Consumer complaint received 2023-04-13
Company: DCN Holdings Inc.
State: NY
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Other debt
Issue: Took or threatened to take negative or legal action
Sub-issue: Threatened or suggested your credit would be damaged

Complaint:
I arranged for a hot water heater install of a XXXX XXXX tankless unit with a company owned by XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, of XXXX XXXX, NY. 

They have recently changed their name to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX presumably because of their pending lawsuits, poor quality of service and their questionable business tactics. 

I paid them {$2100.00} on XXXX to purchase a new hot water heater linked to the warranty of our existing unit that they had brought to their shop to diagnose for issues. The office staff told me that we would be credited back {$1200.00} for the new unit since the unit that we had in the home was still under warranty for a cracked heat exchanger. 

The company claimed that they were licensed and authorized to perform work on XXXX units. It turns out they are not on XXXXXXXX XXXX  list of licensed installers on the XXXX website. 

XXXX XXXX, owner of XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX previously named XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, withheld a bill from us for months and then sent it to collections after he would not tell me the cost of services after a poor and unsafe install. 

When he came to our home to review the work on XX/XX/XXXX after the install on XX/XX/XXXX, he noticed the unit was installed incorrectly. I told him that I wanted to cease all work performed until we could figure out pricing and that I was unsure that it would be repaired properly by them at that point. 

He became enraged, began acting erratically, and said that he would turn off the propane to the home, call the town, the fire department and red tag our unit. 

I told him to get out of the house and that I was going to call the police. 

He pushed his way past me to get to the water closet, took a picture, grabbed his tools and told his techs to leave. 

He then illegally turned off the private propane tank to our home in the middle of winter ( XXXX  ) leaving us without heat for the day until we could have our propane company come out to turn it back on and make sure all pilot lights were lit to our heating equipment and propane stove. I called the police and made an incident report. 

He threatened my partner over the phone when we tried to reason with him on sending the invoice to us and just said that he would send the bill to collections and that a lien would be put on our house. This seemed to be his plan once he realized that his company installed the unit improperly. 

He first sent us a bill for services performed on XX/XX/XXXX for all work performed before that point. This was almost 3 months after the last time that work was performed. 

I emailed him back and told them we would gladly pay for the services once that warranty reimbursement was applied. 

He upcharged us on the initial bill and tried to withhold the warranty rebate of {$1200.00} which we knew we were supposed to be credited for on the bill. 

Please see attached email correspondence of me responding to that invoice and asking for that credit to be applied to the bill on XXXX 

The next invoice was sent on XX/XX/XXXX and was updated with more charges along with the discount deduction. 
It included this note : This Updated invoice will include the labor for 3 Full days to disassemble the XXXXXXXX XXXX in shop to see what is needed as well as prepare for the warranty. 

I am unsure what the breakdown of the extra {$790.00} charge was since it just said repair and prep for XXXXXXXX XXXX for warranty. 

I paid the bill on XXXX for {$1500.00}. This was 29 days after we received the original invoice on XX/XX/XXXX and 22 days after receiving the updated invoice on XXXX 

Once more, XXXX sent original invoice for services performed almost 3 months after the last work was done at the property. 

I am assuming that he also kept the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX rebate for the unit since that was not applied to the bill or sent to us. 

I was contacted XX/XX/XXXX by a debt collection agency called Accounts Receivable located in XXXX, FL and told that they were hired by XXXX XXXX to collect a bill. 

They told me that the bill was sent to collections and they were employed by XXXX XXXX to collect the debt. 

I sent them documentation of the invoices that I had paid and I asked them why XXXX would send the bill to collections. 

I requested written confirmation that the collections bill would not be applied to my credit report. They said that they do not send anything to the credit agencies and that the debt would not be applied to my credit report. 

XXXX XXXX should be fined and investigated for his deliberate and persistent attempts to hurt my credit as well as endanger the safety of my family and I with the improper installation of a propane hot water heater. 

He said it himself that he was just going to, " send us to collections and put a lien on our house, '' when we tried to get a bill for services performed and check on the status of the XXXX warranty. 

His spiteful actions of turning our propane off in the middle of winter as well as not owning up to the endangerment of our family due to an improper propane water heater install should be enough to begin an investigation. 

He not only withheld the bill on purpose for months, but also tried to withhold the warranty reimbursement payment for {$1200.00} and XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX rebate. If this is the case for me, I would not be surprised that this has happened to others. 

Accounts Receivable debt collection agency will need to provide written documentation that this debt will not appear or effect my credit report since the debt has been paid. 

Additional notes attached below for install and events that took place after : XX/XX/XXXX New water heater Install XXXX XXXX XXXX : XXXX XXXX time : XXXX XXXX Start of install Turned off water main Cut pipes to water heaters Departure time : XXXXXXXX XXXX Left to pick up fittings from lowes and to get something from company vehicle in XXXX, NY Return time : XXXXXXXX XXXX Other employee arrived and gave him fitting saver. 
Fitting saver used on elbows coming into room for fresh air and exhaust. 
Didn't have vaccuum to clean up pipe shavings Departure time for trip to lowes : XXXX XXXX Left to pick up fittings for exhaust on unit from XXXX Return time : XXXX XXXX Realized new fittings do not fit into exhaust elbow because fittings saver made it too wide.He had drilled out the fittings too much and now they were too wide. 
Said that exhaust pipe that is not tight fit could leak carbon monoxide in home. 
Tech called XXXX and explained situation. Told him that he needed help. He was the only tech on site and explained that to get the unit on the wall, I, the homeowner had to help him. Also, that it is Friday and we would be left with no heat if situation isn't fixed. 

I vacuumed area in closet Different techs arrive and thought that pipes can be connected with furnace cement which is not an acceptable, lasting or safe way to seal pvc pipes, especially for exhaust from a gas unit. 
XXXX was outside on phone having heated conversation with XXXX that could be heard from backyard. 
Unit was put up and hastily configured. 
When running, it made a high pitched whistling noise. This was considered " normal '' by the techs on site. Now we know it was because the propane conversion kit for the orifices was not installed properly. 

Sound that Unit was making after propane conversion kit was not installed : Audio file attached Departure Time : XXXX XXXX XXXX  Spoke with XXXX XX/XX/XXXX evening. He said he would come out XX/XX/XXXX to look at the install completed on XXXX. We agreed that i would just be paying for the original service call, labor for the repair of the existing unit that was not removed from the home and for the work on the unit that needed to be replaced that was taken back to the shop to confirm that it was under warranty. 

His son had XXXX and the office called and said it was not possible for him to come out on XX/XX/XXXX to diagnose the install. The office did say that they would send a tech but I said we needed someone in management. They asked if XXXX could come to the house with a mask. I agreed and they called back within 5 minutes to say that he could not come. 

XX/XX/XXXX : Called XXXX XX/XX/XXXX to register the new unit and to track the status of the warranty and original unit to confirm that it has been sent back to the distributor. 

XXXX employee said no update until Friday since that is when they get their report. 

XX/XX/XXXX XXXX and two techs came to the home to look at the installed unit. XXXX immediately took the door off of the new unit. He said the ringing sound was caused by the conversion to propane kit not being installed. I believe that he changed the conversion kit but was unsure. 

This unit was turned on Friday XXXX and still had the natural gas orifices installed when the house runs on propane.This was tremendously unsafe and likely was leaking gas into home. 

I told him that I wanted work to stop until we could agree on pricing and he could send me a bill for the previous services. I also brought up the code concerns and safety violations due to the exhaust pipe not being sealed correctly and the lack of propane conversion kit installed. 

He started arguing with me, started screaming and then said " I don't have to deal with this. He said he was going to take a photo of the closet, red tag the unit [ lock out tag out ], turn off the propane and call the fire department. '' He walked outside and turned off the propane to the house at the tank. Called someone on the phone and said he has a " real problem over at XXXX XXXX XXXX. '' I called the police and made an incident report. 

XX/XX/XXXX Called XXXX XX/XX/XXXX Spoke with warranty/ returns Confirmed Unit was returned XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX NY Confirmed Reimbursement sent to wholesaler XX/XX/XXXX issued to XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Also confirmed that the reimbursement is distributed back to the XXXX installer aince it was purchased through them and neither XXXX or the distributor could send the funds to the customer. 

XXXX XXXX XXXX Email sent to XXXX asking for an invoice for services performed XX/XX/XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX  Called XXXX XXXX to ask for invoice. Put on hold for a moment and told that accounts payable is out of office for the moment but when they get in, the message will be passed along and invoice will be sent. No email response XX/XX/XXXX. 

XXXX emailed invoice back at XXXXXXXX XXXX Please see attached additional email correspondence of XXXX changing price of bill.

Company response to consumer: Untimely response