I'd like to share my recent experience with Christmas. We have been long-time customers and have…read morealways appreciated their service. Historically, we've found their staff to be knowledgeable and helpful, and their pricing to be reasonable. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same about our recent experience.
We initially called Christmas when our AC unit stopped cooling. They diagnosed the issue as a failed compressor and recommended replacing it at a cost of nearly $5,000. That seemed high to me, so I asked, "Why wouldn't I just replace the entire unit?" They assured me that wasn't necessary, explaining that our indoor unit was relatively new and that replacing the compressor would save us money. Based on their recommendation, I agreed to move forward with the repair.
Getting the work scheduled was an ordeal in itself. With temperatures exceeding 100 degrees every day, I had to follow up multiple times to make sure they could complete the work before the weekend. They eventually scheduled the installation for Friday. I was initially told the job would take approximately four hours, but it ended up taking closer to eight.
Less than a month later, our AC was once again struggling to cool the house. I called Christmas back, expecting this to be handled as a warranty issue. After evaluating the system, they informed me there were multiple leaks in the condenser that would be difficult to locate and repair. Their recommendation at this point was to replace the entire system.
What I find particularly concerning is that these leaks were never identified during the original assessment. Given that the system had been working before the compressor replacement and developed these issues less than a month after the installation, I have serious concerns about whether the installation contributed to the problem. Regardless, I paid nearly $5,000 for a repair that did not resolve the issue, and was now being told I needed an entirely new system.
I spoke with management, who acknowledged that Christmas had some accountability in the situation and offered a $2,500 discount toward a full system replacement. Given what had happened, however, I wasn't comfortable moving forward with another major purchase from them. We obtained quotes from several other HVAC companies, and even with the discount, Christmas's price was higher than two of the three competing quotes.
I continued trying to work with Christmas to reach a fair resolution. They offered additional services, including ductwork and insulation installation, but were unwilling to refund any portion of the original repair cost. This dragged on for several months, requiring repeated follow-ups on my part with their service manager. I received plenty of reassurances along the way, including statements like "We're going to try to fix this," "I'll see what I can do," and "We're a good business and treat our customers well." Unfortunately, none of those assurances ever translated into a meaningful resolution. Eventually, they stopped responding to my messages altogether.
I'm thoroughly disappointed with how this entire situation was handled. We have spent well over $10,000 with Christmas over the past few years and have referred multiple people to them. I understand that equipment can fail and that sometimes repairs don't go as planned. What I have a problem with is spending nearly $5,000 on a repair recommended by their technicians, having the system fail again less than a month later, and then being left to deal with the financial consequences without any meaningful effort to make things right.
The fact that Christmas ultimately couldn't find a way to refund even a portion of the original $5,000 repair cost, despite acknowledging some responsibility, is incredibly frustrating.
They've permanently lost our business, and I would strongly encourage anyone considering Christmas for HVAC or other home services to take this experience into consideration before making a decision.
