ComplaintsforChoate USA

• Initial Complaint

  02/27/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  In October 2022, I called Choate USA to repair my sprinkler system that was still going off outside the programmed times or being off. They changed some valves and rebooted and reset the controller. On February 15, 2023 at 10:12 pm, we realized that it was still not fixed. While putting out the trash, I saw that the walkway/driveway were wet; although the controller has been off since the start of winter. I checked the controller and it was still off. Apparently, it has been going off all through the winter even though turned off, but we weren't aware because we are usually asleep at that time. It appears that it was doing so since we first moved into the house. We wondered why our water bills were so high but did not figure out the problem. We had no idea the system was still running although it was turned off. I contacted Choate, they instructed me to unplug the controller and check each night around the same time as when I discovered the problem, to figure out if it was the controller. The days after I unplugged the controller, I checked outside as instructed around 10:00 pm and found that there were no more wet spots on the driveway or walkway. On February 23, 2023, I notified Choate about what I found, and was informed that they will come to do the repairs but that they plan to charge me a $90 trip charge and additional costs for parts due to no longer being under warranty. I do not believe that I should have to pay any costs because the problem was identified before the warranty expired and Choate's repair did not adequately resolve the issue; and it ended up causing high water bills. I already paid for the controller and its installation. It is not fair to expect me to pay for another controller when Choate installed a defective controller in the first place. Regardless of it no longer being under warranty, Choate should make it good. This is not a piece of equipment that broke over time and use, it was obviously defective from the moment they installed it.

  Customer response

  03/14/2023

  Hello,
  
  I have an after thought about this complaint as I am wondering about Choate's delay in responding. I remember that the manager kept saying that I am no longer under warranty (implying there is only a one year warranty), but what warranty are they referring to? I do not recall any discussion about the warranty and its length, they have not provided me any documentation stipulating the length of warranty, and neither have I signed anything stating that I was briefed on any warranty. I understand that there is one, since they have been servicing my home since I moved in; but how am I know how long it really is. The other warranties on this new home are two and three years. How do I know that the irrigation warranty is not also two or three years and Choate is just trying to refuse to honor it.
  
  Please submit this information to Choate also.
  
  Sincerely,
  ****** ******
  

• Initial Complaint

  03/10/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  my irrigation pipe sprung a leak and when I went into the main box to find it, I found the pipe is rusted where it busted. They obviously did not use the proper metal for these pipes because anything involving water should be made with PVC or a galvanized metal, they did neither. I have tried to call them numerous of times and have the longest I have waited is an hour on the phone and no one ever comes on. I need them to come fix the pipe and replace all the pipes with the proper material.

  Business response

  05/02/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 7, 2022/03/28) */ All irrigation systems are installed per Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) guidelines and that includes the choice of materials. In Texas, soil shifts can cause maintenance issues with irrigation systems over time. However, all systems come with a 1 year warranty that would cover this sort of damage as it should take longer than that for a natural shift to damage a professionally installed system. We have no record of this individual in our system and no address was indicated. We can only assume she is a new home purchaser from a new home builder and is potentially under WTY. She can either contact the builder (and they will contact us) or contact us using [email protected] or 800-606-0755. Sincerely, Bobbie G***** Quality Assurance Supervisor Consumer Response /* (3000, 9, 2022/03/29) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) I did contact the company and the first issue was no one would ever pick up the phone. I finally got a hold of someone last week and was told there was a service fee to come out and fix it. There are multiple people in our neighborhood that the pipe has rusted and busted in that same spot. This is NOT an isolated incident. If multiple homeowners are having the same issue, then I feel it is up to the company to stand by their work and fix it. Business Response /* (4000, 11, 2022/03/31) */ Our records indicate the most likely location (Highlands of Westridge) related to this issue was performed back in 2018. The original homeowner for this property had many successful post-instillation engagements with Choate USA. Some were billable and some were non-billable/warranty, the latest of which included a free service call in late 2019 where we confirmed that there were no issues with the irrigation system. There have been no documented issues since. Choate USA stands by our work and proudly labels each sprinkler controller with our contact information so that we may service our installs. Our Sr. Quality Assurance supervisor would like to troubleshoot the communication issues you've been having as we're unaware of any persistent issues. He may be reached at [email protected] or at 469.568.3257 (desk).

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