| Business Categories | Heating, HVAC, Plumbing in Shirley, NY |
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Stephen Schmidt is unlicensed. Sold me a used 6-year-old, damaged boiler (he told me it was 1-year-old but when I called the manufacturer with the serial # I found out different) that was swiped from some jobsite. It had no burner component. Cancelled $800 cash sales transaction within 1 day after seeing the unit and having it evaluated. He would not return my money even though I submitted a formal sales cancellation in writing. Initially sued him in small claims where the arbitrator gave him 3 breaks to go outside because he was having full blown panic attacks. He brought to court some guy I never saw to lie for him and submitted a forged document (a serious felony and being pursued with the DA office). He was fined by the county for doing business without a license. He is not eligible for a license and is on the Suffolk County Wall of Shame. Filed a Trial de Novo (which they didn't comprehend was now a trial by judge, not arbitrator) and went to court this time with the Consumer Affairs Investigator who testified on my behalf. He came to court the second time with his wife Angela. Be aware that he puts her on the phone with customers to sell insurance as she is an agent, very pushy. They don't operate within the confines of the law so you have to demonstrate to them how it works. Buyer Beware. They are not licensed and are known to scam. In the end, they lost in court and a judgement was awarded in full.
This is very important, since an estimate is just that. Many contractors will submit a "paper estimate", meaning they've written the estimate down on paper. The bill is the true amount owed and will almost always say "Invoice" or "Bill" at the top of the page. The bill should also list the date it was issued, the due date of payment, and a list of services rendered.
Some companies may require a 10% deposit, some may not require any. For larger projects, you'll almost always need to give a deposit, and it's good to ask how much the deposit will be before going forward with a project. The Shirley contractor will know how much they need for a deposit when they've given you the estimate, so ask early.
Always ask for references, and always check them. Keep in mind though that the only references you'll get are people who the contractor is certain will give him a good review. You'd also be well advised to check online review sources in Shirley as well, which will give you a broader view of customer satisfaction for a given company.
You'll always want to ask how long the company has been in business in Shirley. While this isn't a guarantee that the company will do good work, companies with longevity on their side must be doing something right. That being said, there are newer companies that do great work. If the company is under three years old, ask where the owner was employed before and for how long. If he/she has a long history of employment, it's reasonable to infer that he or she decided to go into business for themselves after so many years of experience.
This really only matters if you have a preference, but it is good to ask. If you have a strong ideological belief about unions or nonunions, it's perfectly acceptable to make a decision based on the preference.
