No need to make excuses; going from a weekly to a monthly
format makes sense now that other people are involved in my parents' care. I’m visiting them less often, and while they
still invade my thoughts, there’s less new material to explore—until now.
Once again, they’ve been scammed. I had hoped that their earlier brush with ID
theft might have instilled more caution, but the con artists are always one
step ahead. They know how to insinuate themselves over time, to make a good
impression and gain trust—so when they move in for the kill, their victims
don’t even realize they’re being taken.
It was only by chance I found out, when I phoned my dad to check in; he mentioned the workers were there even as we spoke, replacing their heating
and air conditioning system. Alarm bells
went off, and I began interrogating my hapless father, then the workmen, about
what was going on. Exactly why were they replacing a system that was barely 9
years old, and seemed to be working fine?
From what I could gather, my parents had accepted an offer
from this company for a “free safety inspection” of their furnace, part of the “club
membership plan” they paid $8.99 per month for. And gosh, wouldn't you know that these same foxes just happened to find a “serious problem” with the furnace, one that was “potentially life threatening” if not dealt with right away.
They recommended the furnace be
replaced immediately, and “while you’re at it, don’t you think it would be a
good idea to replace the AC unit” since it was a few years old, and had already
been worked on once? It would only add another $4,100 to the original amount,
and they could even get an 18-month interest-free payment plan, so it was a
mere $487 per month…
After yelling at both parents for their poor judgment, I
made my way up the food chain, eventually reaching the owner of the company. I
informed him (without mincing words) that this looked like fraud, and that as a
mandated reporter of elder abuse, I might have to move this case forward to the
DA and the fraud unit of our local police department.
The owner started by trying to overwhelm me with technical
details about furnaces, and spoke of his company’s solid reputation. I then pointed out
that the reviews I’d read online revealed a reputation that was far from
stellar—multiple horror stories from scammed or manipulated customers. I said I looked forward to adding my own
review, in addition to calling the authorities; then the owner started to
backpedal.
“Well, we guarantee 100% satisfaction,” he said. “What do
you want us to do?”
For starters, I said, refund virtually the entire amount for
the AC unit, which had been working and didn’t need to be replaced. As for the
furnace, I knew there was little point in my trying to prove that it wasn’t
defective (as it could easily have been sabotaged after its removal) so I’d let
that charge stand. The owner said he’d need to talk with his “management team”
and then get back to me.
Next day, I got what I wanted, at least verbally. To seal his fate, I faxed over a letter to the
owner (capturing a confirmation receipt) restating our conversation and
agreement. Somehow, I suspect he won’t give us any trouble, but what’s more
disturbing is that he probably regards this as part of the cost of doing
business his way—for every one complaint or threat, he probably gets away with
at least 10 fraudulent jobs, no questions asked.
My parents were sheepish and embarrassed, but grateful for
my intervention. I let them know that this was a real wakeup call, and from now
on they should not make any financial decisions without consulting one of us
first. I may have saved them a few thousand dollars this time, but the nagging
pessimist inside my head wonders what’s next.
