lol my boss for sure would have just reconnected the wires and probably only charge them like 50 dollars. it feels great to know you work for an honest company
and you know what- that customer will call you again and will tell everyone they can to call you for HVAC work-- you will make a fair profit in the long run and most importantly have self respect. I cannot imagine ripping people off outright- making a few bucks is fine but vandalism and ripping off people is awful
I'm an HVAC tech, and the owner of the company made it clear right off the bat that we are a purely honest business. Being honest feels better and is far easier than to lie. All it takes is one well articulated terrible review to crush a contractor. Especially in a small town. The bad ones get reviewed out of work.
@@plainrock-ik3se but they don’t!! Cause a company can have 100% shitty reviews and still sell just as much product!! Review don’t count or hurt anyone.
That's why community facebook groups are so useful, Ask a friend or neighbor for an honest repairmen , Don't just google it , that's how you get scammed
@@ScattMatt3000 right, they get ripped off just the same as their friend. Just get multiple bids and opinions and let each company know that's what you're doing
As an HVAC tech of 14 years I find it hard to believe the first company quoting $500 to fix the unit without even looking at it. What if there was a bad compressor? That would run the company $1,500 or more to get a new compressor.
100% bullshit on the first. I'm in HVAC also and that shit doesn't make any sense. You don't randomly throw parts at equipment without even trying to diagnose something. Plus, he would have spent less time just looking at the condenser anyways. Hurr Durr, push contactor pin in and omg everything runs, cool, it's a low voltage problem.
Pretty easy to tell from tstat if the air handler turns on and no cooling it’s likely at the condenser. Faulty contacter probably. Not saying what they did was right but a technician of 14 years should piece this together.
@@bigbreastedcat2440 dude the compressor is in the condenser. Without looking at the condenser u have no clue whether it’s a contactor or capacitor or a compressor or a pressure switch or a defrost board or whatever is wrong without looking at the condenser.
Still not a real tech until you get field hours, you trade school girls are really just wannabes until you actually get out in the field. Sorry, not sorry.
I had a locksmith come out to replace a garage door lock. He referred to me as "my friend" a few times, which is an Arab term frequently used in conversation. He did manage to get the door up after the lock broke. He wanted $720 to replace the lock ! I asked him if he was F/N nuts ?!! We settled for $200. As an older senior I couldn't crawl thru a small garage window, so I allowed the repair.
this video hit very close to home b/c we just had the same problem a month ago. AC went out after a power outage and had 2 people come, the first one said need replace will be like 7k, 2nd person said 15K for replacement. wow. i was devastated but thank god, I found paperwork on the original installation 10 yrs ago (only lived here 2 yrs) and called them. He even remembered this address and was super helpful, proffesional and only charged $168...to repair, i know most likely will need replace soon and will call HOT n Cold air conditioning here in Riverside. It should not be a shock when we receive good customer service, but it seems nowadays it is a shock b/c honest people are so rare and is so sad.
that's insanely common with HVAC. unless it's a pretty new unit that that company installed they will almost ALWAYS claim the entire unit needs to be replaced. the usual excuse is that they can't get parts for it because it's too old (age doesn't seem to actually matter here) yet literally 2 seconds on google will find you the part that's still very much in production.
@@andyv4585 In my experience the only parts that become obsolete are coils because when the manufacturer stops making them you can't find a retrofit that would match up. The other possibility is the manufacturer still makes it but they want 2k for it or something ridiculous and it makes more sense to replace for 5-6k than repair an old system for 3k. Usually when that happens the unit is 20+ years old though.
Jeff Miles agreed in a tiny square thats going to recirculate the condenser air thus causing high pressure prone to tripping on high pressure on a warm day!
And who pays for that workers school. We pay doctors thousands of dollars to prescribe us allergy meds. Guess people think air conditioning is a right. I payed a guy 200.00 just to replace a capacitor that costs $20.00 but I didn’t know what that was the problem and my guy came out on a Sunday to make sure the I had ac for my wife and infant son. Thats worth it to me.
David By paying for their schooling we are admitting defeat to socialism. Doctors and AC repair shouldn't be so overpriced. You chose your profession. Not my problem. I need a professional. Not you specifically. People need to stop expecting others to fork up money for their bad decisions
Inflation of medical and prescriptions are due to greed and insurance companies. Imo. However , it's not like doctors don't pay for school too. They also are there longer than a 2 yr tech school, and have potential loans in the hundreds of thousands. So you get paid "relatively" to what you put in. Not all the time, but most.
poo I choose my profession and I'll chose my prices. If you don't like it do without. Or get someone who will destroy your system then call someone like me to fix it.
THIS is why it’s good to know how to DIY as much as possible. I just had to replace the contactor in my AC. The part was less than $30 from Amazon and the job took about 1/2 hour of my time.
I am an honest hvac tech, I would never do this to a customer, when you are honest you will have a customer for life and his friends and family as well. I would of connected the wire and charged him/her 85.00 and that’s my service call fee inspection.
I learned to fix most things in my house, including cars by watching RU-vid videos. I learned how to coat my roof. I haven't had a service/repair man come to my house in 16 years. Thanks RU-vid.
I was a master automotive tech for years. Sometimes a whole service dept is corrupt, sometimes it's just one person who hasn't been weeded out. Oh the eye openers I could give you! An incompetent tech takes just as much money out of your pocket, as more labor and parts are charged, things misdiagnosed. The arm patch or certification means nothing.
I’ve been a union electrician for 12 years and I I see an easy fix I usually charge them nothing, unless it’s more then a 30min drive then I have to get a service all fee. But that would only be $75
A container ship's engine fails. The ship's owner brings in expert after expert. No one can figure out what is wrong with the engine. Finally they bring in afrail old man who has been repairing ships his entire life. The man inspects the engine from top to bottom. Then he takes a small hammer from his tool bag and taps something. The engine roars to life. A week later the ship's owner receives an invoice for $10,000. "WHAT?" he exclaims. How can this be. He barely did anything. The owner demand the man send him an itemized bill. The man sends a new bill. It reads: Tapping with a hammer......$2.00 Knowing where to tap.........$9,998.00
That’s what happens when techs get paid commission and then the managers tell them to up sale and if your numbers aren’t looking good then u don’t get hours.
At my company, i won't start working until i have a signature approval to diagnose the system for $200. You shouldnt work for free and im not going to take time to diagnose for free then risk the customer tell me to leave and theyll fix it themselves. Now i walk away with work performed and no pay. Once i find the disconnected wires ill just attach them at no charge. Simple fix.
I think more news should go do these types of stories...or at least have a segment on it...keeping companies honest. I think more people would watch.....
You can't get a hvac technician out to your house for less than $150. Hvac tech here this is a business not a charity. If someone isn't happy with the cost, you didn't offer good enough quality in your service. Simple.
People complaining about 200, there’s a minimum charge. With good companies a customer knows this and must accept that fact before the tech even goes to the call.
Few years back the AC was checked, for a reasonable price. The AC is on the roof of terrace. I went in the house. He came down telling to just set the termostat higher and went to the car. From the house I heard rattling from the AC. Called the guy back. He wanted to restart a diagnostic ($89). I got up, put my ear on the unit and found out that he loosend a screw of the cover. Never called him again!
Crooks! But I'm glad the news report did show the names of the honest companies: nrg heating and air conditioning, and Reliance Home Services. Good job!
I’m so tired with ac service here in Houston. How much I spent and nothing works. My ac units and insulation disappeared under no data iPad contract. How I’m tired.
As a senior service technician for more than 22 years I always train on honesty, the issues I am seeing is poor training of basic operation's. On any service call the first thing to do is talk with the home owner listen and understand the issues. Number 2 go to the thermostat turn it to cool and Waite for the blower to come on, if indoor blower is working that tells you there is an electrical issue outside. Go to the outdoor unit and open electrical compartment for the unit and low and behold there is the issue. on a simple basic repair i would have charged the diagnostic fee and nothing more. honesty is always the best polacey.
For those of you who said you would stick the wire back on and no charge; What if you had 5 calls all the same way? So you drive 100 miles and repair 5 systems all day for free? That's foolish on two accounts. 1. You're business runs on money/profit. If you feel you don't need the money, then work for free and then file bankruptcy, then you can have all the free time you need because your out of work. That does your customer no good. 2. If all you do is stick that wire back on and leave, you have done the customer a great disservice! You are already there- check the refrigerant, wash the condenser, check and treat the drain, test the other controls and ask if there are any other problems as an example. Then charge for your time. The customer will be happy to pay because they see that you actually cared enough to see that their system is operating as it should! Are you a service company or just a quick money collector.? Oh, and for petes sake; Wear nicer clothes! This is a respectable technical trade! Honestly- Old T-shirts, baggy pants? Have some respect for the business! You are going into peoples homes! You represent the company! I wouldn't have let any of you in my house looking like a homeless person! I've been at this trade for 46 years- todays so called technicians are an embarrassment!
@@stylez1989 that’s not how you would ask that You know the size/microfarad from the capacitor it’s usually on there you check it with a meter to see if it’s good or not
Hay Dave, your man cut T Stat pwr killing the whole unit, not just the fan. If he had the compressor would still be running extremely loud from the internal bypass valve trying to keep it damaging itself.
Yeah if techs wanna get paid enough money to make this job worth it than the prices are legit, we pay alot of money for schooling to be able to do this job.
I noticed most of them were middle eastern or Russian/ former USSR States. When I still lived in L.A. a Russian refrigerator repair guy tried to charge my parents $300 for a new part he never installed. I told him i'm only paying for the service call. He threatened us with the cops. When I called his bluff he got upset and decided not to even charge for the call. I came to find out that he had a history of ripping people off and constantly changing his business name. During his visit, he had 5 different names between his invoice, business cards and the magnetic signs on his van.
If something doesn't work and you or your company goes to fix it and the problem is solved, how should you not be paid things costs what they cost. I have to pay my guy,pay the gas,pay the insurance, pay the workers compensation etc. If you knew how to do it you wouldn't need us.
If it’s a simple fix why did that adult have to call another adult to do it for him ? The difficulty of a job does not determine a price supply and demand does 🤷♂️
Your expert said 200$ the old man said 322. Which isn’t so bad if you really needed it. But 122$ more that like buying a car you win some you lose some.
Pheezy420 REEFER I worked for a company! They told me to take a new condenser & pad to the site/house! I asked the tech at the house what was wrong with the old unit/outdoor ac! He said they've had problems with it in the past!? I noticed the dual capacitor was missing!!!! Ok we took unit out & put the new one in! I got suspicious & unloaded the old unit at my house!!! Powered it up with a new capacitor on my basement system!!! It worked with no problems whatsoever!!!! That customer was lied to by the tech & probably the owner too!!!!! Could have been repaired for 200! Instead of prob $1500-1800 dollar outdoor install!!!! Later I was laid off the job.... obviously because I was too honest! But there Day will come!
Orlando Johnson I’m not saying people don’t get ripped off all the time, in that case that’s fucked up. Making some one buy a new unit for a simple fix. And you should open your own company cause if you want to help people out that will be the best way. And people have to get educated on things like that so we don’t get ripped off.
I'm an air conditioning tech. Even I might have misdiagnosed the problem to be a bad condensing fan motor. I hate hidden splices. Wire nuts come apart all the time.
Dude. It's the thermostat wire where it comes into the condenser. Thats hardly hidden. Secondly. If your gonna jump straight to fan motor which is stupid spin it. See if it's locked up. No condenser fan. Check power at connections. Got power. Check. capacitor. Work your way to the fan not from the fan backwards. Holy shit where you people getting your training?
@@robertfox977 Thirty-five years ago when I was in the A/C business, many people that I worked with had little or no training. I worked with one guy who didn't know how to flush out the refrigerant lines properly after a compressor burn out. I showed him how to do it correctly. That guy sold more condensing units that anybody else. He would try to scare senior citizens and women by telling them their A/C compressor was going to fail very soon.
@@robertfox977 : RU-vid?! Ok, ok, just kidding! I see the point, HVAC guys have to eat also. Best thing to do... if you aresmart and inclined to lear, instead of watching TV. take the time and learn how to repear a focet, then a toilet flusher. In no time you can fix most things in the house. AC or Heating essues ? Lear by heart the installation and trouble shooting manual of your AC, and during the summer, the manuals of the heathing system. At least, you would know if your ar lied to or not!
It always depends on how much rich the customer is and how much greedy the service provider is. The same guy might do it for free for someone who doesn't look in good financial situation.
Very true. It's happening with me now. Two technicians came are saying it's an old unit HVAC. Has to be replaced. First one said it will cost me 17000dollars and second one said it will cost me 25000follars. I said I will replace it with window units. It's sad they want to make money as we don't know a thing about the air conditioner. Very sad.
It’s a good idea to watch what they are doing and ask questions about what they are doing. Unless they are already telling you what they are doing. Or just get home warranty pay a small deductible and that’s it.
Not A/C but one time my my wife called me while I was at work and said the well pump quit pumping water. so I picked up a new pressure switch as they had gone bad in years past. Replaced the switch, plenty of water, then I noticed something weird. A chinese stink bug had somehow gotten onto one of the contacts of the old switch and was cooked in place. Didn't see the cooked delicacy when the switch was still mounted on the pump. Another anomaly on the farm!
Everyone complaining about $200 being to high to connect 2 wires but fail to realize that’s part,labor,gas plus that’s not too bad I know companies that charge way more 😂
This is kinda stupid because I can imagine the guy probably charged more for this job than harder ones earlier that day.. I do manual labor so I can imagine he was hot n tired seen two fucking cables disconnected and thought I'll get more money and a nice break lol...
This video doesn't really give a full perspective, I've cut lawns that are way bigger and harder than a small rowhouse and get paid the same for them both.. So yeah this doesn't show a good pov
No parts used here.. very little labor.. gas is part of the job. These guys aren't worth more than $25 per hour. With a 2 hour minimum $50 is a fair price.
Take the time to learn your system. RU-vid has a video for just about any problem, but know your system and question these technicians about their diagnosis - make them prove it, don't just take their word for it. You will save yourself a lot of money.
We got scammed today for charging us $644.00 to replace a Turbo 200 Motor Run Capacitor and they charge us the parts for $450, but when I checked the price in Amazon, it's only $79. only.
1. You shouldn’t be able to buy parts of the system as a consumer, that isnt allowed 2. Did you warranty any of the work they did? Although that price is wildly expensive i can only see that price being true if you called for after hours service. Not gonna say theres not companies out there scamming people. But it makes it harder when customers don’t understand that you’re paying for the knowledge and guaranty that the issue gets fixed.
Creating a fake damage is definitely wrong, but charging what ever they want to charge, well, it's a free enterprise and they can charge what ever they want, you can call it a " ripoff" but you don't have to let them do the job, but they can make up a price.
