Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Comfort By Design LLC's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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  Comfort By Design LLC

  240 N Broadway East Ellsworth, WI 54010

  
• 

  Comfort By Design LLC

  1600 Maxwell Dr Hudson, WI 54016-8758

  
• 

  Comfort By Design LLC

  309 2nd Ave Osceola, WI 54020

  
• 

  Comfort By Design LLC

  122 W. 3rd Street Hastings, MN 55033

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:02/19/2025

  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.

  The business sold me and installed a new furnace, air conditioner, and humidifier in September 2021. I reached out to service department as the humidifier was not properly humidifying the home. The first visit I was told there was a bubble in the line and the filter was not sit properly and was subsequently sold a service plan for $337. I was told the issue would resolve in a few days. After a week passed the issue still persisted and a followup appointment was requested. I was told that the unit previously sold me and installed was for a 3000-3500 sq. ft. home and was undersized for me home, which is nearly 6000 sq. ft. I was offered an upgraded unit at a slightly discounted price and being charge for installation, etc. The price difference between the units was less than $900 but I was to be charged over $1600 to upgrade to the correctly sized unit. The business sold me and installed an undersized unit. They additionally sold me a service plan for $337 which they now tell me is not refundable even though I have yet to utilize the services of the plan.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/27/2025

  Dear Better Business Bureau,
  
  Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. At Comfort By Design, we take pride in providing excellent service and maintaining clear communication with our customers.
  
  In September 2021, we installed a humidifier that meets standard specifications for the typical home in our region. Upon receiving the customer's concerns about humidity levels, our service team promptly responded with a maintenance visit and offered solutions to optimize the system's performance.
  
  When the customer expressed interest in a larger capacity unit, we offered a discounted upgrade option. However, we understand this may not have met their expectations. To resolve this matter, we would like to offer:
  
  A complimentary service visit to optimize their current system
  A full refund of their service plan if they are unsatisfied
  The option to upgrade to a larger capacity unit at our cost, paying only standard installation fees
  
  We value our reputation for excellent service and look forward to resolving this matter to the customer's satisfaction.
  
  ******* ****
  General Manager
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/28/2025

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  

  The company has had technicians out to my home twice already.  The second time I was informed that the unit was functioning as expected and was suggested then I would need to upgrade.  The manufacturer website indicates the installed unit fits my square footage but the technician said it would need upgrade to hit the target humidity levels.  So, either I have a unit which is not functioning properly that they are not able to diagnose or they installed a unit which is not sized correctly for my home.  Either way they have performed poor service and are requesting that I upgrade and pay additional installation after also having sold me additional non-refundable, unused service contracts.
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  **** *****

  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/17/2025

  Thank you for your correspondence and the opportunity to address the remaining question regarding complaint #********.

  Expert Assessment of the Humidifier Unit

  After a thorough review of the installation and the specific model provided—the AprilAire 700 Whole-House, Fan-Powered Evaporative Humidifier—we can confirm that this unit is rated for homes up to 5,300 square feet and is capable of delivering up to 18 gallons of moisture per day. These specifications align with industry standards for whole-home humidification and are based on average ceiling heights and normal home construction.

  Appropriateness of the Unit for the Home

  When we recommended and installed this unit in 2021, we based our decision on the square footage and general layout of the customer's home, as well as the manufacturer’s published guidelines. The AprilAire 700 is designed to handle the humidification needs of most residential spaces within this size range. While actual performance can vary depending on factors such as ceiling height, insulation quality, air leakage, and the home’s overall airtightness, our calculations indicated that this unit would be sufficient for the customer’s needs.

  Optimization vs. Upgrade

  Currently, we do not believe that the current unit is undersized for the home. Instead, it may be possible to further optimize the system to ensure it is functioning at peak performance. Optimization steps may include:

  • Verifying that the humidifier is properly integrated with the HVAC system.
  • Ensuring the humidistat is accurately calibrated and located in an appropriate area.
  • Checking for any maintenance issues, such as clogged water panels or valves.
  • Assessing the home for unusual sources of air leakage or ventilation that may impact humidity retention.

  If, after these steps, the desired humidity levels are still not achieved, we are open to further evaluating the situation on-site to determine if any additional modifications or upgrades are warranted.

  Rationale for the Original Recommendation

  The AprilAire 700 was selected based on the information available at the time of installation, including the size and typical usage patterns of the home. Our goal was to provide a reliable, efficient solution that met the customer’s comfort and air quality needs.

  Commitment to Customer Satisfaction

  We remain committed to ensuring the customer’s satisfaction and are happy to schedule a follow-up visit to review the system’s performance and discuss any concerns. If there are specific areas of the home that are not reaching the desired humidity, we can investigate further and provide tailored recommendations.

  Thank you for the opportunity to clarify our position. Please let us know if further information is needed or if you would like us to coordinate a follow-up with the customer.

  ****** ********

  Controller 

  ******.********@comfortbydesign.com

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/21/2025

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

  I would've welcomed this as an initial response/offering, but because of the current milder temperatures and higher ambient humidity, we can’t accurately test the humidifier’s performance under the same conditions it experienced in February. The system struggled to maintain humidity then, but with the warmer weather now, the incoming air holds more moisture, and the furnace isn’t running as much — both of which make the humidifier appear more effective than it may actually be during cold, dry conditions. So any test we do now wouldn’t reflect how the system performs when it’s really needed in winter.
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  **** *****

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/22/2023

  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.

  My hot water heater was about to fail, ie; bulging at the top with ***** water seeping out the top and running down the side of the tank. We recently bought our home in Osceola **, and my ************* was to use a local business, so I called, expecting someone to stop by to give me some options (they are located only about 5 blocks away), instead a technician came to my house, looked at the tank and said, "you need a new tank". I said I know I need a new tank, (I'm not a kid, I'm 74 years old and a business owner 29 years), on the way out he said he had to collect a "trip charge". I asked for what, and would not pay. He said to call the office, they said the charge would be removed if I bought their hot water tank. I said no thanks, and would never use their services.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/18/2023

  We have credited the customer's account and they no longer owe for this invoice.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/22/2022

  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.

  I hired Comfort by Design to service 3 fireplaces in 3 rental homes I own. The fireplaces wouldnt start and I asked them to get them working. The work was done. There are 2 problems with the invoices for this service: at one of the homes they did a clean and tune in addition to getting the fireplace working. I neither requested nor authorized this additional work. Furthermore, on the invoice they wrote that customer asked for clean and tuneafter he saw how dirty it was. Neither I nor my renter asked that they do a clean and tune so this statement on the invoice is blatantly false. The other problem was they triple charged me for the trip charge. Per J*** at Comfort by Design, Youd have one $79 (trip) charge thats basically the service charge for the technician to come to the home so it doesnt matter if its one or three theres one service charge. While they did go to 3 different houses, two of them are across the street from each other and the third was 0.1 miles down the street. Walking across the street instead of down the hall to another fireplace does not constitute another trip. Likewise, moving the van 6 houses down does not constitute another trip. I should only be billed for one trip charge. To date I have called 3 times, written 2 letters, and sent one e-mail to try to get the invoices corrected but they have not done so. I did receive an e-mail from C**** F***** after my first letter. He offered to reduce the charge on the unauthorized work from $260 to $220. I replied that I should not have to pay for it at all. In a later e-mail he did say that I would just have to pay for the repair. As far as the triple trip charges he claimed that they were really diagnostic charges. Thats not what they are called on the invoices and thats not what J*** said. (I have a recording of the phone call with J***.) I have paid the 1 correct invoice but am waiting for them to send correct invoices before I pay the remaining 2.