It happens to everyone: the air conditioner starts malfunctioning or stops working at all! When your air conditioner or furnace needs repair, the first thing you should do is get in touch with a professional A/C repair service. However, there are times when dishonest technicians will commit fraud under the pretense of helping you. So, it is crucial to keep an eye out for possible scammers. Read this blog to learn common AC repair scams you should look out for!
Common AC Repair Scams to Look Out For
If you are looking for a reliable repair service for your air conditioner, here are some common scams you should know about:
- Bait
If the technician is giving you an offer that sounds too good to be true, it probably is! The seemingly reliable company might make amazing offers to lure you into their trap. When you fall for the bait, they will take this opportunity to sell you other services, even misleading you about the condition of your unit to trick you into paying for more than you would expect. Therefore, beware of anyone offering something for ‘free’ or claiming you absolutely ‘need’ their service. - Refrigerant Recharge
In case your unit is low on refrigerant, it is most probably because of a leak. Since refrigerant runs through a closed system, it would make no sense for it to run low. So if the technician is offering to ‘recharge’ the refrigerant, they’re trying to scam you by unnecessarily billing you for something you don’t even need. A credible company will tailor the service according to the problems, which, in this case, is probably the leak.
Another common repair scam is charging more for the refrigerant compared to the amount received. Supervise the process and make sure the payment is justified! - Expensive Part Failure
Many times, scammers lie about the source of the problem to receive more payment. For instance, they might claim your air conditioner does not work because of a faulty compressor. Here, the compressor is the most expensive part of the system, and you may have to pay thousands to replace it. What you may actually need is a quick fix of an electrical capacitor which does not even cost that much. The best way to avoid this repair scam is to get a second opinion! - Pretending to Be a Reputable Company
Some companies commit scams by impersonating another reputable name, claiming to be them, and showing up on your property. They will probably offer a free inspection of the system, ‘discovering’ issues and offering to fix them — which really just involves hitting you with another scam. To avoid this scam, never trust anyone who shows up to your property out of the blue. Plus, verify if they are legitimate by checking the company they claim to be from. - Used Parts
A clear sign you are being scammed is that the company will inspect the system and offer to replace the malfunctioning part with a used part they just happened to have in their vehicle – never fall for this! If someone offers you used parts, say goodbye to them and contact someone else.
Final Note
There are many AC repair scams that take place; you should learn what to look out for to avoid falling for a fraud company. Instead, talk to a reputable service and get the repairs your system needs.
Crump A/C & Heating is here to offer trusted and promising services for your HVAC system. Talk to us now at (281) 533-9200 or visit us at 535 E Fernhurst Dr., Ste 312, Katy, TX 77450.