I Went with reliance for an AC install last summer - I will say, this was overall mostly a good experience. The price was fair, the install was quick. I did have reliance come back 2 times as the coil was freezing, and they had to add more refrigerant. Unsure if i have a leak still, will see this summer.
However, this winter i learned they had removed my fan blower wire from my thermostat, not giving me the ability to run the fan separate from AC or Heat.
I called, Reliance sent out a tech, he was helpful, and we ended up puling back a wire from my humidistat as i dont use my humidifier currently. He then suggested I purchase a NEST thermostat, and said that they would install it for me, if i purchased the 15$/month furnace protection plan.
He went on to tell me that "your blower motor is going to fail soon" (my house is not even 5 years old yet), and that this will protect me from the guarantee of this upcoming fail.
I felt compelled to believe him, and signed up for the plan, he then again told me they would do the install on the Nest, and to look around for the best price on NEST (as they are often on sale - and there are government rebates) or just call and buy it from them.
After he left. I called Reliance and asked to buy and have installed a NEST. They informed me that they dont sell them anymore, and that i have to buy it from a retailer, and then they will come and install it - again, free becasue i signed up for the plan.
So i went to lowes, purchased the Nest, came home to call Reliance for an install. Really, the only reason i wanted Reliance to install it, rather than myself, was because a "NEST pro install" gives you an additional 3 years of warranty on the NEST. That seemed like a good enough reason, and since it was free, why not. So i called reliance and they then informed me NEST installs are not included in thermostat work, and that i would have to pay 199$ for install. After arguing with the sales rep on the phone, explaining that 2 separate Reliance staff told me buy it, we will install it free, they passed me along to customer relations. They called me the next day to hear my story, and said they would call me back.
Well, within minutes after that call, i got a call from the Tech who came to my house the day before and he accused me of not telling the truth. He was adamant that he did not, nor ever would have said that a NEST install was free. And that the only way they do installs was if they are bought through Reliance. I was shocked. Clearly he had just gotten his ear chewed out by his supervisor, and to save his own skin, wanted to put the blame on me. I repeated exactly what he told me, that he told me to shop around, that they are often on sale, etc. And he just completely denied, However, due to the fact that i called reliance, and they told me the same thing on the phone, they agreed to book in an install.
So, jump to the next day. I have my NEW tech come to the house for the "NEST pro install". He arrives, asks what we are doing, then sees the NEST and says "oh, a thermostat, easy". I let him know "yeah, i was going to just do it myself, but with you guys as the "PRO Installers" i get an extended warranty. He looked at me clueless. He had never heard of a nest pro install before. I told him, he should have a code for installing that unlocks that, he again, never heard anything like this before. So he starts to send texts and emails out, and in the meantime tries to set up the NEST.
I dont want to be rude, but he had no idea what he was doing. As i watched him, he was using the wrong hardware, putting screws in the wrong spots, that caused the NEST to not even fit on the wall, i told him, "here's what you need to do" (based on my watching a 5 minute tutorial on YOUTUBE - which had clearly given me a better understanding of it than he had).
THe other thing i had requested was for my humidifier to be connected, since the first tech had disconnected it to make my blower fan work. He at that point just told me "No."
After it was hung on the wall, with the right hardware, we turned power on to the unit, and then he got ready to leave while the unit was downloading an update. I asked him "arent you going to stay to make sure it all works" and he literally replied "nope, this could take up to 15 minutes, and time is money". I reminded him that i needed the PRO install code, as that was the whole point of them coming to do the install and not me.
This is when he forwarded me the email that Reliance Head office had sent him (when he emailed out requesting the information on a pro install at my house).
And so what i had sent to me, was the Powerpoint presentation, that Reliance gives to their techs, walking them through how to sell, and do a pro install. And on the first slide was the Pro install code. And I was then instructed to put the code in myself, at which time he left.
So i am standing infront of my NEST, still updating, and he is gone, nothing checked. The update finishes, and the NEST walks me through set up, where it asks for the pro install code. I put it in myself, and am immediately given warning about how this is only for professionals, and i could damage my hardware. I proceed anyway, and it takes me to a schematic of my equipment. Only it is showing missing peices, and things in the wrong spot.
I dont want to wreck anything, so i put a call back to the first tech (as i had his number on my phone) asking for this second tech to be sent back, as i am sitting without a completed job. reluctanly they get a hold of him for me, and he comes back, skips through a bunch of menus, and then just tells me "its fine, it will all work how it is supposed to", and leaves again.
I was pretty dissapointed, and rattled, At which point i realized, there is no way i want to be paying into something, that in the event of an emergency, or failure, this is the type of service i have to deal with. So the next morning i called customer service again, shared with them my story, and asked them to cancel my Protection plan.
I am sorry Reliance, but this was an extremely poor experience. I was manipulated and not told the truth to, i again had my hardware and equipment set to not working order (first the blower fan, now the humidifier), and was sent a completely unknowledgeable "NEST pro installer", who had never even heard of a NEST pro install before. I can't recomment a company who thinks this is appropriate. I will be passing along this reveiw to NEST as i believe they will want to look into further the practices of Reliance as a NEST pro installer.
