Sobieski Services Inc

I had 4 quotes they were well below the others. The technicians were great, friendly and addressed my concerns on the spot without me having to call a manager to get it resolved.

They included a Peco rebate in the estimate that ended up not being deductible, promised a refund that never arrived.

Very disappointed. I'll start with the positive, 2 systems we're installed. Now the problems, the techs needed to come back multiple times because they were not installed correctly, i.e. the brand new units that were installed didn't flat out work. To add insult to injury, we had to call multiple times to follow up on when they planned to come back to finish the work correctly. We kept getting excuses about their busy schedule and parts not available (although with just another call we find out parts had already been there). Each time they came, (with the exception of 1 time), they said it was done and all is good. So the fact that it kept having problems made us wonder if they know what they're doing. So fast forward a few months and the realization that heating part wasn't installed correctly AND the cooling system wasn't installed correctly either! We found that out on the 1st hot day when instead of A/C blowing out, the units were blowing out hot air, yes heated air, so we were paying to heat our house this summer before we realized what was going on. So again, the calls and the time off from work to have them come by the house to service the new items they installed. We've let other things go (problem with the outside sensor, loud rattling from 1 unit, etc), so we're not nitpicking here. For the approx $24k we spent, we are not pleased with what we got esp. since much of that price is the labor.

The salesperson never surveyed the home to determine the size AC unit I needed. He took the info off the old one and went with that. A lot of other factors involved such as windows, etc. The new unit is not keeping up on hot days. (one day was 86 deg. inside with the thermostat at 76 deg.). They have been back 3 times with no difference. The first return was because the heat pump was running instead of the AC. The service man also told me to run it without a filter. I thought he was joking. It told me the duct work was not large enough for the unit. They finally enlarged the ducts from 12" to 14". The filter was not touched (12" x 20" on a 3 ton package unit). Terrible leakage around the output connection on the unit. Crawled into the crawl space myself to check it out. More leaks. Wire ties were not tight on the flex at the unit. Panels on the unit where the input and output connect were chalked on 3 sides and none on the bottom. Guess where the leaks are. Very careless work. I had a friend who works in HVAC check the unit itself. It is operating above the acceptable standards. At least the unit is good. I have had poor quality work on the original installation and all 3 returns. My next move is to call the manufacturer and the local wholesale store to try to get it right.

Our original repair company was Horizon. They came out on Saturday and told us it would be $1,080 to fix and they would have to order the part (4 days). The repair man fixed it temporarily and it died again the next day (Sat night). So were looking at having no AC in late July for about 3.5 days. We thought we should get a 2nd opinion so we called Sobieski and Jos. Frederick and Sons. We left a message for JFS and they never called us back to schedule an appt. Sobieski called back and made an appt for Wed morning. Horizon was supposed to come between 12-4 on Wed to make the repair so we were happy we were able to get someone to give us a 2nd opinion. When Sobieski's guys showed up, the told us it was the A/C fan motor, same as the Horizon tech, but they had the part in their truck and could replace it in 90 mins. I said how much? Only $572. As an Angies List member, I also got to use a $52 off coupon! I called Horizon back, cancelled my repair appt and had Sobieski make the repair. They fixed it in under an hour, went downstairs took a look at the furnace and the hot water tank and gave me some tips on maintaining those as well. I was very happy I got them to take a look at my AC unit and they saved me about $500 which was great. I went ahead and signed up for their membership plan ($198).

Exemplary. The job was completed in one day, the guys doing the install were quiet and professional.

The Sobieski crew consisted of three(3) installers with one leader, Frank. It was a rainy morning, and they got to work right away setting up their tent over the outside compressor unit that would be removed, and replaced with the new Lennox unit. My air handler is in the attic, and the weather really helped them stay cooler than they otherwise would have been. Frank discussed each step of the process from removal of the old system, to installation of the new asking if I had any questions or concerns. There was one which involved the old refrigerant lines which he said they typically keep from the old system. This surprised me because it was my understanding that the old Freon based lines could not be used with the new refrigerant. Apparently I was mistaken, but I asked them to replace them anyway because I had ongoing issues with the old system leaking Freon from somewhere, and I didn't want to take any chances. Frank was very cooperative, and agreed to do that for me. They were at it for about eight(8) hours total, and when they were done, if I didn't know better, I would not have known that they were even there! Before they left, they wanted to instruct me on the use of the new Lennox iComfort thermostat which is definitely state-of-the-art. I told them that I was comfortable with its use, and sent them on their way. The one thing that was immediately noticeable about the new system is how quiet it is, and how even the temperature has been in EVERY room in the house! I'm glad that I went with Dave's recommendation to go with a system that had a variable speed (720 speeds in all) fan which is apparently what keeps the temperature so even throughout the house. So far I am extremely happy with my purchase decision both the the equipment, Lennox but especially with the installer, Sobieski. GREAT JOB!

They could hire better technicians. There is a very high turnover there.

I always pay for preventive maintenance every year. My tenant claimed that the unit uses more oil and the only way the heat actually works is if they switch the unit to emergency heat. They were supposed to come out 2/1/16 and they never showed to come repair the unit so that my tenants could have heat. I checked with my tenants to verify if Sobieski Services showed up or not and they informed me that they did not. I tried to contact them several times and the contact information is incorrect. When I spoke with Sobieski at noon on 2/1/16 they informed me that they would contact my tenants to verify the appointment but they never called the tenants and they never showed for the appointment. One of the numbers that I found was an emergency contact and it rings and then it drops the call. Originally I had given this company an F. Then, the following day, Kristen from Sobieki, called and actually took responsibility of the bad number. She mentioned they were trying a new company for emergency call and that calls were not being received by the Sobieski. Angela, the person who originally scheduled the service appointment, stated that she had a mistake making the appoint and had gotten confused on the date (I do believe her). Angela's phone professionalism is to be modeled by others. Kristen immediately sent a service person the next day and completed the work. When we finally had a chance to talk, Kristen was very professional and made sure we were satisfied with work completed. I changed my review on this company because anyone of us can have a mistake. What was important to me, as a customer, is that they acknowledged the mistake and did their best to fix it. She attentively listened to me and we both agreed how we can make things better. For me, this is the type of company that I want to do business with. I am sure the next evaluation will be much better.

They didn't even look at the humidifer coil. They left it filthy. It looks like they may not have cleaned the main coils as well.

The technician came out (on time) and checked on a suspected leak in our refrigerant line. He did that before coming up to our door. Once I greeted him, he said that someone in the office should have told me that he wouldn't be able to repair the line that day. I explained to him that I was just looking for an estimate and I was told there was a $99 fee. Right away he told me that the office should have told me it would be a $249 or $349 fee (I don't remember which). I just shrugged and said that I was told $99. He then checked out the unit (inside) and proceeded to tell me all that was wrong with it (size, duct work, etc.). The company that I eventually hired to do the work agreed that there COULD be a problem but that he'd want to see how it ran when it was fully operational. And that was only after I brought it up. After that, we went outside. He showed me where the line was leaking. He also informed me that he was leaving the company in a matter of weeks because he just didn't like the way they treated their employees - and gave me many examples. It was very uncomfortable. As he was leaving, he told me he was going to speak to one of the owners about what needed to be done. And that's the last I heard from Sobieski. They cashed my check the very next day but never called me with a quote or anything. I'll definitely keep that in mind the next time someone asks for a recommendation for HVAC services.

UPDATED: 11/5/2015 On 10/25/2015, I received a response from this contractor stating that "a manager will reaching out to [me] to follow-up". As expected, I still have not received a call from anyone from this company. Furthermore, I still have not received the refund which I requested on 10/19/2015 and again in this review. It sure appears that they are trying to ignore me in hopes that I will go away. If necessary, I will file an action in small claims court to get my money. DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY, THEY DO NOT DELIVER AS PROMISED IN ANY REGARD!! On 10/9/2015, I purchased a heater/furnace tune-up. On 10/13/2015, an appointment was scheduled for 10/19/2015, with the contractor to arrive between the hours of 8am - 9 am. I used personal time and took a 1/2 day from work in order to meet the contractor and allow the service to be performed. The contractor confirmed the appointment by leaving a voice mail on my cell phone on 10/16/2015 at 6:34 pm. The work was supposed to be performed today, I was home and waiting for the contractor to arrive between the scheduled and confirmed appointment time of 8am -9 am. At 9:28 am, I made my first call to the contractor - - hoping that they were just running a "little behind". I utilized the same phone number from the incoming call confirming the appointment. A message was left with who I believe to be the contractor's answering service. At 9:59 am, I made my second call to the contractor. Again, I was forced to leave a message with the contractor's answering service. At this point, I was concerned that no one was going to show. Even more troubling, I still had not received a call from the contractor. At 11:03 am, I again attempted to contact the contractor. Once again, I was forced to leave a message with the contractor's answering service. Now it was obvious that my time and money had been wasted. Finally, at 11:16 am, I received a call from "Helen". She said that she tried to call me to tell me they had "a lot of emergency calls" and no one could make it, however; she claims she was unable to leave a message because my voice mail was not set-up. I advised in very strong terms that this was not truthful and reminded her that I received a message from "Sarah" last Friday confirming the appointment. She insisted she called and I told it that was not possible. She then said she could provide phone records to prove that she called. Adding insult to the situation, she offered to see if she could find someone to come out later today, but could not guarantee anything. If that is how the contractor wishes to resolve this, fine, show me their phone records. I am 100% certain that no call was made. In fact, if they wish to go that route, I will obtain my cell phone call records which will show that there were no incoming calls from this contractor. Furthermore, each time I called the contractor I had to wait on hold for a representative to pick-up, and listen to their sales pitch, which included reference to not having to sit around for hours and hours waiting for a contractor to show-up and how they provide a service window and would even call you at work to let you know that the contractor is on the way. However, they apparently don't call to tell you that no one is showing up. Do they plan on paying me normal rate of pay for the four hours that I lost? Sadly, this could have been resolved with a prompt phone call by the contractor. However; they have elected to shift fault to me, the customer, instead of accepting blame for the poor service that was provided. As of today, 10/23/2015, I still have not received a refund. I DO NOT recommend this contractor.

Since Sobieski installed the HVAC system back in August 2014, we had been having issues with the air quality coming from the vents. So I called and scheduled for both troubleshooting the vents and maintenance of the air conditioner since it was time for an annual check-up. The service was scheduled for 2pm. At last minute, they wanted to reschedule (as they always do) but we said no since we already took the day off to wait for them and also because we could not use the air-conditioner due to the bad air quality from the vents. The guy came around 8 at night and from the moment he walked in he had such a bad attitude that the whole experience became very unpleasant. At first, he said he did not smell anything and then he said Sobieski did not instal the vents so they were not responsible for it. Then he said at least we had cold air coming out (which was pretty bad air to start with) and lots of people still did not have air-conditioning at all. It was almost like he was trying to make us feel selfish or guilty for insisting on the service! He also kept saying that he was not here for the maintenance of the air-conditioner since he was a service technician and maintenance was done by people with lower or no skills. All in all, this was a very bad experience. I hope this does not represent the company overall but I yet have to see.

Why did they schedule service if they could not keep appt.

Aug 2014 The installers, Lou, Fred and 3rd installer (can't remember name)were polite, flexible and went beyond expectations. The installation began on the scheduled day without a needed part and progressed as far as possible. Day 2 was a Saturday and the job was completed as promised. They consulted me for preferences. The decision to use Sobieski was driven by the warranty, 10 years for parts and 5 years for labor. I read several reviews of equipment for which I had received estimates. I concluded that the warranty was a top priority since the "better" equipment can be a lemon and quality of installation can vary. EPILOGUE JULY 2015 Starting from the first use of the AC after installation, there were several interruptions in cooling. After multiple service calls, Chris Howard, the lead technician deduced that my hallway light switch controls the electrical outlet in the attic that provides power to the condensate pump. When the hall light was switched off, the condensate pump turned off, filled up, then the AC stopped cooling. Now that my hall light is on 24/7, the AC is working well.

The installers arrived on time and were very business like. Their work was clean and they appeared very capable. They removed the old unit and any trash and the place was clean when they left. They demonstrated how the new thermostat worked and answered any questions I had. Over all the sales experience was less than satisfactory. The installation of the units was well done. However I do not know if the 5 ton unit is the appropriate size (too big?) for my home nor how well the new heat pump will perform in the winter. So far the AC seems to working adequately but does not cool the second floor of my home as well as I was hoping for.

We actually were set up with this provider through Costco, who uses subcontractors. I was a little wary at first, because I saw they were based in Delaware, while we are a good 1.5 hours away in PA. They also had less than stellar reviews on Angie's List. But, I trust Costco, as they are hyper-focused on customer satisfaction, and I was just getting a free quote, so I thought there was no harm in seeing what they could offer me. The sales guy was nice when he came. He accommodated us by coming at 6PM, after work, which was great. He checked out our existing system and discussed various options, but never in great detail. We had gone into this wanting to get a higher-efficiency model, but he seemed to think this would be a waste of money. He very well could be right, but I would have liked some hard statistics to back that up. We ended up getting a quote for a base-level Lennox AC and furnace. Now, on to the reason for the bad review: Costco offers various incentives when you go through them. One of the perks is getting a gift card with 10% cash back from the AC installation purchase. However, for the month of May, they had a special going where you get an additional 5% (total of 15%) back. That, coupled with other discounts and incentives, made a reasonably attractive offer. I had gotten other quotes and they were all pretty comparable, but again, I am biased towards Costco and will usually use them due to their obsession with Customer satisfaction. The sales guy asked us when the earliest he could call us for a decision was. This was Thursday, 5/21/15, right before Memorial Day weekend. We said that we would discuss it over the holiday weekend, and he could contact us on Tuesday 5/26/15. He was agreeable and said that he would. Come Tuesday, I did not receive any communications. Wednesday comes, and same thing. At this point, I take it upon myself to email the sales guy directly. I told him that we were still interested in the deal we discussed, and also had a couple of follow up questions. No response to email. As each day passes, we are closer and closer to the 6/1/15 expiration of the Costco deal. Now, as I write this, it is 5/31/15, and we've still not gotten any response. I'm sure they are closed on Sunday, so we aren't holding our breath. I find this to be inexcusable. We have cash-in-hand, ready to make a $12K+ purchase (before incentives), and this provider blows us off. They've also cost Costco money, as we will not be using them since the deal expires. I am sending this review to Costco as well, as I believe they should receive feedback on how their subcontractors are doing. It will be much cheaper to go with a smaller, local guy, of which there are dozens within 20 minutes from here, all with A+ ratings on Angie's List. There is even a Big Deal currently for an AC system replacement for $3300. I've already spoken to that provider about upgrading the Deal unit to a high-efficiency model that will fit my house, and it is still THOUSANDS cheaper than Costco/Sobieski would have been for a base model (although not as fancy a name as Lennox, but who really cares?).

After the installation was done, I had someone come for some work in the basement. I walked in with this man and he looked up at one water heater and told me that they did not even put the pipe that goes to on the top of the water heater. They did not even connect it and that releases carbon monoxide. I checked the other water heater and that was half done. So the question is whether they are not competent or laziness. It was a serious situation.

Great. I only got a free estimate but Monte was on time, courteous, very professional.

Dedicated to customer service. They went above and beyond to assure I was satisfied and everything was working properly.

I called for emergency service. My gas furnace stopped working and outside temperature is 2 degrees. I was told they were busy and the earliest the could come was three to four days!

They did a good job. I plan to use them again to check on the furnace.

Received a call within a couple of hours after submitting my information on the COSTCO website Curt stopped by in the evening and spend 2 hours from 6 to 8pm. He correctly determined our existing furnace was oversized and specified 3 different options of correctly sized Lennox AC and Furnaces. Curt answered all my (many) questions regarding the differences between the lower and higher end LENNOX furnace units. I was able to get quotes for bundles of AC+Furnace or seperate. We also tried a couple of different configurations after I was able to calculate with Curt that my pay-back period on investing in higher efficient models would be too long out (10 years) even with PECO rebates factored in. The installation was scheduled for 4 business days after our initial consultation. The installers were courteous and professional and able to complete the job between 8 and 5pm with 3 men. We paid 7850 which will NET to $7,000 after COSTCO rebates ($700) and 150 PECO rebate.

Considering the fuse was blown on my furnace circuit board after the individual left which I had to scramble around creation trying to find on a Sunday night? Not good.

I called them to set up an appointment after they sent me an e-mail with a number for Cindy. Called 7/14/2014 to set up an appointment. I believe we set up an appointment for Friday 7/18. Called Wends to confirm. They never called me back or showed up. Went with a different company. My time is valuable.... Update: After going on their website, you will have Sobieski ads plastered on your internet webpages, including for aeroseal--which is not even operational with their firm yet. I asked them when they would be operational, they didn't call me back. I'm getting my duct work, zoning, and aeroseal with another company in the area.