NOTE: We had a yearly service plan with MAX AIR. Supposed to be quarterly, but they only came once. Once we realized that we were responsible for scheduling the services every quarter, we didn't buy another year (we also have a few other services for mosquitos, mowing, and septic, all of these call me to schedule). They mention no issues during their servicing.
23 June (Tuesday)
1. They come because the A/C is running a bit hot. They find ice, turn on the heater to let it melt.
2. They return, find a leak, tell us the coolant is empty, and tell us the coil is busted and needs to be repaired. Say it'll be around $4000 if warranty doesn't cover it.
3. They charge us $515, and provide no breakdown of what this charge is for. This is weird to me, because usually the appearance fees are waived when you buy product.
4. They tell us not to turn the A/C back on as it might damage it, and then we'd have to get a new one.
5. My girlfriend calls after closing and leaves a message detailing how our dogs are not doing well in the heat, so we really need to order the parts and get the fix completed ASAP.
25 June (Thursday)
1. We have not heard from MAX Air. My girlfriend calls to see when the parts will be arriving. We are told the parts were not ordered and can't be ordered until we sign for the bill.
2. They send the bill immediately (why did we have to call for it?), no warranty, price has risen to $5500. (Note that they did this same song and dance with our other A/C in 2024, with the home guy quoting low and the office jacking up the price and saying "our technician shouldn't have quote you that").
3. They send another email stating that we should just get a new system instead.
4. They send another email with new system prices ranging from $13K - $20K.
5. I order an in-window A/C from amazon, and call another business about the A/C. They can't make it until Friday.
26 June (FRIDAY)
1. The new guy shows up, immediately finds that the HEPA filter is broken. He checks the coolant and sees it's not low. He also sees no damage on the coil. He starts investigating the duct pressure, sees that there have been 127 alarms for low pressure.
2. He removes the HEPA filter, turns the A/C back on, now it's working normally. Note that MAX AIR installed this system, and the HEPA filter, and the MAX AIR guy who came out didn't even know the HEPA filter existed.
3. He advises that we should install a return in the basement (there are none), and that will work to correct the pressure. He tells us to monitor for a bit.
4. I call to get a refund from MAX AIR because they did not operate in good faith. Everything they did was pushing us to get a new system. This is what they did when our other A/C broke in 2024. Startling pattern. They tell me that the owner must do refunds and he's out on a job, he will call me next week.
Trying to get a refund:
26 JUNE - The initial refund call above.
30 June - I call Tuesday, and am told that the owner was at a job, and would return tomorrow.
2 July - I call Thursday, and am told that the owner had been on vacation all week, and would return next week.
9 July - It's Thursday and I haven't been called. I call, owner is in a meeting, will call me back.
9 July - 4 PM, the owner still hadn't called, so I sent this entire review to their "contact me."
10 July - I am publishing the review. I guess I will eat the loss.
TLDR: I have three large issues.
Max Air installed the equipment, and "serviced" it, and didn't know that the HEPA filter existed or was broken.
Max Air on every occasion we have worked with them pushing the new A/C, and this time another company confirmed that there was no need for a new A/C.
Max Air dodging my questions about a refund with a mysterious owner who apparently can't pick up a phone. read more
