Archive for the ‘Consumer protection’ Category
Wednesday, December 28th, 2011
You have seen the ads in the newspaper, on television, and on the highway. Duct cleaning seems to be a pretty popular but you have probably also heard much of the controversy that surrounds this service as well. Is it worth having done? Is it all just a scam? How much should having your ducts cleaned really cost? All of these questions could stop you from even considering this service, but then you take a peak down one of your return vents and you suddenly realize that something needs to be done. Four Seasons will show you what real duct cleaning service is suppose to look like, and all you have to do is call!
Dishonest Duct Cleaning Services
The scam artists out there like to pry on this service because the homeowner has little ability to see if the job was actually done properly. For the most part your ducts are hidden from view and without camera evidence of the cleaning being performed any scam artists can walk in, pretend to clean, and walk out with your money. Many of these companies will also throw on extra charges at the last second that you weren’t expecting, and when it comes to money, no one wants to be surprised by what they owe. These types of tactics are what shy people away from this valuable service, but Four Seasons offers the customer a much different experience. (more…)
Tags: air ducts, camera evidence, Chicago, cost, coupon, discount, Duct Cleaning, Four Seasons, HVAC, Justice, Orland Park, professional cleaning, scam artists
Posted in Air Quality, Consumer protection, Duct Cleaning, Home Services, Informational, customer service | Comments Off
Monday, December 12th, 2011
Hundreds of furnaces across the Chicagoland area are way too big for the homes that they are installed in. How did this happen? Well, there are two possibilities: either the furnace was installed back when the motto, “Bigger is better” rung true, or the installer decided to take you for a ride by selling you a larger and therefore more expensive unit. No matter your situation, having a furnace in the home that is bigger than needed has probably already caused you problems. The only way to repair this problem is to either expand the size of your home or get a new unit, but how are you going to know if your furnace is over sized in the first place? Leave it to Four Seasons.
What Size Should Your Furnace Be?
Next time you need something heating or cooling related performed in you home, call Four Seasons. Our servicemen are heating and cooling experts and they will be able to do the appropriate assessments on your home to determine the proper size furnace you should have installed. Or, if you are looking to install a new furnace anyways, schedule your free estimate with your Four Seasons Home Comfort Specialist. Where other contractors may base their estimate off the size of furnace you already have in the home, Four Seasons is willing to take the time to find out what size the furnace should be. (more…)
Tags: assessment, Aurora, Chicago, Four Seasons, free estimate, Furnace, heating and cooling, Hickory Hills, IL, installation, oversized, replacement, service technician, short cycling, sizing
Posted in Boiler, Consumer protection, Furnace, Furnace Repair, Heating, Informational, Quality | Comments Off
Tuesday, December 6th, 2011
As winter approaches and the weather changes, we become more concerned with our furnaces, and we stop thinking about our air conditioning units until summer returns. One group of people that won’t forget about your air conditioner is thieves! They know that the copper in your air conditioning unit is worth money and realize that winter is the perfect time to strike since people aren’t using and are therefore not thinking about their air conditioner. Countless homeowners will call in at the beginning of the cooling season with complaints about their air conditioner only to find that the system or the copper within the system was stolen when they have one of our servicemen investigate the issue. This doesn’t have the situation in your home, but you have to take certain steps to protect your system from the hands of thieves.
A Four Seasons Security Cage
At Four Seasons we recommend you protect your investment this winter with a Four Seasons Security cage! Our cages are made of iron and painted with high polish, black gloss paint so it won’t rust. We offer the most durable and sturdy cages on the market, so when thieves drive by, they won’t even think to mess with it. Give us a call today and we’ll provide you with a free quote. For all the right reasons, call Four Seasons!
Tags: air conditioner, Chicago, copper, Four Seasons, Heating, Home Services, IL, iron security cages, protection, security cage, spring, stolen, theives, winter
Posted in Air Conditioner Repair, Air conditioning, Consumer protection, Home Services, Informational, Tips and Suggestions | Comments Off
Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011
We have heard some pretty horrible stories over the years concerning contractors that scam their unsuspecting customers, but this one has to rank among the worst. The worst part about it is that the homeowner could leave the sale thinking that they got what they wanted until years down the line when things start to fall apart. They were robbed blind and the work that they had performed is littered with garbage materials. This type of sleazy business is not something that Four Seasons would ever be guilty of or even be associated with, but understanding how another company may try to use this scam could help you protect yourself during future repair and remodeling jobs.
Installing Imposter Materials
This scam involves playing on the homeowner’s ignorance of the industry. You go into the project asking for certain materials to be used in the home. Let’s say you want an exotic type of wood to be used in your new hardwood floor installation. You know that this type of wood will cost you extra, but you are choosing the more expensive material for its longevity and beauty. The contractor, on the other hand, has another plan in mind. He knows that he can find a cheap substitute that will give the homeowner nearly the same looks as the exotic wood they originally wanted. Instead of buying the more expensive material, he purchases the cheap substitute and pockets the extra cash you paid expecting the more expensive product. If you don’t have a well trained eye for the difference between materials, you won’t notice the scam until years down the road when there is a breakdown in the flooring, or you go to sell the home advertizing high quality flooring. (more…)
Tags: Arlington Heights, Buffalo Grove, cheap substitute, Chicago, Consumer protection, Four Seasons, fraud, home improvement, home remodeling, home repair, Home Services, IL, materials, scams
Posted in Consumer protection, Home Improvement and Repair, Home Services, Informational, Quality, customer service | Comments Off
Wednesday, November 9th, 2011
These days, it is hard to trust anyone at their word. With all of the scam and fraud warnings we encounter everyday it is too easy to get taken advantage of when you need to have work performed in your home. Taking a contractor at his word could turn into big losses down the line. Many homeowners find this out the hard way. They sign a piece of paper without ever really reading it through and the project begins. Within days the problems start up and the homeowner has nothing to back up the contractors verbal promises. The homeowner ends up with a much lighter wallet and little to show for it. Don’t let this become your remodeling or HVAC repair horror story and call Four Seasons!
A Contract You can Understand
Complex contracts are difficult to understand and seem to hide crucial facts from the homeowner. When you need something repaired, you often don’t even think to read every detail of the papers that you sign. All you want is to get the problem taken care of as quickly as possible. Contractors know this and the less scrupulous ones will use it to their advantage. At Four Seasons, we are as upfront as possible with each and every one of our customers. We are not looking to take your money and run. All we want to do is provide you with a reliable source for the services you need to have performed. That is why we always outline and discuss everything with you before you sign a contract. By keeping you in the loop, we establish a trusting relationship. (more…)
Tags: Chicago, Consumer protection, contractors, contracts, Countryside, Crete, Four Seasons, fraud, furnace repair, home repair, Home Services, honesty, HVAC repair, IL, Lindenhurst, professionalism, remodeling, scam
Posted in Air conditioning, Consumer protection, Heating, Home Services, Informational, Quality, customer service | Comments Off
Thursday, November 3rd, 2011
When you buy a car, it usually doesn’t come with much of a warranty. If you buy it new you may have coverage for a few years but there isn’t a return policy. If the car is used, you often take it as it is. For such a large purchase, you’d think you would get a little more protection. Unfortunately, that is not the case, and most large purchases are like this, unless of course you are buying a furnace from Four Seasons Heating and Air Conditioning. Part of our promise to our customers is that when you buy one of our furnaces it is guaranteed not to be a lemon. We make this promise and then we back it up.
The No Lemon Guarantee
The No Lemon Guarantee states that if your furnace’s heat exchanger fails within 25 years of the installation we will replace the entire system for free. The heat exchanger is the core of your furnace, and a crack or break in this part would normally be the death of your system. However, if your system is from Four Seasons, we will replace the unit completely in this event as long as the unit was installed within 25 years of the breakage. The average furnace only lasts about 20 to 25 years, so you are basically protected for the life of the unit. (more…)
Tags: 100% satisfaction, Chicago, Four Seasons, free estimate, Furnace, heat exchanger, Heating, home comfort specialist, HVAC contractors, IL, installation, investment, Lemont, Lisle, no lemon guarantee, parts and labor, Skokie, warranty coverage
Posted in Consumer protection, Furnace, Furnace Repair, Heating, Quality | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, November 2nd, 2011
We recently got a letter from a customer that we thought may convince some of the skeptics out there that Four Seasons Heating and Air Conditioning and Home Services is a truly honest and hard working contracting company. It was written by a customer that was sick and tired of getting the run around from other contractors. When they blew him off, Four Seasons stepped in and got the job done. This customer’s experience isn’t much different that what all of our customers discover when they use Four Seasons for their home repair, HVAC, and home improvement projects.
Four Seasons to the Rescue!
Like so many other customers in the Chicagoland area, this man had experiences some water damage in his basement. After putting a Band-Aid on the problem for years, he finally realized that mold was beginning to set up shop in his basement. This was a problem that couldn’t be mopped up. After having a family member attempt to remove the portion of the basement wall that was contaminated, this customer found that he had an even bigger problem on his hands than he though and that he needed professional help. Trying to get help from two independent contractors was useless. They blew him off, and after having Four Seasons Heating and Air Conditioning out to repair a broken hot water tank, he found Four Seasons Home Services. (more…)
Tags: Cary, Chicagoland, contractors, customer testimonial, Four Seasons, Glendale Heights, home improvement, home repair, HVAC repair, HVAC services, IL, technicians, the run around
Posted in Consumer protection, Home Improvement and Repair, Home Services, Informational, Quality, customer service | Comments Off
Friday, October 21st, 2011
When your home experiences major plumbing problems, the number one thing on your mind is getting it fixed and getting it fixed now. In all of the confusion and the rush to get the work completed, you may not take the necessary steps to find a reliable and honest contractor. You may be tempted to simply call the first company you come across of the one with the lowest advertized services. However, not doing a thorough background assessment of your plumbing contractor could land you in the middle of scam, and the result is usually incomplete repairs and lost money.
Two Crucial Mistakes
The Cook Country State’s Attorney’s Office recently filed suit against one such plumbing contractor in the Chicagoland area. A local woman, who also happened to be a senior citizen, put her trust in the wrong plumbing contractor and as a result, she lost $2,500 that she is now trying to recover with the help of the State’s Attorney’s Office. This consumer made two key mistakes that you can avoid by simply knowing what to look out for from an illegitimate contractor. (more…)
Tags: cash, Chicago, Consumer protection, Four Seasons, fraud prevention, Gurnee, Home Services, IL, licensing number, Oakbrook Terrace, plumbing repair, Plumbing Services, save money, scam prevention
Posted in Consumer protection, Home Services, Informational, Plumbing Services, Tips and Suggestions, customer service | Comments Off
Tuesday, October 18th, 2011
With the slow turn around of the economy, it seem like the home repair and HVAC industries have been attracting more and more scam artists to the business. Every year like clockwork, ads go out from all sorts of companies offering amazingly low prices for their various services. The unsuspecting homeowner is just looking for a good deal, and the next thing they know, they are being taken for all they are worth. Four Seasons Heating and Air Conditioning works tirelessly to prove that we are a trustworthy and honest company, but keeping you informed about the scams we are seeing other homeowners fall into, is just one way can help you see the difference between a company that has your best interests at heart and a company that just wants to get your money and run.
Distraction and Deception
Be careful who you let in your home. Many of these scammers aren’t even bothering to pretend to do any work. They often work in groups of two. While one serviceman distracts the homeowner with a long conversation about the services they offer, the other performs an “inspection.” While you are paying attention to the conversation, the other serviceman is rifling through your belongings and taking anything that they can shove into their bags or their pockets. Hundreds of homeowners have lost valuables this way, and we don’t want you to be one of them this winter! (more…)
Tags: BBB, Chicago, Consumer protection, Four Seasons, fraud, guaranteed work, honest, IL, Matteson, money, scam, Summit, trustworthy, University Park
Posted in Consumer protection, Informational, Quality, customer service | Comments Off
Tuesday, September 13th, 2011
At Four Seasons Heating and Air Conditioning we always kick off the start of a new season with a discount! Right now the calls are flooding in for yearly furnace and boiler maintenance checks, so we decided that homeowners could benefit most right now from a discount of their clean and check. This service, which normally runs for $129.95 is currently being offered for the low price of $89.95 with the coupon that can be found on this site or perhaps even in your mailbox. That is a $40 discount on a service that is worth every single penny of the original asking price.
Undercutting by Our Competition
If you were to sift through the Sunday discount papers you would probably find at least a few companies that are offering a service that is similar to the one you will find advertized by Four Seasons. Some may offer a discount that is close to the same price we offer, but you will find some that offer a price that is drastically lower than the one we are giving out. Your first impulse may be to discard Four Seasons and call this no name company just because their price is lower, but we would ask you to stop and think about this for one moment before calling. Consider the quality of the service you will be getting, and consider the likelihood that this discount may be a scam in disguise. (more…)
Tags: Bedford Park, Boiler, Bridgeview, Chicago, cleaning, discount, Four Seasons, Furnace, Heating, honest, IL, reliable, satisfaction guaranteed, Savings, scam, undercutting, Worth
Posted in Consumer protection, Furnace, Heating, Sale, Savings, maintenance | Comments Off
