I want to tell everybody about my experience with AHS between January 27 to January 31 and to find the best way to clarify my current situation.
On January 27 in the morning my wife called me to my Job to inform me about Heating problems at home, she had call a Repairing company xxx for evaluation because she forgot about our policy with AHS.
When I arrived home the Serviceman was already there and after evaluating the situation at 7:00 pm informed me that the problem was the Fuel Pump which was damaged and would require repairing and he gave me a quotation for the service and a bill for a Total of $131.95
This amount was paid in full by me and I informed the technician that due to the fact that I had the policy with AHS I believed it was more convenient for me to inform AHS and request the service (even though the repairman had the part right there), It was 8:00 pm and during the winter and I was willing to pay for the previous expenses.
The same night at approximately 8:00 pm I called and spoke to the customer representative informing her about the diagnosis and the situation.
She informed me that an order for service had been generated and that I should wait for the call from the representative who will respond to my service.
That night my family and I had to gather together in the master bedroom and sleep together to avoid hypothermia and finally I never received a phone call.
Frustrated, the next day my wife called the company again early in the morning and was informed that there was not certainty that the service would be provided that day.
I had to call myself and after explaining to the representative the emergency situation, she finally gave me the name of the company and informed that I was booked for the service.
The representative from A-PLUS arrived at 7:00 pm on 01/28 and confirmed the diagnosis, when I expected him to start working he said that he was there only to make the diagnosis and that he will call AHS to get an authorization number but that he was not the person in charge of doing the repairing.
After our shock and after much talk he said to me that he really doubted the service would be provided that night and that to get anything done from AHS I would have to press them. I paid my $45 fee as stipulated in our contract.
I was completely upset and I called AHS, they told me that they had to wait until they got the fax with the report and then generate an order to repair the device.
The representative told to call in 2 hours and finally I called and being so desperate that my family was getting FROZEN, she authorized me to get a portable heater unit as a complement from the company and gave the next address to claim my expenses up to $60. I went to TARGET and got a unit for $54.24 with taxes. (Copy of the receipt was attached)
Of course the service was not provided that night and the next morning 01/30 my wife called again to get the same non-sense, that the service could not be guaranteed to be provided that day.
After calling my self and being so insistent about the character of EMERGENCY that our situation was, the AHS representative gave the telephone of the contractor A-PLUS to speak directly with them. (Phone 914 9488788)
I contact the company and they excused their selves saying that it was AHS fault due to the delay on generating the approval and that now they had to order the part to the ware-house, because it was a rare part (which is not true because the first repairman had it right there and several emergency repairing companies carry the unit as part of the standardized equipment in their trucks).
After insisting so much, A-PLUS representative gave the fax of the repair-man to contact him. I sent him a fax (916-9877193, I forward a copy with proof or being sent) and I never received any phone call from this person.
After multiple phone calls the representative from A-PLUS informed me that they would not repair my heater that day (Friday) and that it may be done the next day.
After evaluating all the options, the credibility of A-PLUS and AHS and having a family with hypothermia, sleeping in one room, not having a shower in 3 days (our hot water supply is part of the same system that was affected), not having our dishes done during the same time to avoid necrosis of the fingers for frostbite I decided to call the company that my wife had call before ("XXX") and got the service done.
I received again another bill for $250 which I had to pay in full.
On Saturday 01/31 after 4 days of begging A-PLUS sent the same repairman to do the job when it was already late. (The same person who told me he was not in charge of providing the service only the diagnosis), came smiling which was clearly an insult for a distressed family.
Now I have spent a total of $481.19 dollars. My family and I went through a TERRIBLE, humiliating and unnecessary suffering, my daughter got sick and I had to spend a long time over the phone trying to straighten this out, to end up completely frustrated.
As a health care worker I know the risk and potential damage of being exposed to the cold temperature for a long time (Those days were particularly cold in Long Island and if you want, I can send you the weather report for those specific days). There is even the risk of dyeing or getting loss of functionality of any organ.
Not only that, the lack of professionalism displayed by AHS as well as their contractors JEOPARDIZED their earnings because the expenses of repairing a frozen pipe system may have been way higher that the simple change of the oil pump.
For my surprise, after sending them a letter with all this situation, they sent me a check for $ 9 dollars which was for the portable heating unit $ 54 minus the $ 45 of the contractor visit on 01/31/04 when they didn't do anything because the service was already done by another company.
On top of that the check says in the back that if I cash it, I will leave them free of any legal responsability...
What kind of company is that???
Miguel
Bethpage, New York
U.S.A.
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