So Sick of Dishonest Contractors

my car's AC was going bad for a while - the blower motor would stop and i'd hit the glove box and it'd spin up again. but over time it finally died.

so i took it in to replace the blower motor. at this time, it was still cold, etc. they replaced it, but said there was a problem: they also tried to put more freon in to recharge it, but something "went wrong" and it only blows hot air now.

i asked what could be done. they said, oh you'll have to replace the compressor, some other part, and it's all behind the dash, and it's all bad, needs full replacement. so labor and everything is looking like $3000.

i said no, i'll just manage. so i pretty much kept the AC off since then, windows down only. a few hot months later, i turn on the car, and boom, it's blowing cold air and has for almost a year now. shrug

What kind of car? My Taco does for me it's a bad connector under the dash.
 
My AC is intermittent too. Shop I pretty much trust said several major parts needed to be replaced, about $900. Don't think they were scamming me, since they know I don't have much spare money and probably just wouldn't fix it, which is what I've done so far. Sometimes it's fine, sometimes just hot air. Bleh.
 
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My AC is intermittent too. Shop I pretty much trust said several major parts needed to be replaced, about $900. Don't think they were scamming me, since they know I don't have much spare money and probably just wouldn't fix it, which is what I've done so far. Sometimes it's fine, sometimes just hot air. Bleh.


I had a Blazer that would blow hot air when going up inclines, but ran cold as ice the rest of the time.... It was a mystery to me for a long time, but looking back with what I know now, I'd imagine it was some blend valve somewhere in the system doing something on inclines.
 
HVAC guys are the worst offenders in my experience.

Unfortunately, with just about anything anymore, I'm calling 3-5 places. I needed the flexible ducting under my place replaced, along with a few other things, plus having the unit serviced. I had one of the guys trying to sell me shit before he had even looked at anything. I think his quote was like $6k, and included ducting with microbial resistant lining, UV filters, and a bunch of other stuff. Down to some unlicensed guys that would do it for $1100. I ended up finding a good company, and they went above and beyond, and didn't come at me for additional money when the job turned out a little bigger than they had quoted.

I bought a crappy house in an expensive neighborhood, so I'm getting well acquainted with people from just about every trade. So far I've had my electrical upgraded from 40 to 200 amps, all the old cast iron plumbing replaced with ABS, flooring replaced with hardwood. Now I'm going through the hell of getting quotes on some roofing work.

I really don't know if anyone beats roofers for scumbags. It seems like there are some good ones out there, but they're basically permanently booked up.
 
Mastering the art of DIY home improvement and maintenance can be a money saver. And it can also wreck marriages. :smile:
I can fix my car, my guitars, and my tube amps, but aroun-the-house fixit stuff, I plead Sgt. Schultz....
100caba20fae06841e5b0ff0782367fe.jpg
 
I can fix my car, my guitars, and my tube amps, but aroun-the-house fixit stuff, I plead Sgt. Schultz....
100caba20fae06841e5b0ff0782367fe.jpg

Well, fixing your car is already an immense money saver. And on the plus side, if you're too good at fixing stuff around the house the wife might find even more things for you to do.
 
So another story...

We have a synthetic slate roof. The problem with it is that it's slippery in the winter and the ice slides off causing damage to things.

So we contact a contractor for a quote to install ice guards. He comes back and says $43,000. "What?!!! Are you out of your mind?"

"Uh, oh, I overestimated the number of guards needed. The cost will only be $23,000." "You've gotta be smoking something", I say. "I want a detailed estimate with itemized costs."

At this point I don't trust the guy but I can't find anyone else so I figure I'll get the jump on him because I'm betting he's going to overstate all his costs. I contact the manufacturer of the ice guards and get a quote and call an equipment rental company for a price on renting a lift for two weeks.

He sends me his itemized quote and it has $20 each for the guards and $7500 for the lift rental. The price I was quoted for the guards was $7.87 and the lift was $3000. So he's marking everything up around 150%.

I replied to his quote with a copy of the quote from the guard manufacturer and told him that I called the equipment rental company.

I haven't heard back and guessing I probably won't.
 
So another story...

We have a synthetic slate roof. The problem with it is that it's slippery in the winter and the ice slides off causing damage to things.

So we contact a contractor for a quote to install ice guards. He comes back and says $43,000. "What?!!! Are you out of your mind?"

"Uh, oh, I overestimated the number of guards needed. The cost will only be $23,000." "You've gotta be smoking something", I say. "I want a detailed estimate with itemized costs."

At this point I don't trust the guy but I can't find anyone else so I figure I'll get the jump on him because I'm betting he's going to overstate all his costs. I contact the manufacturer of the ice guards and get a quote and call an equipment rental company for a price on renting a lift for two weeks.

He sends me his itemized quote and it has $20 each for the guards and $7500 for the lift rental. The price I was quoted for the guards was $7.87 and the lift was $3000. So he's marking everything up around 150%.

I replied to his quote with a copy of the quote from the guard manufacturer and told him that I called the equipment rental company.

I haven't heard back and guessing I probably won't.


WTF ????!!!!
 
At this point I don't trust the guy but I can't find anyone else

There's the issue.

Front range Colorado for the past few years - everyone is overbooked and can't find resources, so even the competent and honest general contractors are taking extended times to complete projects and having to deal with rework of half-assed subcontractors. This has been going on for years. I think the overall problem is that no one wants to get into these trades, because, well, they're hard. They require having technical skills that have to be learned and practiced over time, effective problem-solving abilities that are more sophisticated than grabbing the duct tape (well, at least beyond HVAC), and unfavorable work conditions.

https://gazette.com/business/constr...cle_1f6e42af-d717-58f4-b5a9-d947fdadde77.html
 
Write Google reviews to expose them for being less than honest and expose the bullshit so people become more educated...even though it's a complete waste of your time.

Having similar problems finding contractor to do new septic system and raised bed leach field. As soon as they figure out I know thier bullshit... they sweep me under the rug.... and when it's done I'm going to fuck every one of them.. even the engineer/designer... because he's in on it too.
 
Gotta love it. @FractalAudio - Are you sure you don’t have Dr. - in front of your name , on your mailbox. This BS is the exact kind of robbery that my surgeon brother-in-law has dealt with , since he got out of med school.
As soon as they see or hear “Dr.” Dewel , he’s fkd. Double , triple , x10 , the cost.
 
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