Disquiet over heat pump servicing

Dunedin pensioner Madeline Clark (75) is warning people to be cautious in the wake of her experience with a heat pump servicing company. Photo: Gregor Richardson.

Madeline Clark (75)   claims Christchurch-based company Ocean HeatMaster regularly "cold-called" her for about a year with an offer to clean her heat pump.

The $125 fee was cheap compared to other companies, so she  accepted the offer.

On March 31, two "polite and nice" technicians, aged in their late 20s, came to her home in Halfway Bush. She watched  one man clean the heat pump inside, as the other  cleaned the outside unit.

After the  cleaning was finished, she was told the heat pump had a gas leak,  and  the gas could be replaced for another $350.

She agreed and the work was completed in about 10 minutes, she said.

She paid the $125 but did not have enough cash to pay the extra $350 then. Davies Heat & Cool manager Peter Chettleburgh said he  had received similar complaints from concerned people throughout the South Island  about Ocean HeatMaster.  He said a heat pump would stop working if it had a gas leak, so he believed the work was a scam.

The stated tasks  would have taken much longer than 10 minutes to carry out properly, Mr Chettleburgh said. Ms Clark had contacted Age Concern Otago, and had begun the paperwork to lodge a complaint with police.

The incident  made her sick.

"I got into a state of anxiety and I was a mess ... I felt like I had ‘mug’ tattooed on my forehead and I was annoyed at myself. I want to warn everyone."

When the Otago Daily Times called Ocean HeatMaster manager Mike Naidu on Wednesday,  he said he would investigate and call back.

Later that day, Mr Naidu’s office manager called Ms Clark and waived the $350 fee.Ms Clark said she was "rapt" the fee was waived but still wanted to issue  a warning.

When the ODT called Mr Naidu on Thursday,  he stood by the work completed for Ms Clark.

"We haven’t done anything wrong."

The work came with a warranty, and if Ms Clark was not satisfied with the cleaning work she had paid for, the technicians would do it again,  free, Mr Naidu said.

The office manager, who did not want to be named, said the fee was waived "in good faith".

"It’s not because we don’t stand by our workmanship," she said.

A Commerce Commission spokesman said the commission had no record of any complaints about Ocean HeatMaster, listed with the Companies Office as Ocean Contracting Ltd.

If consumers were concerned at the conduct of any business, they could contact the commission by completing its report form and email contact@comcom.govt.nz or call 0800 943-600.

shawn.mcavinue@odt.co.nz