Misinformation all over the Internet has become prevalent even in the HVAC industry. People posing as experts or misinformation from dishonest companies has become the norm. In this video, we go through some of the common scams or misinformation being run today all over the Internet, and sometimes you didn't even know it when you used these companies!
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0:00 Please subscribe for HVAC tips
0:11 Intro: Scams on the internet on HVAC
0:36 First: Non-experts producing content
3:54 Second: Misrepresented companies - scam
6:50 Third: Companies manipulate reviews and information
10:36 We'd love to earn your business
For more information on Griffin Air, visit https://www.griffinair.net/
For more information on New HVAC Guide, visit https://www.newhvacguide.com/
Our favorite products?
You can purchase Joshua's favorite thermostat to date! a Honeywell 8000 Wi-Fi Thermostat by clicking here: https://amzn.to/3p1vNUu
Pure UV Whole House Air Cleaner here: https://amzn.to/3oUzJpR
Smart vent here: https://amzn.to/3vf53AO
Griffin Air LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Amazon offers a small commission on products sold through their affiliate links. Each of your purchases via our Amazon affiliation links supports our cause at no additional cost to you.
0:00 Please subscribe for HVAC tips
0:11 Intro: Scams on the internet on HVAC
0:36 First: Non-experts producing content
3:54 Second: Misrepresented companies - scam
6:50 Third: Companies manipulate reviews and information
10:36 We'd love to earn your business
Hey guys wanted to do a video and, if you're catching this, video and you've never seen any of my videos before hit that subscribe. Button for hvac tips and new things coming out in the heating and air industry, but wanted to do a video on scams that are on the internet. Uh, because there are things going on that uh. Some.
Some of it's common knowledge like some of the stuff that i'm gon na go over. You can google it and see, but it's crazy to me how many folks don't realize, what's going on with some of these things, so we're going to go through three scams in the hvac industry over the internet, and so the first thing i wanted to cover is A large percentage of information so blogs videos, websites, information over the internet is produced by people that are not pros in the industry, so they're either some sort of writer or they're some sort of blogger or they're, some sort of something maybe they're in the industry. Some way shape or form, but they present themselves as some sort of professional, some sort of expert, uh, they'll, even write articles or blogs or or produce videos and they've never even installed an air conditioner before they've never installed a furnace before and so just keep that In mind, is that a big deal, maybe not, but i think it's a little deceitful. You know i've even had people comment on my videos, they'll make opinions or they'll make comments and i'll i'll respond.
They'll say an opinion and i'll say you know well where, where are you out of because i you know, that's an odd opinion or you know where? Where is your company located and they'll say? Oh well, you know i had a guy just not that long ago. He's like well, you know, i'm not a contractor, you know i i don't install them, i i you know i i work for whoever it is he worked for, he was a maybe worked for a supplier or a manufacturer. I don't know, but the opinions that this guy's giving you know uh he's, never even done it before right. So you know again.
Is that a big deal? Well, you know no, but i feel like a lot of homeowners. So if you're, a homeowner and you're doing some research you're watching some videos, you've come across this video you're reading some different things on the internet. I think it's important to understand that you're getting your information from someone that actually knows what they're talking about, and you know i say that uh harshly, but it's kind of true right. If i want to know a lot about say business, i want to talk to somebody that has actually grown a business right.
I don't want to. I don't want to take business classes from a professor. That's never grown a business before they've just taken classes from other people right. That's just me, you might feel differently, but another analogy might be.
If i'm going to invest in something i want to talk to someone. That's actually invested in that or know you know something about it versus someone just giving me their opinion on it. So that would be the first thing just that a lot of the information out there just realize if you look up the 10 best furnaces on the market, the person writing that may not have ever even installed a furnace before. So how would they know what's best? How would they know what brands they get? A lot of repair calls about right, they're, just a writer that has some motivation to write that article for one reason or another. Maybe they get paid for writing that article in one way shape or form or you clicking on it or whatever the scenario is they're doing it for some other motivation, but they're not actually producing any content of any real value based on their own experiences. Maybe they're regurgitating information they got from somewhere else right. That would be the first thing. The second thing that i would consider is a scam or a misrepresentation of information on the internet, and that is a lot of companies misrepresent themselves on the internet.
So, for example, there are companies on the internet, that'll say: hey, miss mister homeowner, mrs homeowner. We've vetted all the contractors in your area and we've got the three best contractors and we're going to get those contractors to contact you directly. You just give us your information and we're going to send you the three best contractors in that area and what they're actually doing is, if they're not charging you money, then they're charging the contractor money, so they're they're inserting themselves as the middleman and i've done. Other videos on this before, but you know, they're they're, basically inserting themselves in a relationship that would already be there if you contacted contractors directly and so just realize and there's nothing wrong with that it from the standpoint as the homeowner right, if you're a homeowner you're Getting quotes, however, it is you, reach those people, but just realize those companies are not necessarily vetting the companies in the area and giving you the three best they're, giving you the companies that are paying them money for those leads, and so i believe, that's a little Bit of a scam, that's a little bit of a misrepresentation because you're thinking, oh this company has my best interests at heart.
They are advising me in some way, shape or form on who i should use, and it's it's actually a scam in my opinion, uh, because there are not vetting the companies in the area and giving you the three best. There's other companies out there that, because of their name the name of the company, they are portraying themselves as a government entity, some sort of government organization and they're portraying themselves as a third party website or opinion that you can go to and companies can get accredited And all these things - and it really is just a scam, in my opinion - that's a scam because they are misrepresenting themselves they're, not a government organization. They are even if they're, a non-profit, they are profiting they're, making money where that money goes. Maybe it's not for a profit that maybe they're a non-profit but they're still making money. There's people employed there and it's, i believe it's a misrepresentation. You know. I believe that if they were honest with you and you know and again you could google this stuff. You know you can google that those companies that you know that company i just referenced - i'm not mentioning names, but you can google that company - and there are lawsuits over that.
There are ways that you know those companies are just misrepresenting themselves, and that leads me right into my third number. Three scam number three scam on the internet. There are companies on the internet that portray themselves as a third website, i'll use, google for uh, for example, because i don't think google does this not yet anyway, and so i'll say: google uh, if you search google for a company and that company pops up with Their reviews, google, does not change those reviews or manipulate the. What comes up when you search for that company in the standpoint of a review right, so they might have companies that pay to be higher on the list or they might have.
Companies that you know are show up better because of the algorithm or this or that, but if you check their reviews, so if you check my company and you read the reviews - the reviews are what they are so google. You know the most recent reviews pop up and there's a rating and so on, but there are other companies that portray themselves in the same fashion and they manipulate the reviews in one way shape or form so that the last company i was just referencing in the Last step would be one of those companies, because you can google them and you'll see where people have sued them and won because of the misrepresentation of information uh, you know they're, they have companies that are paying to have better reviews or paying to look better on The internet than maybe they actually are they're paying to have negative stuff removed. Again this you know, i'm i'm not saying this. This isn't something i've come up with.
Don't sue me if you're one of those companies, because i'm just telling you stuff that can be googled and found on the internet? There's another company out there really big company, a big website that people use for reviews and if you go to those they'll, have their five approved or their five best reviews that they that they think are the the most highlighted reviews. Whatever verbiage they use. But they'll show five reviews and a lot of times at the top of those reviews is a negative one and it might not even be the most recent one. It could be six months old, but they'll put that negative one up there, because that company hasn't paid them to manipulate the reviews better for them.
Okay, so they'll take you know, for example, if you search my company on this particular website, you'll find five reviews, and then you have to click on unapproved or whatever the verbiage is, but but all the other reviews you have to click on something to get to That to read all the reviews for the company - and they kind of you know they kind of - i don't want to say they hide it, but it's another step for you to get there and so again i think that's a scam, i think that's a misrepresentation. Of course, people got to make money wherever, but do it honestly like a lot to me these three things, these scams that i'm now highlighting are things that, if you're a homeowner you should know about, you should watch out for and just understand that there's a motivation Behind some of the things that you find on the internet, do i think it's a conspiracy? No, i don't think it's a big conspiracy that they're out to get somebody, but i think that it is a scam. I think - and maybe that's a harsh word - that they are certainly misrepresentations of what they portray themselves to be on the internet. So just keep that in mind as you're doing homework as you're looking over videos and websites and information. That just understand that some of the information you're getting might be a misrepresentation or the person writing that information or creating that content might be misrepresenting themselves with all that said, i would just like to end with, if you're in the market, for a new heating and Air system and you're, not in our coverage area, if you're, not in griffin, airs coverage area check out my website, newhvacguide.com i'll, put a link to it down in the notes, but before you spend thousands check out that website, i've put so much information on there. There's a whole page called no knows i've put my favorite heating and air brands on there and why i even wrote and said why i think who's good and who's not, and i think that website will help you in your journey. But if you are in our coverage area, if you're in gryffindor's coverage area you're in the middle peninsula, the northern neck of virginia we'd love to earn your business, we have the best warranty in the area and we would love to give you a free estimate. Give us a call today, thanks for watching hit that subscribe button, we'll see you next time.
I recently installed a Trane variable speed system. On maintenance call, the installer is now offering to install surge protection for the outside unit for $$. Is this fair or scam? They never offered to install it with the a system that I paid top dollar for it.
Remember the average intelligence of people, and then remember that 50% of the people are dumber…
New Service Advisor I Appreciate your Channel and have subscribed. In no way do I provide advice I simply provide choices for products for the homeowner. After 35 years as a professional chef I bought into a HVAC Business. I've learned alot in the last year; but, the overwhelming thing I've learned is making sure homeowners get other quotes, making sure I don't sell anything I can back up. And for dang sure I treat the homeowner as I would look after my own family. There are many companies in my area who suck customers in on rental contacts