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Report: #919618

Complaint Review: theacoutlet.com - Pembroke Park, FL 33009 Internet

  • Submitted:
  • Updated:
  • Reported By: FairConsumer — Dallas Texas United States of America
  • Author Confirmed What's this?
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  • theacoutlet.com 1813 S.W. 31st Ave., Internet United States of America

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I ordered a unit from this company and it was BADLY defective, it had a hole in the coil that let the coolant leak out. I speak to a "supervisor" M being her first initial and this is how the deal works from this company and they say its a normal business practice and warned me that I should be prepared for this situation, basically its my fault for trusting their site and reputation. Anyway. 

Pay for the defective unit and installation - $2,608.00
pay for final diagnosis in finding small hole - $140.00(est)

then it gets fun...
Cost of new part -  $1300 with shipping (part cost to be reimbursed after shipping unit back to them. another $100 based on thier charges to ship to me with profits im sure)
Recharge install/removal - $800(est) since i haven't done this part yet

So for the same company that gave me a FACTORY defective part, wants me to buy another defective part out of my pocket then get reimbursed 30 days later. Keep in mind that I will not be reimbursed for the $800 in labor and recharge cost, and im actually OK on the labor but the defective part is what caused the need for a recharge and if they choose to send me another defective part guess what ill be out another recharge again..... 

but M says this is how they treat each and every customer they get SO if this is the experience you are looking for order up. email theacoutlet.com and bend over with a smile. 

im not sure its rheem to blame or the site or both but its pretty bad service and im happy to repeat this story EVERYwhere I can to warn others. 

This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 07/30/2012 09:44 AM and is a permanent record located here: https://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/theacoutletcom/internet/theacoutletcom-wwwtheacoutletcom-the-ac-outlet-dont-buy-your-rheem-from-theacoutlet-919618. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year. Ripoff Report has an exclusive license to this report. It may not be copied without the written permission of Ripoff Report. READ: Foreign websites steal our content

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REBUTTALS & REPLIES:
5Author
6Consumer
0Employee/Owner

#11 General Comment

what a joke

AUTHOR: Don - ()

POSTED: Monday, November 10, 2014

I am an HVAC Contractor with 35 years experience,  and over the past few years I get more & more calls from homeowners who have purchased product from the ac outlet,,or similar businesses,,, I dont have a problem buying product from an outlet retailer.. but that is where it stops.....,  Consumers need to realize that a lot of product is already obsolete and out of date for normal warranties,  one of my client  contractors recently got a price from these guys,  much less than I pay . ( what they did not say was tax / freight/ handleing charges were not included)  in fact it is illegal under federal law for companies like this to sell refrigerant bearing products to the public....  i found on their website that the equipment was already over 2 years old, please understand any manufacturer of HVAC equipment will not intentionally hurt their dealers and sell to outlet type distributors in and every manufacturer normally starts their normal warranties no later than 6 months from manufatured date, and it is clearly listed on their individual websites.....with that said, TO CONSUMERS...   buyer beware,   you are getting a cheap price, usually with no warranty,  and you take take this to the bank,  when a manufacture finds out that the equipment was bought off the internet,   THEY WILL NOT WARRANT IT!!!!!!  I have seen this happen many times to unsuspecting homeowners, the first time I heard of this outlet, was several years ago  they sold a client some duct less equipment, and she called asking for a bid to install...  inconsidering all that was involved, electrical, opening interior walls, patching the walls, condensation drains, labor,  permits,   ( you get the mesage)  the quote was over $ 6,000.00,   the woman was highly upset as the salesman told her it could be done for around $ 500.00.... 

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#10 Author of original report

no problem :)

AUTHOR: FairConsumer - (United States of America)

POSTED: Thursday, October 18, 2012

you only get one chance to burn me AC, but I appreciate you jumping in to let everyone now that I am valid and was not treated the way you SAY you treat others.

I would pay 3x as much to avoid you so I wont be back to waste time and $$$ with you

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#9 UPDATE Employee

Customer Appreciation

AUTHOR: AC Outlet Management - (USA)

POSTED: Thursday, October 18, 2012

Dear "Fair Consumer":

As far as we were concerned your warranty issue was satisfied locally since the process remained incomplete on our end. Sometimes a warranty is begun through us and completed more rapidly through local distributors and/or contractors (which appears to be your case). We do depend on customers to relay that information to us due to our volume of transactions daily.

We happened to be notified of this complaint which is what caused us to realize your dissatisfaction with the issue at hand. However, upon realization of your dissatisfaction, we addressed it immediately. On a side note, July to October is not 5 months.

Regardless of the lapse in time, your satisfaction is what we sought. It is clear we aren't getting very far in our efforts. We would simply like to close this exchange by reassuring you our staff is still here to provide you with the level of service we pride ourselves on should you need us in the future.

Again, we regret your dissatisfaction was not brought to our attention sooner so that we could have turned your experience around before it got to this point. It is unfortunate that sometimes situations such as this do fall through the cracks and we are sorry for that. We hope that in the future (if needed) we can show you we are not the type of company you feel we are [one who ignores issues (warranty or otherwise)].

We do want you to know you remain a valued customer and we wish you the best. Just to reiterate, we are here should you need us.

Sincerely,

The AC Outlet Customer Service Team

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#8 Author of original report

Interesting

AUTHOR: FairConsumer - (United States of America)

POSTED: Thursday, October 18, 2012

As interesting as it is that you now(5 months later) think I don't want a resolution. I was left to on my own to find a reasonable resolution on my own, remember this started in July if im not mistaken. Its October. To be honest this is the closet thing I have seen at a attempt to "resolve" if thats what this is.

I tihnk it was intended to try to have something from the company next to this complaint to make people think it was a fake complaint and that doesnt seem to be working out very well, or is it? Where is proof of that contact you said you guys followed up with me on? Did that slip your memory? At least you didnt try to present something flase or fake in that regard I will give you that much credit.

It seems you still want to say I didnt provide you paperwork on the install but cant explain why I received pricing information after asking if you guys had the paperwork? In my mind you would be also be able to say here is the time date on the response saying we didnt have the paperwork.

Your company was ready to take my CC information over the phone for a replacement but since I had already received a defective part and had a very unpleasant experience trying to get that part warrantied I elected to look into a more realistic option, I dont have 1300 to let you determine if a part was faulty or not, I felt the 2800 or so on the unit is enough of my $$$ for you guys to play with. So sending you an additional 1300 didnt make sense.

And just liek you said you didnt test the first unit so I am thinking you would likely send the part to the same "not you" to test that and based on what they told you is what you would tell me... " I can see it now 30 days later that part wasnt the problem thanks for another $1300? pass

Thats laughable at best but I couldnt let myself do it. I have no issue with stating my experience and if that is "tainting" the reputation of a company so be it. If you guys took the chance to "make it right" here then you might see your ultimate goal of driving sales realized, but you have choose not to reach out and seek that end. I can't fault you for it but surely you can't blame me for it either.
 
Maybe im the rare exception, if so this isnt a big deal in the big picture the only reason this would be more serious is if im not alone and there are many others that might follow my lead? In that case just as before its not my concern.

I am not happy with the unit, warranty how I was handle and I voiced that here. Simple.
 
Whats next? I kind of like this documentation of a poor company.  :)

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#7 UPDATE Employee

Customer Appreciation

AUTHOR: AC Outlet Management - (USA)

POSTED: Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Dear "Fair Consumer":

It is evident, you do not seek a solution here.

When a large volume of any product is sold, there will ALWAYS be warranties to process. Allow us to remind you, the manufacturing process of ANY product is not 100% flawless. As with any appliance, electronic, automobile or otherwise there are sometimes defective parts, recalled parts, etc. As a Distributor all we can do is process them on behalf of our customers and manufacturers to restore the merchandise to its' intended operation.

We made it very clear in this exchange, (which you confirmed by the following ["I sent the form to my installer and they sent it in."]), that all we had on file was your claim form, we do not have the installation invoice not the repair work order necessary to complete the process. Our representative's quote to you was simply to get you the information regarding the replacement cost, however, you would not have been charged nor would the part have been shipped until the Warranty process had been completed. Customers receive quotes on many items daily without paying for them so your comment as to why you were quoted a part cost is irrelevant.

We thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and opinions of our company. We will always be willing to address our customers concerns and furthermore as in this case be willing to satisfy them (when possible). With that said, when one wishes to point their efforts to insults and degrading comments nothing can be achieved. There is a process which must be followed for the exchange to be a success. Our request for proper documentation is not an unreasonable one and one that is required of us in order to receive credit from the corresponding manufacturer.

One must want to be helped in order to receive help. We regret we could not turn this experience around for you.

Sincerely,

The AC Outlet Customer Service

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#6 Author of original report

Dear "Cheating Company representative"

AUTHOR: FairConsumer - (United States of America)

POSTED: Wednesday, October 17, 2012

I admit that from your standpoint here in a public forum you can say that I didnt get the information to you and you would be right to a point. I sent the form to my installer and they sent it in. That is what I was confirming with the email and the reply on cost came after. Her reply with pricing was FOR ME confirmation.

If anyone has dealt with your company that tries to find any reason to not honor a warranty knows. You don't send out the quote without having every i dotted and T crossed. You are welcome to prove me wrong or maybe call Mi. and ask her if she sends out quote and the following BEFORE having the paperwork ?

I am not sure why she is already trying to get the $$$ if she doesnt have the paperwork in hand, to be honest I think she was just doing as she was told and its the company as a whole thats the issue.

Date: Mon, Jul 30, 2012 at 10:24 AM
Subject: Re: Warranty Claim Form*
To: Keit****,.com>


Hey ****,

When processing a warranty claim, you have two options:

1st-Send me the defective part & when we receive, we'll send you the new
replacement.

2nd-Prepay for the new part upfront and send back the defective one within
30 days for a refund credit.

Please let me know how you would like to proceed.

Best Regards,



> I guess im lost, is the part on the way?
>
> is this a bill ? thats reimbursed ?
>
> what does this mean exactly?
>
> are we saying it isnt warrantied?
>

I am sure you have processed many warranties since your products need them so much, I mean why else would you process so many unless they were needed? Unless you want me to think people call you and give up more $$$ for sub standard parts besed on the day of the week.

I would love to see where I have ever been contacted again from acoutlet 60 days later? or ever for that matter lol by all means feel free to post parts fo the email so I can track it down if it was overlooked? Please do so here so we can make sure this is properly documented for others to know the kind of compant they are dealing with.

I'm not sure if your job is to try to make the company look better or worse but I think you are doing a great job.


I can go all the way back to when I sent the potential identity theft paperwork in that wanted me to write out a cc number social security number and all the other tidbits to get the boll rolling on identity sharing.... let me know im happy to attach that if I can :) and I cant see any other email nore phone calls


:)
let me know where that proof of contact is, if you can produce it.
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#5 UPDATE Employee

Customer Appreciation

AUTHOR: AC Outlet Management - (USA)

POSTED: Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Dear "Fair Consumer":

As the email you provided proves, there is NO confirmation we received the required documents since they weren't. Again, the ONLY form on file (received by electronic fax page 2 of 2 on Wed., Jul 25, 2012 6:04 pm [cover page being page 1 of 2]) is the Warranty Claim Form which can not be processed without the other documents mentioned (original installation invoice and repair work order). Yes, you may have been quoted a price for the condenser coil, however, all that shows is that we were working towards the processing of your claim. This is no way means we would have proceeded until all forms had been filed, as this is standard procedure (no exceptions).

It is apparent by your response the repair to your unit is not your primary concern, it is the tainting of our reputation which takes priority in your case. We accept that not all customers can be satisfied, however, these correspondences serve as proof of our diligent efforts to try and remedy the case at hand [even after the lapse in time]. We can rest assured we have given your circumstance the attention it deserved, then and now.

Our Warranty Policy has not changed in the years we have been in business and when followed flows without incident. The ONLY reason you had to prepay for the part is to ensure we would receive the defective coil in return to submit it for credit. We are confident if this had been a $10 part vs. the condenser coil (which happens to be costly), this complaint would not have come about.

Mr. Fair Consumer, we have NO reason to "spin this in a different direction" as you stated, if you truly believe this is the first Warranty Claim we have had to process then you are misinformed. The next step you ask? It appears you have closed the book. We tried nicely to ask you a second time (60 days later) to submit your documents for review, instead you chose to make further stabs at our integrity. We offered to appease you but to no avail.
 
All that is left is to restate what we have several times, we stand by our products and our services. We hold our customers in high regard and are ALWAYS willing to address their concerns. We will not shy away or turn our backs. We hope that you find the same to be true with other companies you choose to do business with in the future and by all means you have every right to use and refer the company that you feel best suits your needs.

The AC Outlet stands by its ethics and daily business practices. We work hard to understand our products and customers needs. We very much regret we could not turn this experience around for you. We do however value your opinion and appreciate the little we have taken from this exchange of emails.

Sincerely,

The AC Outlet Customer Service Team

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#4 Author of original report

False again....

AUTHOR: FairConsumer - (United States of America)

POSTED: Monday, October 15, 2012

As happy as I am that you now know I am a real person, I could care less about your concerns about competition. I am hoping other people find those companies and send thier business that direction. So to make sure they also know your information is unfounded. you can see below the msg I sent to verify you had the forms you are saying you never received.

and I also included her reply with EXACT numbers on the cost of you providing me another untested, un drop shipped part.

Let me know whats next on this, I do hope people learn the type of company acoutlet,

some advice on the next reply before you try to spin it in any other direction, make sure your information is accurate. Just a tip, a untested un drop shipped tip :)


Date: Wed, Jul 25, 2012 at 9:18 AM
Subject: Re: Warranty Claim Form*
To: m************@theacoutlet.com


M*************, 


I was told you should have all the paperwork now but I wanted to confirm with you that you have it, again its warm inTexas :) 


thanks 

5 days later her reply:

From: M************<M************@theacoutlet.com>
Date: Mon, Jul 30, 2012 at 9:57 AM
Subject: Re: Warranty Claim Form*
To: ... <...>


Good morning ....,

Part#RXCL-102980-01  $1216.35 plus $100 for shipping Total=$1,316.35


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#3 UPDATE Employee

Customer Appreciation

AUTHOR: AC Outlet Management - (USA)

POSTED: Monday, October 15, 2012

Dear "Fair Consumer":

We are glad to see this is a REAL customer with a valid issue and not a competitor simply falsifying complaints to hinder our growth and positive reputation. Now that you have provided us with traceable details of your order, we have been able to locate the Warranty Claim Form you submitted back in July, which we have on file.

It appears we are missing the necessary paperwork (i.e. installation invoice by a licensed HVAC installer and the repair work order detailing the repair work performed) to complete your claim. In order to ensure the equipment we sell is properly installed we must have these documents to secure the Warranty process. As stated in our initial response, we gain nothing by turning our backs to a valued customer.

We are unsure why you chose not to complete the process, however, we are still willing to work with you towards an amicable resolution to your circumstance. If you did follow the requirements of professional installation and equipment registration, please forward us a copy of your original invoice on company letterhead in addition to the work order for the repair performed and we would be glad to review it.

Please do keep in mind what we stated in the previous email, depending on what your contractor's hourly rate and hours billed for the repair are, there may be discrepancy. In response to your statement of "untested, un drop shipped products", all of our units ARE tested at factory and ARE processed through our facility for shipment to our customers, however, this is NOT a flawless system. As in life, unexpected and unforeseen situations can arise, it is how the situations are dealt with that counts.

As for our positive reputation, your claim that we "populated" our website with false testimonials is unwarranted. As expressed we value our customers and IT SHOWS by our valid testimonials and Ebay feedback which can NOT be "populated".

So, just to prove to you a "Fair Consumer" (and an unhappy customer) our willingness to stand by our products and services, we offer you the SECOND opportunity to review your claim documents. We require the original installation invoice on company letterhead in addition to the work order for the repair performed out of box (prior to operation). Upon review of your submitted documents, we will respond with our findings and hope to turn your frown upside down!

Once again, we value your business and most of all your opinion. We hope that we can satisfy yet one more AC Outlet customer. As they say "better late than never"....

Sincerely,

The AC Outlet Customer Service Team

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#2 Author of original report

Validated?

AUTHOR: FairConsumer - (United States of America)

POSTED: Monday, October 15, 2012

Order ID: 5398

--------------------------
Product ID: 14AJM48A01-RCFLHM4821CC-RGPS10EBRGR
Product Name: 4.0 Ton 15 Seer Rheem / Ruud 100,000 Btu 80% Afue Gas System - 14AJM48A01 - RCFLHM4821CC - RGPS10EBRGR
Quantity: 1
Unit Price: US$2,529.00
    > Flow : Downflow (+ US$129.00)
    > Brand : Rheem


Valid now?

Im sure you guys have populated your site with every great referal you can think of or may in fact get. I am happy to make sure people know how you stand behind your untested, un drop shipped products. I would have gladly by passed your service had I had any indication your company wouldnt be helpful at all in my case.

So I do hope everyone considers the LACK OF "warranty" on the warranty item. AGAIN If this is the experience you are willign to roll the dice on, AC out let is the place for you.

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#1 UPDATE Employee

Customer Appreciation

AUTHOR: AC Outlet Management - (United States of America)

POSTED: Monday, October 15, 2012

Dear Consumers:

Although there are no facts stated in this complaint to justify its validity (i.e. order number, date, etc.) we respond the following:

Please rest assured The AC Outlet has its' customers best interest at the fore front of our concerns. In an industry as competitive as ours, we want nothing more than positive referrals. We sell ONLY new merchandise, received weekly from the corresponding manufacturer and cycled often due to our volume of sales. We have a very high standard for the level of service and products we wish to provide to our customer base. It is because of this standard each and every piece of merchandise is physically inspected prior to packaging for shipment from our facility. We DO NOT "drop-ship" any products.

However, we do not "run test" any units since this is handled at the factory. Unfortunately, the rare case of faulty equipment can arise. Just as units "can" get damaged in transit to our customer. Thus we have Warranty and Claim processes set forth for these instances. Policies and procedures are set in place to amicably resolve such occurrences. 

Since we are a distributor of HVAC products at wholesale prices we must reimburse at the same level (when applicable). Sometimes there may be a discrepancy between a contractor's rate and the factory predetermined allowance for said repairs. One must understand when purchasing a product at wholesale prices the repair will be compensated at wholesale costs.

Ultimately we gain nothing to have dissatisfied customers filing unnecessary complaints, therefore, we work hard to stand by our products and services. There will always be the unreasonable customer who can not appreciate a company's effort no matter the circumstance. Over the years The AC Outlet has serviced thousands of customers to their FULL satisfaction. We are a company who exercises ethical business practices and highly values each and every customer. We do not favor or treat certain customers different than others. Feel free to read the Testimonials on our website or our Feedback on Ebay as they tell all.

In closing, we hope that our response has helped lay any concerns you may have to rest. We encourage you to call our Sales Dept. at 888.474.9966, you will find our staff is friendly and on-hand to assist in any questions you may have. Please do shop around and choose the best company that suits your needs. We understand not every customer can be an AC Outlet customer, but if/when given the opportunity we promise to hold you in high regard and show our appreciation for your business!

Sincerely,

The AC Outlet Customer Service Team

 

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