OT : Beware of some repair companies

[Slipsinker]

How are they supposded to tell you how much your gonna pay if they don't know what's wrong. Out of that 120 dollars some of it was the part, some get paids to the employee for time there and travel, vehicle, and the company has to make something to keep going. Not much when you split up 120 dollars.

Yup, that's the way it is.

[Popster]

do a little troubleshooting, research problem online, order part from eBay, install part... Fixed

[goose70]

Everyone is pro business, until the free market presents them a bill, can't have it both ways. Who needs their bicycle fixed?

Don't need it fixed, but I wouldn't mind a free Hollogram crank and SRM powermeter as a show of appreciation for my Cannondale loyalty.

[HenryH]

I know that almost everyone charges a service charge and are entitled to make a buck; however, I've had a run-in with Via that makes me question if these guys know what they are doing and their practices. This summer, my 83 year old dad's refrigerator was not cooling properly so he called Lowes (where he bought it from) and they gave him Via's number. The guy came out and looked at the fridge and told my dad that it needed freon and that he needed to order "parts" and it would take about a week and handed him a $120 invoice and demanded payment. I understand if they come out and diagnosed the problem and you decline service but to demand the service fee when you didn't do anything and asked the client to wait a week without a working refrigerator is ridiculous. And what kind of AC repairman doesn't carry freon in his truck. Long story short, my dad called a local guy and it turned out that it was just the freezer icing over and blocking air flow. Thawed the refrigerator, plug it back in, and everything was fine for a $40 service call.

[blue lou]

Don't need it fixed, but I wouldn't mind a free Hollogram crank and SRM powermeter as a show of appreciation for my Cannondale loyalty.

That statement makes you in the industry parlance a "road weenie" sir. :)

[LTF]

So the cost of vehicles, insurance,training,tools,office rental,employees salries,benefits,utilities, taxes, etc. shouldn't be passed on to customers????
if a company is to stay in business, they need to cover much more than their employees wages

Don't exaggerate the cost of doing business and try to make it sound like I am not okay with a company making a profit. As I said, I understand that a company needs to make a profit. I still believe that the rates that are charged for visits like this are exorbitant.

[blue lou]

I think most business owners here will agree, the cost of doing business doesn't need to be exaggerated, they're plenty big on their own. I think the fees/charges made by most companies in similar sectors are comparable, what varies greatly is competence, and focus on satisfying the customer's expectations. I think informing customers of fees and charges ahead of time would help eliminate similar problems. We don't do many housecalls, but when we do everything gets spelled out.

[Jason9301]

US trades men drive around all day and give free advice on whats wrong ........ nothing is free although I think 120 is a tad high but not that bad gas insurances shops electric we get that all free cause we are the trades not to blow up but I would have to pay my guys pay fuel so guess I eat that

How are they supposded to tell you how much your gonna pay if they don't know what's wrong. Out of that 120 dollars some of it was the part, some get paids to the employee for time there and travel, vehicle, and the company has to make something to keep going. Not much when you split up 120 dollars.

[john pearce]

skipper - the $120.00 was just for the guy to come out and listen to me for 15 minutes, the part was another $90.00 and I put it in my self. I know companies charge for service calls but while working for an electrical company there is a minimun time and we fix the problem, in my eyes he could have picked up the part locally as the washer is only about 15 months old but he didn't even try to locate a part. One person at Maytag said I should have been told the charge and that it sometimes covers up to 4 hours of a service call, a manager said that they don't know the charges, VIA said that the companies do know their charges, so I still don't know why the guy didn't try to fix it other than the fact that he kept saying it was getting late and he wanted to get home. Still gonna go higher in Maytag.