Nugent & Sons (insurance, condo, Home Depot)

[livinfairfax]

I don't know why I call HVAC contractors whenever there is an issue with the AC. Nugent & Sons contractor came out and changed a $30 capacitor for a total fee of $265. This was for my folks place and I had them install a brand new AC unit for my condo a year ago. They're a ripoff and I can't believe I didn't go with my guts and just didn't go to home depot to buy the capacitor and change it myself.

People, think twice before you use their services or any other HVAC contractors. Any inputs to my analysis would be appreciated.

[Novadhd5150]

Im sure a lot of that is their "labor" ..We used to use them a lot but stopped when we couldnt get an electrician for an emergency. They said they only had one available and he was busy! :-(

[livinfairfax]

I thought about perhaps doing things on my own, but I think a better way might be to specialize what you're good at. Perhaps I can look into starting a non-profit website where people post their prices paid for contractors in NOVA in this website-convoluted area. Stay tuned.

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by livinfairfax

I thought about perhaps doing things on my own, but I think a better way might be to specialize what you're good at. Perhaps I can look into starting a non-profit website where people post their prices paid for contractors in NOVA in this website-convoluted area. Stay tuned.

Can't you just call around and get some estimates?

[marie5v]

Originally Posted by livinfairfax

I thought about perhaps doing things on my own, but I think a better way might be to specialize what you're good at. Perhaps I can look into starting a non-profit website where people post their prices paid for contractors in NOVA in this website-convoluted area. Stay tuned.

Angieslist does that but its not nonprofit Nugent and sons is super expensive but at least they do good work

[livinfairfax]

Originally Posted by CAVA1990

Can't you just call around and get some estimates?

That was what really annoyed me. I kept trying to ask for estimates but the lady over the phone said it'll be $95 for the contractor to come out and that I'd have to speak to the service manager for the "standard" price. The service manager was supposed to call but he never did so when the contractor came out, I just used their service because Nugent was the only one available to come out today rather other other places that were available later in the week. I'm thinking now that they were available because nobody used their services since it was so expensive.

Honestly, I was expecting and would have been ok with like $120 to $180 even but $265 is waaay too much for 15 mins of work and a $30 capacitor.

[livinfairfax]

Originally Posted by marie5v

Angieslist does that but its not nonprofit Nugent and sons is super expensive but at least they do good work

I think I remember trying to use Angieslist a while ago but remember I had to pay for the service. I think it won't be hard for me to setup a site and advertise on my own free price listing of recent services particularly for domestic contractor services around here since we have so many vendors/customers. I'm going to make it free access since money is my incentive here. I think I'll have a longer time researching legality issues of this before I'm able to do anything but with the internet, I don't understand why there is such huge price discrepancy in identical services since other places and private contractors charge so much less, considering bonding as well as complexity of the services provided.

[chicagotodc]

Originally Posted by livinfairfax

That was what really annoyed me. I kept trying to ask for estimates but the lady over the phone said it'll be $95 for the contractor to come out and that I'd have to speak to the service manager for the "standard" price. The service manager was supposed to call but he never did so when the contractor came out, I just used their service because Nugent was the only one available to come out today rather other other places that were available later in the week. I'm thinking now that they were available because nobody used their services since it was so expensive.

Honestly, I was expecting and would have been ok with like $120 to $180 even but $265 is waaay too much for 15 mins of work and a $30 capacitor.

We had something similar happen. I called a locksmith to replace a mortise lock; they quoted me $29.95 to come out and $39 for the 'cheapest lock, installed', I said sure fully expecting that the $39 fee wouldnt be a lock I wanted, and expecting to pay $200 or something for a decent looking lock. I was fine with that.

Guy comes out, takes one look at it, quotes me $520 plus the $30 dispatch. When I asked to see the lock he intended to install for that price, he showed me a Maxtech Lever Mortise lock, which he claimed was an expensive lock. When I googled the lock i found it for $44.95. I showed him the screen, he glanced at it and proclaimed it wasn't the same as his lock. I asked him what the difference was and he claimed it was the quality of the brass. I asked for the specific model number, which he gave me.His model was $49.95. Now, I get there's insurance, time, labour, gas, etc... fine, charge me a multiple, but $500 for 15 minutes work is absurd. Ended up doing it myself for a grand total of $58.12 shipping included.

We had another company come out to do some boiler work when the low pressure safety valve to our radiators kept triggering. The guy comes out and decides its faulty, it'll be $500 to replace it.... he does, that night the radiators shut off again for low pressure (thus, clearly, the low pressure cutoff was not the issue). I go downstairs, look at the boiler, spend a half hour figuring out how it works and decide to try venting the air bubble trap, which I do. Immediate hiss of air and the boiler snaps back to life. The "faulty" part he replaced? Not faulty.... turns out the last time he had come out to fix a different issue he had accidentally closed the air release valve, so over the period of a week or two enough air built up in the system to cause the low-pressure safety gauge to trigger when no water reached it - only air. Needless to say, I wont be using them again.

[Novadhd5150]

We had Nugent also come out one time to unclog a shower stall drain. It had to be snaked but took all of 5-10 mins. Charge-250! I think some of it is nova high prices too.