I called Airtron at 12:30pm on the 25th of August to request them the check out our Bryant air conditioner. On my initial call the CSR tried to pressure me into signing up for the Essential Service Protection, I declined. According to my wife the technician arrived around 2:10pm and had the unit repaired by 2:25pm. I asked my wife to give the phone to the technician and get a description of the repair.initially he mentioned a bad capacitor was replaced and the only thing left to do was to decide if we wanted the $433 charge ($174 service fee and $254 part fee) that included the essential service or the $388 ($89 service charge and $299 part charge) for service without the essential service protection. I did not want the essential service protection and told him to charge us the lower amount. After getting off the phone I asked a contractor we use at work how much a capacitor part would cost, and I was told around $30. When I got home I checked the service ticket for the part number (P291-455-4RS) and searched in Google and found the part is $38 at Shortys HVAC supplies, 7720 Mooresville Rd, West Newton, IN Phone 317.821.8770, Here is the specific link http://shortyshvac.com/index.php? Main_page=product_info&products_id=1405. I called and spoke with the service manager at Aitron and asked for an explanation of why I was charged $299 for a $38 (retail) part. At Berkheimer a local HVAC parts wholesaler the part lists for $16.95 wholesale. He told me the markup was for the truck, delivery, overhead etc. I told him I can fully understand the overhead, truck and delivery could be included in the $89 per hour labor cost but could not understand a 1700% markup on the part. I complained the part was replaced then we were presented the bill afterwards. The service manager was very curt and bragged about Airton's A rating and specified who to call at the BBB locally.
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