Home Heating Repairs
$3 Fuse Or $2,500 Replacement?

LINCOLN -  The Nebraska Attorney General's Office reports that with each change in weather, complaints regarding allegedly fraudulent activity by home heating and air conditioning repair companies are reported to the office.

One such incident involved a company sending a repairman to respond to a home heating unit problem.  After examining the heating unit for roughly 10 minutes, the consumer was told they would need to replace the entire unit at a cost of around $2,500.

The consumer wisely asked for a second opinion from another repair company.  The problem was immediately solved by the second repair service by simply replacing a $3 fuse.

These types of scams occur most often in the bitter cold of the winter or the heat of the summer--the middle of the heating and cooling seasons when consumers don't have the luxury of time to consider all their options.

Consumers are often faced with what they consider to be an emergency situation, and don't take the necessary time to properly research a company before doing business with them.

Prior to calling a heating and cooling repair service, the Attorney General's Office suggests the following checklist:

  • Check to see if the unit is still under warranty.  If so, report the problem as soon as possible.  Trying to fix the product yourself might cancel your rights to service under the warranty.

  • Before choosing a repair service, check with the Consumer Protection Division of the Nebraska Attorney General's Office or your local Better Business Bureau to see if any complaints have been filed against the business.

  • Use a local, well-established repair service.  Ask for references and check with other homeowners to find out if they were satisfied.

  • Ask about any extra charges; for example, delivery fees, installation charges, and service costs.

  • Be aware that any promise that the repairman makes will be difficult to enforce unless it is in writing.

  • Most importantly, compare costs by getting more than one estimate or bid.  Each estimate should be based on the same materials and labor.

For more information about this or any other consumer issue, contact:

Attorney General's Office
Consumer Protection Division
2115 State Capitol Building
Lincoln, NE  68509
(402) 471-2682
Consumer Protection Line:  800-727-6432