LICENSED & INSURED / CAC 1819994LICENSED & INSURED / CAC 1819994
There’s no worse feeling than having your HVAC system go down here in the hot, humid Tampa Bay area when you need it most – like the middle of August…
… Except for your HVAC system going down and then you getting scammed by less than legitimate, less than ethical HVAC “repair” operations. Unfortunately, ac repair scams are all-too-common in Tampa.
Thankfully, though, with the tips to avoid HVAC repair scams we highlight below you won’t ever have to worry about that headache or that hassle again.
Instead, you’ll always be able to rely on reputable, trustworthy companies like us here at Comfort Air, a Rheem Pro Partner to get your HVAC system up and running again without spending a small fortune along the way.
Let’s dig right in, shall we?
The most important thing you can do when hiring a new HVAC company to fix your system that’s on the fritz is to commit to working only with legitimate, reputable, trustworthy operations.
In today’s modern world with the power and reach of the internet it’s possible to “dig up dirt” on pretty much any company you’d like to do business with.
Every business has a website, every company has contact information online, and most companies have reviews posted for you to search, too.
Commit to working only with a reputable HVAC company – like our experts here at Comfort Air in Tampa – and you won’t have anything to worry about.
Another thing you’ll want to do before you sign on the dotted line and agree to hire any HVAC company to help you fix your HVAC system is to ask for referrals, ask for testimonials, and then ask for the contact details of those customers to reach out directly yourself.
You’d be amazed at the number of people that jump headfirst into often expensive investments like HVAC repair without ever looking into the history or the reputation of the company they’ve hired first.
It happens all the time, and then homeowners are shocked to learn that the people they’ve hired aren’t the people they were expecting!
By asking for referrals and testimonials upfront (then getting contact details to actually follow through) you eliminate those issues altogether.
Most legitimate HVAC repair companies are going to ask for at least some money upfront – maybe 25%, maybe 50% – but none of the real deal operators are going to want you to pony up all the cash before they do any work at all.
Contractors and service repair people that make this kind of request should send red flags straight up the flagpole for you, as it is one of the common ac repair scams out there.
You’ll find horror story after horror story online of homeowners paying that upfront bill, only to discover shortly after that those contractors skipped town, never showed up to do the work, and kept the money that they got ahead of time.
Some of the less than ethical HVAC repair companies (especially down here in Florida where these services are so in demand) like to attach time limits to their estimate or offer.
This should make the hair stand up on the back of your neck.
Sure, there are some legitimate companies in the Tampa Bay area that are booked solid because of the great services they offer, their top-tier prices, and their professionalism.
But scammers are going to play games with you, trying to get you to jump at a “deal” that might not look like much of a deal at all if you had a little more time to consider the offer.
Getting a paper trail started whenever you work with contractors – HVAC or otherwise – is always good advice.
A written estimate gives you a concrete anchor to go back to if there’s a dispute about what you really want, what you were supposed to be charged, or the kind of work that you were expecting to have done.
Verbal estimates, verbal agreements, and verbal work orders inevitably turn into headaches and nightmares.
Get things down on paper.
It’s never a bad idea to reach out to other HVAC companies in the area and see if they can give you an estimate for the repair work you’re looking to have done.
On the one hand, this keeps you from jumping on board with the first HVAC services company that offers to tackle the project you have with a price that seems halfway reasonable. You might discover (pretty quickly) that those great deals aren’t so great when stacked up against the competition.
Secondly, you’ll get to see how another HVAC contractor handles the inspection and estimate process.
If both companies act professionally, you know you are in good hands no matter who you choose to go with.
If one company acts professionally and another doesn’t, your decision process becomes a whole lot easier.
For obvious reasons it’s important to work with HVAC repair companies that are fully licensed and insured, but you want to make sure that these licenses (and certifications) are applicable to the kind of HVAC system you have yourself.
Different HVAC systems utilize different technologies and different solutions to keep your home perfectly climate controlled.
Some HVAC companies specialize in a handful of different kinds of technology. Others take a more generalist approach, and others still sit somewhere in between those two spectrums.
To get the best results, though, you’ll want to be sure that the service technicians working on your machine and your setup are legitimate experts for that kind of system. Ask to see licenses, certifications, or inquire about the experience they have working on HVAC technology like yours before you sign on the dotted line and hire them to handle the work.
If you get an HVAC company that’s skittish about giving you details regarding their experience, licenses, or certifications you’ll want to look somewhere else.
Finally, and this is really one of our favorite tips to avoid HVAC repair scams, you’ll want to ask for all of the old, broken down, or repaired parts to be given to you at the end of the project.
Make this request before any work gets done and you’ll know that the repair people are on their best behavior. They aren’t going to try and pull a fast one on you because they know you’ll have the parts to bring to someone else in the HVAC world, someone that could tell you if you’ve been had.
It’s a neat little trick and all you have to do is worry about getting rid of the old components yourself.
The amount of peace of mind and security you get makes that extra effort worthwhile.
If you need to have your HVAC system repaired in the Tampa area, and don’t want to have to worry about scammers at all, reach out to us here at Comfort Air. We have HVAC technicians that specialize in just about any type of air conditioning system.
You can call us at 813-413-1726 or send us an email by using the contact form on our website. We’d love to talk about your project and see how we can help!
