Letter as sent to them:
Last Jan 2, our hot water tank failed. I requested service as usual and a technician from Rescue Rooters came to make an evaluation. As it turned out, we needed to change the water tank. Confident that the insurance would pay for parts and installation, I was very surprised to hear the technician talk of a $400 bill. When I asked why, he handed me a list of the codes required to be done (attached). I asked him to explain each one if possible. He dropped his metal clipboard on the table and started to add them again and said: well, now it's going to be $520.00, without further explanation. I told him I would speak with AHS.
When I saw the resistance of AHS, I called 2 more specialists to give me a quote. I showed each one the list of codes and they smiled, stating that my installation already had all that covered. The quote I received from them was around $950.00 For 10 days I tried to get in touch with someone at AHS that would send another specialist or give me cash. For 10 days my family and I didn't have hot water. My wife has some arthritis problems and she suffered a lot because of this.
When I finally spoke with Karen at AHS, she gave me 2 options: Pay $520 to Rescue Rooters in advance or get $463 as cash out. I tried to explain the situation, but she would just go back to repeat both options. This inflexibility seemed to me very strange at first, but then I did some research and found out that your tactic is simple: You won't pay over $120 to Rescue Rooters, which doesn't pay off for them unless they get their money from somewhere else.
Obviously they will try to get their money from these codes, which you generously offer at a discount as if helping your customers. Well, I think this falls squarely on an ugly chapter that is prohibited by the State Regulation of Insurance Authority:
Title 39 of the Revised Code contains several provisions that provide protection to insurance consumers. An example of these provisions is The Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act, sections 3901.19 to 3901.26 of the Revised Code, which prohibits insurers from engaging in any trade practice defined in section 3901.21 as an unfair or deceptive act or practice in the business of insurance.
I entreat you to stop such unfair practices and in our case, that you make a full refund for $875.00.
As it turned out, the hot water tank was indeed installed without the bogus charges that were being claimed by Rescue Rooters. Mark, the owner of Advanced Industries Inc. Is perfectly willing to testify to this effect (email attached), and an ex-employee of Rescue Rooters is also willing to testify about your $120 practice.
You may ask why I don't complain with Rescue Rooters. Simply, I'm YOUR customer, a fact that you seem to willingly ignore. They may try to deceive your customers, but this deception is originated in your policies.
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