this shall be either fun or hella frustrating
My ~20-year-old water heater is starting to conk out -- the water is only ever lukewarm half the time, so unless I run the water for a bit at least half an hour before I plan on showering (that seems to kickstart the heating process) then I have to skip showering and settle for just washing my hair, because it's too freaking cold in winter to have a lukewarm shower.
So, I decided to check out the cost of purchasing a water heater, prompted in part by the fact that Reliance has hiked their rental rates again and I'm now paying $4/month more than I did when I first moved here when the tank's getting older and older, and I've never made a single call to the company. (That probably doesn't sound like much, but it adds up over the course of many years.) Turns out that even if a purchased water heater only lasts the length of its warranty, it's still cheaper to buy one. (I'm crossing my fingers that should it ever leak, insurance will help me out.)
Last night, I emailed Reliance asking about cancellation fees, how many days' notice are required, and the cost of having the old tank picked up vs dropping it off at one of their centers. I got two responses, about four hours apart.
The first response was some genius wanting to know if I was a current customer. (Because why would a non-customer needs to know this information??)
The second response said they would need to know my account information in order to answer my questions, and to please call the provided 1-800 number. I'm assuming that's so they can put me in contact with their retention department. ;)
I emailed back saying I prefer written information or I would have called in the first place, and that I wasn't providing my account information for what should be standard fees and procedures unless they can give me a valid reason.
I'm interested to see how this continues. Reliance got nailed not so long ago for making it ridiculously difficult for customers to cancel their contracts, so I'm not sure if that means they've revamped their services or if they're one of those companies who finds it easier/cheaper to pay millions in fines and just keep breaking the rules.
So, I decided to check out the cost of purchasing a water heater, prompted in part by the fact that Reliance has hiked their rental rates again and I'm now paying $4/month more than I did when I first moved here when the tank's getting older and older, and I've never made a single call to the company. (That probably doesn't sound like much, but it adds up over the course of many years.) Turns out that even if a purchased water heater only lasts the length of its warranty, it's still cheaper to buy one. (I'm crossing my fingers that should it ever leak, insurance will help me out.)
Last night, I emailed Reliance asking about cancellation fees, how many days' notice are required, and the cost of having the old tank picked up vs dropping it off at one of their centers. I got two responses, about four hours apart.
The first response was some genius wanting to know if I was a current customer. (Because why would a non-customer needs to know this information??)
The second response said they would need to know my account information in order to answer my questions, and to please call the provided 1-800 number. I'm assuming that's so they can put me in contact with their retention department. ;)
I emailed back saying I prefer written information or I would have called in the first place, and that I wasn't providing my account information for what should be standard fees and procedures unless they can give me a valid reason.
I'm interested to see how this continues. Reliance got nailed not so long ago for making it ridiculously difficult for customers to cancel their contracts, so I'm not sure if that means they've revamped their services or if they're one of those companies who finds it easier/cheaper to pay millions in fines and just keep breaking the rules.