Horizon Services review: Lying, deceitful, con artists who take advantage of people in their time of need

We returned from vacation late in the evening. The AC, which we kicked on, before arriving home was not working. The outdoor unit fan is not running, and the unit was making a loud buzzing sound. This is mid-July, it’s stifling inside. I set up an appointment with Horizon, via the website, to have them come from thing in the morning. I have used them before for cleanings, and in this example I needed someone ASAP.

The tech gets here at 830 am. He tells me the ECM motor is bad, and out of warranty (by a month no less). It would cost 3,100.00 and take 2 to 3 weeks for the new motor to arrive, due to manufacture priority needs. Or, I can have a consultant come out for a whole new AC (12,000), which can be installed the next day. I say send the consultant out. I can’t be without AC for 2 to 3 weeks in July and August in NJ.

The used-car salesman/consultant arrives. Surprisingly, we don’t know each other but have a community connection. So he must be thinking he’s got me hooked. He does the whole thing, measurements, review, etc. The price for a new unit starts around 13,000.00. After discounts it gets down to 10k-24-hour deal. I made clear and reiterate that I am getting 2nd opinions on this. He tries to get me out of that. One thing, just like a used car salesman on a cheap lot, he asks what it would take to sign today. I say 8K (that’s a number I always expected to pay). He goes outside to consult with his boss. He returns and says he and his boss will give me the 8k deal, if I cancel all 2nd opinions, sign today, end of story. I excuse myself, telling him, I am going to call my wife to confer (I didn’t, this was fishy, I just sat and played Wordle for a few minutes). I return and tell him we’re going to get a 2nd opinion. So, I lose the 8K but get the 10K deal by the next morning.

I have my 2nd opinion come. He’s a local guy, independent, that I have used for everything. But he’s busy, and I knew getting him out first thing AM would be tough. But he got here in the afternoon thankfully.

He confirms that the motor shot. But then he says let’s check the warranty. I say it’s one month past (June 2015). He looks and sees that the system was installed in October 2015. SO I AM STILL WITHIN WARRANTY, AS THE WARRANTY STARTS WHEN THE SYSTEM WAS INSTALLED NOT MANUFACTURED.

Within 5 minutes, he’s got the warranty pulled up on his phone, and on the phone to his supplier, and will have the motor in on Monday (this all started Thursday morning).

So, knowing that, let us ask what did Horizon do? Did they a) not know the difference between manufacture and install dates (highly unlikely) or b) were there trying to screw over someone into paying 3,100 or 8K for a problem that is only $400. I think it’s B. Horizon is a lying, deceitful, scumbag organization.
I email the car salesman and tell him not to bother contacting me again, I know what he tried to do.

I get a call the next day (Friday) from the service manager about my “issue”. I refuse to discuss anything with him over the phone, and get his email to begin a dialogue, I tell him I am going to post everywhere about this experience. I demand my service fee back. If they don’t I would fight that through the courts. I agree not to file complaints with BBB or the NJ Consumer Affairs office if they give me money back.

What happens next, astounds me. He replies with their 100-satisfaction guarantee BS, blah blah. He’ll refund the service charge, and magically, they have a motor (today! Friday) and offer to install it for free. So, this went from 3,100 at 2 to 3 weeks (or suckered into an 8K new unit), to ta-dah! To their credit they are not smart enough to collude and keep the lie going.

I DARE HORIZON TO REFUTE ANYTHING THAT’S BEEN WRITTEN HERE. And if they do, their response is going to be “we tried to make it right, we have a 100% guarantee” blah blah. You know what they haven’t done, which would make it right, they have not apologized for lying and trying to scam me in my time of need. I took a pass on the free install; I’ll have my local-independent guy do it, and everything on my HVAC ever.

TAKE MY ADVICE, GO LOCAL. STAY AWAY FROM HORIZON. DON’T BE FOOLED BY THEIR AVAILABILITY. IF YOU USE HORIZON, YOU WILL GET SCREWED OVER.