so after watching this I literally went online looked up the appliance repair team and called every number they had, and all numbers are now out of Service, Thank you once again CBC marketplace, these owners of Omega need to be locked up!!
I have been training in some of these fields to be able to keep myself from getting ripped off. I am training in Plumbing, hvac right now. I would like to do electrical work afterwards.
@@rustyshackleford6799 Good idea. My son has done the same thing. Auto mechanic, hvac, and he is going into a field where he can afford to hire people to do that work for him, but he likes the idea of it being done right.
@@rustyshackleford6799 HVAC repairs can go sky high once the Board goes out. "Sir I suggest you buy a new one" (furnace etc). Boards can be priced higher than totl iPhones, so you ditch your 8/9/10 yr old appliance instead of repairs.
A friend asked me if I could look at their furnace. They had a technician out who told them it was the mainboard and since it was an older furnace recommended they replace it at a cost of $4000. The did not have that kind of money. He gave them a $200 dollar service charge fee for coming out. So I said I would take a look and within less than a minute, pressed the reset button and the furnace worked perfectly. That was 3 years ago. Their furnace is still working today.
As an HVAC tech, easy solutions should always be attempted first. Seeing people try to massively up sale makes me sick. There are sales conferences for hvac companies across the country and all the top sellers borderline scam. They'll attempt to sell new systems on every call. Its just unnecessary
It really depends on when you worked in appliance repairs. 20 plus years ago it would have been really hard to source parts other than from appliance manufacturers or appliance repair shops. Today you can google most common problems on almost every machine. Parts are super cheap. I just ordered 2 new universal washing machine valves for... Let me look on my amazon for the exact price. 2 of: 205613 WP358276 Water Inlet Valve by Beaquicy - Replacement for Whirlpool Washer - Universal Style 3/8" Outlet with Rubber Adapter to Convert Outlet to 1/2" Condition: New $13.88, I ordered 2 of them as I have replaced it once before and know the reason why they fail as I have hard water which causes a blockage in either the cold or hot water side preventing it from opening or closing 100%. They last over a year and takes me around 10 mins to fix it. Its super simple and easy.
FINALLY!!! I got ripped off by these guys a few years ago when they were called Appliance Repair Guys. They have several companies and they are all over the internet. They said my stove needed a $600 part so I said no. They still charged $280 for his "service" even though they didn't fix anything. My husband bought the part needed (which wasn't at all what he said we needed) for less than $50 and fixed it himself in a half hour! It has been working fine since then. Glad these jerks are finally getting called out for all the people they have scammed!!
@@Just_Hu I only paid because the guy was at my rental property with my renter and her daughter and I was far away. I didn't want to be arguing with this guy over the phone while my renter had to be physically there with him in the house. I had already given my visa card over the phone for the $80 fee for the guy to go out there and "diagnose" the problem. So it was a matter of my renter signing the bill and my ok over the phone to get the guy out of there. I later contacted the company directly to complain that he didn't do anything so why was I being charged $280? They gave me the run around saying he had to "service the machine" to find the problem even though in the initial call and on their site it says $80 to diagnose the problem....
@@ihategooglesomuch They do hire women. The people on the phone both times I called were women. Lots of low people working there knowing the whole thing is a scam....
The Omega repairman that called and told the lady that she made 2 appointments sounds exactly like the repairman that came to her house to make the repair.
As an appliance technician since 1984 I’m glad to see something like this. It makes me angry when a customer tells me they just paid $500 for repairs last month and the appliance never worked right after the repair person left and haven’t been able to get them back. I can’t count how many times I’ll find the problem was minor, plus, the part they said they replaced was never replaced. Rip off repair companies give us all a bad name. It’s about time they are held accountable.
Same here. I see it all the time. Drives me crazy. We have trouble sometimes too, but we guarantee our work. So if something isn't working right after our fix, we make sure it does.
@Jayne Wayne You don't support what they do? Well lets see that is a very vague response.... So you don't SUPPORT the fact that we have a military that helps fight to keep the VERY country your sitting in safe? I know we don't support every action an individual, or an organization makes. Heck, I don't support everything my best friend says, and does.. But he is STILL my best friend. He presented actual price before he even got to work, not an after the fact case with many shady repair people.. Most tell you those high prices AFTER the work is already done, not before.. At least he was honest.
@Jayne Wayne Oh my, your one of "those" people... So let me get this straight, your gonna judge people working in the military, or working for the government, when you yourself have never spent a day in your life working in that industry I am willing to guess? Yeah sorry, your beyond being helped... :/
Are we even disappointed with dishonesty, selfishness or corruption anymore? I’m more surprised by the honesty. I’m so glad my dad has taught me general maintenance with just about everything.
Well done cbc. Another solid investigation. Just wished we didn't have to do these kind of investigations, public mistrust and shoddy people in the first place.
Even honest techs jack up their prices on parts. Just make a few calls and ask them how much it would be to replace a washing machine universal valve. These parts are around 20USD and service calls should be around 100 USD.
As a tradesman I do stand behind dispatch fees. It can cost the company upwards of $100 just to get a tech out to the call. However we are upfront that our dispatch fee is the initial charge just to send someone out.
How does it cost $100 to get a tech out? In carpet cleaning the minimum charge is $90 and includes chemicals and cleaning up to 3 rooms . You are full of crap. You are no better than these guys.
@@peaceofnature2560 your $100 service fee is for gas in the trucks they carry all the expensive equipment in to clean your carpet. It helps the company pay for that said expensive equipment. It insures said truck, and pays for expenses and time taken away from other people whom will proudly pay being the the understanding people that know, nobody will do things for free, and there are bills to be paid for the company.
@@peaceofnature2560 The company I work for does the same thing, we let customers know there may be a dispatch fee of $99 before they send us out. If the customer is at fault then we do charge them, if our equipment is the issue then we take care of it, free of charge
@@peaceofnature2560 So they fly out on a magic carpet right? No wear and tear on vehicles used to drive out to the locations? Also I guess the vehicles don't need gas either? Try using your brain, it's been over a year, so maybe you and the 11 morons who up voted you figured out how to apply brain power.
I love that this woman is doing such a good job at her job as a reporter / investigative journalist so much that people are scared of her like she's a cop 😂
This is why I am doing everything myself because of these crooks. If I can’t do it, I would educate myself before calling the contractors so they can’t BS me
Same goes for me. Most of my household appliances are fixed by myself (i got most of the tools). Moreover there is quite good information on how to fix and diagnose on internet plus i had a friend who is an electronic guy. Keeps up
My step-dad is my go-to! He's taught me basically everything handyman wise. I can get as far as I'm comfortable with and call him/Google it for the rest. Lol
I really appreciate what you guys have done exposing the fraud in these companies. The only thing I had a problem with is the part about charging 3 times the cost of a part ordered online. In a real situation were the part is defective and needs to be replaced, the 3 times up charge is not just for the part itself. It includes the diagnostic and labor. If a part is defective, the customer calls a company out because they don’t know how to fix it themselves so they wouldn’t know to order that specific part online let alone know how to replace it. In my trade, I went to school to learn how to fix things and that cost money.
Hey CBC, I know this isnt in Toronto, but out here in Halifax I had a similar issue of getting re directed to the same company. I did find an excellent repairman locally, Keating Appliance Services. I thought after watching your story, its always good to share good and reputable technicians as well.
I'm one of the lucky ones that have the skills to DIY my own appliance repairs. I hate hearing about the crooks that take advantage of hard working folks. It's bad enough to have to pay the outrageous prices for replacement parts. Keep up the good work Marketplace. We've got nothing like this show in the states.
i was a repairer the problem is what do you expect? i didnt overcharge and i didnt even charge anything if i coudnt fix it, but the only way to make it in this trade is to scam people. i coudnt afford a big truck or a secretary, because i was going this by the book and not being a scammer. if you see people with a storefront and big notebook coming to your door be ready to get ripped off. your washer is worth what? 500-1000$? just buy another one and ditch the old one on Kijiji.
LG makes very expensive machines. Some nearing 2 grand. This front loading machine looks nice, and new. $700 is worth repairing a high end machine. I mean, obviously, for the scam works. They know what they're doing, they aren't gonna blow their whole scam by charging unrealistic prices.
I don't live in Canada nor have I been there but I love watching this kind of content watching scammers and hackers and fraudsters and so on getting exposed and whatnot.
@@jacobdunn8976 without youtube I wouldn’t have discovered this? This video has over 600k views I’m pretty sure TH-cam is letting the video get it’s attention
I just want to say thank you to the marketplace. We now live in digital world. I always look at the reviews and the 5 stars. I should know better now after watching this.
Good work Bobby, keep your head up and stay on the straight and narrow. It must be tempting to gouge any clueless rude customers to get a little win, but you're the bigger man if you do it by the book and without hidden charges.
Why wouldn't you just buy a new unit for a $700 repair ?! Think of it like a car, if your car is only worth like $1,500, would you really pay someone $700 to fix it ?!
@@Crismodin 'take the chance'? What's more important--you saving a few bucks or the environment? If you can't afford a decent washer or to pay a repairperson, then you can go to a laundromat or wash your clothes by hand.
Or just buy a new unit... look we get it... you're either like 13 years old or you do repairs on these units and have to make weird justifications to justify spending money on repairs and defending the environment.
Thank you for unmasking those thieves. We need to bring honesty to the market place... I started learning how to repair appliances, a repair could cost almost the same as a new lower line appliance. New machines tend to break just past the expiration of the warranty.
One thing I noticed is the “good guys” they interview sure have a lot of personal opinions on peoples business methods. Scamming is bad. But if you’re a small company trying to break into the market you don’t diagnose over the phone because tire kickers will drain your marketing budget for the month in a week.
Every person I’ve had working on my house has said they won’t even answer the phone when they see an Indian name. They won’t pay their bills, try to get the price down to a ridiculous amount or want a quote with the parts list to do it themselves. I’ve been to several home tours that the owners were Indian and the workmanship on the home projects was horrible. We just replaced the bad backsplash in our kitchen from a previous owner.
Very true. It took me years to become a well rounded tech. Now I should give my 30 years experience for free over the phone. I try to help but this in bulk will put you out of business soon. Still i get good reviews and i dont gouge people. Seems to work...
@@jenniferfitzgerald1796 can confirm. with over 10 years experience. stereotypes exist for a reason. my favorite is indians who watch you like a hawk so they can learn while at the same time constantly trying to get some kind of discount. we have a higher standard of living here, that costs money. you want cheap labor? go back to india. thats my opinion anyway. our solution to your mess is we simply do not sell parts. we give them the number to our parts distributor and get rid of the tire kickers
Haha. Omg. You must have the intelligence of a rock to say that!! Federally Funded by the Liberals pushing a Liberal agenda. Does that sound unbiased and "Best Journalism" possible? How simple can your little brain be? The World would be better without you!!
Here’s a life pro tip. If you need help form a company and their customer service isn’t doing anything. Email the CEO of that company. Explain your situation and everything you’ve done to try to get help but have not been helped. You should get a response back within hours to a couple of days. It always works for me.
This reporter is awesome. A true investigative journalist, the type which has just about disappeared in the US. Hardworking, intelligent, daring, and digs for the truth. Bravo.
My father was a master electrician for over 50 years. When he charged you for a service call, the first hour of labour was included in that fee. If the parts required were less than a couple of dollars, he didn't charge any extra for that. It doesn't make any sense to me that even the most basic appliance repair costs more than half of the replacement cost of the entire unit.
@@akaunderdog4223 My dad is turning 89 this year. He's long since retired. There aren't many of his clients still around that could tell you what a great guy he is. Apliance repair wasn't his main thing. Most of his jobs were wiring factories and warehouses, repairing industrial machinery. One of his clients was a Chinese laundry and another was a diaper service, so he could fix the appliances when he had to. I did not follow him into the trade myself because I was losing my sight. But I learned enough from working with him that I can still do my own wiring if I can get a bit of help identifying what colour the conductors are. Why would you think I'm making things up?
Thanks for exposing this story! We have used an appliance repair company owned by a guy who is so great, name given by someone knew. The whole street uses him!
I've been an appliance repair man since 2004 and have seen pretty much everything there is to see in this business, except for charging 700 dollars to replace a drain pump on a 600 dollar washer. That is something else, or an element for 400 bucks on a stove that costs 300! Why would the home owner agree to pay that much. Ok here is how it works, one appliance repair company will open several company's and advertise them as different entities, when you call the number you are calling a call center, which in turn is actually the same company. Retail appliance repair belongs to who ever can pay the most for advertising. Here's the flip side to the whole thing, if a tech give a super high estimate and the home owner agrees to it and pays the tech, no wrong doing has occurred. The home owner is under no obligation to agree to the repair. $700 is way too much to replace a drain pump but the responsibility falls to the home owner to recognize when they are being ripped off. Several company's I've worked for have gone to court for this reason and the home owner has lost every single time. The other thing I really want to say, no good appliance repair company will ever give an estimate or even a ball park over the phone, that is just bad practice. No one, no tech or dispatcher can accurately predict what needs to be repaired and how much it can cost. If the home owner says her washer is making a loud noise when spinning it could be a 15 dollar cam or 1000 dollars worth of tubs. Its just not done, in fact it is taboo in the business to give estimates over the phone. Sam, the tech stuffing the sock in the drain hose is full of crap. I've been around techs like him before... he too honest to be any good, if that makes any kind of sense.
@charles clinton But at least they have a point. I don't understand the point in most of the videos on this channel and it's a downright disgrace to canada. So many of their videos are labeled so horribly you'd think that a primary school student was in charge of this channel.
CBC. as an owner operator of an appliance store with over 10 years experience with servicing appliances. Good job. However Strongly disagree with the statement that a service company can give a "guesstimate" over the phone. take a washer for example, a washer that doesn't drain could be caused by many things, yes some scenarios occur more often than others. but in the real world quoting a job without looking at it first is dishonest,. yes it could be a $100 pump. but depending on make. model. and age. it could be a $250 pump, or a $400 control board. or just a sock. pre quoting sets an expectation for the customer that you may not be able to meet and is poor practice. as for the first guy in your story, that pricing is outrageous, but what did you pay the last time you went to the dentist? or the lawyers, or bought groceries. we charge nothing close to that at my company for that same repair. but there is something missing from the story. the customer called the repair guy, he said it needed a pump. Your tech said the pump was fine. so what was the original issue with the washer?
Never call any company to repair a Washer machine or dryer. Better to do it yourself or buy a new one. Sears charge $100 for coming and $600 for repairs. A new washer cost $400-$800
You guys are literally soo cool busting them up but u could really catch them red handed that wayy there is nooo wayy they could deny not doing the crime........u guys rock
@@justinblackfacetrudeau8943 agreed. The Eastern Europeans that come here every year are terrible. All the contractors and repair people these days are those guys.
You can still do that. For the door, if It's a deadbolt, turn to the left. For the car, you should have a key. Insert, and turn to the left, or press the "unlock" button, if your car has electronic locks. Voila. Sleep with your doors unlocked. You are welcome. That will be $904.33 with labour.
There are scams everywhere...even in the U.S for example....it's just that in Canada, Marketplace is exposing it. There is a yet a show in any other country like Marketplace.
I fixed mine from 1984 for years. I bought newer versions of the lower end appliances I had. They work better and are more efficient, but feature only the basic timers that can be rebuilt.
Folks, use Google Reviews. It's not always perfect, but if you have a lot of reviews that highlight positive or negative experiences, it's often a start. In the case of Appliance Repair Team, they no longer have the ability to even list a review so this should be an immediate warning/flag. Great video and very informative
I am a retired appliance repair company owner. We would Never perform a repair on any appliance that wasn't necessary. Shame on those that do, sounds like some people need to spend some time behind Bars.
Using the Internet to seek out a service based on ads and SEO placement is like jumping into a pack of great white sharks while covered in pig offal. No one actually screens the people that buy ads, and there is no standard for honesty. Do deep investigations before you pick a repair service.
I am currently stuck with Fridgeair fridge I bought in early August from Home depot and received delivery at the end of August. Home depot failed to change door hinge despite charging us for it. We had to wait two weeks for Home depot to send us repair guy to change door hinge. However, when the door was changed, we noticed that the door doesn't seal properly. I called Home depot 9 times and Fridgeair repair 5 times to fix the issue, and they sent repair man three times, but all of them declared that it is defect and we should contact Home depot to get it replaced. Unfortunately, Home depot is pointing finger at Fridgeair that they need to give them green light so they can replace the defect fridge while Fridgeair is deflecting their responsibility because we didn't contact them within 48 hours of delivery. How on earth can you call them within 48 hours when they themselves took 2 weeks to adjust the door hinge that revealed defect??
@@ethanlai1044 so do the home owners. Public shaming is the oldest form of punishment. We can name people who do criminal acts and bad drivers, this should be allowed as well
Your locksmith coverage got Google to crackdown on misleading locksmith companies, your appliance repair coverage is getting Google to crackdown on misleading appliance repair companies, is Google waiting for the next exposé before they crackdown on the next industry Eran and Ilay or their wannabees decide to enter? Have you considered asking Google why they only clean up listings for a single industry after you point out how bad they are? What about all the other industries and what about all the other countries?
when someone use google search, he/she should past by the list of the adds and go to the results. As for google map face address, isn't there a site equivalent to the old local business phonebook in your region? just look there, or at least compare
Ya, they also think women know nothing about appliances as well so they are more likely to try passing a fast one IMO. IF it was a man calling in and staying around when being repaired watching I'm sure they would think twice before trying to scam them!
I beg to differ with the legit repairmans assessment/conclusion of the pump, it is possible that the continuity is good yet have some other problem. I would have rotated the impeller and applied voltage to be 100%.
Everywhere these days you get scammed...at the dentist, mechanic, veterinary, car buying 😀 Like they say there’s always another sucker bent over ready to take it 😅
Former appliance repair tech here. My company charged $75/hr min 1 hr for a field service call. Whirlpools were notorious for simple problems that took me 5 mins to fix. To compensate for the disparity, I'd do a health and wellness check on the washer AND dryer so that the customers wouldn't feel scammed
so after watching this I literally went online looked up the appliance repair team and called every number they had, and all numbers are now out of Service, Thank you once again CBC marketplace, these owners of Omega need to be locked up!!
They do that, change their number and company name often
It is easy to start a new business once you close one.. Not sure what it cost in Canada but fairly cheap in the U.S for an LLC
I have been training in some of these fields to be able to keep myself from getting ripped off. I am training in Plumbing, hvac right now. I would like to do electrical work afterwards.
@@rustyshackleford6799 Good idea. My son has done the same thing. Auto mechanic, hvac, and he is going into a field where he can afford to hire people to do that work for him, but he likes the idea of it being done right.
@@rustyshackleford6799 HVAC repairs can go sky high once the Board goes out. "Sir I suggest you buy a new one" (furnace etc). Boards can be priced higher than totl iPhones, so you ditch your 8/9/10 yr old appliance instead of repairs.
We need to start charging these people with fraud.
Steve C starting with liberals and working their way down to media especially the CBC!
@@tmac4980 oh shut the hell up
Job Done Right I can’t wait for Trudeau’s internet police to ticket you for talking down to people on the internet.🤷♀️
Knowingly, pre meditated, intent to scam. 100% fraud.
@@tmac4980 stop acting like a "liberal snowflake"
Don't click on google results that are ads.
I've noticed that awhile ago and started to do the same.
Yes, Marketplace should have added that as a tip.
Just don't use google to search
Buhh
@@kingpin6989 UBlock Origin and AdBlock/AdBlock Plus doesn't stop these kinds of advertisements from showing up in Google Search results. 😞
A friend asked me if I could look at their furnace. They had a technician out who told them it was the mainboard and since it was an older furnace recommended they replace it at a cost of $4000. The did not have that kind of money. He gave them a $200 dollar service charge fee for coming out.
So I said I would take a look and within less than a minute, pressed the reset button and the furnace worked perfectly. That was 3 years ago. Their furnace is still working today.
As an HVAC tech, easy solutions should always be attempted first. Seeing people try to massively up sale makes me sick. There are sales conferences for hvac companies across the country and all the top sellers borderline scam. They'll attempt to sell new systems on every call. Its just unnecessary
@@HuevosAzules it makes me sick too thats there way of getting money :/
Really you charged a friend 200 dollars.. WOW
@@vincentshelpfulhints4085 think you read that wrong
@@vincentshelpfulhints4085 No... the repair company charged them $200 and did nothing. Read carefully...
"Its actually 300$, not 80$."
"Oh, you can leave then."
Yes….it’s that easy.
It’s because your having someone else do it and company: up charge the hell out of parts because they have too.
I used to do appliance repairs. This is crazy. I felt that industry was honest. It is in my neck of the woods anyways.
Nope they’re crooked overall in all locations since forever. You’re the exception not the rule.
Now join the thieves team.
You only make money if an appliance needs repair. Good functionality appliances are a no no for repair companies
It really depends on when you worked in appliance repairs. 20 plus years ago it would have been really hard to source parts other than from appliance manufacturers or appliance repair shops. Today you can google most common problems on almost every machine. Parts are super cheap. I just ordered 2 new universal washing machine valves for... Let me look on my amazon for the exact price. 2 of: 205613 WP358276 Water Inlet Valve by Beaquicy - Replacement for Whirlpool Washer - Universal Style 3/8" Outlet with Rubber Adapter to Convert Outlet to 1/2" Condition: New $13.88, I ordered 2 of them as I have replaced it once before and know the reason why they fail as I have hard water which causes a blockage in either the cold or hot water side preventing it from opening or closing 100%. They last over a year and takes me around 10 mins to fix it. Its super simple and easy.
@@fredgalaxy7632 Good functioning appliances are a thing of the past, they make them to break. Consumerism.
FINALLY!!! I got ripped off by these guys a few years ago when they were called Appliance Repair Guys. They have several companies and they are all over the internet. They said my stove needed a $600 part so I said no. They still charged $280 for his "service" even though they didn't fix anything. My husband bought the part needed (which wasn't at all what he said we needed) for less than $50 and fixed it himself in a half hour! It has been working fine since then.
Glad these jerks are finally getting called out for all the people they have scammed!!
What happen if you dont pay them, do you get punished from collection or something?
@@Just_Hu I only paid because the guy was at my rental property with my renter and her daughter and I was far away. I didn't want to be arguing with this guy over the phone while my renter had to be physically there with him in the house. I had already given my visa card over the phone for the $80 fee for the guy to go out there and "diagnose" the problem. So it was a matter of my renter signing the bill and my ok over the phone to get the guy out of there.
I later contacted the company directly to complain that he didn't do anything so why was I being charged $280? They gave me the run around saying he had to "service the machine" to find the problem even though in the initial call and on their site it says $80 to diagnose the problem....
I would never use a big company that uses 'men' or 'guys' in its name. They won't hire women, so why would you expect fair treatment as a customer?
@@ihategooglesomuch They do hire women. The people on the phone both times I called were women. Lots of low people working there knowing the whole thing is a scam....
@@ihategooglesomuch lmao
I always look forward to an episode of Marketplace!
Much love from the United States!
Sending love from Florida ☺️
You might enjoy The Fifth Estate as well. They expose things like Political Corruption and Scams, Cold Cases.
From California
@@tylertravis2081 California is it’s own country. We do not claim you😂
@@tylerd6517 ratio
The Omega repairman that called and told the lady that she made 2 appointments sounds exactly like the repairman that came to her house to make the repair.
You did hear him when he said that was me on the phone
As an appliance technician since 1984 I’m glad to see something like this. It makes me angry when a customer tells me they just paid $500 for repairs last month and the appliance never worked right after the repair person left and haven’t been able to get them back. I can’t count how many times I’ll find the problem was minor, plus, the part they said they replaced was never replaced. Rip off repair companies give us all a bad name. It’s about time they are held accountable.
Same here. I see it all the time. Drives me crazy. We have trouble sometimes too, but we guarantee our work. So if something isn't working right after our fix, we make sure it does.
I've quit jobs that gouge their customers, I couldn't live with myself if I ripped people off. I ended up working for myself, I had an amazing boss.
Honest repair guy. Respect to the guy who pulled the sock out. He's like i know its bullshif
Poor guy wants to be honest, but can't find another job, and has to deal with the scummy practices of his employer.
He's just trying to make a living, and it's good that he knows that's it's scummy. I hope we can find a better job
@Jayne Wayne Clearly you've never been in a situation where you need a job, but the scummy kind is all you can find.
@Jayne Wayne You don't support what they do? Well lets see that is a very vague response....
So you don't SUPPORT the fact that we have a military that helps fight to keep the VERY country your sitting in safe? I know we don't support every action an individual, or an organization makes. Heck, I don't support everything my best friend says, and does.. But he is STILL my best friend.
He presented actual price before he even got to work, not an after the fact case with many shady repair people..
Most tell you those high prices AFTER the work is already done, not before.. At least he was honest.
@Jayne Wayne Oh my, your one of "those" people...
So let me get this straight, your gonna judge people working in the military, or working for the government, when you yourself have never spent a day in your life working in that industry I am willing to guess?
Yeah sorry, your beyond being helped... :/
They are back, I love watching this, please make more and more.
COVID-19 is preventing Marketplace to make new content because of guidelines such ad social distancing measures and travel bans.
@@fredgalaxy7632 They do shitload of them with their masks on actually. It doesn't prevent them to do it.
Those hidden cameras are huge!
lol gotta get that wide lens shot.
Are we even disappointed with dishonesty, selfishness or corruption anymore? I’m more surprised by the honesty.
I’m so glad my dad has taught me general maintenance with just about everything.
Well done cbc. Another solid investigation.
Just wished we didn't have to do these kind of investigations, public mistrust and shoddy people in the first place.
These kind of companies make it bad for all the honest techs. I hope all of them get exposed.
Even honest techs jack up their prices on parts. Just make a few calls and ask them how much it would be to replace a washing machine universal valve. These parts are around 20USD and service calls should be around 100 USD.
@@kameljoe21 I a tech. Some of those $20 parts are trouble but I agree some of these markups are insane.
I had a company scam me once and I was so upset and they denied that they came to my house. Thanks for doing this to help us 👍🏾👍🏾
As a tradesman I do stand behind dispatch fees. It can cost the company upwards of $100 just to get a tech out to the call. However we are upfront that our dispatch fee is the initial charge just to send someone out.
How does it cost $100 to get a tech out? In carpet cleaning the minimum charge is $90 and includes chemicals and cleaning up to 3 rooms . You are full of crap. You are no better than these guys.
@@peaceofnature2560 your $100 service fee is for gas in the trucks they carry all the expensive equipment in to clean your carpet. It helps the company pay for that said expensive equipment. It insures said truck, and pays for expenses and time taken away from other people whom will proudly pay being the the understanding people that know, nobody will do things for free, and there are bills to be paid for the company.
@@peaceofnature2560 The company I work for does the same thing, we let customers know there may be a dispatch fee of $99 before they send us out. If the customer is at fault then we do charge them, if our equipment is the issue then we take care of it, free of charge
@@peaceofnature2560 people think business costs are cheap...
@@peaceofnature2560 So they fly out on a magic carpet right? No wear and tear on vehicles used to drive out to the locations? Also I guess the vehicles don't need gas either? Try using your brain, it's been over a year, so maybe you and the 11 morons who up voted you figured out how to apply brain power.
I love that this woman is doing such a good job at her job as a reporter / investigative journalist so much that people are scared of her like she's a cop 😂
This is why I am doing everything myself because of these crooks. If I can’t do it, I would educate myself before calling the contractors so they can’t BS me
Same goes for me. Most of my household appliances are fixed by myself (i got most of the tools). Moreover there is quite good information on how to fix and diagnose on internet plus i had a friend who is an electronic guy. Keeps up
@@yaiphuakhakpa227 Yep, this is where the internet truly shines; in helping people fix their own stuff.
My step-dad is my go-to! He's taught me basically everything handyman wise. I can get as far as I'm comfortable with and call him/Google it for the rest. Lol
You are intelligent guy...my husband knows only to change standard bulbs...nothing else...🥴
If you call a contractor ask them questions you KNOW the answers too.. you're trying to establish if they are honest or b.s artists
Make sure you share this video with EVERYONE, let's expose these crooks! Thank you CBC Marketplace!
I wish they’d call out the scammers before they “repair” and get paid
Legally it’s better if they don’t. They can prove the rip off in court. The customer paid for a scam.
I really appreciate what you guys have done exposing the fraud in these companies. The only thing I had a problem with is the part about charging 3 times the cost of a part ordered online. In a real situation were the part is defective and needs to be replaced, the 3 times up charge is not just for the part itself. It includes the diagnostic and labor. If a part is defective, the customer calls a company out because they don’t know how to fix it themselves so they wouldn’t know to order that specific part online let alone know how to replace it. In my trade, I went to school to learn how to fix things and that cost money.
Keep up the great reporting Marketplace!!
Definitely sounds like they're making new company names to try to cover the poorly reviewed ones of theirs
Hey CBC, I know this isnt in Toronto, but out here in Halifax I had a similar issue of getting re directed to the same company. I did find an excellent repairman locally, Keating Appliance Services. I thought after watching your story, its always good to share good and reputable technicians as well.
Puleeze...where are you from? Are you within 20 miles of CBC headquarters?
Shameful people in the world man, horrible.
Morals have left the earth... And indeed it's shameful.
@@ekidmusic @Adam S
*_I KNOW..._* right...?! It's just *_REALLY emotionally DISGUSTING_* there!!! 🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮👎👎👎👎👎
Great job Marketplace team!! This was an amazing episode, and it's something that we should be aware of.
I'm one of the lucky ones that have the skills to DIY my own appliance repairs. I hate hearing about the crooks that take advantage of hard working folks. It's bad enough to have to pay the outrageous prices for replacement parts. Keep up the good work Marketplace. We've got nothing like this show in the states.
You have Rob Wolchek, the best of the best...
That's how I got started in my business, by doing my own repairs. Then I started doing it for others. I don't gouge folks though.
Seriously, who is downvoting these videos??? Beautiful work here (as always).
Cheers from California!
This google algorithm is getting insane. Amazing and exactly my niche. Local journalism looking out for people. Hats off to the reporting team
What’s the name of the reporter on here?
i was a repairer the problem is what do you expect? i didnt overcharge and i didnt even charge anything if i coudnt fix it, but the only way to make it in this trade is to scam people. i coudnt afford a big truck or a secretary, because i was going this by the book and not being a scammer. if you see people with a storefront and big notebook coming to your door be ready to get ripped off.
your washer is worth what? 500-1000$? just buy another one and ditch the old one on Kijiji.
LG makes very expensive machines. Some nearing 2 grand. This front loading machine looks nice, and new. $700 is worth repairing a high end machine. I mean, obviously, for the scam works. They know what they're doing, they aren't gonna blow their whole scam by charging unrealistic prices.
I hate they are in my industry
I don't live in Canada nor have I been there but I love watching this kind of content watching scammers and hackers and fraudsters and so on getting exposed and whatnot.
It's crazy how Utube doesn't let videos like this get the attention they deserve!
That's because TH-cam is owned by Google
@@jacobdunn8976 without youtube I wouldn’t have discovered this? This video has over 600k views I’m pretty sure TH-cam is letting the video get it’s attention
Huh??
I just want to say thank you to the marketplace.
We now live in digital world.
I always look at the reviews and the 5 stars.
I should know better now after watching this.
Also, always look on street view, sometimes the store front, or lack thereof, can tell you alot about the company
I do HVAC and I'm very proud of our service technicians.
Good work Bobby, keep your head up and stay on the straight and narrow. It must be tempting to gouge any clueless rude customers to get a little win, but you're the bigger man if you do it by the book and without hidden charges.
Why wouldn't you just buy a new unit for a $700 repair ?!
Think of it like a car, if your car is only worth like $1,500, would you really pay someone $700 to fix it ?!
Because it's wasteful. It's better to fix something instead of throwing it out.
@@ihategooglesomuch even when the repairmen are most likely lying to you so they can make a quick buck? Why take the chance at this type of cost?
@@Crismodin 'take the chance'? What's more important--you saving a few bucks or the environment? If you can't afford a decent washer or to pay a repairperson, then you can go to a laundromat or wash your clothes by hand.
Or just buy a new unit... look we get it... you're either like 13 years old or you do repairs on these units and have to make weird justifications to justify spending money on repairs and defending the environment.
RULE OF THUMB ! IF IT COST LESS THAN THE WORTH OF THE CAR TO FIX ! FIX IT !
Thank you for unmasking those thieves. We need to bring honesty to the market place... I started learning how to repair appliances, a repair could cost almost the same as a new lower line appliance. New machines tend to break just past the expiration of the warranty.
well, now i know where my socks disappear to 😅😂
Y'all be giving so much money to companies that don't deserve it whatsoever. I love the fact that you're telling us the truth about these companies.
One thing I noticed is the “good guys” they interview sure have a lot of personal opinions on peoples business methods. Scamming is bad. But if you’re a small company trying to break into the market you don’t diagnose over the phone because tire kickers will drain your marketing budget for the month in a week.
Every person I’ve had working on my house has said they won’t even answer the phone when they see an Indian name. They won’t pay their bills, try to get the price down to a ridiculous amount or want a quote with the parts list to do it themselves. I’ve been to several home tours that the owners were Indian and the workmanship on the home projects was horrible. We just replaced the bad backsplash in our kitchen from a previous owner.
Very true. It took me years to become a well rounded tech. Now I should give my 30 years experience for free over the phone. I try to help but this in bulk will put you out of business soon. Still i get good reviews and i dont gouge people. Seems to work...
@@jenniferfitzgerald1796 can confirm. with over 10 years experience. stereotypes exist for a reason. my favorite is indians who watch you like a hawk so they can learn while at the same time constantly trying to get some kind of discount. we have a higher standard of living here, that costs money. you want cheap labor? go back to india. thats my opinion anyway. our solution to your mess is we simply do not sell parts. we give them the number to our parts distributor and get rid of the tire kickers
Keep up the great work, CBC! The best journalism I have seen.
Haha. Omg. You must have the intelligence of a rock to say that!! Federally Funded by the Liberals pushing a Liberal agenda. Does that sound unbiased and "Best Journalism" possible? How simple can your little brain be? The World would be better without you!!
@@jdlee7490 thanks for that respectful response 👍 I hope that you are helpful to the world
Good luck trying to remove a posting on google maps. I tired to remove a listing from mine house and it has been a month and still trying.
Don't remove it...edit it. Make it say something else.
Wow that’s a nightmare, is it still going?
Here’s a life pro tip. If you need help form a company and their customer service isn’t doing anything. Email the CEO of that company. Explain your situation and everything you’ve done to try to get help but have not been helped.
You should get a response back within hours to a couple of days. It always works for me.
This reporter is awesome. A true investigative journalist, the type which has just about disappeared in the US. Hardworking, intelligent, daring, and digs for the truth. Bravo.
My father was a master electrician for over 50 years. When he charged you for a service call, the first hour of labour was included in that fee. If the parts required were less than a couple of dollars, he didn't charge any extra for that.
It doesn't make any sense to me that even the most basic appliance repair costs more than half of the replacement cost of the entire unit.
Nah you're trolling. Your dad isn't one of them
@@akaunderdog4223 My dad is turning 89 this year. He's long since retired. There aren't many of his clients still around that could tell you what a great guy he is. Apliance repair wasn't his main thing. Most of his jobs were wiring factories and warehouses, repairing industrial machinery. One of his clients was a Chinese laundry and another was a diaper service, so he could fix the appliances when he had to. I did not follow him into the trade myself because I was losing my sight. But I learned enough from working with him that I can still do my own wiring if I can get a bit of help identifying what colour the conductors are.
Why would you think I'm making things up?
@@surferdude4487 nah man I was messing with you! We're cool!
@@akaunderdog4223 Yargh! You were trolling and I swallowed it, hook, line and sinker, maybe even the float too. OK, you got me.
@@surferdude4487 lol
This is why I get extended warranty on every thing I buy
Imagine in five years when these videos come back into my recommended. Im going to have covid ptsd
Hey it's not been five years yet just three but hello
CBC News should just make these I could binge watch these all day
These guys are all over Canada, most likely the same owners.
Learn to fix it yourself. There are some fairly good TH-cam videos on appliance repair.
Drainage/AC/furnace/roof repairs and moving companies...ripoffs.
and anything to do with water filtration lol.
I would never ever rent an appliance. I certainly would never rent one from a third-party retailer.
Thanks again Marketplace for looking out for us Canadians. :)
Thanks for exposing this story! We have used an appliance repair company owned by a guy who is so great, name given by someone knew. The whole street uses him!
I've been an appliance repair man since 2004 and have seen pretty much everything there is to see in this business, except for charging 700 dollars to replace a drain pump on a 600 dollar washer. That is something else, or an element for 400 bucks on a stove that costs 300! Why would the home owner agree to pay that much.
Ok here is how it works, one appliance repair company will open several company's and advertise them as different entities, when you call the number you are calling a call center, which in turn is actually the same company. Retail appliance repair belongs to who ever can pay the most for advertising.
Here's the flip side to the whole thing, if a tech give a super high estimate and the home owner agrees to it and pays the tech, no wrong doing has occurred. The home owner is under no obligation to agree to the repair. $700 is way too much to replace a drain pump but the responsibility falls to the home owner to recognize when they are being ripped off. Several company's I've worked for have gone to court for this reason and the home owner has lost every single time.
The other thing I really want to say, no good appliance repair company will ever give an estimate or even a ball park over the phone, that is just bad practice. No one, no tech or dispatcher can accurately predict what needs to be repaired and how much it can cost. If the home owner says her washer is making a loud noise when spinning it could be a 15 dollar cam or 1000 dollars worth of tubs. Its just not done, in fact it is taboo in the business to give estimates over the phone.
Sam, the tech stuffing the sock in the drain hose is full of crap. I've been around techs like him before... he too honest to be any good, if that makes any kind of sense.
Sam definitely is paid hourly and I highly doubt he ohms out the pump every time there’s an oe code and if he does he’s milking the clock good
Your marketplace needs a TH-cam channel!!!!
If they didn't agree to the $280 charge, then what EXACTLY would they do for $80?
my mouth fell open so hard when you said waterloo, ontario. Never hear about my town
This is literally the first good video CBC has made this year.
@charles clinton But at least they have a point. I don't understand the point in most of the videos on this channel and it's a downright disgrace to canada. So many of their videos are labeled so horribly you'd think that a primary school student was in charge of this channel.
CBC. as an owner operator of an appliance store with over 10 years experience with servicing appliances. Good job. However Strongly disagree with the statement that a service company can give a "guesstimate" over the phone. take a washer for example, a washer that doesn't drain could be caused by many things, yes some scenarios occur more often than others. but in the real world quoting a job without looking at it first is dishonest,. yes it could be a $100 pump. but depending on make. model. and age. it could be a $250 pump, or a $400 control board. or just a sock. pre quoting sets an expectation for the customer that you may not be able to meet and is poor practice.
as for the first guy in your story, that pricing is outrageous, but what did you pay the last time you went to the dentist? or the lawyers, or bought groceries. we charge nothing close to that at my company for that same repair. but there is something missing from the story. the customer called the repair guy, he said it needed a pump. Your tech said the pump was fine. so what was the original issue with the washer?
Why did that lady have him repair the washing machine anyways?
He probably just put a used pump in there
That's exactly what I was thinking too
What!’ 🙄😑😐
If he didn't disclose the pump as being used, that is illegal and he could get in serious legal trouble.
Maybe... um... idk... CUSSE ITS PART OF THE SHOW
@bodybykenni your welcome! It’s like people need to look out for context clues 🤣
Would love to see a less Ontario centric marketplace season when covid is over, maybe here in Vancouver. But keep up the good work!
I love this program!! Thank you guys for this hard work.
I don't know whose worst... repairmen, plumber, auto mechanic, car salesmen?? There are certainly alot of dishonest people everywhere.
There's dishonest people in every walk of life unfortunately, but don't forget there are also great people to. Just gotta hope you meet the good ones!
Never call any company to repair a Washer machine or dryer. Better to do it yourself or buy a new one. Sears charge $100 for coming and $600 for repairs. A new washer cost $400-$800
Sears?
Thank you CBC Market Place!!👍
You guys are literally soo cool busting them up but u could really catch them red handed that wayy there is nooo wayy they could deny not doing the crime........u guys rock
I actually legit thought people losing socks in the wash was a myth. Never happened to me before
Not a myth!
Not a myth. Dryers eat socks too.
THANK YOU GUYS FOR DOING THIS SERVICE FOR US THE CONSUMER.
They should do semi mechanics next at the big truck stops. Would be interesting
Every time Market Place posts a video IT IS A MUST WATCH.
I was born and raised in a world when we still could sleep with our doors unlocked, houses and cars. It's so sad this is the new normal.
@@justinblackfacetrudeau8943 absolute bs. look up what happened in the 60s and 70s, with teamsters and other unions doing 'make work'.
@@justinblackfacetrudeau8943 agreed. The Eastern Europeans that come here every year are terrible. All the contractors and repair people these days are those guys.
Its not going to get any rosier.
Jiji they come because there is always someone wanting to pay less
You can still do that. For the door, if It's a deadbolt, turn to the left. For the car, you should have a key. Insert, and turn to the left, or press the "unlock" button, if your car has electronic locks.
Voila. Sleep with your doors unlocked. You are welcome. That will be $904.33 with labour.
100s of bad reviews and this person is still working unbelievable
5:41 I love how they try to represent that they "" are having distance for pandemy purposes" and just 10 sec later they are almost hugging...
Call himself an engineer with a meter out of a Christmas cracker.
so many scams in Canada. This is not what I was expecting when moving here
There are scams everywhere...even in the U.S for example....it's just that in Canada, Marketplace is exposing it. There is a yet a show in any other country like Marketplace.
Need to be charged with fraud when exposed as one. Infuriating.
Where did you live before?
@@GreatDrums. haha the golden question. Goes unanswered, of course.
Not really, relatively speaking. Just be smart.
As kids we are always taught that cheaters never win but the real world tells us otherwise. Cheaters absolutely win and usually pay no consequences.
I have washer and dryer from the 80's never any problems with them
They dont make em like they use to.
Those are the best, less computer components. Same with cars.
I fixed mine from 1984 for years. I bought newer versions of the lower end appliances I had. They work better and are more efficient, but feature only the basic timers that can be rebuilt.
I'm so addicted to this Chanel.
Number one rule when googling, scroll down past the ads.
Folks, use Google Reviews. It's not always perfect, but if you have a lot of reviews that highlight positive or negative experiences, it's often a start. In the case of Appliance Repair Team, they no longer have the ability to even list a review so this should be an immediate warning/flag. Great video and very informative
"Whatever, you want me to take a look?" Damn rude much?
I am a retired appliance repair company owner. We would Never perform a repair on any appliance that wasn't necessary. Shame on those that do, sounds like some people need to spend some time behind Bars.
Using the Internet to seek out a service based on ads and SEO placement is like jumping into a pack of great white sharks while covered in pig offal. No one actually screens the people that buy ads, and there is no standard for honesty. Do deep investigations before you pick a repair service.
There is nothing wrong with seo and Google. Google and online reviews are out there. You need to check reviews
CBC market place is the best journalism
I am currently stuck with Fridgeair fridge I bought in early August from Home depot and received delivery at the end of August. Home depot failed to change door hinge despite charging us for it. We had to wait two weeks for Home depot to send us repair guy to change door hinge. However, when the door was changed, we noticed that the door doesn't seal properly. I called Home depot 9 times and Fridgeair repair 5 times to fix the issue, and they sent repair man three times, but all of them declared that it is defect and we should contact Home depot to get it replaced. Unfortunately, Home depot is pointing finger at Fridgeair that they need to give them green light so they can replace the defect fridge while Fridgeair is deflecting their responsibility because we didn't contact them within 48 hours of delivery. How on earth can you call them within 48 hours when they themselves took 2 weeks to adjust the door hinge that revealed defect??
@TRIX TRIX it's not out of warranty. It's brand new fridge and they delivered defect as brand new
I’d love to see a Marketplace in the US I enjoy the honest journalism that is shown here
Why blur out the faces of these disgusting criminals??
They have rights
@@ethanlai1044 so do the home owners. Public shaming is the oldest form of punishment. We can name people who do criminal acts and bad drivers, this should be allowed as well
@@jenniferfitzgerald1796 Tell that to CBC, not me.
Why pay him if the first dude told you there’s nothing wrong with it and you payed the second dude anyway smh
Never click on google ads, more like google scams.
A lot of the job listings on Google are scams too
TH-cam is the greatest repair man.
Your locksmith coverage got Google to crackdown on misleading locksmith companies, your appliance repair coverage is getting Google to crackdown on misleading appliance repair companies, is Google waiting for the next exposé before they crackdown on the next industry Eran and Ilay or their wannabees decide to enter? Have you considered asking Google why they only clean up listings for a single industry after you point out how bad they are? What about all the other industries and what about all the other countries?
i thank God every day that i have the patience and the willingness to learn how to do these types of repairs myself.
she paid more for the repair than the new washer would have cost
when someone use google search, he/she should past by the list of the adds and go to the results. As for google map face address, isn't there a site equivalent to the old local business phonebook in your region? just look there, or at least compare
Yes. That’s yellow books (or black books) depending where you live
thank you all for your hard and brave work, another well done video. Happy new year, take care.
Ya, they also think women know nothing about appliances as well so they are more likely to try passing a fast one IMO. IF it was a man calling in and staying around when being repaired watching I'm sure they would think twice before trying to scam them!
While I agree with you...there’s nothing more frustrating as a technician than having the home owner stand over your shoulder while you’re working.
I beg to differ with the legit repairmans assessment/conclusion of the pump, it is possible that the continuity is good yet have some other problem. I would have rotated the impeller and applied voltage to be 100%.
Everywhere these days you get scammed...at the dentist, mechanic, veterinary, car buying 😀 Like they say there’s always another sucker bent over ready to take it 😅
Former appliance repair tech here. My company charged $75/hr min 1 hr for a field service call. Whirlpools were notorious for simple problems that took me 5 mins to fix. To compensate for the disparity, I'd do a health and wellness check on the washer AND dryer so that the customers wouldn't feel scammed