SAN ANTONIO – When Daniel Clough’s air conditioning system started failing in 2022, he said his family invested in a high-end replacement system to help protect his health during home dialysis treatments.
Four years later, Clough told KSAT Investigates he was stunned to learn that despite making monthly payments on the system, he would have to pay more than $22,000 to buy it outright — an amount that exceeded the original contract price.
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“I feel like I’m getting robbed,” Clough told KSAT Investigates during a recent interview at his West Side home.
The retired Border Patrol agent said he underwent home dialysis treatments that required a special bacteria filtration system connected to his home’s HVAC equipment.
According to paperwork reviewed by KSAT Investigates, Clough agreed to have Aramendia Plumbing, Heating and Air install a system that cost more than $21,000 in July 2022.
The family then began making monthly payments of more than $300, records show.
The financial dispute surfaced recently when the Clough family decided to sell their house.
The Clough family contacted Aramendia seeking a payoff amount for the HVAC system.
They were told they owed $22,368.57.
“There’s no way I can owe more on a system four years later,” Clough said.
According to Clough, a company representative informed him that his monthly payments were not being applied toward ownership of the equipment. Instead, he said he was told the payments were for an Advantage Service Program and that the HVAC system itself was being leased.
“I wasn’t told initially it was a lease or I wouldn’t have done it,” Clough said. “We were there to purchase an A/C unit, not lease a service contract.”
When asked who currently owns the equipment installed in his home, Clough’s answer was blunt.
“They do,” he said.
Seeking answers
Clough said he repeatedly contacted Aramendia seeking an explanation.
KSAT Investigates attempted to do the same.
After multiple calls, a company representative provided a phone number for the company’s Advantage team. After lengthy hold times, KSAT eventually reached an employee who said a supervisor would return the call. No return call was received.
KSAT then visited Aramendia’s San Antonio offices in person.
Employees there said no one on site could discuss the account and instead provided contact information for a marketing executive with Service Experts, Aramendia’s parent company.
After multiple emails, KSAT received a statement from Travis Arnesen, vice president of marketing for Service Experts.
Arnesen declined to discuss specifics of Clough’s account.
“That said, I’ve asked our Customer Care team to follow up directly with the Clough family immediately, along with our service center in San Antonio, to review their account and address any questions or concerns they may have,” Arnesen wrote on May 27.
Company contacts family after KSAT inquiries
After the repeated inquiries from KSAT, Clough said Aramendia contacted the family directly.
According to Clough, the company has since reduced the buyout amount to approximately $8,600.
While the reduced figure represents a significant change, Clough said he was not adequately informed about the nature of the agreement when the system was installed.
Similar complaints found online
Aramendia and Service Experts currently hold A+ ratings with the Better Business Bureau.
However, KSAT Investigates found multiple complaints on the BBB website from customers who reported similar experiences, claiming they did not realize they had entered into lease agreements until years later when they attempted to buy out their HVAC systems.
Several complainants stated they were surprised to learn they still owed thousands of dollars despite years of monthly payments.
For Clough, the experience has left him frustrated and searching for answers.
As he prepares to sell his home, he said he hopes sharing his story will help other consumers better understand the terms of any financing or service agreements before signing the paperwork.
Read more reporting on the KSAT Investigates page.