Rant Rant Rant........and some more Rant

[Bill Huber]

Boy this really burns me up.... really burns me up....

To start I live in somewhat new area, the houses are in most case less then 3 years old and there is NO gas in the area so its all electric.

There was a flyer on my door about a furnace check.

Don't go though the winter with a bad furnace and take the change of carbine monoxide in your house.
Then there was a bunch of stuff about how many people die for carbine monoxide from their furnace every year.
They would do a check for you for only $25.

I just put mine in the round file as soon as I saw what it was.

Well the poor older lady down the street call the number on the flyer and had them come out and check the furnace.

Now I am sure you know that her furnace was bad and needed to be repaired before it killed her, we all know how much Carbine Monoxide can come out of and electric furance.

The guy brought in a bunch of boxes and was nice enough to carry out all the old parts and was also nice enough to only take a half payment for the job $450 for a half payment.

I just happened to be talking to her that afternoon after he had repaired the furnace. I told her to call the police right then and to call the bank and stop payment on the check.

From what the police said they had been hitting a lot of homes in the area with this furnace repair thing. They hit an area and then move to another one the next day. they were going to try and set up a sting. I hope they can catch this low life $#@$ $%^ @#$%$ %^&#$ guys.

She was lucky, the check was stopped.

I just wish I could get my hands on these people like this. The things I would do, I guess I can't put in the forum.

[Al Willits]

I work in the HVAC business and I could fill pages of incidents that people have gotten taken.
With all this energy saving stuff that's been going on people are getting fleeced right and left.
Not to long ago I talked to a older couple who got the spiel on global warming/ozone and the cost of heating, they talked the couple into installing electronic ignition on their gravity furnace (prob 45-50 years old).
The pilot less ignition cost them well over $500 and will save them maybe 20-25 bucks a year at the most.

Couple was in their late 70's btw, on that one I did call the county attorney, but not sure what can be done, it is truly a buyer beware time we live in.

Al

[Dennis Peacock]

Need to send them boys to the backwoods or Arkysaw and pull that trick. Won't need any police after that. :)

[Bruce Page]

Bill sorry to hear of the swindle but it can always be worse. We recently had a case of two transients’ selling magazines door to door that over powered a 79 year old man and beat him & his 69 year old wife to death. The booty? A couple of cameras.
There's scum all over.

[Christopher Pine]

let me know i will hold them while you.....

[David Epperson]

Need to send them boys to the backwoods or Arkysaw and pull that trick. Won't need any police after that. :)
Yep! Some of them "Good 'ol boys" out Highway 9 would be more'n happy to SSS (Shoot, Shovel, Shut-up)...Provided, of course, that they weren't the ones doing the scam. :D

[Thomas Knighton]

There's at least one Georgia boy who'd love to get hold of these dirtballs! :mad:

I have gas heat unfortunately. Once, many moons ago, when my mother still lived in the house and I was fresh out of the Navy, we found ourselves extremely sleepy. The heat wasn't working right, but we never put two and two together.

When the guy came out, he said it was a miracle we were still alive. Now, there's a CO meter in the house.

With gas heat, Carbon Monoxide is no joke. However, people praying on folks' fear is something I have zero tolerance for. I'd like to take them out back and...well...best you all not know the details. Plausible deniability and all that. ;)

Tom

[Gary Keedwell]

My poor old neighbor lady, who lived alone, had her sump pump replaced. This is a new building with a dry basement. She said it cost her over $400. I asked her who did it and she said a plumber. I went down and looked at it and it was a 1/2 hour job, at the most. I was fuming. I told her to call me the next time. A $70 motor and charging over $400 bucks. You don't need to be unlicensed to be a crook.:(
Gary

[Jude Tuliszewski]

Not all crooks are individuals. My Mother took her car into a dealership when her car was giving her trouble and I was unsure of the problem because of all the computer controls. I told her too only get an estimate and call me before any work was done. Well, that did not happen, they talked her into doing work on her car by way of “a qualified mechanic should do the work or the car may not run correctly”.

The kicker, they changed 4 spark plugs, 4 plug wires, and ignition coils plus 4 hours labor. Even if I got all the parts at NAPA it would have been less than $90 for all of it and if it took the mech. more than 45 min. he was goofing off. They stuck my Mother for over $700. By time I found out it was to late, my Mother told them do it and it was done and paid for before I could tell her to tell them that they must be crazy and do not touch the car.


Just recently the same car was leaking tranny fluid. I new it was the front seal. I could not do the work in a timely manner so it was taken to major (beep beep) tranny shop. They looked at it said it’s the front seal and it would be (round numbers) $550. OK, not great but not bad, told them do it. Later that day my Mother gets a call from them. It needs $997 worth of seals in addition to the $550. Not a rebuild job, just seals. Thankfully she called me before getting back to them about it.


So we went down to look and get them to show me what they were talking about. I have done a lot of work on cars and in a previous life, was a helicopter mech., so I new what to ask and look for. The “seal kit” was left and right drive shaft seals, dip stick O-ring, speedo cable O-ring, and side pan gasket. Maybe $50 worth of parts (that showed no signs of leakage to begin with) and since the tranny was on a work bench about 30 min. worth of work. I even told the “manager” that I’ve done shaft seals and the most it ever cost for the seal was $17 each, so how dose it cost $997 for the extra work. Song and dance about seal kit and mech. time and labor….. Front seal replaced and has not lost a drop since.


If my Mother did not have someone looking out for her they would have certainly had a good payday from her. It made me wonder how many unsuspecting people they do that to. Sorry for hi-jacking the thread, and for a long rant but it chaps my A-- at how deceitful and down right dishonest people have gotten.

[Gary Keedwell]

Unfortunately, the vultures prey on the older people especially woman. My wife was in the waiting room at a car dealer having her oil changed. The guy goes over to an elderly woman and tells her that she needs a new timing belt. Of course she said yes, so my wife who knows alot about alot of stuff ( she actually listens to me :D ) asks the older lady how many miles she has on her car. She says something like 20,000. My wife got mad but didn't let on because she did not want to upset the lady. That poor old woman drove away from there hundreds of dollars poorer and she doesn't even know she got robbed. That probably happens thousands of times a day.
I'll tell you one thing: when I kick the bucket...they won't take advantage of my widow!!!!!:D
Gary

[David G Baker]

Check out Sears auto repair record in California several years back. They got caught but not until after they had ripped off customers for millions of dollars.

[Jerry Clark]

Unfortunately, the vultures prey on the older people especially woman. My wife was in the waiting room at a car dealer having her oil changed. The guy goes over to an elderly woman and tells her that she needs a new timing belt. Of course she said yes, so my wife who knows alot about alot of stuff ( she actually listens to me :D ) asks the older lady how many miles she has on her car. She says something like 20,000. My wife got mad but didn't let on because she did not want to upset the lady. That poor old woman drove away from there hundreds of dollars poorer and she doesn't even know she got robbed. That probably happens thousands of times a day.
I'll tell you one thing: when I kick the bucket...they won't take advantage of my widow!!!!!:DGary
Yes--Gary-- the sad part is that they probably did not even replace the belt!

[Jim O'Dell]

Bill, I don't know if you know this or not, may have read it in the paper in the past, but there is a group of gypsies that stop in White Settlement (small community on the west side of Ft. Worth for those not from the area.) for a period each year, that have been accused of this sort of thing. I have had some dealings with a couple of them in working on their cars, all very nice cars I might add, and trying to get us to let them take the vehicle to go get the money to pay for the repair. Of course that did not happen.
This may not be what is happening here. But I'd be willing to be the bait for the police on something like this!! Jim.

[Gary Keedwell]

Unfortunately, the vultures prey on the older people especially woman. My wife was in the waiting room at a car dealer having her oil changed. The guy goes over to an elderly woman and tells her that she needs a new timing belt. Of course she said yes, so my wife who knows alot about alot of stuff ( she actually listens to me :D ) asks the older lady how many miles she has on her car. She says something like 20,000. My wife got mad but didn't let on because she did not want to upset the lady. That poor old woman drove away from there hundreds of dollars poorer and she doesn't even know she got robbed. That probably happens thousands of times a day.
I'll tell you one thing: when I kick the bucket...they won't take advantage of my widow!!!!!:DGary
Yes--Gary-- the sad part is that they probably did not even replace the belt!
You know something? I bet your right. I didn't even think of that.;)
Gary

[James Jaragosky]

Then there is just plain over charging. I had my furnace go out the day my wife came home from surgery.
So since my home is only 3 years old, and I know little about high efficiency electric furnaces ( old gas jobs , I got them down pat.) I called a major national company and was quoted a minimum cost of $89.00. Ok no problem there I know that it costs money to run a business. But the service guy was at my home less than 15 minutes for the entire job. he just pulled off the cover and changed a 5 amp (auto type) fuse on a circuit board and billed me for $155. I was floored and called the office asking what is included in the base charge. Nothing is in the base charge other than showing up, and minimum charge is 1 hour labor on top of the $89.00.
Makes me sick that I have to play 20 questions with someone to get the actual price something is going to cost me. Just like when I ask someone at a swap meet how much something costs. If that say make an offer, I just walk away. I don’t need any more smoke and mirrors tossed my way, I get enough of that from my elected officials.:mad: Does anyone say what they really mean anymore?

[Al Willits]

I'll repeat myself, Buyer beware.

FWIW we get $95 for the first half hour (no matter if it 5 mins or 30) and $25 every 15 minutes there after, no trip charge and that's where many miss the boat, many companies charge portal to portal and you pay them to drive to your house.

Make sure you know this before you let them do whatever service is needed.

Pretty easy to run up a $200 service call nowdays, costs a lot to keep a tech going, plus the truck and of course, the company needs to make a profit, just get all the facts when you call them.

James, did they say why the fuse blew?
If its on the furnace circuit board its prob in the low voltage thermostat circuit

Al

[Pete Simmons]

Does anyone say what they really mean anymore?


----------------
I would bet the following business theory applies to many of the people here at SMC.

I do! Always did. Always will.

I sell on the web and at Craft Shows. Most of (maybe all, but I am not sure one may have been slipped in on the web pages) my prices are nice solid round numbers. $30 not $29.95

All the time, but especially Christmas morning I feel great knowing how many of my items are being opened as gifts that will be in the family, maybe forever.

The unfair low life dealers - I do not know how they can live with themselfs.

I will never be a rich or great business man, but I sure feel good about the things I make and sell.


I made some things for a local organization. A friend asked me how much I charged. I told him $0. I said that way I can offer a double your money back warranty. He said, you are a heck of a businessman. I agree.

[James Jaragosky]

Like I said I know it’s not cheap to run a business and I am willing to pay a fair price for good workmanship. That is why I called a national company. I thought I was asking the right question when I asked the gal what is your base charge, what she should have said is “ $89.00 plus 1 hour labor” not $89.00, IMHO that is. But then again I say what people need to hear, not what I want them to hear.
Yes it was on the t-stat board, and I believe it was due to some back-feed / static from the local supplier. They were doing some major repair work just 2 blocks down from my home that morning.
It’s just sad, . Like I said too many people taking their lead on sleaze speak from our elected officials. O well live and learn. Just when I think I got it figured out they change the rules. well thank goodness I got you fellow creekers to count on. I am not alone and I thank you all for that.

Jim

[Bubba Davis]

Yes it was on the t-stat board, and I believe it was due to some back-feed / static from the local supplier. They were doing some major repair work just 2 blocks down from my home that morning.
It’s just sad, . Like I said too many people taking their lead on sleaze speak from our elected officials. O well live and learn. Just when I think I got it figured out they change the rules. well thank goodness I got you fellow creekers to count on. I am not alone and I thank you all for that.

Jim
Jim if indeed it was back-feed/static you should be able to contact there claims department and see if you can get some if not all of you expense repaid.
I retired from a local "supplier" and the claims department is used as a sort of customer relations tool. Something for you to look into.

[James Jaragosky]

it cant hurt.
and thanks for the advice.
jim