In early autumn of this year, my oil-fired boiler gave out and a puddle of water appeared in front of it. Now, I know nothing about plumbing, but a friend of mine is a plumber and stopped by to take a look."You've got a crack in the bottom of your boiler, man" he told me. "You're gonna need a new system." But I had a maintenance agreement with Scott Energy (over $200/year) so I called 'em to see what they could do. A repairman arrived and I told him what my friend had said. But he conducted his own examination and said: Good news! Your friend was wrong! He made some "repairs" and I received a bill for $430.oo. It seemed high to me, but I was happy to pay it if it meant I didn't have to buy a new system.
But the next time I turned on my newly "fixed" boiler KA-POW! Downstairs I ran and found a puddle of water identical to the one that had led me to call Scott in the first place.
So I called my plumber friend again and he came back and found the crack in my boiler that Scott Energy told me I didn't have -- you could see it!!. I showed my friend the $430.oo bill and he hit the ceiling. He said he knew one of the owners at Scott and put in a call to the guy because, surely, he would want to know about this and refund my money and apologize. But he never returned my friend's call, nor did he return the several messages I left him.
After a few days later, though, I received a call from someone else at Scott Energy. I told him my story, but instead of apologising he explained that, while I was entitled to a refund for the incompetent labor ($130), it was my tough luck that I'd taken delivery on $300 worth of parts. Of course I immediately told him the parts were like new and he was welcome to come to my house and retrieve them. But he demurred. I would need some of those parts for my new system, he explained. Why should he take them back? Wasn't I on the premises when the "repair" work was done? Wasn't I there when the parts were delivered?
I pointed out that the reason I called Scott Energy in the first place was that I know nothing about plumbing. I had not asked for a single one of those parts, but had relied on their expert technician to tell me what I needed. Around and around we went, and I began to get angry. I was instructed to "calm down" and was accused of being "excitable". I pointed out that Scott Energy had $430 of my money and if he would just come and get his parts and pay me back, I would not only calm down but never, ever bother Scott Energy again. At last he relented.
It was a long and stressful phone call, but a couple of hours later my phone lit up. It was Scott Energy! At last, I figured, they were calling to apologize But, no. They were calling to convince me to purchase my new system from good old Scott Energy! Their salesman explained that they could give me a fine deal and -- lucky me! -- they could service it, too! I declined as politely as I could.
This company has nothing to recommend it. Their fuel prices are not particularly cheap, their repair people are unreliable and once Scott Energy gets ahold of your money, look out! They won't be giving it back without a fight. read more