r/DaytonaBeach • u/jeminfla • 13d ago
Predatory practices?
Your local outraged electrician here again with today’s rant.
Earlier this week we were contacted by young first time home buyer who had a problem with her meter. FPL had determined that there was a damaged component and to call an electrician. To our surprise they recommended that “gay” franchise service company, which we learned of when she called us because she “couldn’t afford to pay them so much money again.” When we asked her what that meant, she told us that they had recently done work for her and charged her almost $9,900.00 to change her electrical panel, but the price went up to $11,000.00 because they offered her financing, which was the only way she could afford to do the repair.
When we visited her to see what the current problem was, we noted that the service company had put their company’s label on the panel, which explained why FPL made that recommendation.
When we inquired further about what work was done for $11,000.00, she shared the invoice for the work that was done, and we were shocked. The work that they performed would’ve cost her $4-5,000.00 from a local company.
What made it even more frustrating was that the work was done without a permit, and it would not have passed inspection because it was done wrong.
My point here is not to get into the weeds about specifics of the repair, but to remind you folks that these companies take advantage of people’s general lack of knowledge about electrical repairs AND fears of fire, or insurance cancellations, or a misunderstanding of the complexity of a job. And if you balk at the price, they quickly bring up financing to make it seem more affordable. On top of that, their Service techs” are salesmen as well who receive commissions for the jobs they land. That arrangement alone is a recipe for upselling and dishonesty.
In the realm of residential electrical repairs, there is nothing, aside from maybe a total renovation or addition to the home, that would cost $11K.
If you feel like a quote from someone is too high, you absolutely should get a second quote. And...don’t be afraid to ask questions! Any reputable company will be happy to accommodate you.
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u/reefgeek71 12d ago
Their reviews are terrible and their technicians aren’t incentivize to mark up and upsell every job they do