AC service call - how much? (Austin, Point: rental, homes, buyers)

[Moonlady]

Just wondering if anyone else has had to have their AC serviced during this heat and how much it cost for the service call. I had 2 problems - one was a clogged line and the other was a blown capacitor. I was rather appalled at the charge to blow out the clogged line - $189. When the guy came to fix the capacitor problem (different company), he was going to blow out the lines and I told him we had just had that done and he said - oh, well that will save you $10. So, it seems like the service charge for the first company was unusually high. I'm sure it's supply and demand right now, but I hate overpaying for anything. Just wondering what anyone else has paid recently.

[austin-steve]

$189 is too high if all they did was blow out the line. If they performed a full dignostic and checkup on the system, it should still be in the low $100's.

In this day and age, you have the opportunity to provide a review for the company on Yelp and numerous other sites, or write a blog about your experience.

First, I'd call the owner, tell him/her that you need help understanding the bill and why it was so much. If it still seems unreasonable, ask for a rebate. I suspect they did more than simply walk in and blow the drain lines though. What does the bill actually say?

Steve

[Moonlady]

Originally Posted by austin-steve

$189 is too high if all they did was blow out the line. If they performed a full dignostic and checkup on the system, it should still be in the low $100's.

In this day and age, you have the opportunity to provide a review for the company on Yelp and numerous other sites, or write a blog about your experience.

First, I'd call the owner, tell him/her that you need help understanding the bill and why it was so much. If it still seems unreasonable, ask for a rebate. I suspect they did more than simply walk in and blow the drain lines though. What does the bill actually say?

Steve

That's what I thought. This company installed our unit a little over 4 years ago and we've had mutiple issues with it - I would have thought that they would be a little more understanding but they don't seem to care. That's why I went with another company this last time.

I found the other company using Angie's List - I will rate them positively and I've already started a Yelp review for them with 5 stars. I wanted to write another review on the company that charged me $189 but I wanted to get some other feedback to see if they were really as out of line as I thought. Thanks.

[BentBow]

Everyone has a price they need to stay in business. You as a consumer have the choice to say yes, or no.

Nobody forced anyone to pay $189 to blow out a drain line.

You want to slam someone, because you said yes???

Not everyone is the same and not every contractor is going to value his or her services, the same as the next. There is no such thing as a "going rate" for any private service work. Going rates are for those looking for employment.


And another thing... Angie's list is a joke, and you can be sued for libel, slander, and defamation of character, so be very careful what you list bad about a business there. People that post bad things there, are sued daily, for libel and defamation.
I see the worst hack, butcher, contractors in Austin, that I seem to follow around, doing failure investigations(installation related), get raving reviews on Angie's List. It is family, friends, and multiple e-mail accounts by the contractor, that give the good reviews, on very bad contractors.
Don't be blinded by a cheap price, by one contractor, to slam another. You obviously saw value in the first contractor, or you would have gone with someone else, then.

[Moonlady]

Originally Posted by BentBow

Everyone has a price they need to stay in business. You as a consumer have the choice to say yes, or no.

Nobody forced anyone to pay $189 to blow out a drain line.

You want to slam someone, because you said yes???

Not everyone is the same and not every contractor is going to value his or her services, the same as the next. There is no such thing as a "going rate" for any private service work. Going rates are for those looking for employment.


And another thing... Angie's list is a joke, and you can be sued for libel, slander, and defamation of character, so be very careful what you list bad about a business there. People that post bad things there, are sued daily, for libel and defamation.
I see the worst hack, butcher, contractors in Austin, that I seem to follow around, doing failure investigations(installation related), get raving reviews on Angie's List. It is family, friends, and multiple e-mail accounts by the contractor, that give the good reviews, on very bad contractors.
Don't be blinded by a cheap price, by one contractor, to slam another. You obviously saw value in the first contractor, or you would have gone with someone else, then.

Yes, but gouging people when demand is high is not going to keep them in business - they will lose business eventually. No, no one forced me to pay $189. The alternative was paying them a service fee for showing up and then having to find someone else and missing more work. It just wasn't feasible.

The other contractor wasn't "cheap". The reason I was so impressed with them is that they bent over backwards to try and get me service when other companies were telling me it would be Monday or later. They even recommended a few other companies that might be able to send someone quicker. They were sympathetic to my plight and went out of their way to help me - and I was a first time customer.

I guess I expected more from the other company since I had been using them for over 5 years and they installed the unit that has failed at least 4 times since we got it. It wasn't just the price, it was as much as the attitude and lack of caring one way or another.

I'd never used Angie's list before - I tried it after a recommendation I read on here. I was kind of desperate - a middle aged woman without AC in this heat is not a pretty sight. I got what I needed so I am satisfied. I use multiple sources to find contractors - I realize reviews are just opinions (and you know what they say about those). Your comments a little harsh.

[BentBow]

No one is gouging anyone. You had a choice!!! Point the finger at you for buyers remorse!!!
He didn't tell you you needed something you didn't need, like a new compressor, when all it was was a $10 capacitor.

When I'm busy and someone wants me to jump right then and I have a full schedule meaning I'm going to have to push another client, or reschedule them, or lose their business all together, I make the price way more than I would have made, sticking to my schedule.

Everyone in business for themselves that actually knows how to be profitable, has a service charge in one way or another, if they value their time and are not a charitable organization. Time is money. Nothing is for free, even though some market something to be so. Those cost are made up somewhere.

Those that are in business for themselves understand this, when dealing with any business, or company. It is a fact and we deal with it
Those that are employed and never have had their own business, never get it and most likely never will. it is a fact and we deal with it.

[HappyTexan]

I usually describe my problem over the phone and ask them for a ball park figure. So far no one has refused. Then I make another 1 or 2 calls and do my own research on the pricing.

I also tend to go with word of mouth from friends and associates. I then give it a quick BBB lookup.

[capcat]

Moonlady, depending on where you live, a trip charge alone may run $45, plus a fuel charge. Whatever hourly rate the company charges begins when they arrive on the job, then there is a materials fee, such as CO2 to blow out the line, and tax on the materials.

For example, a trip charge plus a $5 fuel charge, labor at $75 an hour, $15 for materials and tax would run a little over $140. You may or may not have paid more in comparison with other residential companies, but it's always good to get specifics about a company's standard charges ahead of time. Materials to blow out the line would cost about $10, maybe that's what the second service tech was talking about.

[austin-steve]

There is no such thing as a "going rate"

Yes there is. I've been managing rental properties and selling homes in Austin for almost 20 years and I can tell you the going rate for just about anything related to home repair.

If all the vendor did was show up, blow the drain lines with compressed air, and leave without checking the system or doing anything else, then the charge is way to high, and it's a ripoff. I suspect they did more than just blow the line though, and the OP hasn't made that clear yet. I'd want to know what the invoice said, how much time was spent at the property, and what type of diagnostic work was done.

Even so, assuming a full diagnostic plus blowing the line, a vendor charging $189 for that would receive no work or referrals from me or any of the property managers and Realtors I know. And they probably don't get much repeat business.

Steve

[BentBow]

Originally Posted by austin-steve

Yes there is. I've been managing rental properties and selling homes in Austin for almost 20 years

You made my point for me!
That's classic

Thanks!!