I called this company due to simple name recognition. When the guy came to my door, I found out they charge a $69 "dispatch fee". First time I heard of it. I thought, fine, it will just be rolled into the cost of getting my leaky kitchen sink fixed. Although I had specific tasks I wanted him to accomplish, he insisted on checking all of our plumbing as part of their "service". The whole thing felt like a set-up before we even sat down. When we finally did sit down to talk, he started by telling me I have "two options". I can buy a MEMBERSHIP for $19.95 a month, or I can pay the single-visit fee. When I heard the word "membership", I thought, "oh boy, here comes the pitch", and I wasn't disappointed. I tried to cut to the chase and ask him what the price for fixing my leaky faucet and hot water laundry lead would cost, but he insisted on giving me the whole schpeel on the merits of membership. When he finally finished, I AGAIN asked what the single-visit cost would be. He wrote it on a notepad and slid it over. It would cost $450.00!!
I told the guy that is much, much more than I expected to pay. He said, "Plumbing work is expensive these days". I told him I'd treat this as a bid and look for other companies. He tried the whole, "How much do you want to pay?" thing, and I told him 120 bucks tops. When his high-pressure sales tactics were exhausted, he said, "Ok, I'll just collect that dispatch fee from you now". I said, "No. I wasn't aware of it until you arrived today, and I didn't sign anything". He tried to pressure me by telling me he told me at the door, but I stuck to my guns. He knew I was a law student from earlier in the conversation, so he gave up pretty quickly and left in an angry, huffy manner, telling me the fee was for gas money. $70 for gas across town!?! He should get a more fuel-efficient vehicle.
Please be aware that, if you call these guys out, they're going to push their membership program. They're going to give you a highly-inflated single-service fee in order to make their membership price look more attractive. Its the classic bait and switch with a little "and that's not all" thrown in. If you refuse, they'll pressure you into a dispatch fee. Stay FAR, FAR AWAY from this company. Hire a dude with a plumbing license instead. He'll charge $40 an hour plus reduced-price parts. Easy.
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