How to spot a furnace scam at your front door.
Yes, even though the Government of Ontario passed legislation banning unsolicited door-to-door sales of furnaces, the same scammers who used to harass people at home are now harassing them over the phone.
When they call you, they get one of three results.
- You book an appointment thinking they’re the usual company you work with.
- You book an appointment because they can come sooner than your regular contractor.
- You turn them away.
We want to make sure you fall in the third category, because you never know how qualified (if at all) these sort of businesses are to handle your expensive home comfort equipment.
Here’s what you should look out for when any service technician (HVAC or otherwise) calls out of the blue.
The signs of a scam.
Watch out for: an unfamiliar phone number.
You know the name of the company you usually work with – hopefully it’s your local ClimateCare retailer. When we call to confirm an appointment, the number will show up just like you expect. It will say the name of your local ClimateCare contractor.
We may occasionally call you unexpectedly. This is always because you previously requested a service reminder when your expected appointment time approaches.
If you aren’t sure about the person on the other end of the line, tell them you’re going to call back. Look up the number of your local contractor online and call back.
Watch out for: evasive language
If the person on the other end of the phone is evasive in answering your questions, they aren’t with ClimateCare.
Ask for their name, ask for the physical location of the ClimateCare retailer, ask when your last appointment was.
If the person on the other end of the line avoids your questions or can’t adequately answer them, tell them you aren’t interested in their services.
Ask for: proof of certification.
Your contractor is gas certified with a Technical Standards & Safety Authority (TSAA) number and can produce the number whenever asked. This is an official technical document, and if the technician can’t read it off to you (and show you during your visit), they aren’t with ClimateCare.
So when I’m sure it’s a scammer, what do I do?
Say goodbye, hang up the phone and write down the number they called from. Then give your local ClimateCare retailer a call to let them know where and when the attempted scam went down.
ClimateCare is easy to identify in all the ways listed above. Don’t let somebody claiming to be something they’re not inside your home.
