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:05/15/2025

  Type:Customer Service 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.

  Date of the Transaction:
  The initial service date was May 9, 2025.
  
  Amount Paid to the Business:
  The total amount charged was *********, which includes a deceptive **** membership that was not clearly explained or authorized.
  
  What the Business Committed to Provide:
  Russell American committed to:
  
  Diagnosing and repairing an emergency gas leak
  
  Coordinating directly with city inspectors to remove red tags
  
  Installing a new regulator and completing all required work
  
  Ensuring the gas could be safely turned back on the next day
  
  Nature of the Dispute:
  
  The technician, ******** misrepresented the invoice to include a **** membership plan, falsely framed as a discount during a high-stress emergency.
  
  The company failed to coordinate with the city as promised, forcing us to contact inspectors ourselves.
  
  Repeated delays occurred, with no urgency or clear communication.
  
  After multiple visits, ******* reinstalled a faulty regulator instead of replacing it with the new one we were charged for.
  
  As of now, gas service has still not been restored, leaving our home without hot water for nearly a week.
  
  Whether the Business Has Tried to Resolve the Problem:
  The business has made multiple follow-up visits but failed to resolve the issue. No supervisor has reached out, no refund has been offered, and the situation remains unresolved after five visits. The technician responsible continues to make errors, and the company has not demonstrated accountability or urgency.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/16/2025

  Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I’m very sorry to hear about ***** 'sexperience. I will look into this matter right away to better understand what happened and ensure it’s addressed properly. I appreciate the patience, and I’ll follow up as soon as I have more information.
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/16/2025

  
  
  Complaint: ********
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because: the company stated they would issue a refund but have not yet received that refund. I have not received any formal apology for the disastrous experience we all suffered through. 
  
  
  
  ***** *****

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/21/2025

  Thank you for your response.
  I have personally spoken with the customer and listened to his concerns. I completely understand how frustrating it was to experience multiple visits without resolution, and I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and stress this caused.
  A refund in the amount of ********* has been submitted and is currently being processed. I will follow up with the customer directly once the refund has been completed.
  While I understand an apology doesn't change the experience, I want to again express our sincere regret for the way this situation unfolded. We truly value our customers and are working to ensure a better experience moving forward.
  Thank you for your patience.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/28/2025

  Type:Customer Service 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.

  On 4/9/2025, Russell's Heating and Cooling which is now Russell's American Mechanical, came for my required twice yearly inspection ($***) to keep my 10 year ****** warranty on my HVAC equipment which Russell's installed 9 years ago. Everything was working well with my systems at that time, but when the technician was in the attic inspecting my upstairs furnace, the thermostat and furnace stopped working. He was unable to correct it and he called for help from another technician who came. They told me that I would have to pay over ****** for a new electrical cord. I explained that my warranty covered all parts and labor, but they said that electrical was not included. I tried to call Russell's about this charge, but I was unable to talk to the correct representative. I paid, hoping to get heat and be reimbursed when my warranty was checked. I went outside to replant a bush that the first technician had stomped down when he was inspecting the exterior air conditioner. They installed the cord and replaced the thermostat with a used and scared one. Then the technicians left telling me that the heat was back on. I went inside to find the thermostat reading "ERROR (danger, contact ******)" and the heat was not working. I called Russell's immediately, but there was no available workman to help me until 2 more days and nights. When he came on 4/11/2025, he struggled to correct what he called the "tangled mess" in the attic and he told me to call again because I "deserved compensation". For a week, I called eleven times to speak to a manager without being allowed to do so. I was told by the office staff that management was not going to reimburse me. Russell's failed me as a long term customer and failed their company's promise to offer me "reliable experts".
  I did contact ****** and they explained that they can not control Russell's policies because they are an independent and private company.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/02/2025

  Thank you for sending this over. I will handle this and get to you on the nest steps. 

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/05/2025

  Thank you for the chance to respond.
  On April 9, 2025, we completed a routine maintenance visit at Mrs* ******* home. During the visit, an electrical issue occurred that caused the heating system and thermostat to stop working. Our technicians found that the issue was due to a failed electrical component that is not covered under the ****** manufacturer warranty. While the system itself has a 10-year parts and labor warranty, this warranty does not include external electrical wiring or cords.
  We understand this was frustrating for Mrs. ***** and that she experienced a delay in getting her heat restored. We also regret that the thermostat provided did not meet expectations and that the technician may have disturbed a plant outside the home.
  After reviewing her concerns and speaking with our management team, we offered a $*** refund as a goodwill gesture. Mrs. ***** accepted, and we have processed that refund.
  We value Mrs. ***** as a longtime customer and are sorry for the inconvenience. We appreciate her feedback and are using this situation to improve how we handle similar issues in the future. 

  Thank you! 

  Jennifer Dorneval

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/05/2025

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

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/04/2023

  Type:Billing 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.

  12/01/2023
  Received poor customer service from the supervisor. Technician was apologetic, but refused to put me in touch with supervisor. I was told that a part covered by warranty was out of stock and would be shipped to me and I had to pay the shipping. I did not agree with this and wanted to speak to supervisor. I was told no. I was then told that the manufacturers warranty was not valid with the manufacturer because somethingvwasbwrong with the serial numbers and no one at Russell's bothered to tell me. The tech stated that they would honor the warranty, they have too!, but I would not be able to use the warranty with another company. I told him that I was stuck in using them. I also requested in writing from the manufacturer that my warranty is in place so I could use another company. Unfortunately I had to pay for the shipping and I have to use Russell's to fix my heater if I want heat before the end of next week. I want my warranty and I want reimbursement for the shipping of the part.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 12/07/2023

  Good afternoon, 
  
  On Behalf of Russell's and American Mechanical, I would like to formally apologize. I will submit a refund request for the cost of the overnight shipping. In addition, we will type a letter stating that we will cover your unit until 2028 through services provided by Russell's and American. I understand the feeling of being stuck with us but we always aim to make it right.  In this case, we always aim to make it right. In this case what we can do is refund the shipping cost, provide a letter, and allow us another chance to have a better experience with us. 
  
  I will send a letter via mail. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/18/2023

  Type:Order 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.

  We have a maintenance contact with Russell's HVAC. Part of this is a twice-per-year check of our equipment. As information, we have done a lot of business with Russell's and have contributed a lot to their business over the last couple years.
  
  On our summer-prep checkup, only my wife was present. The tech told her we had a mold problem in our evaporator coil. He provided pictures. He wanted approximately ****$ to clean/correct this issue. He also suggested our ducts be cleaned for approximately ****$. Interestingly, Russell's had just replaced the same evaporator coil last year. It was odd to us that it would already be faulty/moldy. With that thinking, we called back and requested another technician take a look.
  
  As it turns out, the photos shown from the first tech were not even our unit. Our coil was completely clean. There was no mold to be found. This was a clear cut fraud attempt. Furthermore, my wife felt uncomfortable with the high-pressure sales tactics of a male in our home when she was alone. This is completely unacceptable. We trust Russell's to have professional staff in our home with ourselves and our children.
  
  As remediation, we want an apology from management and a promise to educate it's staff to not participate in this predatory practice. We also would like a free contract extension for 1 year. We would leave Russell's but the extended 3 year warranty on work already done is just too valuable to let go.
  
  In conclusion, perhaps this was just a bad apple technician but we haven't be exactly lucky with Russell's staff/work but do appreciate the customer service overall.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/18/2023

  Afternoon, 

  We will have a letter sent to the customers home first thing tomorrow morning. It will be signed by the service manager and we will absolutely honor an extended 1 year of Maintence.  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/21/2023

  
  
  ****** ******** ******:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ** ********* and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. We appreciate the prompt response on this matter.
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  **** **********