Cowboys A/C & Heating

New AC install

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They kept trying to up sell us on things we didn't to have done. He was putting a lot of pressure on us to take a loan out to pay for the work we didn't need to have done. We had another company come out and look at it and he said that we didn't need these things.

They were very prompt. Actually came out a couple hrs before my appt since they were in the area without calling ahead - recently showered so my hair was still wet and I wasn't prepared. They performed a cleaning and testing of system. They did a disinfect for a little microgrowth they found. They suggested replacing some float switches to make my one older unit last a little longer (it's 15 years old) and a guadian filtration system. I didn't realize I should have purchased some air filters so they did not do filter replacements - so I did that on my own later. The 2 technicians that came out were polite and seems like everything went very quickly. There was one problem which I discovered hours later after they left and that was the hose they used to clean the units was still drizzling water - - wasn't shut off completely which I wasn't happy about.

My gas furnace wasn't heating my home. I called them to inspect the system and determine why it wasn't heating. I already knew the igniter/glow plug wasn't getting hot to ignite the gas from a visual operation inspection. I could see it wasn't getting hot because when it does it glows bright orange. The tech. was courteous and polite. He tested the glow plug with a meter and I saw that the meter indicated that it was bad. Instead of just telling me the glow plug was bad he tried to sell me a new system. He never told me the glow plug was bad when I asked him. He said it might be the glow plug or the control circuit and he wouldn't know until he replaced the glow plug. I told him to replace the glow plug and and he charged me $175 plus the $30 inspection fee. I inspected the glow plug after he removed it and it had a big crack in it. Either he was incompetent or deceptive. The inspection was about 20 minutes and to replace the part was about 20 minutes. The part was probably a $15 part (its a smaller version of an electric stove heating element) and $160 for 20 minutes worth of labor. I

This company keeps telemarketing us at home, even though we're on both the state and federal "Do Not Call" lists. Our neighbors have used them before, and report that their service is poor and overpriced, but they still keep calling us in violation of the law. If they're unwilling to operate within the telemarketing laws, I have to wonder what other laws they consider themselves exempt from. I strongly recommend staying away from this company.

I checked Angie's List after the service appointment and was disappointed that Cowboy's A/C was rated so low. Because I was satisfied I felt I should write a review. Appointment time was 0900. They arrived early. I observed them preparing their equipment. It seemed like they were going over a checklist to ensure they had everything needed and in proper order before they approached the house. I went outside and approached them as they were coming up the driveway. They introduced themselves and said they were waiting for 9:00 because some people don't like you being too early. My wife would agree. The technicians were very professional, dressed in uniforms and applied coverings on their shoes before entering the house. Services were performed as promised by sales pitch received on phone. Both men worked in a very professional manner answering any questions that I had. Also explained what they were doing as they performed the maintenance. They informed me of problems with the 2 outside units. One unit the running capacitor was bad. The other unit the starting capacitor was bad. (which I had suspected prior to their arrival) They had written notes on the readings that they had found on both units. These readings are in amps. I questioned them on what the proper reading should be. (The day prior to the appointment I removed the service cover doors on both units and recorded the proper ranges from the manufacturer. I would not suggest doing this unless you have some knowledge of a/c units. A long, long time ago in high school I took 2 years of a/c training. This included the operations of home, auto and commercial). When they recommended parts to be changed, one running capacitor -- unit one, one starting capacitor -- unit two, I requested them to repeat the procedure and show me the readings off of their equipment. The parts were replaced, checked and ran in the appropriate ranges. I felt the charge for the parts were high, but based on my prior experience with a/c companies who charge a call out fee, plus parts and labor, this total price seemed normal. They also deleted the amount for the original special. This may seem different to some of how to price repairs, but was fine with me. I was not pressured into replacing the parts. When I questioned the pros and cons of replacing vs. not replacing -- I agreed with their answers. Before they left, I ask them to check the airflow from the inside air vents. They did some minor changes and didn't include that in their charges. I am very hard to please, but felt the workmanship, professionalism was above the other a/c companies that I have used in San Antonio and was very satisfied with their work.

Cowboy's Air Conditioning and Heating, 14309 Topperwien Rd., SA TX 78233, 210.495.7771, called offering an air condition system check at a very nice price. On arrival the serviceman immediately went to the attic to check the unit and came back down and told us the unit had been "rigged" and the coils were in the water pan, which was rusted, and he told us our house was in immediate danger of burning down. He turned the unit off. He said we were very lucky our home hadn't burned already. Then he launched into a sales routine, asking if we could afford $80.00 per month. ($7,000 total for the unit). He reiterated how much danger we were in over and over, always going to the $80.00 a month, which was for a new unit. My husband and I were both very scared and concerned - we know nothing about a/c so were forced to believe him, but every time we asked him a question he wouldn't answer it, rather he would talk about the new unit and the $80 payment. We agreed to buy and he ordered the equipment and told us if we changed our mind there was a 25% restocking charge. Then he asked if he could use my phone to call in the credit application. As he was preparing to leave I asked him to turn the A/C on. He said he was calling his boss, then said the boss told him to keep it off, but he told the boss "they are old people. I can't leave them without a/c, so I'm gonna fix it so it will be safe overnight". Then he went back into the attic, came back and said it was ok for the night, and left after saying they would be back tomorrow am for the installation. After he left I began to feel the pressure he had put me under. Also, I didn't know if $7,000 was a normal price. After checking "Angie's List" and seeing this company had a "D" rating I really got concerned. I called a well known local a/c company who had been in business over 50 years. Their man came out and checked our system. Said that yes, it had been "rigged" but was totally safe and in no danger of burning the house down. He told us the price was fair but that only one year labor warranty was a bit light. There was no charge for this service and he didn't try to sell me a new unit. I called early the next day to cancel but he apparently he didn't get the message because the crew showed up. The salesman then called and tried to convince me. Said he had never heard of Angie's List, but they had a clear record with the BBB. He called again on Monday morning and talked with my husband. but hasn't called again. Actually I was surprised. I expected a lot of pressure to buy from him but we didn't get that. He seems to have dropped it.

Not good. The gentleman told me I had some major freon leaks and needed a new unit & soon. I even scheduled for him to come back out with the new unit. It was going to be about $3 to 5000!! I decided to go with a second opinion (someone that had been checking it in prior years). When the second company knocked on my door, my AC was not working AT ALL. The second company checked freon....just fine. He then went to the electrical unit and a switch had been "coincidentally" flipped off (I have a lock on it now). I cannot prove anything, but what are the chances! Very disappointed in this experience & has scarred my trust in calling anyone now. By the way, my AC is still working fine after two (maybe three) later. And they still continue to call me wanting my business!!

Company was contacted based on a $39 spring service checkup offer received in the mail. However, from start to finish, the visit was definitely geared toward selling us a new unit, emphasizing how bad our current unit was. According to the technician, it was too bad to be serviced & needed to be replaced immediately. The techician, aka salesman, was very good at promoting his product, but used hard sales tactics & we had a tough time getting him to leave. The visit did not end on a positive note & we did not pay the $39 fee. After he left, we checked out the company online & found we weren't the only ones with the same experience. A week later, we contacted another company, found via Angie's List this time, who verified our suspicions about this company's visit by simply servicing our A/C unit & making appropriate recommendations.

Price negotiation was slimy. The technician would call the boss to propose "my" offer ; the boss would call the tech and counter; and on and on. It was a big game and I played to see if it would get me the deal I wanted. I ended up with a knock-off brand for which I paid too much. I feel I got talked out of the name brand unit I wanted by believing their stories of quality and value...not true, but too late. They are smooth in their sales game...beware. The actual installation was decent; however, the technician left some loose ends. He took his time, but got pressure from the home office to speed up.

They were always walking around, they never stayed in one stop. I felt very uncomfortable with them in my home. They asked a lot of weird and personal questions that had nothing to do with the work they were doing. I would not use them again.

I was very pleased with the employees and work done. (At least, I think the work is okay - I've got AC and several days later no problems) The employees were very personable and seemed very professional and polite. The problem I had was with respecting my time. While the work was eventually completed in a timely manner, they had a tendency to tell me what I wanted to hear, rather than what was actually going to happen. The technician and I rescheduled the work a number of times. They had to keep moving the time because the original time was unrealistic, which meant that I had to rearrange my schedule several times, which was very annoying. When I told the supervisor I was unhappy with that aspect, he went out of his way to make the situation better. The work was still done in a timely manner but the process was frustrating. I would hire them again, but I would clarify any scheduling to be sure it's realistic and scheduled at the office. The technician and I agreed on a time later in the day, but when I was leaving the house to run errands, two men showed up to do the work. Good thing they caught me.