HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody filed a lawsuit against Air Time Air Conditioning & Heating in Valrico and its owner, Anthony Gonzalez, for allegedly trying to deceive customers with high-priced quotes for work they did not need.
The Attorney General and the Better Business Bureau received 16 consumer complaints, 13 of those were filed by senior citizens.
According to several of the complaints, Air Time misled consumers to believe their A/C system required new parts and work. This includes but is not limited to new duct work and/or an entirely new air conditioning system.
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One woman wrote her 89-year-old mother paid Air Time $21,000 which included costs for unnecessary parts and services. When the woman asked for an itemized bill, she wrote the request was ignored by Air Time.
According to another complaint, Air Time tried to sell a new unit for $8,000 only one year after an initial A/C unit was installed by Air Time and a second company found nothing wrong with the initial unit.
And two consumers wrote that Air Time attempted to charge them for growth of micro-organisms in their air duct systems, but other companies confirmed no such growth was present.
The lawsuit also alleges that Air Time failed to include in their service contracts the required notice of the customer’s right to cancel a contract within three days.
“It is outrageous that a company would swindle consumers with such deceitful business practices," said Attorney General Ashley Moody. "Our office is committed to investigating allegations of illegal conduct and enforcing the laws that protect consumers. Taking advantage of unsuspecting seniors and other consumers will not be tolerated in Florida.”
If you believe you are a victim of Air Time since June of 2017, you are asked to contact the Attorney General's Office by calling (813) 287-7950.
