To: bovik@cs.cmu.edu
Reply-to: Dennis Grinberg <dennis+@cs.cmu.edu>
Subject: Stahl Plumbing & heating saga
Date: Tue, 24 Sep 1996 11:20:31 -0400
Message-ID: <29402.843578431@missing.link.cs.cmu.edu>
From: Dennis Grinberg <Dennis_Grinberg@missing.link.cs.cmu.edu>

This is an update on the problems I hat with Stahl:  I'm including the
relevant text of my original message:

My summary: STAY AWAY FROM STAHL.  (Sorry for shouting but this is
important.)

--------

We had Stahl coming out for an estimate before I read the opinion about
Stahl that follows.  Their appointment was for Thursday.  I made
appointments with L.J. Comer for Friday and Wahl for Monday. 

Stahl recommended a much more powerful furnace than the one I had,
200,000 btu input versus 144,000.  The new one would also probably be a
lot more efficient than the old one.  I (and a friend who deals with
steam heat) thought it would be overkill but the salesman insisted.  He
said that he wanted to do a CO test that day as he smelled some trace
elements that often come with CO leaks.  (Our boiler was leaking steam.)
He told me that there would be no charge for the test.

Later on that day he called me with a report of elevated CO levels.  He
turned the boiler onto pilot.  My wife and I called 911 and they came
and tested the CO levels and their results were similar to Stahl's.  Not
life threatening over the short-term, but still high. Our furnace was
tagged by the gas company and we were without heat. It was cold but not
freezing.

I called Comer and told them the situation.  The owner said that he
would come out that evening to give an estimate.  He came and
recommended a smaller boiler than the one Stahl recommended and came out
cheaper in his bid (even taking the boiler size into consideration).
He said that it could be installed the next day. (Stahl said it could be
installed in one or two days.) 

I called Stahl and told them that we would be going with a different bid.
The salesman seemed quite surprised, asked about the other bid, and
said that we should go with a 200,000 btu boiler.  A few minutes later,
the head of the company called me.  He sounded very angry and was
extremely impolite.  "This man saved your life and you are going to buy
a boiler from someone else?  You should have told us about the lower bid
and we would have lowered our bid..."

[stuff deleted]

On Saturday I received a bill for CO testing our house.  I wrote to
Stahl informing them that they must have made an error as we were told
that there would be no charge.

--------
Now for the update:

My original message to Stahl:

  On Saturday, March 16, I received a bill in the amount of \$125 for
  labor performed for carbon monoxide testing our residence.  This was
  very confusing to me as on Thursday, March 14, Mr. Dennis Sevick told
  me that he wanted to test the carbon monoxide levels in our house and
  that there would be no charge associated with the testing.  He did not
  mention that the lack of fee was in any way contingent upon whether or
  not we purchased a new boiler from your company.

  I realize that one can make mistakes and perhaps Mr. Sevick did not
  inform your billing department that there was no charge associated
  with the testing.  I will assume that you will inform your billing
  department to drop the charge and that the matter is closed. 

  A copy of the aformentioned bill is enclosed.

I then receieved another bill in the mail with a threatening "FINAL
NOTICE IMMEDIATE ACTION".   I wrote back:

  On Tuesday, March 27 I received a second notice for a charge of \$125
  that stated ``FINAL NOTICE IMMEDIATE ACTION.'' Mr. Stahl, the
  immediate action that should be taken is for you or Mr. Sevick to
  inform your billing department that this charge be dropped.  The
  reason is stated on the enclosed letter that I previously sent you by
  certified mail. 

  Again, I consider this matter closed.

I then received another bill so I sent a letter to them:

  On Saturday, April 6 I received an invoice for \$125. Mr. Stahl, will
  you please stop harassing me by sending invoices for services I should
  not be billed for?  See the enclosed letters for details.

I then filed a complaint at the Better Business Bureau. Stahl replied
that "although the charge was legitimate, they will drop it in order to
maintain good customer relations."