When is enough too much?

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My local news station did an ambush on a local service contractor. They stated this contractor had overcharged people in the past but the contractor's state license board has been unable to shut them down. So the news station did a sting. They hired a qualified electrician to rig a panel with an easy problem. The electrician (in his words) "turned off" an SP circuit breaker. [Actually he put it in the "tripped" position]. He gave them an estimate for $546 to do the job which they declined. Then they roasted him.

Here's the link:
http://www.kron4.com/Global/story.asp?S=1884693&nav=5D7vNJ54
 
Re: When is enough too much?

There are two sides to every story, but...........
when there appears (as stated in the article) too be numerous complaints on one side and the other side won't talk...well, I believe that speaks for itself.

These News stations do a good job exposing problems, sometimes, but.............they can be over zealous. Our local station is telling me every night that one thing or the other is going to kill me, hurt me, is ripping me off, there is disaster lurking, ect...........

I believe this may desensitize us to real problems.

Service work doesn't need bad contractors giving us a slap in the face, but.............neither do lawyers, doctors, CPA's and News Stations. We all unfortunately have our share of scuz balls.
 
Re: When is enough too much?

So he found 3 more bad ones eh? I wonder how he found them. He must have a circuit breaker test stand with him to make that determination. Im sure all thier service trucks have this sophisticated testing equipment in each van. What a bloody rip off. Gives all of us who do service work a bad name.We have several of these service pros here in seattle also that charge anywhere from 50 to 100 $ for a sp 20 amp breaker you can buy for 3$. The main reason these guys charge so much is that they are doing work on a small hourly salary plus a very nice commission. The costlier the job the higher the commission. Some have "bonus" commissions for anything above the flat rate. In other words a nice comission to start with and a better one the deeper you stick it and twist it.
 
Re: When is enough too much?

without defending the contractor's price, several comments on the other side (i could never charge that kind of money for a tripped breaker-but i had them try to not pay a service call fee when i told them what it was)

did the qualifying electrician (the setting up the sting) actually check out the panel for any other problems? He actually certified it as safe??

the contractor who turned on the breaker assumed the liability of the problem causing the tripped breaker.

I was on a remodel job where a fire broke out by the main panel. It was an old Zinsco and stuffed. I was just moving plugs, far from the old panel. The insurance company asked if any electricians had been near the panel and were going to go after whoever had touched it last. I had witnesses, otherwise??.

I know electricians that will not do old work.

the contractor up the street from me just dropped his liability insurance, himself and a crew of two, 30k. Didn't make that kind of extra money.

it seems the expose implied that it was OBVIOUS that there were no underlying problems.

did the expose explain any risks associated with assuming the breaker was at fault. Although I think the amount estimated was extremely high, not explaining any of the hazards assiociated with electrical work, or of trying to verify hidden problems, and the assumed liability, did a disservice to the electrical industry.

I would like to see them compare the estimate with the amount of pay they receive for their own time; for the electrician, possibly two service calls, at least a half hour to two hours checking circuit. (I have seen houses where an hour or more of moving furniture was expected, with liability for fagile antiques, just to get to a couple of outlets). Even if the electrician got the job, he would have been paid less than the news hypers.

There are so many bigger rip offs to go after, i doubt the news' integrity.

paul
 
Re: When is enough too much?

A local doctor had just opened his own practice and wanted to invite all his old medical school budies over to show off his big house and nice cars. Unfortunately an hour before the guests were supposed to arrive, all the lighting at the pool deck went out.

The doctor franticaly called a 24-hour emergency electrical service contractor to fix the problem. Upon arrival, the doctor ran out, explained the situation and told the electrician the problem needed to be fixed no matter the cost. The electrican walked up to the panel, turned back on the tripped breaker, and walked back out to his truck to write up the bill.

By this time, the doctor realized the lights at the pool deck were back on. He ran outside again to thank the contractor and make payment for his fast service. The electrician handed the doctor the bill. The doctor gasped and in shock stated, "$250 for ten minutes worth of work! Thats more than I charge and I'm a doctor!" The elctrician replied, "Yes, and thats why I no longer practice medicine." :p
 
Re: When is enough too much?

I don't think a day goes by that I wonder if I am being watched while I sing out loud in some basement. :eek: I know nobody is home but maybe there is a camera or perhaps I am part of a news investigation. Oh well maybe I'll get my 15 minutes yet! :D :cool:
 
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