HVAC Scams
By Jay Dillon
2.5/5
()
About this ebook
Discover some of the most underhanded scams in the heating and air conditioning industry. This book exposes the ruthless tactics used to make millions in extra profits by victimizing unsuspecting home owners. Learn how to spot a scammer by asking the right questions, understanding the "upsell" mindset, distinguishing between a tricky tech and an honest service provider, and knowing what you are paying for. Follow these helpful guidelines and ensure a positive and beneficial heating or air conditioning service call. HVAC Scams brings to light the gimmicks that are costing customers money and it will give you an eye opening look inside a billion dollar industry.
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Reviews for HVAC Scams
4 ratings2 reviews
- Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5$40 for a good digital thermostat? Not true at all
- Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5Not worth the paper it’s in. People are not that stupid and this are scare tactics.
Book preview
HVAC Scams - Jay Dillon
HVAC
SCAMS
Secrets of the Heating and Air Conditioning Industry
This book is dedicated to my wife Amy, who graciously put up with me working all those long hours and somehow managed to keep her sanity. Love you babe!
Also to my kids who created the cover for this book and have always been the most helpful and encouraging little people. Love you Jared, Jude, Joseph, Jillian and Jediah!
© 2015 Jay Dillon All Rights Reserved
Contents
Introduction
Buzz Words
Service Agreements and Tune Ups
How Is Your Technician Paid?
How Do Companies Decide What To Charge?
Permits & Code Enforcement
Home Warranties
Tricky Techs
Helpful Guidelines for Hiring an HVAC Company
Conclusion
Introduction
What is HVAC? It stands for Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning. We have become a nation that can’t live without comfort. We want it to be warm in the winter and cool in the summer. We also want our kitchen exhaust fans above our ranges to remove smoke and odors from cooking and bathroom exhaust fans to remove shower steam and smells from our bathrooms. The HVAC industry is a multibillion dollar business. From new construction and replacements, to repairs and upgrades we need HVAC companies.
Unfortunately, not every company is honest and even good companies have shady employees that will try to extract every cent from you they can. This is called a nickel and dime
tactic. Maybe you need a part but you also need things you’ve never heard of but take the word of the tech that is at your home.
I have spent the last 23 years working in just about every aspect of the HVAC industry and have seen some of the most dishonest work done to trusting customers. I started out working in HVAC manufacturing as a temporary job on the Condensing Units line. I manufactured them but I didn’t even know what they were, until one day I asked my manager what we were actually making. He said condensing units
. Of course I had to ask what condensing units were and he said air conditioners
. Wow, I made air conditioners for one month before I even knew what I was making. My second job in the industry was with a one man company as a tool hander and I learned nothing about how air conditioners or heaters worked. After that I worked for a national home warranty company, then to a company that specialized
in residential new construction. From there it was another, more respectable new construction company. After many years of learning the ins and outs of how HVAC systems were installed I managed to get a job as a Mechanical Code Enforcement Inspector for a local municipality. At that job I was able to see installations from many different companies and learned a lot about the quality of the jobs for which people were paying. When a company pulls a permit from the city building department to replace a piece of equipment or a complete system they have to declare the value of the job and pay the appropriate fee. Well, I knew how much the home owner paid the company and there were times I was shocked at the quality of work for the price paid.
During the housing crash of the 2000’s I got laid off from my inspector job and had to go back into the field. I got a job as a service tech repairing existing equipment. The company I worked for got most of their business from a major home warranty company. We were only allowed to fix the exact problem even if we found a problem that was going to require another service call. It was a new company ran by people that had no experience in the trade. After 2 years of nearly starving to death because work was slow and getting behind on all my bills, I went back to one of the previous companies I had worked for, this time doing nothing but residential replacements. That was very hard work and we always did our best, but the home owner paid a pretty penny for it. I have spent over 2 decades in the HVAC industry and I’ve seen the good, the bad, and the downright ugly.
The purpose of this book is to reveal the tricks of the