Where are you located? I'm looking for an honest person who knows what they are doing. I know my system is old and outdated and I'm don't want to be in a panic situation and buying something that isn't right for my home. Thank you for your time.
It's story's like yours that really hit home with me. thank you for taking the time to do this video. I got ripped off when I was 16 years old over a car repair and decided I would never pay someone to fix my cars ever again I'm now 61. I became a auto technician and am now work for major car company as a fleet tech. I'm all to familiar with the scams in my industry and am now learning about your industry. It's not hard to find someone to do the repairs but rather hard to find a good tech with a good conscience. I live in the desert, my home and HVAC is 17 years old. Last July my AC stopped cooling and instead of calling a HVAC pro to come to look at it I called my home warranty company for the repair. We went 2 days without the AC before someone came out to look at our system. Turns out it was just a start run capacitor gone bad. They replaced the capacitor and all was good. My condenser unit sits on the ground near where I keep my trash containers. the other day I was taking the trash out and noticed the AC unit turning on and a loud screeching noise coming from the condenser fan for about 1 minute and went away. looking at the fan case I can see that it's turning from white to black, like it's overheating. I decided to call a well known HVAC company to give me an estimate to replace the fan. I was told there would be a $95 charge for someone to come out but would use the $95 towards the repair. Clean cut guy came out and asked what the problem with my AC was, so I explained to him my AC was working ok and I just wanted to get an estimate to replace the condenser fan because of the noise. He said he could order me an OEM unit for about $900 or a aftermarket one for about $550. I said no to his offer and he left without charging me. I'm very handy and do most of my home repairs and a auto technician for 42 years. I watch a lot of TH-cam video's like yours and feel comfortable I can do the replacement my self. I found a OEM replacement from Amazon for just over $100, so I ordered it. I look forward to seeing more of your videos.
I lucked out and found a small outfit in my area. We lost a compressor in our unit from 96. The cost to replace was about 700$. They gave me a part number and the cost was mostly the parts. We made the choice to replace. We didn't have extra money to replace the coil as the age of the unit the coils sizes changed. They had a older unit that matched our coils size, it was a retail 2500 dollar unit. It was installed for about a week, but never ran it was a miss order for new construction 6 months before the switch over. With install the unit it cost around 1k. This company earned all my business in both HVAC and plumbing.
John Smith quality cost I'm upfront about my cost and the time it will take. its not that I dislike this post but there should be some caution on the wording in some areas. but there are a lot of price cutting folks out there just waiting to get there foot in the door. call me chances are I my not be able to get to you that day if I can its going to be late. I would worry more about the guy that can be there in 30 min.
Good video, unfortunately there are many companies out there ruining our trade. As a HVAC contractor here in the New Orleans area, I do charge a diagnostic fee plus I use a flat rate pricing manual for repairs, I do not understand why companies out there that tell customers that they will waive the diagnostic/ service call if the repair is made. I completely believe that the internet is going to be our downfall of our trade with internet companies selling equipment to homeowners and videos to homeowners on how to repair their equipment and honestly I love explaining to customers how things work and how to prevent costly repairs with proper maintenance etc.
Carlos Cazanas between Fieldpeice, Appion, and supply's I'm sure I have well over 10K in tools and supply's.I don't know of many homeowners that have that. want to buy online go ahead. you will be calling back and after you find a guy to work on it they are going to pay a high premium
Agree on reviews.I always read the 1star ones and ignore the rest because there are more honest and paint a true picture.5star yelp HVAC tech company in my area Boston overcharged a lady by 800dollars and insisted to be paid on the spot by 2 tech guys and she refused and she wanted her old parts.Truth was more then half of things they said they replaced was not even touched!This company is top 10 at Yelp in Boston!!!!
Iv been a hvac tech for 10+ years and what your saying is actually true. Iv seen some people do shady things. When I work on a ac unit I work with integrity and like I'm being watched on camera. If people would just honest, dang it makes the rest of us look bad if there not.
I consider myself one of the more honest techs out there and homeowners love it when I do a PM on a unit and don't try to sell them on anything. I'm hourly and would never work for a commission based company/piece rate/split pay because I'd be broke lol. Great video!
I always tell my customers to get a second quote if they feel I am too high or whatever. A lot of companies down here in jax give free second opinions. Most of the time they don't but when they do I get a call to come back for the repairs. Spot on dude
Great information! You’re 100% correct! That’s why me and my husband taught ourselves to fix our own AC. We haven’t had to call somebody for 10 years now. But you’re very right in what you’re saying we were scammed a few times on simple things like a capacitor etc. Capacitors are literally under $20 for our AC. This one company charged us $560🤬🤬🤬. Great video,great information, keep up the great work! Where are u located so we all know who to call? Aww man. I found you. It says you’re permanently closed. Sorry to hear that.
I'm an Ac contractor also and This guy is spot on. I put an induction fan on a furnace for an elderly couple who did without her furnace for 2 years because one of my sleazy (and huge) competitors told her she needed a new furnace. The lady asked me to come out and give her a bid on a new furnace and I could have sold her one...but I didn't. I installed a purge fan and moved on to the next one. Don't confuse the honest guys with people who just need a business plan. Some of the giant contractors (you think have better business plans) take their ill gotten gains and buy hundreds of advertising spots and huge billboards. They don't care if they get repeat business or not. Their name recognition allows them to screw over new suckers every day.
The Project Journal I go out on a bid and I'm asked "aren't Trane and Carrier the best" I say no just that they are the two that advertise the most. No joke I called to get a quote from a Trane dealer and I was given a 19,000.00+ quote for a 2 zone 20Seer Trane. I kept the quote but ended up doing spray foam and I installed myself a 2 stage communicating RHEEM. for about half of the Trane quote on a 10yr old 3300 Sq Ft house. Main house 2 stage communicating 5 ton 4800 work area 13 seer 2 ton 1700 spray foam 7000. total 13,500
Great heartfelt vid Ralph! I always tell people that at the end of the week, whatever company you call, they have to make enough money to cover their costs and wages. Some companies will try and look like they are cheap then sting you for parts (or even fit parts or just charge for them when they weren't needed) I prefer to just charge for what i've done, i have no fixed fees, its just time and mileage plus any parts if needed.
YOU AND I SHARE A LOT OF THE SAME VIEWS. I AM A OWNER OPERATOR,AND I APPROACH MY CUSTOMERS WITH THEIR BEST INTEREST AT HEART. I'M TOO YOUNG TO RETIRE AND KNOW THAT AS LONG AS I PROVIDE MY BEST WORK AND DON'T SHORT CUT OR OVER CHARGE THEM I WILL HAVE MORE WORK THAN I CAN GET TO. SO FAR MY GAME PLAN IS WORKING GREAT. BEEN WORKING FOR MYSELF SINCE 2008 AND DON'T ADVERTISE AND GET ALL MY WORK BY WORD OF MOUTH AND I'M AS BUSY AS I WOULD EVER WANT TO BE.
Great guy. I am getting an air source heat pump here in Minnesota. I am not up on the new air source Rheem heat pumps. I have a natural gas and its 80 %. Was thinking of a 96% furnace.
T&N, you're pretty much dead on. I received the heat exchanger scam too on my forced hot air oil furnace. I followed up with a honest technician who said the exchanger was not leaking.
I was told by a guy that my furnace wouldn't start up on an early check before winter time. He said the part(control board) and labor wouldn't be worth it and to have them install a new furnace. The estimate was $4200 for a York 2 stage 96% basic 40,000 btu's. We have an 1100 sq ft house. They needed half of the cost deposited first to hold them to the job. I started getting a bad vibe and also realized the original furnace was under sized for the house anyway so replacing that one with the same btu amount was odd. I got 3 more estimates after that and ended up with a much more realistic quote for the size of the home etc. Never believe the first guy you talk to these days. I still don't know if that part was really bad but it was 28 years old anyway so I went ahead.
Here is a good one I saw with a friend, he had a maintenance plan where they come out once a year and do a clean and check. They came out and the unit did have a swollen capacitor (Still running perfect) at least its something that we believe was true due to the unit being 10 years old. He switched the capacitor and said that because it was bad (air was ice cold until he got there) that the compressor overheated and wouldn't come on that for $150 he can put the hose on it or my friend could wait 6 hours than try to turn it on and if it didn't work he needed a new unit. Of coarse it didn't work and when I opened the cover he left the wire from the cap to the compressor disconnected and tie wrapped to the side so it wouldn't hit anything. So you know he put it that way on purpose. After that it took him 45 minutes on hold to get to talk to a supervisor while they came up with a story on how it accidentally happened. This is a company down here in the greater New Orleans area that has around 60 trucks, no idea the number of techs. After all of that mess they wouldn't even let him cancel his maintenance plan contract.
The assertion that no real technician would work a commission job is real absurd. I hold 2 class A masters licenses and 14 NATE certifications and have worked several commission jobs. This video really leaves a lot for a genuinely experienced technician to pick apart. every story he went through was silly parts changer nonsense. The idea that someone with ANY level of experience would assert that a leak check in 5 minutes was a reliable diagnosis is in fact the scammer. Think about it, he mentioned that refrigerant is expensive and then he does not offer a competent leak detection to unsuspecting people that will buy the refrigerant from him. That is where the extra money goes when you pay for a good technician. Someone that happens to charge more than someone else is not necessarily a "scammer" lots of the time it is because they know that they will only have to fix it once. This guy said that normally the leak is in the evap coil but actually it is vastly more likely that it will be at the king valve or both. I have heard enough of the anti profit position to last me a lifetime. At my shop i charge what the service is worth plus profit.... a very important word there PROFIT. It is the HVAC business not HVAC hobby. when my employee's children get sick they have bennies and can afford to take them to the doctor. When my employees go home they have a comfortable life because they make money at a thriving mechanical firm. This Walmart mentality that there is a specific price and that all technicians are the same is laughable. i live in a part of the country where we get as high as 105 in the summer and as low as -29 in the winter..... yeah my time is worth money. lets hear this guy prattle on about something genuinely difficult to do and then brag about how he was the cheapest person that they can find. I can fix things that most technicians cant, yes i cost more.
TJ thanks for responding, I agree with you and disagree with at the same time. Everything I said in the video was based on experience about some of the low life's in the field. I have seen scumbag owners take advantage of employees, I have seen companies whose owners have a wrap sheet a mile long. I have seen employees take advantage of customers simply because they can. If you are being honest with people then your alright in my book. As far as your 5 min leak check comment goes I have a scrap pile full of evaporators from those 5 min leak checks. As a matter of fact I just left 2 leaking coil calls. I even have a couple of videos of some 5 minute leak checks. I do agree with you most king valves out there are leaking. In the end the video was about being honest with people. Take care
That can bite you Robert, I gave an estimate to a customer for an system install in her home, my price was 4600.00 dollars, including running duct work. She had a another bid for 3200.00. She took that bid, the next summer, I was back a her home, it was not cooling. The system had to be completely removed from her attic (except for ductwork) and completely re-installed. the labor for this was 1800.00. 400.00 more than my bid, the other guy's phone was disconnected.
If the company operates on the flat rate book the customer should walk away. Example I went on a call after the customer refused the price from flat rate book company. Over 400.00 to Change out a gas valve. My shop never gets residential calls because we Are 130.00 hour ( commercial union shop) my bill to her was 280.00. I get paid 43$ an hour. Plus full benies and pension. The customer gets hosed and the techs get hosed by these shops. IMO.
Flat rate pricing is not the problem. By the hour or by the job, if the company is sleezy, you get sleezy. Ran flat rate for years. Flat rate, in my opinion is the better system. HVAC guys in general do not charge enough. Only hurting themselves.
I have know problems at all I charge my rate and make a fair living, I can bust out 12-15 calls a day when its jumping and have no problem working all night, I'm 47 been at since 1987 this is what I do its fine if theres no work I go surf no big deal but I will never charge 400$ for a 250$ job even if I'm starving, that's me.
I work 50-80 a week when your older theres $ in the bank. I can take a month off silly lol. Save your $ make your lunch and live simple and that's about it. I work for myself now.
All good point have been made here. I just want to point out that many techs and people in general have no idea the "real" cost of doing business. Often, HVAC companies charge too little for service calls. They cover the loss of service by the install department and never realize it. Until one day, they start tracking the true cost of running a service call...then the rates go up.
Hey aracp, I have to agree with 5th root on this one. 40 dollars a pound is a really good price and depending on what else has to be done 450 to 600 would be a good price.
You want to hear a scam, a local company sent an estimater out , I wanted a high efficiency furnace and a heat pump with a varible speed compressor, my house is a total of 1500 sq. Ft., they quoted me 25k.
@@susana5052 I got lucky, my old instructor I had when I took a hvac course is a licensed contractor, I have a Bosch heat pump, he was the only one certified to install that brand, are you local to portage county ohio? I know a few honest contractors.
@@daisy5644 First thank you for your reply. I'm in Los Angeles and that's a bit far from Ohio but I still appreciate your offering to direct me to an honest person/company. I do have A LOT of friends all over Ohio so I will make note of this if one of them needs a good reference. Thank you again!
This guy is telling the truth about scammers although some would say it is just a marketing tactic to get to your house, the low diagnostic charge that is. You can always tell if a company is high pressure sales or as I like to say con artists if they advertise this low fee. And one thing they do around the Lake city area is say if your unit is 9 years or older we will test your system for only 29.95. Lmao, I will bet they say you need a new unit or some high price fix. Thank you T&N guy for trying to expose the con artists.
NO OVERTIME CHARGE EVER! Beware of that one too. A company in my area advertises that and they can say that because thier diagnostic trip fee is the same as our overtime diagnostic fee. And that is what they charge all the time whether it is 10 in the morning or 10 at night.
So you changed a heat exchanger that wasn't damaged or cracked because the company before you convinced the homeowner that it was cracked. Another homeowner bites the dust.
It's a shame most Hvac companies price gouge!!....I dont charge a "diagnostic" charge...I charge $55 bucks for a service call ...Seen alot of that taking wires off shit....Honesty is key in this business
That sounds like a fair price. In my area, a fair price is higher than that. It depends on where the leak is at in the coil, but that refrigerant price is pretty good. Any repair that includes refrigerant is going to be expensive.
I just had my fan motor and capacitor replaced this week on my 80's Bard 2-ton C/A unit. 140.00 including the hour he was here diagnosing and replacing the parts.
I love my hvac tech and small business owner the first time I call him was for a ac board and he sent it to me in the mail and FaceTimed me to tell me how to install it and he lets me pay payments for service
There's a plumbing and heating company by us and they went to this Asian ladies house who didn't speak English very well for a noisy furnace, they changed the board, blower motor, transformer and inducer for 3 grand. I got the call a few days later from her for a noisy furnace and I went there and she showed me her invoice from them and my jaw dropped. The inducer they put in was making noise because they smashed the pressure switch into it when they put the door on and I replaced the motor and explained to my boss how hard she got ripped off and we didn't charge her. Got a lifetime customer out of it though
You paid 250 for all that? You my friend bought some stolen stuff or you bought cheap. We do this everyday and my leak detector cost more than that. We do this everyday and that 40.00 "leak detector" dye is time consuming.
750 for condenser motor isn't that bad. Especially when you have to go pick it up and sit in traffic both ways. You must be living in a very small town or your cost of living may be low.
Funny how people will shell out $500 per hour to a scumbag attorney, but an educated, highly skilled tradesman is somehow dishonest for charging $200 per hour 🙄
Joseph B thats is true and $750 is not bad at all and its not just for a condenser fan motor but also for tags on company vehicle, gas, travel, vehicle insurance, vehicle maintenance.. its called a buisness... 👍 sounds like others that comment negative towards you are the low diagnostic fee's lol if only they knew what a buisness needs to be maintained. ✌
Thirty five years ago, the most I ever charged a customer for a condenser motor replacement was $300 because it was a holiday and a standard motor would not fit in the customer's GE condensing unit. I had drive 40 miles to the one supply house that was open that day to buy the "special" GE motor which cost a lot more than a standard motor. Sorry, replacing a condenser motor is not really skilled work but to each his own. BTW, in those days I think you could buy generic condenser motors for $28/each in bulk quantities.
Hey Ritchie, I don't have an account with Yelp I was just going on what someone had told me. Now a day's it's hard to protect your name out there because it's so easy for someone to smear it on line!!! Knock on wood it hasn't happened to me yet and I stress yet!!!!! I haven't went the BBB route cause I don't want to pay them.
I always tell a customer to look at the company's trucks, if they have brand new trucks, they are going to get you to pay for them. If the company has a lot of employees, the employees are somewhere in their learning curve, you won't always get the skilled doctor, you're going to get the young unskilled intern most of the time, and they're learning on your expensive equipment.
I have no idea how many scammer companies there are out there compared with the number of ethical companies, but I suspect that the number scammers is high. They give the whole industry a bad name. The best policy is to do what you and the other guys in the HVAC community are doing; creating videos and being transparent so the public can get a more objective view of who they can trust. Keep up the good work!
idmhead when you go out to eat at a restaurant do you get a breakdown on the prices of all the food? Or does the restaurant "obfuscate" the price? How many hours did they bill you for the cook, the waiter/waitress, the greeter? How much "evil profit" did the owner make? Why don't you complain that they are marking up the price of the food? Or when you buy your clothes, why don't you complain that they are made with cheap labor overseas and marked up substantially? Or when you buy ANYTHING, do you realize that it is ALL marked up?? Retail price (what you pay) is easily double or more of the actual cost. The problem is that society willingly allows all types of businesses in this country to operate and charge what the market will bear, EXCEPT for the trades, such as plumbing, electrical, HVAC, etc. These companies are expected to only charge time and material, and must justify every penny they charge. And they can only charge the "industry standard" of 10% profit...otherwise, they must be crooks, just trying to get a month's pay for a day's work...
Congratulations on being a real man my brother! The Lord provides and is faithful man. You are what i call Professional, I was charged 45 per pound of refridgerant
Ralph what do you do if the customer knows the issue? Example a customer calls and says hey my condenser fan motor is going bad I can hear that the bearings are shot. Do you still charge a diagnostic fee?
Ive run into alot of customers who know some stuff. What you do is wave the dio fee and just charge part and labor.however make it clear that you are just going by what they are requesting and if the customer wants to just leve it at that thats fine but let them know to call you if another problem acccures but that time you will have to charge a dio fee. In other words its about what the customer wants.
I heard that in AZ it's a felony to scam a person 65 or older to profiteer. It should be that way in every state...! I have found that on most service calls 'experiencing poor cooling' performance, the problems are not identified & communicated to the customer who has paid a hefty service charge & got NO help or fixes whatever.
Yes, it is a felony to scam a person over 65 in AZ so it is difficult to understand why a married man with children would face prison rather than return the customer's (me) almost $5,000 when they changed their mind within the 3 day right to cancel rule. This guy even has a brother who is a cop in Mesa, Az so you'd think he'd think of his family and how they will suffer when he is in prison. I hope others will learn from my experience because I only learned after the fact that he had no license (required in AZ). He DID come recommended from a neighbor who is a realtor, so that rule didn't work for us. (The neighbor is avoiding us since I told him of the situation.) I did have another HVAC company come out and I will happily be paying them 1/10 of what I've lost to do minimal repair and provide freon.
No diagnostic fee or low fee dont mean u gettin jacked. I charge $99 diagnostic. Then say for a dual capacitor replacement its gonna be 189. So that's 288 total. Other companies out here charging 269 for a capacitor plus 149 diagnostic. Or even more. I saw an estimate for 1400 for a txv replacement.
hello. was wondering IF i have legal options,recently i was soooooo over charged for electric furnace (new) install.$ 4,800,i got bids from 3 other hvac services,$1800,$2135,& $2500. no written waranty,no itimised bill,no sales tax, ect..
I know someone who worked for companies that paid commission to their techs. I'm afraid that has turned him into a parts changer. He always bragged about how much money he was making and outselling the company salesman. We're not talking at the time because of his attitude. He now has his own company and it bothers me thinking about how he might be doing his customers.
The thing to do with those folks, have them come out, diagnose the problem then call around for the cheap deal for the actual repair. What the problem is with or in the industry is greed. 20 years talking.
Wow- imagine you tell someone the freon leak is in the coil, stop your search there and the it's also one in the outdoor king valve. How much of a dip do you look like. How's the customer going to feel when they call you back and have to charge them again? - you're pushing some bull with that particular "scam".
Today my best friend had a repairman out to her house to address why her air handler wasn't working. He told her that there was a voltage problem and her circuit board would have to be replaced. She gave the go ahead and he replaced it and then collected his check. When I came over to visit, I noticed that he left the old circuit board in a box so I picked it up and noticed it had a fuse in it. After pulling out the fuse, I tested it and verified it was blown. There is no damage present on the circuit board. Was she bamboozled? It sure sounds like it to me.
Here's what I would do. Call the company back and explain that the old board looks like it just has a blown fuse and would they send someone else out to reinstall the board and test it with a new fuse. If nothing worked on the system before he changed the board then it sounds like a blown fuse. In turn if something worked on the system when she called for a repair then it wasn't just a blown fuse and most likely the board. Good luck
+R Car Fuses blow for a reason. Bad board can cause fuse to blow. Its a matter of short or overload that can happen in control boards. New board did not blow fuse did it? I am sure the tech replaced the fuse before replacing the board and it sounds like the problem is solved. Yes, we do leave old parts with our customers. Its their property-let them throw away but we advice our customers that the part is defective and can cause more damages if there is an attempt to reuse them. By CODE, only new and compliant parts must be used in repairs, so I don't see where your problem is.
For some of these scammers, flat rate means fat rate. When asked why they charge so much for refrigerant, they'll tell you: "Nothin is Freon this planet".
Have you or anyone else out there used the Frigidaire brand. 40 years ago I installed a lot of them and they were a General Motors brand and were very dependable. Their quality was one of the finest. I live in a double wide mobile home hand have a 3.5 ton package unit and live in south Texas. So what is my best bet.
business overall in this country is bad.Its's sad.Hell even my own best friends dad charged me to come look at a leak.Ive known him for 17 years.Its people overall.Keep honest!!
Do you know a way I can find a company or a person in Los Angeles, California OR more specifically in the San Fernando Valley area in California for a new unit or will maintain an older system that's no longer being used? My A/C system is now apx 18 yrs old and I've just started to have issues with my system in the last few weeks. My neighbor used to keep up my system and bless him, he never charged me for his time. I don't want to jump into buying a system from someone that isn't honest OR especially doesn't know what they are doing. Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you for your time if you happen to see my post and reply.
Sorry can't help with companies in your area but get 3 estimates from reputable companies. Don't feel pressured to sign with any of them right then and there. If they pressure you, just say no thank you and show then the door. With an 18 year old unit, most likely R22 which is getting pricey since they put a ban on it in January and no longer produced. Also with that old of a unit, not worth putting much money into it imo. Make sure you compare apples to apples when comparing new equipment. Brand name, SEER rating accessories, single stage/2 stage, variable speed etc. Good luck!
Best thing to do is arm yourself with knowledge. I usually will do some homework in narrowing it down to the top 3 things. As soon as the tech comes out, I'll start talking shop . e.g. 'I'm thinking it's just my cap, but don't have my gauges with me" and then I inspect while he performs his diagnosis. While not fool-proof I do set the tone I'm not some housewife or elderly person...and I am watching that ass.
I think I have seen that video and it is uncalled for!!!!! The sad part is there a people who will pay that price for it. You know it's true or otherwise they wouldn't be charging those kind of prices!!!! They should be put it jail!!!!!
I paid for an AC tune-up and he ended up overcharging me and giving me a $10000 estimate to replace my Unit and phone calls from the company trying to sell me his $10000 AC Unit ONLY???
If these scammers only knew - if you simply do an honest job at a fair price, your business will flourish. If you scam someone just once or overcharge, you can bet they will tell everyone they know and those people will pass along the story and you business gets known as a scam business and you will soon be out of business or in Court.
i think it funny that people think that they can get a service company to come out and fixes there HVAC system for 50 buck pay the techs,insurance, workmen comp, bonding, trucks, overhead at shop and still make a profit NSTAAFL
And your talking home front door service, go to any car dealership, drop car off at 7:30am find a ride and pay $130 pr hour. But if we charge $90 bucks pr hour thats way too expensive.
150 to 200 an hour is where you need to be. motor cost $100. i gotta go get it, drive back, ohh and diagnose it and drive there to begin with, then fix it and check everything else- and warranty everything-that could be 3 hrs. Do the math people. $750 is a little high but ive seen companies doing $1200. lol
Most companies have them on the truck. Most of these fan motors don't have much different between them. There are manufacturing standards that all the unit manufacturers use, that make it easier for them to produce and replace components. Fan motors aren't one of those proprietary components that needs "parts ordered". If you have someone saying they need to "order parts" that isn't a warranty part direct from manufacturer, you are getting ripped off.
If any tech has the virtue of this men and you’re in the Orlando/Kissimmee Fl. Area. Let me know and you will be my A/C guy. I just want an honest person. I normally do everything myself/including small repairs -Only because I’m tired of getting rip off. I appreciate honesty- even if I’m not charge -I will tip. I’m conscious as it takes that tech-time and gas. So at a minimum I will at least tip $20 for a non charge and for an honest charge- I must probably tip. I have the same mechanic for 20 years, the same barber, the same doctor, etc. Loyalty is important.
My neighbor call a hvac company out for the AC it was a compactor they wanted $500 for it That was high he told them that is how much it is I was in my back yard and heard everything I just moved into my house and did not know him at that time I yelled out I have one for a pizza No need to say I got a pizza that day LOL
Sorry for the missed spelled word There was no way I was going to let anyone sell a capacitor for $500 I would of punew condenser in for $600 3 Ton 13 SER American Standard And ya I get great prices And I do great work That's what American Standard representative say
My neighbor's A/C stopped working and the repair guy told him that he needed a hard start kit for $350. I went over there to look at his condensing unit and found a loose, burned wire on the contactor. I cut and stripped the wire and reconnected it to the contactor. His condensing unit started right up. There are plenty of crooks in the A/C business. I know because I use to work in the business.
I wouldn't work for a company like that. Even though I'm in the Diesel repair business, same kind of business model applies. If it's unethical, it's not worth the money at the end of the day.
Lousy scammers who disconnect wires to get call back for more scam work must be put in jail.That's criminal.I simply hate dishonest people!My system after 12k investment was improperly installed and after second year freon leak and furnace issues on brand new units.Be aware and do your diligence to find honest competent HVAC techs.
I get paid commission for changeout sales, but I dont scam ppl. I also get paid over $20/hour. We dont try to get rich off anyone and our price doesn't change just cuz its 100 degrees and someone has no AC. We just wanna make enough so everyone lives. I'm gonna make over 80k this year easily and my company has the lowest prices in the area. Companies just dont pay their employees like mine.
I had a guy come in and replace a thermostat on a packaged unit and he didn't wire it eight for heat , so no heat in winter,well there is a diagram inside the unit,so I solved it myself
I don't know what planet you guys are living on. You have to charge to stay in business. The dam refrigerant cost 435.00/30lb. a drum.($14.50 per lb. plus 10%) This is the price you must charge just to break even.(to be able to purchase another drum of refrigerant) Who in their right mind is just trying to break even. The most expensive thing that I bring to your house is my experience, and you are gonna pay for that! I'm going tell you what this old 90 year old Jewish man told me. There are two people you don't mess with: God and the air condition man. But if it's 99 degrees or hotter, the air condition man is God...(lol)
Great info on your video but you make it sound like it's an isolated incident. Where I live in the san fernando valley 95% of all A/C companies do similar tactics, even the ones that been in business for decades. I got laid off because I was getting hourly and they wanted to bring in sales technicians and I'm sure that happens to honest techs working for dishonest companies nationwide.
He is telling it like it is, Nobody honest is driving 35+ minutes and not charging a service inspection. Also he should of mentioned how so many company's are being dishonest about compressor failure and trying to sell a new system, I run into that a lot and usually it's just a faulty capacitor or contact switch.
I am seeking new furnace and adding central air. There is nothing wrong with my 80 percent furnace now, could just add the AC. I have gotten estimates all over the place ranging from cheep half assed installs to way over kill UV light 100 dollar air filters rubber dampener sound barrier outrageous stuff. They all claim that they sell the best brand of HVAC. Thing is they all have the same warranty for parts, heat exchanger, and no better than a 1 year worry free labor included warranty.
I feel your pain. If there is nothing wrong with your furnace and you're fine with keeping it just have a new outdoor unit and an evaporator installed. If you keep your furnace you will be limited to 14 seer though. As far as pricing goes do your homework on the installer. Just because they offer a higher price doesn't mean you will get a better job. Same goes for the lowest price also. That guy may not have the overhead but may and will give you as good of job sometimes better than the highest guy. As far as the extras go like filters, flex connectors etc you don't have to buy them if you don't want them. If the contractor doesn't offer the extras he isn't doing his job properly. I say that because there are many products in the industry that can help air quality that the customer may not be aware of and if it isn't offered you would never know about it. I myself have a 5" media filter and a UV Light in my house I have them because they work. Good luck to you sir
Thank you for the shout out. And advice. I am still on the fence who to choose and/or what to do myself. Such a hard decision to make for a small 1000 sq ft home with a single gay man living in it. I am a mechanic, yea a contradiction in terms, a gay mechanic, I have only met one other in my life. If you got a UV light, I was skeptical, another bulb to replace ever couple years, but if it does keep the evap from growing shit on it.... 55 dollar air filter to last a year? I am skeptic about that, air filter can get to stinking, but maybe I try it. The air filter may come from car costumers who ether did not know there car had air filter or never changed it, wonder why no air and bad smell. New furnace will be needed since I had new roof and had them remove metal vent for the 80 percent. Old furnace goes in storage, just in case. I want/wanted the 95 percent efficiency. If you have managed to read my ramble, thanks again.... P.S. Myself with research, have chosen this setup. Goodman, gmss960603b for furnace gsx13o241 for condenser capf 1824b cased evaporator, fits nice, website has all data sheets right there, can buy all the stuff right down the street. Even if I buy a generic cheep r410a gauge set and used my 2 meters thermocouple temperature sense for my sub cool and superheat, buy a vac(got automotive one actually, different fittings) pump and all I still save aprox 2 to 3k. 2 to 3k dollars I can use for new windows. I am a mechanic, not a carpenter, me, wood, nails, saws, don't get along, I be better off welding a home together than making anything from wood. Peace, and whatever your beliefs my be, be the best example of those beliefs.
some companies have or make there own reviews so it makes them look good to the costumers. and you can hire companies that do just that and they can delete the bad review so they look good and that should be a law against that ... its so sad
dont pay unless everything was disclosed before repair with reasonable labor and materials cost ,contractors nowadays are insane and charging 10-20 and more hours of labor on 2 hour job , crazy ND NOT JUST hvac TECHS INSURANCE COMPANIES WILL NEVER EVER PAY THESE RATES AND NEITHER SHOULD YOU . ' RESEARCH WHAT JOB REQUIRES WHAT HOURS FIRST AND MAKE SURE THEY SPENT THOSE HOURS WORKING,
29 years in the biz.You have the exact same attitude as me. I'm ashamed for our trade.
Where are you located? I'm looking for an honest person who knows what they are doing. I know my system is old and outdated and I'm don't want to be in a panic situation and buying something that isn't right for my home.
Thank you for your time.
It's story's like yours that really hit home with me. thank you for taking the time to do this video. I got ripped off when I was 16 years old over a car repair and decided I would never pay someone to fix my cars ever again I'm now 61. I became a auto technician and am now work for major car company as a fleet tech. I'm all to familiar with the scams in my industry and am now learning about your industry. It's not hard to find someone to do the repairs but rather hard to find a good tech with a good conscience.
I live in the desert, my home and HVAC is 17 years old. Last July my AC stopped cooling and instead of calling a HVAC pro to come to look at it I called my home warranty company for the repair. We went 2 days without the AC before someone came out to look at our system. Turns out it was just a start run capacitor gone bad. They replaced the capacitor and all was good. My condenser unit sits on the ground near where I keep my trash containers. the other day I was taking the trash out and noticed the AC unit turning on and a loud screeching noise coming from the condenser fan for about 1 minute and went away. looking at the fan case I can see that it's turning from white to black, like it's overheating. I decided to call a well known HVAC company to give me an estimate to replace the fan. I was told there would be a $95 charge for someone to come out but would use the $95 towards the repair. Clean cut guy came out and asked what the problem with my AC was, so I explained to him my AC was working ok and I just wanted to get an estimate to replace the condenser fan because of the noise. He said he could order me an OEM unit for about $900 or a aftermarket one for about $550. I said no to his offer and he left without charging me. I'm very handy and do most of my home repairs and a auto technician for 42 years. I watch a lot of TH-cam video's like yours and feel comfortable I can do the replacement my self. I found a OEM replacement from Amazon for just over $100, so I ordered it. I look forward to seeing more of your videos.
I lucked out and found a small outfit in my area. We lost a compressor in our unit from 96. The cost to replace was about 700$. They gave me a part number and the cost was mostly the parts. We made the choice to replace. We didn't have extra money to replace the coil as the age of the unit the coils sizes changed. They had a older unit that matched our coils size, it was a retail 2500 dollar unit. It was installed for about a week, but never ran it was a miss order for new construction 6 months before the switch over. With install the unit it cost around 1k. This company earned all my business in both HVAC and plumbing.
This guy is telling it like it is, there's a lot of dirtbags out there
Thanks Chris for backing me up
Chris I totally agree with you. And hate the guys that are giving us good guys a bad rep
I am willing to bet my next pay check that the 19 people who disliked this, are secretly scammers!
LOL John, some didn't like hearing the truth
I saw two news channels try to catch scammers, and a majority of companies tried to scam, or charge too much in some way.
T&N Services LLC.
Some people didn't like that it was the truth about themselves!
John Smith quality cost I'm upfront about my cost and the time it will take. its not that I dislike this post but there should be some caution on the wording in some areas. but there are a lot of price cutting folks out there just waiting to get there foot in the door. call me chances are I my not be able to get to you that day if I can its going to be late. I would worry more about the guy that can be there in 30 min.
Good video, unfortunately there are many companies out there ruining our trade. As a HVAC contractor here in the New Orleans area, I do charge a diagnostic fee plus I use a flat rate pricing manual for repairs, I do not understand why companies out there that tell customers that they will waive the diagnostic/ service call if the repair is made. I completely believe that the internet is going to be our downfall of our trade with internet companies selling equipment to homeowners and videos to homeowners on how to repair their equipment and honestly I love explaining to customers how things work and how to prevent costly repairs with proper maintenance etc.
Carlos Cazanas between Fieldpeice, Appion, and supply's I'm sure I have well over 10K in tools and supply's.I don't know of many homeowners that have that. want to buy online go ahead. you will be calling back and after you find a guy to work on it they are going to pay a high premium
Agree on reviews.I always read the 1star ones and ignore the rest because there are more honest and paint a true picture.5star yelp HVAC tech company in my area Boston overcharged a lady by 800dollars and insisted to be paid on the spot by 2 tech guys and she refused and she wanted her old parts.Truth was more then half of things they said they replaced was not even touched!This company is top 10 at Yelp in Boston!!!!
Iv been a hvac tech for 10+ years and what your saying is actually true. Iv seen some people do shady things. When I work on a ac unit I work with integrity and like I'm being watched on camera. If people would just honest, dang it makes the rest of us look bad if there not.
I consider myself one of the more honest techs out there and homeowners love it when I do a PM on a unit and don't try to sell them on anything. I'm hourly and would never work for a commission based company/piece rate/split pay because I'd be broke lol. Great video!
Where are you located? I'm looking for a honest person or company for a new system.
Thank you for your time.
@@susana5052 Chicago suburbs
@@djs89lx I'm in Los Angeles. Not a short drive...lol
I always tell my customers to get a second quote if they feel I am too high or whatever. A lot of companies down here in jax give free second opinions. Most of the time they don't but when they do I get a call to come back for the repairs. Spot on dude
Great information! You’re 100% correct! That’s why me and my husband taught ourselves to fix our own AC. We haven’t had to call somebody for 10 years now. But you’re very right in what you’re saying we were scammed a few times on simple things like a capacitor etc. Capacitors are literally under $20 for our AC. This one company charged us $560🤬🤬🤬. Great video,great information, keep up the great work! Where are u located so we all know who to call? Aww man. I found you. It says you’re permanently closed. Sorry to hear that.
Permanently closed??? Wow. I guess he was too honest. If so, that's a sad reality.
Honesty like a good heart is no longer appreciated in these times. I'm proud of you.
I'm an Ac contractor also and This guy is spot on. I put an induction fan on a furnace for an elderly couple who did without her furnace for 2 years because one of my sleazy (and huge) competitors told her she needed a new furnace. The lady asked me to come out and give her a bid on a new furnace and I could have sold her one...but I didn't. I installed a purge fan and moved on to the next one. Don't confuse the honest guys with people who just need a business plan. Some of the giant contractors (you think have better business plans) take their ill gotten gains and buy hundreds of advertising spots and huge billboards. They don't care if they get repeat business or not. Their name recognition allows them to screw over new suckers every day.
The Project Journal I go out on a bid and I'm asked "aren't Trane and Carrier the best" I say no just that they are the two that advertise the most. No joke I called to get a quote from a Trane dealer and I was given a 19,000.00+ quote for a 2 zone 20Seer Trane. I kept the quote but ended up doing spray foam and I installed myself a 2 stage communicating RHEEM. for about half of the Trane quote on a 10yr old 3300 Sq Ft house. Main house 2 stage communicating 5 ton 4800 work area 13 seer 2 ton 1700 spray foam 7000. total 13,500
One hour heating and air, seen it a thousand times in Jacksonville
Great heartfelt vid Ralph!
I always tell people that at the end of the week, whatever company you call, they have to make enough money to cover their costs and wages.
Some companies will try and look like they are cheap then sting you for parts (or even fit parts or just charge for them when they weren't needed)
I prefer to just charge for what i've done, i have no fixed fees, its just time and mileage plus any parts if needed.
YOU AND I SHARE A LOT OF THE SAME VIEWS. I AM A OWNER OPERATOR,AND I APPROACH MY CUSTOMERS WITH THEIR BEST INTEREST AT HEART. I'M TOO YOUNG TO RETIRE AND KNOW THAT AS LONG AS I PROVIDE MY BEST WORK AND DON'T SHORT CUT OR OVER CHARGE THEM I WILL HAVE MORE WORK THAN I CAN GET TO. SO FAR MY GAME PLAN IS WORKING GREAT. BEEN WORKING FOR MYSELF SINCE 2008 AND DON'T ADVERTISE AND GET ALL MY WORK BY WORD OF MOUTH AND I'M AS BUSY AS I WOULD EVER WANT TO BE.
Great guy. I am getting an air source heat pump here in Minnesota. I am not up on the new air source Rheem heat pumps. I have a natural gas and its 80 %. Was thinking of a 96% furnace.
T&N, you're pretty much dead on. I received the heat exchanger scam too on my forced hot air oil furnace. I followed up with a honest technician who said the exchanger was not leaking.
I'd like to shake your hand sir. You are speaking the truth! Doing what's right for my customer makes me feel good.
I was told by a guy that my furnace wouldn't start up on an early check before winter time. He said the part(control board) and labor wouldn't be worth it and to have them install a new furnace. The estimate was $4200 for a York 2 stage 96% basic 40,000 btu's. We have an 1100 sq ft house. They needed half of the cost deposited first to hold them to the job. I started getting a bad vibe and also realized the original furnace was under sized for the house anyway so replacing that one with the same btu amount was odd. I got 3 more estimates after that and ended up with a much more realistic quote for the size of the home etc. Never believe the first guy you talk to these days. I still don't know if that part was really bad but it was 28 years old anyway so I went ahead.
I tell people to stay away from the TV and Radio guy's!!!! In my upcoming video I talk a little more about those type of people!!!!!
Here is a good one I saw with a friend, he had a maintenance plan where they come out once a year and do a clean and check. They came out and the unit did have a swollen capacitor (Still running perfect) at least its something that we believe was true due to the unit being 10 years old. He switched the capacitor and said that because it was bad (air was ice cold until he got there) that the compressor overheated and wouldn't come on that for $150 he can put the hose on it or my friend could wait 6 hours than try to turn it on and if it didn't work he needed a new unit. Of coarse it didn't work and when I opened the cover he left the wire from the cap to the compressor disconnected and tie wrapped to the side so it wouldn't hit anything. So you know he put it that way on purpose. After that it took him 45 minutes on hold to get to talk to a supervisor while they came up with a story on how it accidentally happened. This is a company down here in the greater New Orleans area that has around 60 trucks, no idea the number of techs. After all of that mess they wouldn't even let him cancel his maintenance plan contract.
The assertion that no real technician would work a commission job is real absurd. I hold 2 class A masters licenses and 14 NATE certifications and have worked several commission jobs. This video really leaves a lot for a genuinely experienced technician to pick apart. every story he went through was silly parts changer nonsense. The idea that someone with ANY level of experience would assert that a leak check in 5 minutes was a reliable diagnosis is in fact the scammer. Think about it, he mentioned that refrigerant is expensive and then he does not offer a competent leak detection to unsuspecting people that will buy the refrigerant from him. That is where the extra money goes when you pay for a good technician. Someone that happens to charge more than someone else is not necessarily a "scammer" lots of the time it is because they know that they will only have to fix it once. This guy said that normally the leak is in the evap coil but actually it is vastly more likely that it will be at the king valve or both. I have heard enough of the anti profit position to last me a lifetime. At my shop i charge what the service is worth plus profit.... a very important word there PROFIT. It is the HVAC business not HVAC hobby. when my employee's children get sick they have bennies and can afford to take them to the doctor. When my employees go home they have a comfortable life because they make money at a thriving mechanical firm. This Walmart mentality that there is a specific price and that all technicians are the same is laughable. i live in a part of the country where we get as high as 105 in the summer and as low as -29 in the winter..... yeah my time is worth money. lets hear this guy prattle on about something genuinely difficult to do and then brag about how he was the cheapest person that they can find. I can fix things that most technicians cant, yes i cost more.
TJ thanks for responding, I agree with you and disagree with at the same time. Everything I said in the video was based on experience about some of the low life's in the field. I have seen scumbag owners take advantage of employees, I have seen companies whose owners have a wrap sheet a mile long. I have seen employees take advantage of customers simply because they can. If you are being honest with people then your alright in my book. As far as your 5 min leak check comment goes I have a scrap pile full of evaporators from those 5 min leak checks. As a matter of fact I just left 2 leaking coil calls. I even have a couple of videos of some 5 minute leak checks. I do agree with you most king valves out there are leaking. In the end the video was about being honest with people. Take care
That can bite you Robert, I gave an estimate to a customer for an system install in her home, my price was 4600.00 dollars, including running duct work. She had a another bid for 3200.00. She took that bid, the next summer, I was back a her home, it was not cooling. The system had to be completely removed from her attic (except for ductwork) and completely re-installed. the labor for this was 1800.00. 400.00 more than my bid, the other guy's phone was disconnected.
If the company operates on the flat rate book the customer should walk away. Example I went on a call after the customer refused the price from flat rate book company. Over 400.00 to Change out a gas valve. My shop never gets residential calls because we Are 130.00 hour ( commercial union shop) my bill to her was 280.00. I get paid 43$ an hour. Plus full benies and pension. The customer gets hosed and the techs get hosed by these shops. IMO.
Flat rate pricing is not the problem. By the hour or by the job, if the company is sleezy, you get sleezy.
Ran flat rate for years. Flat rate, in my opinion is the better system. HVAC guys in general do not charge enough. Only hurting themselves.
130.00 per hour or higher. If you want to make a living.
I have know problems at all I charge my rate and make a fair living, I can bust out 12-15 calls a day when its jumping and have no problem working all night, I'm 47 been at since 1987 this is what I do its fine if theres no work I go surf no big deal but I will never charge 400$ for a 250$ job even if I'm starving, that's me.
I work 50-80 a week when your older theres $ in the bank. I can take a month off silly lol. Save your $ make your lunch and live simple and that's about it. I work for myself now.
All good point have been made here. I just want to point out that many techs and people in general have no idea the "real" cost of doing business. Often, HVAC companies charge too little for service calls. They cover the loss of service by the install department and never realize it. Until one day, they start tracking the true cost of running a service call...then the rates go up.
Hey aracp, I have to agree with 5th root on this one. 40 dollars a pound is a really good price and depending on what else has to be done 450 to 600 would be a good price.
You want to hear a scam, a local company sent an estimater out , I wanted a high efficiency furnace and a heat pump with a varible speed compressor, my house is a total of 1500 sq. Ft., they quoted me 25k.
Did you get a new system yet? If you have, who are they and how did you find them?
@@susana5052 I got lucky, my old instructor I had when I took a hvac course is a licensed contractor, I have a Bosch heat pump, he was the only one certified to install that brand, are you local to portage county ohio? I know a few honest contractors.
@@daisy5644 First thank you for your reply.
I'm in Los Angeles and that's a bit far from Ohio but I still appreciate your offering to direct me to an honest person/company. I do have A LOT of friends all over Ohio so I will make note of this if one of them needs a good reference.
Thank you again!
This guy is telling the truth about scammers although some would say it is just a marketing tactic to get to your house, the low diagnostic charge that is. You can always tell if a company is high pressure sales or as I like to say con artists if they advertise this low fee. And one thing they do around the Lake city area is say if your unit is 9 years or older we will test your system for only 29.95. Lmao, I will bet they say you need a new unit or some high price fix. Thank you T&N guy for trying to expose the con artists.
Thanks fuseboy, I know I'm alone but most homeowners don't have a chance to think about when things are broke, they just want it fixed!!!!!
NO OVERTIME CHARGE EVER!
Beware of that one too. A company in my area advertises that and they can say that because thier diagnostic trip fee is the same as our overtime diagnostic fee. And that is what they charge all the time whether it is 10 in the morning or 10 at night.
So you changed a heat exchanger that wasn't damaged or cracked because the company before you convinced the homeowner that it was cracked. Another homeowner bites the dust.
It's a shame most Hvac companies price gouge!!....I dont charge a "diagnostic" charge...I charge $55 bucks for a service call ...Seen alot of that taking wires off shit....Honesty is key in this business
Thanks John, I try to treat people the same way I want to be treated. So far its worked great. Thanks for watching
That sounds like a fair price. In my area, a fair price is higher than that. It depends on where the leak is at in the coil, but that refrigerant price is pretty good. Any repair that includes refrigerant is going to be expensive.
I just had my fan motor and capacitor replaced this week on my 80's Bard 2-ton C/A unit. 140.00 including the hour he was here diagnosing and replacing the parts.
Is that company still in business? Lol
I love my hvac tech and small business owner the first time I call him was for a ac board and he sent it to me in the mail and FaceTimed me to tell me how to install it and he lets me pay payments for service
There's a plumbing and heating company by us and they went to this Asian ladies house who didn't speak English very well for a noisy furnace, they changed the board, blower motor, transformer and inducer for 3 grand. I got the call a few days later from her for a noisy furnace and I went there and she showed me her invoice from them and my jaw dropped. The inducer they put in was making noise because they smashed the pressure switch into it when they put the door on and I replaced the motor and explained to my boss how hard she got ripped off and we didn't charge her. Got a lifetime customer out of it though
You paid 250 for all that? You my friend bought some stolen stuff or you bought cheap. We do this everyday and my leak detector cost more than that. We do this everyday and that 40.00 "leak detector" dye is time consuming.
i dig how you wear your jump leads as necklaces
750 for condenser motor isn't that bad. Especially when you have to go pick it up and sit in traffic both ways. You must be living in a very small town or your cost of living may be low.
Joe Bykowski your a piece of shit too!!!!!!!
Funny how people will shell out $500 per hour to a scumbag attorney, but an educated, highly skilled tradesman is somehow dishonest for charging $200 per hour 🙄
Joseph B thats is true and $750 is not bad at all and its not just for a condenser fan motor but also for tags on company vehicle, gas, travel, vehicle insurance, vehicle maintenance.. its called a buisness... 👍 sounds like others that comment negative towards you are the low diagnostic fee's lol if only they knew what a buisness needs to be maintained. ✌
Thirty five years ago, the most I ever charged a customer for a condenser motor replacement was $300 because it was a holiday and a standard motor would not fit in the customer's GE condensing unit. I had drive 40 miles to the one supply house that was open that day to buy the "special" GE motor which cost a lot more than a standard motor. Sorry, replacing a condenser motor is not really skilled work but to each his own. BTW, in those days I think you could buy generic condenser motors for $28/each in bulk quantities.
Hey Ritchie, I don't have an account with Yelp I was just going on what someone had told me. Now a day's it's hard to protect your name out there because it's so easy for someone to smear it on line!!! Knock on wood it hasn't happened to me yet and I stress yet!!!!! I haven't went the BBB route cause I don't want to pay them.
Got any tips on the regular 5 minute leak search?
It takes me 10 minutes to get up into the attic
I always tell a customer to look at the company's trucks, if they have brand new trucks, they are going to get you to pay for them. If the company has a lot of employees, the employees are somewhere in their learning curve, you won't always get the skilled doctor, you're going to get the young unskilled intern most of the time, and they're learning on your expensive equipment.
I have no idea how many scammer companies there are out there compared with the number of ethical companies, but I suspect that the number scammers is high. They give the whole industry a bad name. The best policy is to do what you and the other guys in the HVAC community are doing; creating videos and being transparent so the public can get a more objective view of who they can trust. Keep up the good work!
idmhead when you go out to eat at a restaurant do you get a breakdown on the prices of all the food? Or does the restaurant "obfuscate" the price? How many hours did they bill you for the cook, the waiter/waitress, the greeter? How much "evil profit" did the owner make? Why don't you complain that they are marking up the price of the food? Or when you buy your clothes, why don't you complain that they are made with cheap labor overseas and marked up substantially? Or when you buy ANYTHING, do you realize that it is ALL marked up?? Retail price (what you pay) is easily double or more of the actual cost. The problem is that society willingly allows all types of businesses in this country to operate and charge what the market will bear, EXCEPT for the trades, such as plumbing, electrical, HVAC, etc. These companies are expected to only charge time and material, and must justify every penny they charge. And they can only charge the "industry standard" of 10% profit...otherwise, they must be crooks, just trying to get a month's pay for a day's work...
Congratulations on being a real man my brother! The Lord provides and is faithful man. You are what i call Professional, I was charged 45 per pound of refridgerant
Ralph what do you do if the customer knows the issue? Example a customer calls and says hey my condenser fan motor is going bad I can hear that the bearings are shot. Do you still charge a diagnostic fee?
Ive run into alot of customers who know some stuff. What you do is wave the dio fee and just charge part and labor.however make it clear that you are just going by what they are requesting and if the customer wants to just leve it at that thats fine but let them know to call you if another problem acccures but that time you will have to charge a dio fee. In other words its about what the customer wants.
I heard that in AZ it's a felony to scam a person 65 or older to profiteer. It should be that way in every state...! I have found that on most service calls 'experiencing poor cooling' performance, the problems are not identified & communicated to the customer who has paid a hefty service charge & got NO help or fixes whatever.
Yes, it is a felony to scam a person over 65 in AZ so it is difficult to understand why a married man with children would face prison rather than return the customer's (me) almost $5,000 when they changed their mind within the 3 day right to cancel rule. This guy even has a brother who is a cop in Mesa, Az so you'd think he'd think of his family and how they will suffer when he is in prison. I hope others will learn from my experience because I only learned after the fact that he had no license (required in AZ). He DID come recommended from a neighbor who is a realtor, so that rule didn't work for us. (The neighbor is avoiding us since I told him of the situation.) I did have another HVAC company come out and I will happily be paying them 1/10 of what I've lost to do minimal repair and provide freon.
No diagnostic fee or low fee dont mean u gettin jacked. I charge $99 diagnostic. Then say for a dual capacitor replacement its gonna be 189. So that's 288 total. Other companies out here charging 269 for a capacitor plus 149 diagnostic. Or even more. I saw an estimate for 1400 for a txv replacement.
hello. was wondering IF i have legal options,recently i was soooooo over charged for electric furnace (new) install.$ 4,800,i got bids from 3 other hvac services,$1800,$2135,& $2500. no written waranty,no itimised bill,no sales tax, ect..
I know someone who worked for companies that paid commission to their techs. I'm afraid that has turned him into a parts changer. He always bragged about how much money he was making and outselling the company salesman. We're not talking at the time because of his attitude. He now has his own company and it bothers me thinking about how he might be doing his customers.
"A real service guy would not work for a company that pays on commission."
You sure got that right brother.
The thing to do with those folks, have them come out, diagnose the problem then call around for the cheap deal for the actual repair. What the problem is with or in the industry is greed. 20 years talking.
keep true...trust and time give you at least a 75% chance of replacing the system when due...
Wow- imagine you tell someone the freon leak is in the coil, stop your search there and the it's also one in the outdoor king valve. How much of a dip do you look like. How's the customer going to feel when they call you back and have to charge them again? - you're pushing some bull with that particular "scam".
Today my best friend had a repairman out to her house to address why her air handler wasn't working. He told her that there was a voltage problem and her circuit board would have to be replaced. She gave the go ahead and he replaced it and then collected his check. When I came over to visit, I noticed that he left the old circuit board in a box so I picked it up and noticed it had a fuse in it. After pulling out the fuse, I tested it and verified it was blown. There is no damage present on the circuit board. Was she bamboozled? It sure sounds like it to me.
Here's what I would do. Call the company back and explain that the old board looks like it just has a blown fuse and would they send someone else out to reinstall the board and test it with a new fuse. If nothing worked on the system before he changed the board then it sounds like a blown fuse. In turn if something worked on the system when she called for a repair then it wasn't just a blown fuse and most likely the board. Good luck
Thanks so much. I also wondered why he didn't just replace the fuse. I hope all goes well, it's owner operated.
+R Car Fuses blow for a reason. Bad board can cause fuse to blow. Its a matter of short or overload that can happen in control boards. New board did not blow fuse did it? I am sure the tech replaced the fuse before replacing the board and it sounds like the problem is solved. Yes, we do leave old parts with our customers. Its their property-let them throw away but we advice our customers that the part is defective and can cause more damages if there is an attempt to reuse them. By CODE, only new and compliant parts must be used in repairs,
so I don't see where your problem is.
Alligator clip necklace nice touch
LOL thanks, I don't loose them when they are around my neck. I might forget we're I put them but I don't loose them
For some of these scammers, flat rate means fat rate. When asked why they charge so much for refrigerant, they'll tell you: "Nothin is Freon this planet".
Your right, NOBODY'S going to do something for free. $75.00 is a deal!
Thought this only happened in central florida...
Have you or anyone else out there used the Frigidaire brand. 40 years ago I installed a lot of them and they were a General Motors brand and were very dependable. Their quality was one of the finest. I live in a double wide mobile home hand have a 3.5 ton package unit and live in south Texas. So what is my best bet.
+Thomas Crouch Coleman has a line of equipment for Mobile Homes, (Evcon, Vexar Alpine) and depending on configuration one of them is sure to suit you.
business overall in this country is bad.Its's sad.Hell even my own best friends dad charged me to come look at a leak.Ive known him for 17 years.Its people overall.Keep honest!!
Do you know a way I can find a company or a person in Los Angeles, California OR more specifically in the San Fernando Valley area in California for a new unit or will maintain an older system that's no longer being used?
My A/C system is now apx 18 yrs old and I've just started to have issues with my system in the last few weeks.
My neighbor used to keep up my system and bless him, he never charged me for his time.
I don't want to jump into buying a system from someone that isn't honest OR especially doesn't know what they are doing.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Thank you for your time if you happen to see my post and reply.
Sorry can't help with companies in your area but get 3 estimates from reputable companies. Don't feel pressured to sign with any of them right then and there. If they pressure you, just say no thank you and show then the door. With an 18 year old unit, most likely R22 which is getting pricey since they put a ban on it in January and no longer produced. Also with that old of a unit, not worth putting much money into it imo. Make sure you compare apples to apples when comparing new equipment. Brand name, SEER rating accessories, single stage/2 stage, variable speed etc. Good luck!
@@djs89lx I really appreciate your time. I will definitely do what you said. Thank you for posting this. I learned a lot.
Stay well and strong!
👍🇺🇸👍
Best thing to do is arm yourself with knowledge. I usually will do some homework in narrowing it down to the top 3 things. As soon as the tech comes out, I'll start talking shop . e.g. 'I'm thinking it's just my cap, but don't have my gauges with me" and then I inspect while he performs his diagnosis. While not fool-proof I do set the tone I'm not some housewife or elderly person...and I am watching that ass.
I think I have seen that video and it is uncalled for!!!!! The sad part is there a people who will pay that price for it. You know it's true or otherwise they wouldn't be charging those kind of prices!!!! They should be put it jail!!!!!
I paid for an AC tune-up and he ended up overcharging me and giving me a $10000 estimate to replace my Unit and phone calls from the company trying to sell me his $10000 AC Unit ONLY???
If these scammers only knew - if you simply do an honest job at a fair price, your business will flourish.
If you scam someone just once or overcharge, you can bet they will tell everyone they know and those people will pass along the story and you business gets known as a scam business and you will soon be out of business or in Court.
i think it funny that people think that they can get a service company to come out and fixes there HVAC system for 50 buck pay the techs,insurance, workmen comp, bonding, trucks, overhead at shop and still make a profit NSTAAFL
And your talking home front door service, go to any car dealership, drop car off at 7:30am find a ride and pay $130 pr hour. But if we charge $90 bucks pr hour thats way too expensive.
Is it worth looking for a Freon leak and fix it on an 18yrs old unit, or just get a new HVAC unit all together?
Im not an expert, but I would think you'd better off with a new unit.
Thanks John, it means a lot. I'm kinda like you although I do have a set fee for somethings but most things I do are charges by time and materials.
Great Video and information . Honesty is always the best ! Expose those scammers !!
Amen brother,,, I have to sleep at night. I’m with you on this.
150 to 200 an hour is where you need to be. motor cost $100. i gotta go get it, drive back, ohh and diagnose it and drive there to begin with, then fix it and check everything else- and warranty everything-that could be 3 hrs. Do the math people. $750 is a little high but ive seen companies doing $1200. lol
Most companies have them on the truck. Most of these fan motors don't have much different between them. There are manufacturing standards that all the unit manufacturers use, that make it easier for them to produce and replace components. Fan motors aren't one of those proprietary components that needs "parts ordered". If you have someone saying they need to "order parts" that isn't a warranty part direct from manufacturer, you are getting ripped off.
you hit the nail on the head dead center
Great video blog. Very accurate on these companies
I hate companies that give us guys that are trying to do the right thing a bad repetition...
how about a service contract and he tells you your freon is low and you have a leak?
enjoyed your video on honest and dishonest AC repair technicians.
R22 system leaking refrigerant....I recommend to replace the system.
Very informative video, thanks for bringing these items to our attention.
Fellow HVAC Tech, agree completely........be honest
Now its 2019 I hope you charge $750.00 for that motor now. I see prices now for outdoor motor OEM $1400.00.
If any tech has the virtue of this men and you’re in the Orlando/Kissimmee Fl. Area. Let me know and you will be my A/C guy. I just want an honest person. I normally do everything myself/including small repairs -Only because I’m tired of getting rip off. I appreciate honesty- even if I’m not charge -I will tip. I’m conscious as it takes that tech-time and gas. So at a minimum I will at least tip $20 for a non charge and for an honest charge- I must probably tip. I have the same mechanic for 20 years, the same barber, the same doctor, etc. Loyalty is important.
Just paid nearly 600 bucks for an outside coil leak and 4lbs freon @ 40 bucks a pound.
My neighbor call a hvac company out for the AC it was a compactor they wanted $500 for it That was high he told them that is how much it is I was in my back yard and heard everything I just moved into my house and did not know him at that time I yelled out I have one for a pizza No need to say I got a pizza that day LOL
first of all learn english, and its not a compactor, its a capacitor, and the job should have been $125.00 travel time, sales tax, labor, and parts.
Sorry for the missed spelled word There was no way I was going to let anyone sell a capacitor for $500 I would of punew condenser in for $600 3 Ton 13 SER American Standard And ya I get great prices And I do great work That's what American Standard representative say
Lee Schaefer could have been a contactor. 75-120 service plus the cost of the part 120. low 195 high 240 otherwise i'm going to the next call.
My neighbor's A/C stopped working and the repair guy told him that he needed a hard start kit for $350. I went over there to look at his condensing unit and found a loose, burned wire on the contactor. I cut and stripped the wire and reconnected it to the contactor. His condensing unit started right up. There are plenty of crooks in the A/C business. I know because I use to work in the business.
I think they pay people to write good reviews about the company, or have their family members do that.
The scammers are encouraged by their boss to hustle folks just don’t get caught!
I wouldn't work for a company like that. Even though I'm in the Diesel repair business, same kind of business model applies. If it's unethical, it's not worth the money at the end of the day.
where are the common areas that you search for leaks in the evaporation coil in the central a/c.
Lousy scammers who disconnect wires to get call back for more scam work must be put in jail.That's criminal.I simply hate dishonest people!My system after 12k investment was improperly installed and after second year freon leak and furnace issues on brand new units.Be aware and do your diligence to find honest competent HVAC techs.
I get paid commission for changeout sales, but I dont scam ppl. I also get paid over $20/hour. We dont try to get rich off anyone and our price doesn't change just cuz its 100 degrees and someone has no AC. We just wanna make enough so everyone lives. I'm gonna make over 80k this year easily and my company has the lowest prices in the area. Companies just dont pay their employees like mine.
I had a guy come in and replace a thermostat on a packaged unit and he didn't wire it eight for heat , so no heat in winter,well there is a diagram inside the unit,so I solved it myself
you keep stating that companies are overcharging? how much should they charge and how did you come up with that number?
I don't know what planet you guys are living on. You have to charge to stay in business. The dam refrigerant cost 435.00/30lb. a drum.($14.50 per lb. plus 10%) This is the price you must charge just to break even.(to be able to purchase another drum of refrigerant) Who in their right mind is just trying to break even. The most expensive thing that I bring to your house is my experience, and you are gonna pay for that! I'm going tell you what this old 90 year old Jewish man told me. There are two people you don't mess with: God and the air condition man. But if it's 99 degrees or hotter, the air condition man is God...(lol)
***** well said
I like your jumper cable necklace
Great info on your video but you make it sound like it's an isolated incident. Where I live in the san fernando valley 95% of all A/C companies do similar tactics, even the ones that been in business for decades. I got laid off because I was getting hourly and they wanted to bring in sales technicians and I'm sure that happens to honest techs working for dishonest companies nationwide.
He is telling it like it is, Nobody honest is driving 35+ minutes and not charging a service inspection.
Also he should of mentioned how so many company's are being dishonest about compressor failure and trying to sell a new system, I run into that a lot and usually it's just a faulty capacitor or contact switch.
I am seeking new furnace and adding central air. There is nothing wrong with my 80 percent furnace now, could just add the AC. I have gotten estimates all over the place ranging from cheep half assed installs to way over kill UV light 100 dollar air filters rubber dampener sound barrier outrageous stuff. They all claim that they sell the best brand of HVAC. Thing is they all have the same warranty for parts, heat exchanger, and no better than a 1 year worry free labor included warranty.
I feel your pain. If there is nothing wrong with your furnace and you're fine with keeping it just have a new outdoor unit and an evaporator installed. If you keep your furnace you will be limited to 14 seer though. As far as pricing goes do your homework on the installer. Just because they offer a higher price doesn't mean you will get a better job. Same goes for the lowest price also. That guy may not have the overhead but may and will give you as good of job sometimes better than the highest guy.
As far as the extras go like filters, flex connectors etc you don't have to buy them if you don't want them. If the contractor doesn't offer the extras he isn't doing his job properly. I say that because there are many products in the industry that can help air quality that the customer may not be aware of and if it isn't offered you would never know about it. I myself have a 5" media filter and a UV Light in my house I have them because they work.
Good luck to you sir
Thank you for the shout out. And advice. I am still on the fence who to choose and/or what to do myself. Such a hard decision to make for a small 1000 sq ft home with a single gay man living in it. I am a mechanic, yea a contradiction in terms, a gay mechanic, I have only met one other in my life. If you got a UV light, I was skeptical, another bulb to replace ever couple years, but if it does keep the evap from growing shit on it.... 55 dollar air filter to last a year? I am skeptic about that, air filter can get to stinking, but maybe I try it. The air filter may come from car costumers who ether did not know there car had air filter or never changed it, wonder why no air and bad smell. New furnace will be needed since I had new roof and had them remove metal vent for the 80 percent. Old furnace goes in storage, just in case. I want/wanted the 95 percent efficiency. If you have managed to read my ramble, thanks again.... P.S. Myself with research, have chosen this setup. Goodman, gmss960603b for furnace gsx13o241 for condenser capf 1824b cased evaporator, fits nice, website has all data sheets right there, can buy all the stuff right down the street. Even if I buy a generic cheep r410a gauge set and used my 2 meters thermocouple temperature sense for my sub cool and superheat, buy a vac(got automotive one actually, different fittings) pump and all I still save aprox 2 to 3k. 2 to 3k dollars I can use for new windows. I am a mechanic, not a carpenter, me, wood, nails, saws, don't get along, I be better off welding a home together than making anything from wood. Peace, and whatever your beliefs my be, be the best example of those beliefs.
some companies have or make there own reviews so it makes them look good to the costumers. and you can hire companies that do just that and they can delete the bad review so they look good and that should be a law against that ... its so sad
Thank you for sharing this valuable information.
Great video, thanks for posting.
If they're getting best reviews on line, maybe it's because they're putting them on there themselves.
dont pay unless everything was disclosed before repair with reasonable labor and materials cost ,contractors nowadays are insane and charging 10-20 and more hours of labor on 2 hour job , crazy ND NOT JUST hvac TECHS
INSURANCE COMPANIES WILL NEVER EVER PAY THESE RATES AND NEITHER SHOULD YOU . '
RESEARCH WHAT JOB REQUIRES WHAT HOURS FIRST AND MAKE SURE THEY SPENT THOSE HOURS WORKING,