Gil, Green Air Solutions Said no door on heater in attic, fire hazard, don't use, then sold me new $8,000 heater. Canoga Park California

My saga began with an early evening phone call by a woman who said they were offering vacuuming out of heating  vents for $39, that things were slow and they just wanted to keep their employees at work to avoid layoffs.  Later I got a seecond call saying due to heavy traffic there was a delay, and was it too late foe him to come.  I said no problem. 

Around 9PM, I think, I answered a knock and a cheerful, courteous and business-like man, probably in his 30's, handed me a card and said "This is for you".  I invited him in and he asked where my air conditioning unit was.  We went out back and I showed him.  He gave me some routine cleaning advice and we returned to the house.  He brought his ladder in, I showed him the attic entry point and he went into the attic.  I stood below in the hallway and did not go into the attic --  I can't --I am 84 and not steady on my feet.

He talked as he moved around, commenting on rat droppings. a burned-out light, etc.  Then he said "Where is the heater door?  There's no door on the heater."  I told him I didn't know, that I had been there about 6 years and didn't recall any problems with it.  He said it was amazing that I hadn't had a fire, that the insulation was highly inflamable and the heat should be turned off. so the heat was turned off and I had to carry around an area heater for several days due to the cold.I asked about vacuuming the vents and he said that would be done later.

He asked my age, was I a vet and did I have triple-A, all the time writing up a contract as he talked.  I said I was a Korean War vet, and had triple-A.  He said he had been in the Israeli army, and I showed him my Israeli army hat which I had bought in Jerusalem.  He said I qualified for several discounts and totalled the contract at $7900+, which I read over and signed.  I was put on the HERO program which would be added to my tax biil, and if paid off in 5 years no interest.

A very personable guy, quite likable.  I asked if he would be here to supervise the job and he assured me he would be, that he was also the project manager.  He told me about having been in business for himself, but he had merged his company with Green Air.  I asked Pastor, the installer, where Gil was, was he going to be here to supervise the job and he said no, Gil is the salesman.  This on Thursday.

The installers were supposed to come on the following Wednesday but a lady from Green Air called and said they were stuck in the mud.  They came on Thursday.

In the meantime I began thinking, so when the lead installer was in the attic I asked from below if the furnace had a door and he said yes. The old furnace had been loaded into their truck, as I had elected to have it hauled away.  After the installer, Pastor, told me the furnace had a door I called my handyman, Dave, and he came over.  I told him they had said it had no door, but the installer said it did.  He pulled it off the truck, re-assembled it and showed me various things including the door.  He also said it could not be the original furnace, pointing out several things about it.  It actually does look fairly new.  He took everything from the truck and I have it in my garage.

Actually a couple of Latinos did come on Wednesday and vacuum out all of my 18 vents.