I was very happy with the service I was provided. Lorne came the next morning after calling to say I needed our AC repaired. I was told on the phone that a service call would cost $135.00 and then the hourly rate was $135.00. Based on what I described, he said that he didn’t think it would take longer than an hour to fix. I had called several other places that quoted me less (some considerably less) but because I had a tenant self isolating in the basement apt I couldn’t book anything for a week. I figured the extra $20-50 would be worth it to have it repaired quickly. And then I got the bill... I was charged a total of $305 for what was essentially 5mins worth of work. I cannot understand how they can justify charging that much money for the job that was done!
I called and spoke with the office administrator and was told that is what they typically charge for a “diagnostic plus a service call” so it was not $135 like I was told on the phone it was $135+ $135 , so 270 plus tax !!! He had the unit fixed before I even returned from turning it back on. It was some debris blocking the water from draining properly and he used a pressure tool to blow it out.
I was happy it was fixed and Lorne was a lovely person BUT had I known that the minimum I would be paying was $270 I never have booked with them. I easily could have waited a week to save a few hundred dollars. It was not clear at the outset that I would have to pay that much. I’m disappointed and would recommend asking detailed questions before letting them do any service for you.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $300.00
- Company Response
We are sorry to hear that despite being happy with the service provided and the timeliness of the work being completed, that there was a misunderstanding regarding the price structure. A diagnostic charge is standard industry practice to identify the problem and formulate a solution. As you stated, the rate quoted reflected $135 for the diagnostic component (service charge) and $135 per hour for the time required to complete the repairs. Loren’s proficiency and 28 years of HVAC experience in addition to Tropic Air’s preparedness by ensuring our technicians have the right tools and equipment on hand, enables us to resolve most HVAC problems expeditiously. In consideration of the extreme heat and as you had indicated your tenant was in COVID isolation, we prioritized your appointment and attended on Sunday morning. Additional time was also spent providing insights and information on other HVAC issues you were experiencing unrelated to the issue that was causing water leakage and preventing you from using the air conditioning unit. At Tropic Air we take pride in providing honest and efficient service to our clients and feel that the $270 fee is a fair price to resolve your cooling issues on a Sunday. It was our pleasure to be of service to you and regret the misunderstanding regarding the price structure.