Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/25/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I had responded to an East Coast Mechanical flyer advertising 29-Point Precision A/C Tune-Up services for $59 and made an appointment for May 22nd at my residence. Upon the arrival of East Coast Mechanical specialist, it was determined that my air conditioning system was low on freon. As a solution, the specialist added freon, charged me $299 ($59 for A/C Tune-Up services, and rest for freon) and departed. Regrettably, the very next day, we discovered a significant issue that directly resulted from the service performed by East Coast Mechanical specialist. The pipe carrying the freon had become overcooled, covered in ice, and the insulation had torn, leading to water leakage from the air conditioner onto the floor.I immediately contacted East Coast Mechanical to report the issue and request a resolution. However, ECM's representative has refused to acknowledge the problem or take any steps to rectify the situation. Furthermore, my requests for a refund for the services rendered have been declined, with personnel claiming that Tune-Up service provides no guarantee whatsoever.A specialist from another company identified the original problem, why there was little freon in the *** This was due to the emergency condition of the evaporator coil where freon leaked, and adding new freon would not help in any way to improve the functioning of the *** East Coast Mechanical advertisement states that Tune-Up service includes 29 points, including #**. Inspect Evaporator Coil. If their specialist performed the service efficiently, he would check evaporator coil before useless adding freon. Instead of helping, ECM has caused additional damage to my AC and is now failing to take the necessary actions to address the issue.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 06/12/2023

  This is in response to the report you received from one of our customers that does not have a Service Contract with ECM.  As the customer indicated in his report, he telephoned ECM to take advantage of a $59 tune up promotion and scheduled his tune up for May 22, 2023, covering the 7-year-old Air Conditioner in his home.  
  
  The tune up was completed. During this time, ************** noted that the system was low on refrigerant and asked the customer if he would like for him to add this to the unit at a charge of $240.
  
  The customer authorized the additional charge, and the refrigerant was added. Certainly, however, our office should have scheduled a Service Technician when the customer telephoned the following day to report an issue with the Air Conditioner. By copy of this response, we would like to extend to the customer our sincere apologies for any inconvenience caused him as a result.  In addition, we have credited back his account the $240 he paid for the refrigerant.
  
  Under the circumstances, we have closed our file on this matter. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/08/2023

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Re Household appliance service contract with ECM, we had a service call in 2018 where ECM claimed that they could not obtain a part for the repair, and told us we needed to but a new washer. I personally found the part on the manufacturers authorized repair website and had the needed part in my hands within 48 hours, and completed the repair myself. The machine has been functioning since then, no thanks to ECM. On 2/6/2023 we called ECM for service to diagnose a problem code, and after much runaround we were told that ECM had taken the washer off our appliance list and refused to provide service. We were never advised of this change either over the phone in 2018 or in writing as of this date.Apparently a contract with ECM is subject to their own interpretation, leaving us to find another repair solution with no working washer.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/10/2023

  This is in response to the report you received from a customer regarding her ******* old Maytag front load Washer.
  
  This customer had purchased an ********************** contract six (6) years ago, that covered the above-listed Washer. At that time, we completed a service call and the repair required a new Door. The Door was not available from the manufacturer.
  
  As a point of clarification, ECM does not purchase used parts or parts from anywhere other than those that come directly from the manufacturer. This protects our customers from receiving below standard parts -- especially on a front load Washer where a leak, or even worse, a flood could happen if the part is a substitute and/or not designed per manufacturers specifications.
  
  In any case, we advised the customer at that time that we could not provide any further service on the Washer as a result. The customer did not renew the contract when it expired, and there was no further contact from the customer until last year in October. The customer again purchased an ********************** Contract and listed the same Washer back on to the new contract. This was discovered when she recently requested service on the Maytag Washer.  
  
  Based on the preexisting condition of the Washer, however, and coupled with the fact that we had previously advised her that we would not perform any further service on the washer, we explained that we would not be able to schedule a service call.  Thus, the complaint from the customer to your office. 
  
  Please be assured, we were surprised that the customer would expect ********************** to ********************** an item that she admittedly  remembered ECM telling her six (6) years ago that we would no longer service. Nevertheless, after reviewing this matter, ECM has decided that it would be in the best interest of both the customer and ********************** for us to refund the customer the full contract price of the contract and she can go elsewhere for the repair.
  
  We have since advised the customer and, therefore, we are closing our file on this matter. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/31/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I purchased a home warranty contract for the year only to find out that it does not cover the parts and services.the purchase of the yearly contract was 800 dollars. I had a problem with my ac unit and they stated it was non repairable and the unit was not even 10 years old. They stated there was a severe leak and would not repair it under the warranty as the plan stated the compressor was not burnt . so they sold me a unit for over 7 thousand with an interest of ************************************************************************* for a discount. So i have to make payments of 600 per month. They did not provide me with a diagnosis on paper or my email. They state they are a paperless company. Then my other ac stopped cooling and the coils freezing up so the tech came and stated that the coil needing replacement and Freon and charge me over ****** and this was not in the warranty contract. so I paid them and they replaced the ac airhandler coil and put Freon and I did not get a receipt for the diagnosis nor the parts replaced. Then the ac unit started to freeze up again and no cooling. I called the company and they came by and stated that the coils in the wall outside needed to be replaced and it would cost over 3 thousand dollars and I did not get a diagnosis or receipt for that visit. I decided to get an independent opinion of the ac and the tech that came by found a leak in the copper line above the ac coil and checked outside and took a video of the leak check the coil and place Freon in the unit that was on empty. He gave me a complete diagnosis on paper and charged me ****** soldered the leak put Freon in the unit and stated that the unit should not have an empty Freon tank which would freeze up the coils. This leads me to believe that this company was negligence and fraudulent in its business practices. I did not have to buy a new ac and the other coil ac did not need replacing. This company does not hold up to the services they have in the contract. i attempted to get the diagnosis and reiciepts from this business and they will not send them.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/24/2023

  This is in response to the report you received from one of our customers regarding services ECM provided to the two (2) Air Conditioners in her home.  For simplistic purposes, we have separated our responses by Air Conditioner as follows:
  
  3.5 TON MAIN AIR CONDITIONER
  On June 14, 2022, ECM completed a service call to the customers 9-year old ******* Air Conditioner. Our Service Technician completed a thorough diagnostic of the system and found the Evaporator Coil was leaking. Our office did telephone the customer and recommend she consider purchasing a new Air Conditioner, due to age and condition, but ultimately it remains the customers decision on how to proceed with the information provided. Further, ECM never advised this customer that we would not repair the *** However, as indicated in the report, the customer decided to purchase a new Air Conditioner. The new ** was installed on June 23, 2022, and there has been no further contact regarding this Air Conditioner since that day.
  
  2.0 TON SECOND AIR CONDTIONER
  On September 9, 2022, our technician was dispatched to the customers home based on her telephone call that the ** was blowing warm air.  Upon completion of his diagnosis,************** reported finding a very dirty evaporator coil that was blocked with dust, debris and other biological growth. As a result, the airflow though the coil was compromised. Under the circumstances, the customer had her coil replaced and there was a charge as the manufacturers  limited parts warranty does not cover maintenance conditions only manufacturers defects. The new coil was installed on September 21, 2022, and the Technician confirmed that the Air Conditioner was working within manufacturers guidelines.
  
  There was no further contact from the customer until approximately one month later, on October 19, 2022, when the customer telephoned ********************** to report the Air Conditioner was not cooling. ************** was again dispatched to the home and found that there was a leak at a valve to the copper line that runs between the condenser unit and the air handler. The valve is covered under the ************* limited parts warranty. However, per the terms and conditions of the ECM Service Contract, warranty items are not covered under the contract as listed under Item C. and that reads:
  
  C. MANUF**TURERS WARRANTY: The manufacturer must perform all necessary warranty repairs and the customer shall be responsible for all related cost such as service, labor, installation, shipping, parts processing fees, pick-up and delivery of parts, and handling fees. ECM shall not be responsible for the cost of servicing or replacement of such equipment,if such equipment is within the manufacturers warranty or if manufacturer fails to honor any portion of the original warranty.
  
  Further, the normal charge for this repair in our industry is over $600, not including the 9 pounds of Freon (at  $45 per pound) that was needed to recharge the system.  Nevertheless, ECM appreciated the fact that this customer is an ********************** contract holder, and only charged a $189 processing fee to cover a small portion of the cost of this repair that is not covered under the contract. On October 25, 2022, the Technician returned  to complete the installation and recharge the system.
  
  There was no further contact from the customer until over a month later, on November 28, 2022, when she reported the ** was icing up.  At this time, the Technician found a third issue as a Freon leak was also found in the refrigerant lines inside a wall. ************** added five pounds of Freon in order  to provide the customer temporary cooling and our office quoted $2,500 for this extensive repair.
  
  However, according to the report from your office,the customer claims she was able to have the repair done by another company for $400.  As a result, we contacted the customer to request a copy of this Invoice, with the work that was completed,as if ECM has made a mistake we want to make it right. The customer indicated that her daughter-in-law had filed the complaint and that we needed to contact her directly. After speaking with her she advised us she would send us the information,however, we have not yet received anything from her. Incidentally, the report indicates the customer never received any paperwork from ECM. We did review our phone records and show no requests for missing paperwork. As a point of clarification,all paperwork is automatically emailed to customers at the time of service. Nevertheless,we did learn that we had the wrong email address on file and have since emailed paperwork covering all transactions covered herein.  

  
  To this end, and under the circumstances, ECM will not be taking any further action regarding this matter. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/25/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I called ECM ********************** which whom I have a home warranty with pass few years, for my AC which is not working properly. The company came to inspect the air condition, the tech stated will need to order parts through Lenox and will take few days to repair. It has now been almost 3 months I have been without air condition, I'm elderly woman with medical conditions, have my son with my grand children living with me and started to noticed growth of possible mole. ECM has given the run around stating the parts can take months to a year in order to get the parts, I called multiple times ECM, at one point was told to call Lenox, which I have and was redirect to contact ECM. I'm filing this compliant in hopes of getting help in getting solution for my air condition problem. I can already see it effecting my house physically and creating emotional toll on myself. Please help this consumer just trying to get her air condition fix. My case number with Lenox ******* was given to me when I was told by ECM to call ****** to know the status on parts but was told by ***** was unable to release information and to call ECM. Please help and thank you.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 12/13/2022

  This is in response to the report you received from one of our customers regarding the Lennox 4 ton Air Conditioner installed on June 11,2019, by ECM...  
  
  This customer telephoned ********************** on September 8, 2022, to report their Air Conditioner had stopped cooling. While ECM immediately ordered the warranty part needed to repair the Air Conditioner, the manufacturer, ****** advised us that the part was on back order.
  
  We hope your office can appreciate that ECM does not have any control over manufacturers production or shipping dates. Certainly, we sympathize with the customer, under the circumstances, but this is a situation that is completely out of our control.
  
  Since the time the customer filed this report with your office, she has cancelled the parts order and has received a refund, per her request. Please be assured, we are saddened that we could not help her in this matter.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/10/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  ECM failed to properly diagnose and repair my air conditioner. The first part they ordered and installed made the problem worse. After waiting for a second part for three weeks, they determined it was the wrong part. After 37 days without a working **, I reluctantly ordered a new ** since it was the only sure cure for the problem.I was told by their Salesman that I was getting a discount and credit for the money I had already spent on parts and repairs. However, I now realize the discounted price was still above what I could have paid elsewhere had I not been under duress to get the ** working.I wrote a letter to the owner and head of customer **********************. They refused to take any further action or acknowledge any blame for the errors, delays, or pricing.My letter is attached.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/11/2022

  This is in response to the report you received from a customer who purchased ****** Bosch Air Conditioner installed on October 10,2023, by ECM.
  
  With this said, and for simplicity purposes, we have listed below a timeline of events that transpired covering both the customers old and their new Air Conditioners.  The timeline was obtained from recorded telephone conversations, as well as all work orders and the signed Proposal.
  
  08/31/22 Customer telephoned ********************** to report his 9-year old Air Conditioner was cooling but he felt the humidity was high in his home.
  09/06/22 Our Service Technician arrived and found a restricted expansion valve (***).  The customer was advised the office would contact him once they heard from the manufacturer. The customer paid a $90 diagnostic charge for the service call.
  09/08/22 Our office telephoned the customer and left a voice mail to call back at his earliest convenience.
  09/09/22 The customer telephoned ********************** and paid the charge of $587.96 covering both the part and labor.  ********** then ordered the part from the manufacturer.
  09/12/22 Our office telephoned the customer and left you a voice mail to schedule the installation for the following day between 2pm and 6pm.
  09/13/22 Our office telephoned him again to confirm the appointment that day but he was not going to be available. Therefore, the appointment was rescheduled for 9/14/22, between 11am and 3pm.
  09/14/22 Our office telephoned the customer at ****** to report ************** was running behind but would be definitely arriving that day. At this time, he mentioned that his building would not allow ************** in after 4pm.  At 2:16pm, our office again telephoned him to let him know the Technician would be arriving very close to 4:00pm. Therefore, it was recommended that the call be scheduled for the following morning between 8:30 and Noon.
  09/15/22 Our office telephoned the customer at ******* to report the Technician was running behind but would definitely be there. 
  09/15/22 - ************** arrived at 12:35pm and left at 2:45pm. He replaced the *** &***** and added four (4) pounds of Puron.
  The ** was working as intended when ************** left. .  There was no report from the customer of any issues until ******* the following day.  Further,if his Ecobee Thermostat was causing the issues, as he implied in his letter, the photo we have of the pressures on the ** would have been flat,whereby indicating an issue was still present. It did not.
  09/16/22   The customer telephoned our office to report the Air Conditioner was not cooling.  The service call was scheduled for that day between 2pm and 6pm. 
  In review of our phone records, we noted that the customer was transferred a few times during this call.Certainly, by copy of our response, we would like to take this opportunity to once again extend to him our sincere apologies for any inconvenience caused him as a result. Please be assured we have taken measures to prevent any reoccurrence in the future.  
  09/16/22 ************** arrived at the customer's home and found that the reversing valve also now proved to be defective. Note:  This was on a Friday at 5:30pm. Unfortunately, most manufacturers and supply houses are closed on the weekend.
  09/19/22 The customer telephoned our office on Monday to follow up. We apologize we did not call him first but we were processing service repairs as fast as we could, based on the order of responses from the manufacturers and suppliers.  The customer was quoted $872.44 for the part and labor and it was explained to him that the part was on back order and could take up to 10 business days. The customer left a 50% deposit and the part was immediately ordered. ECM has no control over estimated dates from manufacturers or supply houses.
  10/06/22 Our office telephoned the customer to schedule the part that had arrived. The service call was scheduled for October 7, 2022, between 8am and Noon.  
  10/07/22 ************** arrived at his home and found that the manufacturer had sent the wrong reversing valve.
  
  We explained to the customer that ********************** received the wrong part for their ** and there was no way to know this until we arrived to his home. We certainly are sorry that the circumstances were as they were but, again, ECM has no control over manufacturers and supply houses.  Further,we scoured our telephone recordings in an attempt to find a telephone call from the customer asking to speak to a manager to inquire if there was anything else that could be done, under the circumstances, but we did not find any telephone call from him that day.   
  
  We understand that he chose instead to purchase a new Air Conditioner. An estimate was given and he agreed to pay the total purchase price of $8,957.  We also understand that after the installation, while the installers were still in his home, he refused to pay the agreed upon amount without a further discount. As he is aware, the price was then reduced an additional $200 bringing the total he paid to $8,757 for his new Air Conditioner. Incidentally, his original 9-year old Air Conditioner was 3 tons, which is the identical tonnage we installed in his home. In addition, ECMs cost for his 3-ton Air Conditioner was more than the $5,125 he reported his neighbors have paid for a 2.5 ton **.
  
  Nevertheless,with all this said, it always remains ultimately the customers decision on how to proceed with the information provided at any time.  The customer chose to purchase a new Air Conditioner and he agreed to the final amount. To this end, and based on the information covered herein, ECM will not be issuing any further credits to the customer covering the purchase of his new Air Conditioner. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/14/2022

   
  Complaint: 18388888
  
  I am rejecting this response because: the ECM response was exactly the same as I got on my own.  They basically agreed with the facts.  ECM did not address how they let the problem go on for weeks, failed to accept any responsibility for lack of oversight or ordering the wrong part, nor defend their high price for a new AC. Their promise to credit repair fees toward the new AC was a ploy as they simply marked up the new AC.  Clearly I had no reasonable choice than to order a new AC unit because they failed to obtain parts and fix my unit in a reasonable time. 
  
  They never apologized or offered any good will.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/26/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I am writing to get in contact with customer ********************** regarding an issue I had today with ECM of ************* about an A/C unit that was installed in my residence on 8/26/2020. The A/C unit has a warranty of 5 years that covers parts through the manufacturer, Lennox. I did not purchase an additional service plan to cover labor should the unit fail and do not remember this being an option when I transferred the unit into my name. My complaint comes in that ECM is using shifty tactics to overcharge and double charge on services and is price gouging on the cost of refrigerant to the consumer. The A/C that was purchased and installed through ECM failed two days ago on the part of a defective aluminum coil header on the outside condenser unit. This part is covered by my warranty through Lennox. I had a service call from ECM today that resulted in a bill of $1200 and was told I would pay another $932 for the condenser to have the A/C running as new again with a new part. The breakdown of the $1200 was $90 service, $296 Leak Diagnostic, $788 Freon. $2132 for a two-year-old unit that has a condenser leak. The breakdown of the $932 was never sent to me and I did not agree to pay it until I had the breakdown. I also never received information about the hourly rate for the installation when asked. Later in the day, I received a call from a representative at ECM and was told that the part needed to fix the leak was indefinitely back-ordered and that to expedite having cool air I had to replace the entire condenser unit. I was told that this is what their Lennox parts advisor CEO (representatives exact words) had told them to do. Upon agreeing that this sounded like a good plan my quoted price for installation of the new system would increase from $932 to $1400. The representative just needed my card number again for the charges and to hold the appointment. Upon asking some questions about the cost, I quickly became suspicious that I was being overcharged an

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/11/2022

  This is in response to the report you received from a new owner of the Lennox Air Conditioner ECM installed on August 26, 2020, by ECM.
  
  Our records indicate that the customer telephoned us on October 25, 2022, to report the Air Conditioner was not cooling. Inasmuch as this customer does not have an ********************** Contract, she was advised there would be a $90 diagnostic charge. She agreed to pay and the service call was scheduled for the following day.
  
  Upon arrival, our Service Technician completed a thorough diagnostic and quoted the customer the pricing to confirm the leak and order a new Coil. Customer agreed to the charges as she indicates in her report to your office. However, the customer further states that ********************** is using Shifty Tactics to overcharge and double charge on services. We hope your office can appreciate that we were doing just the opposite.  We spelled out what was needed and how much we charge. The customer agreed. Please keep in mind that if the customer was not happy with the charges she could certainly have gone elsewhere. The limited parts warranty on her Air Conditioner is with ******, the manufacturer, not with ECM.
  
  ECM then placed the order with ****** for the Condenser Coil.It was at this time that we learned the Coil was on back order with the manufacturer and there was no estimated date of arrival. Like most other companies worldwide, supply chain shortages are impacting the availability of AC equipment. Then because of the shortages, they have had to reduce or even cut shifts on the assembly line.
  
  With this said, and due to our strong relationship with ******, we were able to provide the customer another option and offered a brand new Condenser Unit (the outdoor portion of an Air Conditioner) at the greatly reduced price of $1,200, only $268 more than the coil.  Incidentally, this Condenser Unit usually sells for $3,599, installed.  Certainly,the customer did not have to purchase this Unit and could have waited for the Condenser Coil to eventually arrive. In either case, the customer has since decided to go elsewhere for the repair.
  
  On a final note, our prices are in line with other larger AC companies in our market that are not operated as a mom and pop business.  For example, when you purchase an AC from ECM, you are purchasing from a company that has been in business since 1985.  We have approximately 235 employees with a fleet of over 137 fully-stocked, service and installation vehicles providing service to more than ****** commercial and residentially air conditioning, plumbing and electrical customers throughout Broward, Palm Beach, ******, St. ***** and Indian **************.  In addition, our Technicians are employees,not subcontractors. Our Technicians are also highly qualified and certified and all have been Drug Free and Background Checked.
  
  To this end,we believe ECM was transparent with the customer and there will be no credit issued toward the customers recent transaction with ECM.
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/24/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  My air-conditioner was purchased from ECM and was installed by ECM about four years ago. A ECM technician checked my air-conditioner in early August and told me the coil is deteriorated and need to be replaced. He said the part is under warranty (10 years warranty for parts). Next day, a lady from ECM called me and told me the part is under warranty, but I have to pay $300 processing fee ( although I purchased service plan yearly). I didn't make decision right away because the weather was so hot that time, About 10 days ago, I called ECM and another technician checked it again and told me the same thing: the coil need to be replaced and it is under warranty. Next day, a representative from ECM called me and told me the part is not under warranty and I need to pay about $2800 for the part. I called the ECM customer care and was told the same thing. In just over two months, I was told completely different answers for the same issue. I think they are not professional and honest. I hope my issue can be addressed and resolved by ECM.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/05/2022

  This is in response to the report you received from one of our customers regarding the Lennox Air Conditioner installed on September 4,2018, by ECM.  
  
  Based on our records, we learned that the customer telephoned ********************** in July, 2022, to report the Air Conditioner was leaking. Upon arrival, ************** found that the customers drain line had backed up and ************** cleared the line. While the Air Conditioner itself was working fine, he noted the outside of the Evaporator Coil had some type of dry wall compound sprayed directly on the coil. (See attached sample photo of a coil, and the photo we attached of the customers coil).
  
  There was no further contact from the customer until October 12, 2022, when he telephoned to report some type of black substance coming from the Air Conditioner. Upon arrival, our Service Technician found nothing wrong with the Air Conditioner and again noted the condition of the Evaporator Coil.  The customer was told at that time that, if needed, ECM could not replace the coil under the manufacturers limited parts warranty, as it appeared to have been compromised whereby the warranty would not be honored by the manufacturer.
  
  After receiving the report from your office, however, we returned to the customers home on October 28, 2022.  Photos were taken of the inside portion of the Coil which we found to be in good condition. Therefore, we have confirmed with the customer that we would be able to process the Coil under the manufacturers warranty if this should ever become necessary.
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/07/2022

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Yuansheng **

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/10/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On 05/07/2021, I brought a brand-new Lennox HVAC system from East Coast Mechanical, Inc.The install date was 05/10/2021. The install took about 8hours which first alarmed me, but the installers assured me that it just took time to get things fitted correctly and this was normal. The system purchased from ECM has not performed well: On 09/09/2021 a service repair persons came to repair the unit because in less than 5 months it already stopped working. Service tech discovered a damaged coil. On 09/14/2021 the tech replaced the coil and refilled the unit with coolant free of charge; it was under warranty. On 08/22/2022 I called for service because the unit was not shutting itself off. The thermostat needed its batteries replaced so I did that myself, as well as change the inside filter. The unit went back to working. On 08/23/2022 I called to cancel the service tech because it was not needed. Nevertheless, I did ask for a technician to come do a tune-up and inspect the unit. On 09/09/2022 another tech came out and found problems. The tech claimed that something was wrong with the thermostat, and it would cost $333 to replace it. I ended up paying $284.00 for the same model thermostat. On 9/22/2022, I contacted ECM the unit was not turning itself off and there was ice on the outside lines. On 09/23/2022, ECM came out and inspected the unit. He informed me that I had reset the unit by shutting off the breaker and since its not broken right now, he couldnt find a problem. I asked him about the thermostat. He said, the problem was never the thermostat he didnt know why ECM would charge me because its part of the warranty. He feels its a motor On 10/7/22 ECM called to let me know it would be $558 on labor to replace this motor. In 1 year I have given this company over $6,000.00 and still don't have a working unit.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/21/2022

  This is in response to the report you received from one of our customers regarding service to his Lennox 2.5 ton Air Conditioner installed on May 10, 2021 by ECM.  
  
  Based on our records, the customer telephoned ********************** on August 24, 2022, to report the Air Conditioner had stopped cooling. Inasmuch as this customer does not have an ********************** Contract, he was advised there would be a $90 diagnostic fee, as the one year labor warranty on his Air Conditioner expired on May 10, 2022.  The customer agreed to the charge; however, when our Technician telephoned the customer on the way to his home, the customer stated the ** was now working and requested a routine maintenance tune up for $59 in place of the $90 service call.
  
  Accordingly, the tune up was scheduled for September 9,2022.  However, there was something wrong with the Air Conditioner. While performing the tune-up that day, our Technician found the unit freezing up and determined it was due to a faulty thermostat that was not turning off the outside unit. The Technician quoted the warranty processing price of $225 to the customer. 
  
  The customer agreed to this and signed the Invoice under the section that reads: I have the authority to order the above listed work and do so order as outlined above. I hereby authorize you to proceed with the above listed work at the agreed upon fair price. I have been provided with a full detailed explanation of the needed repair and a written estimate given to me prior to commencement of work. My signature below authorizes ECMs technician to proceed with the work.
  
  Therefore the Thermostat was replaced and the Air Conditioner was restored to working condition. There was no further communication from the customer until September 22, 2022, when he called to report the Air Conditioner keeps running. ************** was dispatched to the customers home at no charge. The Technician reported that he found a defective **************** to the Air Handler Unit.
  
  As a point of clarification, while the customers Air Conditioner carries a manufacturers warranty on parts to the Air Conditioner,this warranty does not cover labor for service calls.  The labor warranty on the Air Conditioner expired on May 10, 2022. Therefore, the customer was advised that there would be a warranty processing charge of $573.85 to proceed with this repair.
  
  Currently, the Motor is on factory back order with the manufacturer. However, if the customer wishes to proceed with the order, he would need to pay the processing fee as covered herein.   
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/21/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  8/29/22 maintenance/ tune up performed by ECM tech. and unit seemed fine, a few days later unit stopped working. ECM was called and I was told would be contacted by office but was very busy so would fit me in asap and would be charged $90.00 diagnostic fee. Tech came out on 9/7,stated fan was the issue, fee was paid, was told office would call with appointment to repair. Did not receive call so I called on 9/8 and was told part was under warranty but labor would cost $575.00 and $200.00 was needed as deposit which I paid by credit card then. .Tech returned on 9/9 replaced fan motor and balance of $375.00 was paid. AC has not reached desired temp. since. Spoke with supervisor *** and tech returned 9/16, added some freon and stated since work was being done on home which involved cutting wall that could be causation. Wall repaired, issue remains, ECM now demanding another $90.00 to come out and address issue which I think is CRIMINAL

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/01/2022

  We received the report from this customer regarding her ****** old 2.5 Ton Lennox Air Conditioner installed on July 14, 2019, by ECM.
  
  We reviewed our records and learned that this customer telephoned ********************** on July 21, 2022, to report her Air Conditioner had a bad leak.Inasmuch as the customer does not have an ********************** Contract, she was advised there would be a $90 diagnostic charge for the service call. This is because the customers 1-year labor warranty expired on July 14, 2020.
  
  The customer agreed; and later that same day our Technician arrived at her home. Accordingly, our Technician completed a thorough diagnostic of the ** System and found that the leak was not coming from the Air Conditioner but rather directly from the Roof.  However, our Technician did find that the Coil to the Condenser Unit located outside needed cleaning and mentioned this to the customer. We understand the Coil was full of lint from the Dryer exhaust system that was blowing in its direction.
  
  Then, later that same day, the customer called back to report her ceiling was falling down and there was water everywhere. Although our ** Technician already determined the issue was a direct result of the roof, ECM agreed to return to her home at no additional charge to the customer. As we suspected, the diagnosis was exactly the same the water was from the roof.
  
  Then, on July 21, 2022, the customer telephoned ********************** as she had decided to have the Condenser Coil cleaned and this service was completed the following day on July 22, 2022.  The customer paid $438.84 for this maintenance service. On July 23, 2022, the customer telephoned ********************** to report the Air Conditioner had stopped cooling. As in the previous diagnostic service call, there was no charge for this service call, as we had just been to the customers home to clean the coil. However, upon arrival, we found that a hole that was left in the roof by others, that was allowing cold air to escape from the home. The customer knew this but never called ********************** to cancel the courtesy service call.
  
  On July 26, 2022, the customer requested ********************** schedule a maintenance Breath Green tune up, with Duct Sanitation, which was performed on August 29,2022.  This was offered to the customer at the special discounted charge of $59, regularly priced at $99.
  
  The customer again called ********************** on September 6, 2022, to report the Air Conditioner was not cooling. She stated she had some work being done by another company and they noticed her ** was frozen. Our office explained that there would be a $90 diagnostic charge and the service call was scheduled for the following day. During this service call, our Technician found the ******************** to the Air Handler located inside the home had burned out.  The replacement Motor was installed on September 9, 2022, and the customer paid the remaining balance due bringing the total paid for the repair to $574.
  
  This brings us to the last service call ECM completed on September 16, 2022, in response to the customers telephone call reporting the ** works fine in the morning but when it gets hot in the afternoon the temperature goes up.  Our ** Manager reviewed the file and agreed to send a Service Technician to her home, at no charge to customer. Upon arrival, our Technician found the ** unit cooling perfectly and in line with the manufacturers specifications.
  
  We understand that the customer has again requested a ********************** call and does not want to pay the customary $90 diagnostic charge.However, based on the information covered herein, ECM agrees with the decision already relayed to the customer by our Management Team there will be a $90 diagnostic charge to dispatch an ** Service Technician to the customers home.   The customer can telephone us at ************.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/04/2022

   
  Complaint: 18058632
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/04/2022

  09/16 tech ***** came out @ my request as temperature set was never achieved, monitor was displaying 2 to 4 degrees higher and AC was running 24/7. This problem was more evident in afternoon as I told ECM. Tech added some Freon and stated issue was due to section of dry wall which was removed by contractor, even though dry wall is cosmetic and wall is otherwise sealed. He is the expert so I waited until dry wall was replaced as ceiling was repaired previously and when problem persisted a few days later I called ECM. I spoke with service manager *** who stated he would send supervisor to evaluate. I called ECM as I got a call from them which was dropped and spoke with ******* who stated she was a manager and no one would be coming out unless I paid another $90,00, this would be the third fee. I told her the problem was never resolved  contrary to what was written by her tech and I refuse to pay another " Diagnostic fee ". The comment that I knew that a hole in the ceiling which was covered by plastic pending repair  would affect AC and did not call to stop a courtesy service call is inflammatory. That reflects her M/O not mine . I don't have to embellish my case by  making  negative assumptions about someone I don't know. ECM needs to address the issue which is on going and not try to collect another  DIAGNOSTIC FEE  

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/07/2022

  This is in response to the customer's rebuttal. **********************'s position remains the same. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/09/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I have a service contract with ECM # F0011822C and my phone on file w them is ************ following is a timeline of my AC issue with ECM **** on 9 4 22 my tenant advises AC handler leaking water. It's a tempstar AC unit which was installed new when i bought home in 2006. ECM did not install and it's not under warranty. On 9 4 22 I call ECM ** and finally speak with someone who says we don't make service calls on holiday weekend unless a unit is gushing water or there is a flood, so ECM doesn't come out to service. ECM says call back Tuesday when we reopen 9 6 22 * On 9 6 22 I call ECM for service, pay for service call $45 as per my contract and ECM diagnoses problem, send me invoice (attached). says bad evap coil, will locate part to fix * ECM calls and said they need to order part and will advise when avail but may take time due to supply chain issues. also states in the meantime we can work with you to swap out your unit for a new one and pay difference.* On 9 7 22 I leave several messages with ECM no contact * On 9 8 22 I call and speak with **** in ECM parts **** who says the evap coil for your unit no longer manufactured so we cant fix it but I can send out a tech for a service call to quote you on new AC unit. I say ok,* I then find out thru tempstar distributors after calling around that the part is made for the unit but needs to be ordered thru the tempstar manuf.* 9 8 22 I speak w service tech who says he's at unit w my tenant and I tell him the part is available give him part # given to me by a ***** ********** in Miami, a tempstar dealer which is micron ICP 11 88 53, He says he'll talk to his boss and see what we can do but this part is very expensive ($1900?) and not worth to put into a 17 yO unit. This part is avail and ECM is oblig to remedy, as per AC contract. Want to remedy soon as I have a tenant living there and the unit is leaking water....please help and thank you, ************************* ************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/26/2022

  This is in response to the report you received from a customer who had called ********************** for ********************** on September 6, 2022, covering the 16-year old ******** ********* of ******** Air Conditioner located in the customers rental property. 
  
  ************** was dispatched to her tenants home that same day, and found the Evaporator Coil to the Air Handler plugged up and full of slime. Inasmuch as the Coil was too old to clean, without a high risk of damage, our office advised the owner she would need a new Evaporator Coil.
  
  This is where the confusion began.  ************************* contacted ***** Distributing and gave them the model number of the ******** AC that we serviced. According to the representative from ***** the Coil was no longer available. In fact, our ********************* specifically asked the representative if there was a substitute Coil he could obtain. The answer was no. Thus, our office notified the customer to let her know that the Coil was no longer available.
  
  It was not until we received the report from your office,with the part number from the customer that we were able to identify and obtain information on the correct Coil. The same day we received your report, we contacted the customer and advised her we could get the coil. The customer then told us she decided to purchase a new Air Conditioner instead of pursuing the repair.
  
  Under the circumstances, we have closed our file on this matter.