I've seen $450 to replace a cap.
Rant about ripoff from security company
- Thread starter Donald
- Start date
JHZR2
Staff member
No it was an install, but totally non-defensible and more than one vendor.
Makes me glad that I'm not one of those people that has to call an electrician to change a light bulb.
Same company probably WOULD charge $250+ to change a run cap, from the sounds of it.
Just so you know-a LOT of these residential HVAC shops MAKE their techs sell/replace perfectly serviceable systems! One obvious way to tell a shady one is they do a LOT of advertising. The “PT Barnum” business model…
JHZR2
Staff member
Well once you’ve taken a bite of the forbidden fruit, and know you can rip off folks and they’ll pay, then you price accordingly.
Post 1# you signed the contract second thoughts don't count. When your in charge and have to ask your self there always a cheaper way but what there are problems that will come back on me is it worth it?
What happens is gate fails and hurts some one?
Half the rants thread on here are similar. Bought something/or hired someone/fixed my car - thought it costs too much AFTER THE FACT. Come on here create a thread have others commiserate with you.
I guess it makes one feel better-apparently.
have you read the thread about the 700 dollar oil pressure switch install?.
You pay the price or you find a different way to do it including doing it yourself.
As I said, we will pay the full bill if we have to. They said it would probably take a week, it took a month. They said there was a chip shortage and that's why it it took so long to get the unit. I say BS. The keypad they installed is a basic DoorKing 1506 surface mount keypad I can get on Amazon or other companies in a few days.
Here is the bottom line, we have been using them for several years. Their service has always been slow but they eventually repaired the gate. Most of the past service has been parts inside the opener mechanism and hard to determine if we were getting a fair price or not. But this time we know the price of the keypad and how long the service tech was there.
So at this point I think their service is slow and overpriced. I am in the process of contacting other companies to see if I can find one who I think will do a better.
I will ask for a discount from current company if they give me one I may keep them if not I will look hard for another company.
Here is the bottom line, we have been using them for several years. Their service has always been slow but they eventually repaired the gate. Most of the past service has been parts inside the opener mechanism and hard to determine if we were getting a fair price or not. But this time we know the price of the keypad and how long the service tech was there.
So at this point I think their service is slow and overpriced. I am in the process of contacting other companies to see if I can find one who I think will do a better.
I will ask for a discount from current company if they give me one I may keep them if not I will look hard for another company.
They probably operate the same way with all the other HOAs. Those don't have anyone that cares about the costs. It's not their personal money. You might be the only one who cares. Good for you!
I am the president and the board does care about costs. I think the homeowners trust the board as long as we don't spend much more than we take in with HOA fees. Twenty five home with an annual fee of $1000. Not a lot of money. The future issue is we have slightly less than $100K in the bank and in 10 years our mile of roadway will need paving. Today's cost would be $300K.
The quote was really $1800 not $1600. Did not remember correctly.
I got an invoice for $1800 from the company. Asked them how they could possibly justify $1800 when they keypad costs $425 and they were onsite for only 2 hours. With no reply I got an invoice for $1200.
Talked to a new gate company and he said he would charge around $700. He said companies like the one we used push business to him.
I got an invoice for $1800 from the company. Asked them how they could possibly justify $1800 when they keypad costs $425 and they were onsite for only 2 hours. With no reply I got an invoice for $1200.
Talked to a new gate company and he said he would charge around $700. He said companies like the one we used push business to him.
As others have noted, the op didn't bother to get multiple quotes, didn't like how slow this company was to respond in prior work, yet had them do the work anyways, and is mad the bill is higher than they think it should be after the fact.
Who are we mad at again...
Who are we mad at again...
I would have reached out for more quotes
I cannot argue that statement. But this company had been servicing the gate for several years. But until this point we were not able to add things up for work they had done. Most of the previous work was repair of the actual opener.
I was also in Europe on a cruise and the lady (vice president) who called the company is not tech savvy (does not text yet).
They dont really make them, the tech get a huge bonus for every system that gets replaced, killing the incentive to repair anything.
You are so very right. I watched my at the time new community how these AC companies when called for service convince people to get new systems! Thats how I took to myself and repairing the pretty basic stuff without calling anyone anymore. We too were quoted to replace our main floor unit by two companies, guy even showed me the gauges with the system running, all I was insisting was he added more freon, he said he was to nervous to add anymore it was at it max pressure. I wanted the return line cold, it was warm.
For years since buying the home new that unit to me was never 100% right.
SO I took to myself, yes, purchased the now no longer in production freon canister on eBay many years back and a set of gauges. I filled freon to near the pressures of the other unit which was a heat pump. Both same manufacturer but the label was worn off the unit we worked on. Meanwhile everyone in my community it seems every time they needed a service call got new units! Paid retarded prices too.
Sometimes I am not so sure the companies knew the systems in our community were dual use, meaning down the road capable of using the new freon. Anyway, I filled the unit to the higher pressure on the label of the second unit, right away the return pipe became cold, ran at least 9 years since and both units still working flawlessly when we sold the house in Nov 2022 at 16 years old.
Meanwhile many neighbors were having units replaced at 8 years old.
In-between I did do some, what I call maintainance on the units, replaced the CAP's and one contactor and one condenser fan. That was it, two units, 16 years still going strong. My neighbors at times replacing both units way before th 16 year mark to the tune of at least $7,500 each. I really mean AT LEAST.
Warning, if your AC company has nothing but shiny new trucks and fancy community ads, YOU are paying for it.
With that said, as far as the OP, that was a part that had to be replaced, unlike the mentioned AC units above.
The OP agreed to the price to replace it which he acknowledges but has buyers remorse. Nothing wrong with asking for a discount before paying but he is obligated to pay if they say no discount and should not imply he will not pay if they dont discount which he seems to state. He is just asking, nothing wrong with that once he saw how little was involved.
He might be made of something additional that he was not aware of and then feel better about it. Nothing wrong with talking but true, he did title the thread "Rip Off" which implies he doesnt want to pay for what he agreed to.
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There are many "Ripoff" threads that are posted on here that are not really Ripoffs but merely a lack of communication, not asking the right questions, or as you stated simply "buyers remorse"...like this thread.They dont really make them, the tech get a huge bonus for every system that gets replaced, killing the incentive to repair anything.
You are so very right. I watched my at the time new community how these AC companies when called for service convince people to get new systems! Thats how I took to myself and repairing the pretty basic stuff without calling anyone anymore. We too were quoted to replace our main floor unit by two companies, guy even showed me the gauges with the system running, all I was insisting was he added more freon, he said he was to nervous to add anymore it was at it max pressure. I wanted the return line cold, it was warm.
For years since buying the home new that unit to me was never 100% right.
SO I took to myself, yes, purchased the now no longer in production freon canister on eBay many years back and a set of gauges. I filled freon to near the pressures of the other unit which was a heat pump. Both same manufacturer but the label was worn off the unit we worked on. Meanwhile everyone in my community it seems every time they needed a service call got new units! Paid retarded prices too.
Sometimes I am not so sure the companies knew the systems in our community were dual use, meaning down the road capable of using the new freon. Anyway, I filled the unit to the higher pressure on the label of the second unit, right away the return pipe became cold, ran at least 9 years since and both units still working flawlessly when we sold the house in Nov 2022 at 16 years old.
Meanwhile many neighbors were having units replaced at 8 years old.
In-between I did do some, what I call maintainance on the units, replaced the CAP's and one contactor and one condenser fan. That was it, two units, 16 years still going strong. My neighbors at times replacing both units way before th 16 year mark to the tune of at least $7,500 each. I really mean AT LEAST.
Warning, if your AC company has nothing but shiny new trucks and fancy community ads, YOU are paying for it.
With that said, as far as the OP, that was a part that had to be replaced, unlike the mentioned AC units above.
The OP agreed to the price to replace it which he acknowledges but has buyers remorse. Nothing wrong with asking for a discount before paying but he is obligated to pay if they say no discount and should not imply he will not pay if they dont discount which he seems to state. He is just asking, nothing wrong with that once he saw how little was involved.
He might be made of something additional that he was not aware of and then feel better about it. Nothing wrong with talking but true, he did title the thread "Rip Off" which implies he doesnt want to pay for what he agreed to.
So looking into the gate more and it looks like the gate does not comply with UL325. As far as I can tell the old gate company never suggested we upgrade the gate to comply with UL325. UL325 is the same requirement that requires your garage door to have a photo cell to prevent the garage door from closing on someone.
We have a pair of swing gates with a gate operator for each gate. It does not look like the gate will stop for anything while opening or closing. The area around the gate operator looks particularly dangerous.
The new gate company will be getting us an estimate to install the required sensors.
We have a pair of swing gates with a gate operator for each gate. It does not look like the gate will stop for anything while opening or closing. The area around the gate operator looks particularly dangerous.
The new gate company will be getting us an estimate to install the required sensors.
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