FIRST TIME I CHECKED GUYS LIKE THESE OUT

Blog number 373 **** 09 February 2009

We have, for the better part of a year or so, been receiving calls from heating and air conditioning firms who say they are going to be in the neighborhood and can give us a very good price on service. I always said no, and finally started telling them that we just had it done and no use calling any more. That didn't stop them. I don't know whether they were different firms or not, since I didn't pay much attention to their spiel.

One day a couple of years ago we called a firm here in Casa Grande and had our heating and air serviced. We liked the service, so we filed his receipt.

A couple of days ago I got a call from a firm in Phoenix and they told me that old story about being in the neighborhood and therefore could give a really good deal. I said, "How much?" They said. "$34.95." I said ok and made an appointment. I figured it was a scam, but worth the price to find out if they were scammers.

Sure enough, the guy took the control cover off, brushed the inside and then told me the coils had to be cleaned with acid. He would spray around "here" and "there" and that would take the stuff off the coils. I asked him how much that would cost and he said, "$127.00." I said no.

A little spray and five minutes of work for $127.00? Was he spraying with pure gold?

He got a surprised look on his face when I said no and told me the dangers of not having that done and was I sure that I didn't want it done. I again said no. That's all I said. I didn't explain anything.

Then he said I need two more pounds of Freon. I asked him if that would cost more than the $34.95. He said it would. I said no.

When he left with our $34.95, we called our regular guy and asked him the price. For $59.50 he did his more thorough job. I asked him if it needed more Freon and he said it didn't. Just as I thought. There was no talk of spraying the coils.

We had a thumping in the attic and the first guy listened, said he thought it was because we were low on Freon. He didn't offer to go up and see what it was. The second guy went up into the attic and taped a vibrating copper pipe that was banging against a rafter.

I don't know if firms think they can make more money by cheating customers than by building up a business or they just look at the money and don't really care about their business. I guess they can start another business under another name, I guess.

I think maybe they think if anyone is dumb enough to fall for their pitch, they will also be too dumb not to hire them again. But I think even if customers are too dumb, they will get an uncomfortable feeling about the firm even if they don't know why, and not hire them again. That's what I think.