DIYbanter - View Single Post

Moe Jones

wrote:
On Aug 16, 9:28 am, Smitty Two wrote:
In article ,

George wrote:
Richard J Kinch wrote:
i realize its an
old system,but i think you should be able to have a leak fixed if
you want with no guarantee.

Trade licensing essentially outlaws minor repairs by making it
difficult to enter the trade, restricting supply and raising
costs. Thus the market provides only more expensive repair
methods (such as remove-and- replace) even though a cheap, quick
fix like your leak repair may be well worth doing.

In other words, the licensed contractors stand to collect $5K
installing $1.5K worth of equipment, because they've colluded and
licensed themselves into an agreement to fleece you by that much.
They will justify such markups in their minds by the apparent
costs of these self- imposed restraints, rather than being honest
with themselves that they are running a legal racketeering
organization. Anyone who tries to operate more efficiently is
forbidden a license and forcibly stopped if operating unlicensed.

This is the trade licensing scam. You should be able to run an A/C
business without such artificial barriers to entry. Let those
that want to "protect the consumer" certify contractors who meet
technical standards, but don't force the uncertified from doing
business. The consumer can choose whether to hire certified
contractors. This is basic economic freedom. The US is quite
unfree, a police state, in this regard.

Clearly you have never been involved in the operation of a
business. If you operate a service business of any type and fall
into the "it only has to work for a few more weeks" or whatever
repair on old/marginal equipment there is 99.97% certainty that
they will behave as if they paid for a new equipment installation
and will become irate when it fails in any way (including things
that were not even touched). Business operators know it is best to
walk away when someone wants their "pinto" repaired.

And some consumers are sick to death of being jacked by business
owners who shotgun* every repair, out of fear of call-backs that
might expose their incompetence or put a dent in their obscene
profits.

Case in point: Female friend took her overheating car in to a
well-respected local auto repair facility. Comes the call, which I
took:

"Car needs a new water pump, new radiator, new thermostat, new
hoses."

Friend was unemployed at that time and in tears over the considerable
expense which she simply couldn't afford.

"How do you know it needs a new radiator?" I inquired.

Snotty response; "That's our diagnosis."

"How is that diagnosed?" I continued.

Even more short-tempered: "With a pressure test."

We went down to pick up the car, but didn't leave the lot until after
I'd confirmed that the radiator had not been tested, nor any other
part of the cooling system.

I put in a ten dollar thermostat, and that was the end of it. Except
for the giant sign I put in the back window of my own car, declaring
the facility to be "as crooked as the day is long." I drove around
with it for several months and met quite a few people with stories
of their own.

If you think this account is an anomaly, well, all I can say is I
disagree. I doubt if there's one out of ten competent and honest
repair person in any trade. That's been my consistent experience.

*replace every component rather than troubleshoot to the component
level

I have to disagree with you about you about your
competent and honest/repair person ratio. Most
of the tradesmen I know are good people. The
problem can be the company they're working for.
I have a friend who was a mechanic for a large
luxury car dealer and the things he was ordered
to do that he considered to be dishonest really
caused him a lot torment, so much that he had
to resign. He found a job with another company
that didn't rip people off. Those who are employed
by these large dishonest outfits are held hostage
by the fact that they have families and bills to pay
and quitting their job while telling the crooks off
could get them blackballed in the industry and
labeled a troublemaker. I've worked for some real
crooks in my life and my time with them has
always been short. Carma, with a little help from
me, always catches up with them and that makes
me smile.

[8~{} Uncle Monster

I have experienced the same as your friend.

What I like is a company that teats their customers as long term and not
short term.

It takes time too show your customer that you are thinking of them and not
the holly dollar.

I have always thought my job was to save my customer money and it has paid
off for me in that when my custom=mars call me they know I am thinking of
them and not how much money I will make.

--
Moe Jones
HVAC Service Technician
Energy Equalizers Inc.
Houston, Texas
www.EnergyEqualizers.com