The Better Business Bureau has received more than 700 complaints about an appliance repair service operating in Waterloo Region. Last month, a homeowner from Waterloo, Ont. told CTV News he was misled and overcharged by a company after he called them to fix a broken stove. Bob Huegle said he thought he was calling a local business, Waterloo Appliance Service Ltd., but instead, a sponsored Google search result led to him calling a different company with a similar name. On Wednesday another person from Waterloo, Esther Slevinsky, said something similar happened to her when her washing machine malfunctioned. “I thought I would just do a quick Google search to make an appointment with them. [I] searched ‘Waterloo appliance.’ [The] first thing that came up, [I] thought it was [Waterloo Appliance Service Ltd.’s] website – I clicked on it,” Slevinsky said. When the person who answered her call said someone could come to her home that same day, Slevinsky thought her luck was finally turning around. “I happened to have a friend at home with me, and we [saw] a vehicle pull up into the driveway, but it was just a navy car,” she explained. The unmarked vehicle set off warning bells for Slevinsky’s friend, Maria, who immediately asked who Slevinsky had booked. “I said, ‘Waterloo Appliance,’” Slevinsky recalled. “And she said, ‘Oh my goodness, did you not see the CTV News report?’” Thanks to Maria, Slevinsky called the real Waterloo Appliance Service Ltd. phone number to confirm she was dealing with the right company. “Sure enough, the admin said, ‘No, we didn’t send anyone to you today,’” Slevinsky said. Slevinsky sent the technician in the unmarked vehicle away before he could begin any work. She said that person was from a business called The Appliance Repair Team. But, she wasn’t completely off the hook. “[The technician] did come back ten minutes later with a bill for$80 for the service call,” she explained. “In further looking into the news report, I feel very lucky that I didn’t have him come and look at my appliance.” However, Slevinsky isn’t the only person who said a broken washing machine led to a case of mistaken identity. Joy Huggins of Waterloo runs an animal rescue, which can add up to a lot of laundry. When her washing machine went down, she needed a quick fix. “The same day service is what got me, because I have to keep doing the wash continually,” Huggins said. When the technician she called arrived, they also came in an unmarked vehicle. “I said, ‘Why are you in your car?’ I said I was expecting a truck or a van with [the company’s] name on it. He goes, ‘Oh, no. I think we need to cut back on gas,’” she said. Huggins also paid $80 for the service call. She then coughed up another $290 to have the technician examine the broken appliance. “I walked away for a few minutes and then came back like five minutes later and he was all done,” she said. But, according to Huggins, the washing machine was not fixed. In fact, it was running worse than it had before the technician began working on it. “I was frustrated because I knew something was up, but I didn’t think this.” CTV News reached out to the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to ask about The Appliance Repair Team. “For the three-year period, BBB has received 755 complaints against this business. They have an F rating with us,” Angela Dennis, CEO of the Better Business Bureau Central Ontario, said. “Specifically, consumers are alleging that the company is unable to properly diagnose and repair the appliance effectively, and that there’s a lack of follow up and resolution to those issues. And the cost of the parts are grossly inflated,” Dennis confirmed. The BBB’s advice is simple: before booking with a company, do some research about who is on the other end of the call. “I can’t stress enough to consumers – research. First check. Come to us. See what our files are indicating,” Dennis said. CTV News has reached out to The Appliance Repair Team on several occasions but did not hear back by the time this article was published. Meanwhile, Waterloo Appliance Service Ltd., a reputable company with an A+ rating listed on the BBB, said they have been receiving calls nearly every day about from people who accidentally booked with The Appliance Repair Team. “[Customers] Google our name, they’ll get the top five or six sponsored ads and they’ll see a name that’s close to ours, but isn’t ours,” Jason Vale, co-owner of Waterloo Appliance Service Ltd., previously told CTV News. Vale offered some tips to homeowners to try to prevent a similar situation:
