We all think we are checking enough, when we need to trust someone to be honest when offering goods and services. Only so much you can check and heating & A/C companies know that when you are down, well, folks want to get cool again during the heat of summer.
Some years back I called a A/C company after moving into town, yellow pages pick as I had no basis for local history nor any friends to call for recommendations, and it was over 100F!
Fella says he can recharge it but it will not last the month as it is worn out and needs total replacement of the system (15 yo home/system at the time).
Sure enough, about a month later it is fading fast but this time I called a fella I met through a customer who told me he was as honest as they come. Holding the flashlight for him to work as 10:00 pm, he pulls the cap and states the former company is known for loosening the valve just enough for it to leak slowly after they top it up with freon so they can push for the new system sale.
Sure enough, he shows me the valve is in-fact loose before he applies a 2-part system sealant just to be safe before topping up the freon.
We ended up becoming fast friends via cattle dealings and still laugh about that system (which I made a rental property) as it has run trouble free for five years now.
I work out of the house so tv morning news is on in the background, including saturation by local heating and A/C companies as the morning commercial time is their target.
As a local tv station busted one of these companies recently for "commissioned sales by service techs" (using the ol' loose valve scam), it is funny how they have all turned on each other with updated commercials touting "our techs are not commissioned salesmen".
I also have a friend that moved in about a mile or so down the road, body shop and mechanical. When I asked how he set up front suspensions on units repaired or hot rods he builds from scratch, he advised he drives them into town or trailers them to the major tire/mechanical franchise store he used to work at. Since that chain store was one I used to use for company lease vehicles, we shared some stories about their "sales tactics" as i had called them out more than once for trying to gouge the lease co. on the trucks I drove. When I asked my buddy why he left such a large name brand store he advised the tipping point was the day he did an alignment on a very nice Caddy that was not that old. As he walked across the shop with his paperwork to turn in, he was met by the manager that stated he had a good number of parts on the way so the front end could basically be rebuilt as he had convinced the little old lady that owned it. My friend advised there was absolutely nothing wrong with the car and a simple alignment was all it needed, plus calling out the counter manager as he had not even seen the car in question.
The so called manager advised him "I don't think you realize how we make our money" before telling him that if he did not perform the work, another tech would.
My buddy said he took less than 30 mins to load all of his large toolboxes into his truck before he left.
As I tell my son and daughter who are now out on their own; whenever someone tells you it's not about the money, it is ALWAYS about the money so buyer beware.
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