We had a leak in our hot tub so my wife located a plumber in the phone book. He quoted a $95 house call and a $95 diagnostic charge. This was presented to my wife immediately. The hot tub is 5 years old and traditionally the pump leaks first. After removing the cover and several other parts, he presented an estimation of $800 to my wife. When queried what that involved, he mentioned draining the tub, blowing all electrical components and cutting out two PVC parts and replacing them with rubber hoses. Since the tub was disassembled and getting someone else to come to the house to put it back together, she felt obligated to pay. At the completion of the 4-hour task, he presented her with two bills; one for $190 (house call and diagnostic), and one for the parts and labor ($799.89). After consulting with East Coast Leisure Pools and Spas, the representative informed us that the total bill should have been around $250 and that all the motors in the spa are self-enclosed. We only wanted the leaks repaired. He used the diagnostic to overwhelm my wife with unnecessary replacements and repair costs (suggested price was $2,000). Since she didnt agree to change out the motor and all internal parts, he raised the price of the repair to offset his profit.
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