Central Air Conditioner Repair Question

[Rm4956]

My (70) year old mother had her roof top central air conditioner replaced last year. Over the weekend, it started blowing warm air, so she called the contractor Monday because it was still under warranty. The contractor could not get to her for over a week, so she called an Air Conditioner repair company in the phone book.

A repair person responded, went on the roof, came back down and gave her a bill for $590.00. She asked him for the part he replaced and he told her that would be another $48.00 give her the old part. She ended up paying him $590.00 and never got the part he replaced.

I looked at the receipt and it says " Replaced Main Electronic Contactor and charged system with freon." She said the repair man was on the roof for about (30) minutes for this repair.

Can anyone tell if this sounds like a legitimate repair bill ?

[LazyPup]

As a contractor myself, I think i would run don't walk to the local code inspector and presecuting attorneys office and have them check this guy out. First of all, it is illegal to charge you for the old part, you already own it, second, either the refrigerant (freon) level or a circuit board could have accounted for the problem, but it is highly unlikely that both required service and last but not least, that price sounds totally exhorbitant for a thirty minute job.

[Rm4956]

Thanks for responding to my post.

Well, I had my mother call her bank and cancel the check.

Then I called the Service Manager at the repair company on my mother's behalf and asked why the bill was so high. He claimed $120.00 an hour labor, $85.00 for service call, $85.00 part charge to replace the contactor, $100.00 to rewire some burnt wires, $200.00 to recharge the freon. (the only thing on her receipt is replaced main contactor and recharged system with freon) When I asked why she could not have the old part which was replaced, he claimed old parts have to be sent back to the company who made them.

So I called another major A/C repair company and they quoted a price of $200.00 to $250.00 to complete the repairs listed on her receipt, depending on the amount of freon used.

I called the repair company back, talked to the service manager, told him the charge was excessive and I would be taking the receipt to the Elderly Fraud Unit at the District's Attorney's Office. He first lowered the bill to $490.00, then $342.00 and now $250.00

I am inclined now just to file a complaint with the District Attorney's Office. If they overcharged my mother, they are doing the same thing to other elderly folks on fixed incomes.

[imeduc]

I still think it was to high. Freon here goes for $6.50 a lb.
I would call the BBB for sure and also a T/V station they love this kind of stuff down here. He took that part from your moms AC so it is hers to start with. I think what he is trying here is Its so new he can turn it in for a new one free.$85 service call that should be the first 30 min at the home. So if he was there only 30 min how did he get to a$120 for and hour service

ED

My mistakes dont define me they inform me.

[LazyPup]

The contractor has already lowered the bill 3 times to a point that is about 1/2 of the original bill. That should tell you something right there. As far as giving you the old part, i never have a problem with leaving the old parts with the customer(I already have enough junk on the truck). The fact that he was reluctant to supply the old part would make we wonder if he actually changed anything. In most communities the service techs make one of their first stops in the morning at the local parts house, where they pick up what they need, grab a cup of coffee and have a few minutes to chat with other techs in the community. Belive me when i tell you that we hear war stories about service ppl like you describe. I think i can speak for all reputable techs when i say we are as anxious to bust those ppl as anyone cause they give us all a bad name.

[Rm4956]

Thanks for all your responses....i typed a letter, with a copy of the receipt detailing the work and sent it to the District Attorney's Elderly Fraud Unit....the one thing i did notice on the receipt was lack of a State Contractors License #.......so if nothing else, maybe they can cite this company for performing work without a contractor's license.....

[imeduc]

I think we all forgot here. Check out if the guy that worked on the unit is "EPA" if not you can get him for $10 grand. If he is not he cant work with the freon

ED

My mistakes dont define me they inform me.

[volts]

This sad but true repair story confirms that one should never play Yellow Pages Roulette. I rely on references from others.

[LazyPup]

I have to agree with VOLTs comment about getting references bu ti would suggest the homeowner take that one step further. Don't wait till the AC quites on a 100 deg day or water is poring out of the ceiling to try to find a tradesmen. Start now, asking friends, relatives, neighbors and co-workers about their experiences with different tradesmen. Make a list of those you feel are competant, then contact them. Tell them you do not require their service at this time but you are making a list of who to call in emergencies. Quite often competant tradesmen are booked solid and may not be able to take on new work. In this way you would find out who can or cannot be available in an emergency. Once you have found a list that do trouble calls on short notice, write the list and post it in a conspicuous place like on the breaker box cover door or the front of your furnace. Then tell you spouse, room mate or significant other, these are the ppl to call in an emergency. A little bit of homework now can avoid a disaster in an emergency.