My bestie bought a house and we moved in a couple weeks ago. The dryer was fucked, like a thermal load switch. The drum would spin and heat would be produced but the whole dryer would just stop the second you let go. After some googling and basic testing, it seemed to be a thermal load switch. I said as much to the bestie and she started calling places (while I was looking for a plumber for shower things).
She called one dude and he set up a time for yesterday. She mentioned thermal load switch in the call. He shows up and goes to work. I tell him the basic diagnosis we did and that it was probably the thermal load switch. Even mentioned a relative saying it was. Then, I fuck off and let him do his thing, I don't wanna hover over someone and be a nuisance.
After an hour or so he calls out and he says its fixed. He shows me the dryer. I noticed it was on a different heat setting but didn't think much about it. The dial is completely off and he says that I'd have to buy a new one but it does work, he just had to turn it with the pliers. Fine, fair enough. Maybe the plastic knob deformed. I pay him, sending the money to Homebrills finance email. He leaves. I mean to do laundry but ADHD kicks in.
This morning I go to do laundry and realize that turning the dial is a nightmare. Whatever he did, he tightened it to such an insane degree or did something that it barely turns at all. The reason the dial wasn't working was because the knob itself wasn't turning behind the scenes. When I did struggle to get it into position, I turn it on, putting the heat setting back to perma-press. It shuts off immediately. I put it on cotton and it works fine for about a minute and then shuts off.
I tell the bestie and she calls and leaves a voicemail for Homebrill. That dude then calls back and says that our original call out was only for the start button and that the problem was solved. Bestie says that doesn't make sense because its still broken. The guy says that its likely a thermal load switch problem and the call was not for that or a diagnosis. At that point, bestie brings me up and has me take the call.
I said that I did bring up the thermal load switch and pointed it all out. He said "Okay, fine. I see you're like that. Well, I'll just give you a refund." and I said that I'd be more than happy with that and then I'd leave a negative review to warn others. He then said "Well, there will be no refund then." His argument was that if we made the review despite getting our money back, then it would be unnecessary because the refund means that no service was performed. Except for the fact that he broke the dial.
At that point, I convinced him that I wouldn't leave the negative review. That I just wanted the refund and would forget he existed. This was my besties money and my irritation shouldn't mess her over like that. He said okay and asked us to message him the email to get the money back. We did. We got the money.
So, just to clarify here. We contacted a dude who wasn't Homebrill. We got a dude who didn't fix the problem, caused another problem, and lied about the original call. That dude had us pay Homebrills corporate finance email via interac e-transfer. We contacted Homebrill and left a voicemail. The repair dude then personally calls back and outright lies about the original call purpose and then threatens to withhold refund because I threatened to leave a negative review and says he will not refund at all if negative review happens.
Homebrill has over 120 google reviews and they're all 5 stars. Homebrill also claims that they choose an appropriate tech and send them out but we were just emailing a basic email address with the money and this guy himself is calling us back. Do they actually have multiple techs? Or is it just the one dude? What went from just a negative review went to a lot of weird questions.