incompetent or deceitful - not sure which
On 02 May 2018 after a number of unsolicited calls, I allowed a service technician to visit my house to review the existing rental water heater.
The service technician determined that I needed a new heater and recommended a 40 gallon water heater to replace the existing 60 gallon heater – I questioned this at the time (as did the installing contractor) and twice the service technician said he ”would guarantee” I would not run out of hot water.
The monthly rental of the new heater was quoted at $44.95 vs the $16.27 I had previously been paying and the service technician claimed the improved efficiency of the new furnace would offset the increased rental costs.
With hindsight these are warning flags I should have heeded.
Twice in the first 24 hours after installation we ran out of hot water (and once more the following day) so I called the service technician and stated that I wanted to hear his no-cost-to-me proposal to address this issue and he promised to call me back “within an hour once dispatch was open”. Three days later and there been no contact from Sandpiper or the service technician.
Homeowners should be aware that the Consumer Protection Act, 2002
a) provides for a 10 day cooling off period to cancel Agreements such as these, and
b) prohibits the removal and installation of water heating equipment within this cooling off period (a few conditions apply)
I was easily able to find an alternative main-stream supplier offering a 60 gallon heater for $17.34pm and which will also disconnect and remove the Sandpiper’s 40 gallon heater for me, so I have given notice to Sandpiper that I am cancelling this agreement under this cooling off provision & they have 21 days to repossess their heater.
If Sandiper had been honest in that their service call was really a door-to-door sales effort,
the service technician had proposed a solution that was fit for purpose and had made a sincere effort to rectify his mistake, then perhaps there would have been a different outcome.
My advice to homeowners is avoid Sandpiper.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $0.00