This is to bring to your notice that I am a resident of Chennai staying in a rented apartment at Alwarpet. We have been using Urban company services since May 2023 for most of the repair and cleaning purposes. So far, the job has been satisfactory and they keep up to their timing. But this time when I booked for AC service before using it in summer, we are conned by Urban company professionals and though we have complained multiple times, they are not responding properly. I have shared all the photos and screenshots, but still they are not taking proper action. Here are the complete details –
28 Feb 2025 – I booked for Foam jet service (2 Acs) and paid Rs 1627/-. Booked for 1st March Saturday 11 am. Professional Kishore was allocated.
1 March 2025 – 11.43 - Kishore came with an associate and service was done on 1 AC without any issue.
The 2nd AC had no light when switched on. I had informed that it was a new AC brought in April 2024. The professional closed the job for 1 AC and raised a refund for 2nd AC Rs 739. He also raised an AC repair and service booking for 2nd AC. The time scheduled was 1 pm on 2nd March (Sunday). Professional name Basheerahamed Abdul.
2 March 2025 – I waited till 2 pm and sent a message through UC help chat that I cannot contact the professional and he is not picking up the call. The reply I continuously received was “Sorry to hear that. I know this is not a pleasing experience for you. This usually happens when the professional is driving or is out of coverage area”.
At last, the professional came around 3.30 pm along with an associate. He checked the AC and showed us pieces of wires. He said the wires were bitten by Squirrel and that’s the cause of the current not passing. He will have to take the complete AC unit along with the outer unit to check and do soldering etc. He was very convincing and promised to bring back the AC on Tuesday 4th March. I specifically told him to call me before coming as I may not be home.
Then he said we need to get a separate stabilizer for the AC as there is current fluctuation in Chennai during Summer which is dangerous for us. He sent me a link of the estimate at 4.05 pm but then immediately said, he can only give the estimation after checking and that I should cancel the estimate, which I did. He made me pay 6014 for the stabilizer to an account which said AC Doctors. The name was Abdul Hameed B. The policy o[censored]C so far while I have used and also mentioned during booking is that any purchases and repair cost has to be paid to the Professional directly. Since it was a Gpay number, I paid him without suspecting him.
He had a guy come and remove the outer unit from the parapet wall and left saying if there was any delay, he will call me.
With utmost trust on Urban company, we let our new not even 1 year old Godrej 1 ton AC to be taken for repair.
5 March 2025 – I called him through the professional link given in UC. He did not pick up. Then again, I tried contacting UC through the UC support chat. The continues message I received was “Your booking for AC Repair & Service has already started and I request you to talk to the professional for any inconvenience”. You can see a lot of my frustrated messages but only automated messages were given.
7 March 2025 – At around 5.30 pm the person of Hameed Basheer, who had removed the Outdoor unit, a tall fellow came with an assistant when I was not home and my mother was alone to fix the AC. Though apprehensive, my mother let him in as the work has to be done and she did not want to delay the process. But she became suspicious when she saw that the indoor unit, he was fixing looked old. She sensed something wrong and asked him about it. She also asked him where the person who actually checked and removed the indoor unit was (Hameed). The professional was not polite, he kept arguing that it was him who was checking inside unit on 2nd March. He left the indoor unit as it is, kept the outdoor unit inside the house and left saying he has 20 years of experience in UC and she was not trusting him.
The person and his assistant did go out but came after a while holding a phone saying Hameed was on line. When she spoke, he assured her that it was fine and the person who came will complete the work. My mother was still not convinced and called me while I was at work at 6.15 pm saying she is sending them away as I will be late. When I called the security of our Flats at 6.30 pm, he told me that 2 AC repair people had gone up to our flats and are now waiting in the ground floor. I asked him to send them away.
9 March 2025 – There was no call, response or message from UC and frustrated I kept on messaging to the support group while getting the same automated messages. Then an agent called Prince attended the message. Based on his check, our booking was in progress. He then called me at 5.50 pm and assigned a professional called Imran to come next day i.e 10th March.
10 March 2025 - Prince did call check if the professional had arrived. Imran reached around 7.30 pm and just after checking the indoor unit, panicked. He checked the outdoor unit as well and asked me to connect with UC urgently. He spoke to the agents there, his boss at UC and informed us that –
1. There was no stabilizer inside the indoor unit
2. The PCB display was missing
3. The outdoor unit was totally damaged
4. There was no gas and it was empty
5. The outdoor unit condenser coil was totally damaged
6. The copper pipelines are totally removed and lying in our terrace
He spoke at length with the agent, which I understand is recorded from the UC end.
From then onwards I keep messaging UC support group and every time, different assistants message saying it is taking longer than expected and that they will get back. But nothing happened.
12 March 2025 – 5.30 pm 4 people including Hameed Basheer, the tall guy and their assistants come home and ring the bell. They had a spanner in hand and did not say anything. Just stood there. My mother did not open the lock of the gate and asked them to go away since there was no intimation from UC that they will come.
Someone called from UC and asked me to send the photos of the AC inner and outdoor unit through a link and I sent those. They have closed our repair ticket for reason unknown to me.
13 March 2025 – We called Imran, the professional who found out the theft and informed that UC is not responding to us.
14 March 2025 – Imran called back and said he has informed his higher official at Chennai and definitely they will do something.
15 March 2025 - A lady called Elisa called me at 8.29 am and asked me in detail what had happened. She had also gone through the recorded talk of Mr Imran. She asked me to send the AC purchase bill, which I shared through the link they had sent earlier. She said the details have been passed on to the higher officials and that I will get a solution soon. She also said that they have removed Hameed from UC job. The Support chat messages were closed and became inactive.
16 March 2025 – I raised a complaint again through the Support at 9.38 am about the AC theft. At 11.30 again Elisa or someone called saying they are investigating and will get back soon.
But nothing is done till date 29.03.25
On 25th March, we had the Godrej people come and inspect the ac and they have also given the same issues. We had to pay them Rs 650/- for the inspection. We have the document stating the same points. Photo attached.
1. There is no stabilizer inside the indoor unit
2. The PCB display is missing – which is the heart of the ac
3. The outdoor unit is totally damaged
4. There is no gas and it was empty
5. The outdoor unit condenser coil is totally damaged
6. The copper pipelines are totally removed and lying in our terrace
• We are facing a lot of mental pressure, feel cheated and a fool for trusting UC
• My 83-year-old mother is getting scared and upset causing health related concerns
• We are scared to leave my mother alone at home as they come only when we are not home
• We are also scared to go out as we are afraid if the professionals can harm us
• We have lost our original AC Rs 35780.00 (33490.00 + 2290.00) – Ac cost + installation charges
• Lost our money – Rs 6753.00 (6014 Hameed took for stabilizer + refund of 739 from UC)
• Suffering in the heat for the past 25 days without AC causing health issues
• Spent 80, 000/- (Old Ac + repair + check + new ac)
• UC responds ONLY when I put a message in the support group. That too the standard message is that the backend team is investigating and will get back to me soon.
I was thinking of giving legal notice, but then I found this website. I am complaining here and I want a compensation for all the mental trauma, time, health issues, cheating, money. I want Rs 5 Lakhs as compensation for all that my 83 year old mother has gone through. It is a very tiny amount when compared to all that she has and is still suffering.
I request UC to clear the dues asap so that I don’t need to take any further action.
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