning/service agreement price and has been since at least January of 2020. Prior to that, the fee was $365.
  The customer stated the price charged is more than triple of what it normally costs.  This would mean that he feels we should have charged less than $128 for an oil boiler cleaning.  We would not be able to stay in business if we charged less than $128 for an oil boiler cleaning.  It costs more than $128 to dispatch a licensed/insured service technician and a stocked/registered/insured service van to a customers location.   
  The customer stated that he has been using us for 20 years.  It is possible that the fee we charged prior to **** may have been $128, but those records are archived and cannot be verified at this time.
  The customer stated boiler is 13 years old and has no issues but a small leak that was noted but not fixed.  
  It had been so long since the system was properly cleaned, the boiler was nearly plugged. It took approximately a hour just to clean the dust and cobwebs off the boiler and plumbing. In addition:
  1.The burner air tube was damaged from a water leak. 
  2.Boiler was enclosed in an area that was not easily assessable.  (The customer complained to the technician that we should have sent someone smaller.)
  3.The oil line needed to be flushed out.
  4.The cleanout door base of the chimney (which is located outside) had fallen off, effecting chimney draft. 
  5.The last time our company serviced this boiler on August 5th, 2019.  This was due to a no hot water call determined to be caused by the tank running so low, the burner could not get oil and needed to be primed. (It is generally recommended to have oil boilers serviced at least once a year.)
  The technician also performed the typical cleaning; replacing the oil filter, nozzle, and pump strainer, in addition to brushing and vacuuming the boiler. 
  The technician noted that a mixing valve would need to be replaced because it was leaking. He did not have this specific valve in his truck stock and could not get one because the appointment was made late in the day to accommodate the customers schedule and the supply houses were closed.  Since the repair would have incurred an additional fee, it is unlikely the customer would have agreed to have the work done anyway.
  At 5:16 pm, immediately after the technician finished the job and left the location, the customer proceeded to call the office and release a one minute and 25 second (recorded for quality purposes) tirade about how he felt the price we charged was obscene, and that he would make it (his) life's journey to get (us) to not have business anymore . In addition to (he) knows a lot of people as a small business owner you know what it's like; good things happen you tell three people when bad things happen you tell everybody  After the customer was done with his rant, I started to speak and he hung up on me.  
  To settle this so-called complaint, we would be amenable to return the check we received for payment in the full amount of $385 and in exchange, ask that this customer has no further contact with **********************.  In addition, we ask that this customer agrees not to disparage, denigrate, slander, libel or otherwise defame Barlow Heating, its employees, personnel, or representatives, or encourage others to do so.  
  Thank you for the opportunity for us to respond and rectify this issue. 
  
  

  Customer response

  02/08/2024

  
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  Before making a conclusion on this matter, some points need to be cleared up for documentation purposes.  This company called me on the phone to set up a service call; I did not call them. Their appointment time was given to me as a time to accept not the other way around. I accepted service form them against my better judgement.  Barlow Heating is not and has never been my sole provider for burner service.  Here is the history I have with this company: They installed the current oil burner 13 years ago, and used 1/2" piping for all hot water after the 3/4" main, severely limiting the hot water flow to 2 bathrooms.  We have only been able to use 1 shower for a family of 5 since the install.   The technician admitted it should have been installed with 3/4" piping. I have known this but wanted to hear him admit this inadequate work even though there is nothing I can do about it now.  Second, I reminded him that the mixing valve has been broken since that install. The tech admitted this at the time and said they would return.  I had called numerous times after the install with no response from their company.  The tech that installed it said it was not working but that it would be replaced.  So the faulty mixing valve was a problem by this company from the start.  Although there is nothing that can be done 11 years later, I still let him know. I also needed to hear this admission from him. The system has been serviced every ***** months by other companies along with Barlow since then.  Assuming they are the only company servicing is false. 

  During the "service" I clearly recall a torch being used on the system.  Upon hearing this I went downstairs and asked what was going on.  Why a torch is being used for a cleaning service call is unknown.  Tech responded by saying that there is a leak.  The pipe connected to the mixing valve is now dripping with much more regularity than it was before.  It is clear he tried to "fix" this leak without consulting me, and without first draining the water from the pipes.  Water is supposed to be removed from copper pipes before fixing leaks.  Any attempt to fix a leak without doing so is unprofessional, and will only lead to more leaking.  I never accepted this service to fix a leak.  So any time spent on this was unapproved and unwarranted. The tech then told me that the space was tight.  I responded that it is actually more room currently than in previous years since a renovation, and that if he was charging me by the hour, maybe he should bring someone in smaller as to not charge me for his inability to move according to the requirements his profession requires. I did not know that cobwebs were a major hindrance and a reason for an extra hour of work charged.  He mentioned the door on the chimney outside.  I responded that the door simply needs to be placed into the hole.  It takes literally 3 seconds and adds nothing to the cost of labor time. The report the company has given has fallacies in it that have made the current situation of my boiler worse that when they first arrived for a service call.  It may be clean, but the leak is much worse.  I had planned on taking care of this leak on my own when I converted the pipes over to 3/4".  When I asked what the cost was I was astounded.  The price he gave me is "obscene", and I stand by it. The work he did was not done in a professional manner.  He did not consult me about fixing a leak, and then attempted to fix the leak in a manner that was not appropriate, thereby wasting more time and adding to his cost.  He works inefficiently, driving up the price of a job that his competitors complete in under 1 hour.  He also stated that a service call to come out starts at $90, so there is some inconsistency in their math there as well.  Regardless, they do not have to ask me never to call them for service again.  If their worry is slander, they need not worry about that from me, their work and prices speak for themselves and the free market will decide their business' fate. 

  I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the final response to refund the cost of services does satisfy concerns in reference to complaint #********. I understand that by choosing to accept the business response that my complaint will be closed as resolved. 
  
  Regards,
  
  *********************

• Initial Complaint

  04/16/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Over this past winter i called barlow heating to service my oil heating system, i wasnt able to be at the property at the time and received a call from owner wanting to do additional repairs. when i stated i could do the repairs myself he never did the service i thought i paid for and had to do it myself. i since put stop payment on the check and he has sent my name to collections. beware of this company as they lie to their customers and dont do what they say and just try to rob customers. the picture submitted is of the burner strainer they said was replaced, it was never touched. because they couldnt rob me they didnt do anything and still charged me for something they didnt do.

  

  Business response

  04/18/2023

  Mr. ** a new customer, called us to schedule a cleaning for an oil boiler at his rental property on Friday, December 2nd,2022.  For new customers, we request that the homeowner be on location at the time of service to approve the work and to make payment. Upon arrival, the technicians found that the homeowner left a blank check written out to Barlow Heating. (We understand that customers have busy schedules and cannot always be present at the time of service but now, we will no longer be providing service without the customer present.)
  While performing the cleaning service, which includes taking apart the boiler, the technicians found the heating system to be in deplorable condition.  They contacted their supervisor to inspect the system and make an assessment.   Upon assessment, the supervisor contacted the homeowner to explain the condition of the system and the repairs that would be needed.   The customer declined the recommended work claiming he would perform it himself.   The technicians were then instructed to complete the cleaning service as well as possible, given the poor condition of the system.   (Since the homeowner claims we did not perform our service, and he had to do it himself, we do not understand why we were called there in the first place.)
  The fee for the service was $312.50.  Since the customer left a blank check, we wanted to make sure he was aware of the price and that we would fill out the dollar amount.   We left a message on the customers cell phone on 12/2/22 after the work was completed.   We did not hear back, so we called again on 12/12/22 and left a voice mail message at 2:50pm. We tried again to call on 12/23/2022 but the voicemail box was full.  On 12/23/2022 at 12:26 pm, we texted the customer to let him know we would be depositing his check made out in the amount of $312.50, again, no response.
  On January 13, 2023, we received notice from the bank stating the customer had placed a stop payment on the check.  The customer was sent a new invoice for the amount due plus a returned check fee. After several additional attempts to contact the customer with no response, we placed the account for collections on February 27, 2023. 
  It is now April 17, 2023, over 4 months later, and this BBB complaint is the first communication we have had from this customer regarding his supposed unsatisfactory experience besides placing a stop payment on his check.
  It is very unfair that people are allowed to have a service performed, then publicly accuse a company of robbing them, when in fact, it was us who was robbed.    We performed a service and are not able to get paid.  We have an A+ rating on the Better Business Bureau, accredited since 2013 with zero complaints, that speaks for itself.
  To resolve this complaint, the owner of Barlow Heating would be willing to meet the homeowner at the property, along with the city mechanical inspector to explain the work that needs to be done to provide a safe heating system for the tenants that reside in this multi-family home and protect the surrounding area.

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