Reliance Home Comfort

On April 30, 2014, a Reliance Home Comfort advisor came to our home to give us a ‘free in-home quote and consultation regarding a furnace and air conditioner."
Based on the Advisor's calculations and assurances in addition to a then offered government heating and cooling incentive program rebate, we were influenced to upgrade to new equipment. The Advisor presented my wife with a 3-page Rental Agreement and related documents to read on his laptop computer screen and to sign on the computer screen assuring us that although it was all but impossible to read and completely understand the fine print on a computer screen in such a short few minutes of time, the Advisor assured us that it was simply "standard" information same as on all their contracts and further assured us that yes, it was a rent to own agreement and that at the end of the 7-year contract period the equipment would be ours.
When the equipment was being installed on May 15, 2014, we learned from the serviceman doing the installation that the Advisor had provided us with misleading information as to the equipment's performance capability.
We further discovered after printing a hard copy of the agreement and fully reading the fine print that Reliance had put a lien on our home - at our expense of $120.00 no less.
Fast forward to a few days ago - May 14, 2021. When I called Reliance to confirm the end of the 7-year agreement occurring the next day, we were shocked to learn that not only would we not then own the equipment as the Advisor had assured us we would, we now had a choice of paying Reliance a buyout amount of $5, 650.00 plus taxes amounting to a total of $6, 395.80 on top of the $11, 759.16 we had paid during the 7 years of the agreement period, or continue to pay Reliance the monthly rental, failing doing either that Reliance would remove the equipment. Some choice!
In effect, Reliance is holding a gun to our head and no matter what decision we make this is going to end up costing us in the order of some $20, 000.00 at the hands of an unconscionable company, $10, 000.00 more than we had prepared and budgeted for 7 years earlier.
We have in the last few days learned that other Reliance Home Comfort customers have met a similar fate with all wondering how Reliance can continue getting away with such misleading and dishonest sales tactics.
We refuse to do business with people we cannot trust and will accept neither choice that Reliance has given us, choosing rather to do business with a local company and people who we can trust and pay them the $8, 000.00 - $10, 000.00 to install new equipment rather than put money in the pockets of an unscrupulous company.
We are trusting retired seniors in our late 70's living on a limited retirement income and government pension and can ill afford such cost and loss.

I needed a new furnace due to age and a new air conditioner due to a coolant leak. A salesman (Craig Munn) came and explained the different systems to me and I went with the most expensive because of the filter and air quality. He also explained that there would be NO variance in temperature from floor to floor or room to room because of sensors in the cold air return vents. This didn't make a lot of sense to me but the way technology has advanced I thought great. The new system was installed last week. The first day we noticed a 10degree variance from upstairs to down. The installers said to call the sales rep if I had any concerns. I have made 4 phone calls and sent an email to Craig Munn with no response. This is unacceptable. I just has a service rep here who states that there will always be a variance and that I was given false information. I needed a new system regardless and I do like Reliance overall What I have concerns about is a salesman giving out false information to customers and then not having the courtesy to respond.
Please acknowledge that you are addressing these concerns
Donna Creighton