Buyer beware: Goose Creek woman out thousands after HVAC troubles

GOOSE CREEK, S.C. (WCBD) – A Goose Creek woman is warning others to read the fine print after she was left with no heat during several recent cold spells.

Denise Watson said her heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system was installed five years ago and it has had multiple issues since then.

“Cold air would be blowing on the top of my head when I was working — I had extra layers on, I would be bundled up,” she explained.

She said the company that installed the system made a mistake that overworked her HVAC unit, causing it to freeze over. As a result, the top floor of her home was not being heated.

“I can tell you from being in the room over the garage there hasn’t been heat in that room,” she said.

However, Watson said when technicians with the company that originally installed the system came to look at the unit, they did not find any problem.

“They told me they could find nothing wrong with the system,” she explained. “When I pressed them with the fact that the unit freezes over at like 38 degrees, they said ‘Oh, it sounds like it’s not entering defrost mode’ and I said ‘Well why is that?’ They said ‘We don’t know’ and they left.”

She then called a different company to check out the system. She said their technicians discovered that mismatched parts had been installed and the system was not communicating properly.

“That was the first time we knew what was really wrong,” she said.

Watson then went back to the company that first installed the system to explain what was happening. She said they did not offer a fix for the mistake, and they advised her that her one-year warrant had expired.

“And over the phone, they told me that we voided their service warranty by using someone else,” she said.

Officials with the South Carolina Dept. of Consumer Affairs (SCDCA) said it is important to read over exactly what you are paying for, especially because service contracts can often be sold separately. They added that the agency does not regulate the industry, and they can only offer a voluntary remediation process to consumers.

“So it’s kinda working with that consumer and with the company to see what’s happened and what the obligations may be and what the contracts are,” said Scott Cooke, communications director for SCDCA.

Watson said because of the lack of consumer protections, her only option was to buy a whole new system which cost her thousands of dollars.

“When the install is taking place you only have a one-year warranty on that, and that’s not something that we were really aware of,” she said. “So our best bet now after the units have failed and the outdoor unit could be completely damaged from all the freezing over is to fully replace it.”

While the problem is now solved, Watson said she wants her story to be a warning to others to read the fine print when making big purchases and be aware of what protections may or may not be in place.

“You have to trust these people to give you the service you need for your heating and cooling — for your comfort,” she advised.

In a final attempt to get some of her money back, Watson sent the HVAC unit to the manufacturer and she is now waiting to find out if the manufacturer or the original installation company can provide any remedy.