I had the whole house surge protector installed by my local REMC and they charged 150+ for the part but installed it for free. We do have frequent lightning strikes, power spikes etc. It's possible that the electrician felt that the opener problem was related to a power surge. So if you add parts, service call and an hour or so labor then the charge is probably in line. My sure protector is between the house & the meter but there are different types. I'd check the part and the price.
We got burned last year on a thermostat repair. $280 for something I could have done for less than $100, but in January when you get home at 7pm to find your house at <40º is not the time to be learning how to troubleshoot and replace HVAC equipment. In the words of Dave Ramsey, I paid "stupid tax".
Yes this is how I see it. To be honest I kinda doubt they are going to be willing to do anything about it, in that case I will certainly make it my business to let everyone I possibly can know not to trust or support this company...
I was able to set it up so that in the future no service will be preformed without my first being notified and giving the go ahead, so at least I wont have to worry about this sort of thing in the future.
After speaking with the manager from Mr. Quick and then also talking to my mother again it seems this is more a case of her not really understanding than it was a case of them trying to rip her off. It is their company policy to offer recommendations for upgrades that they feel would be a benefit to the customer.
The problem with the opener was a simple adjustment of the sensor. The only thing she was charged for was the cost of the surge protector $299 the installation and the service call were covered under her contract.
The manager from Mr. Quick was very understanding and co-operative we went over the invoice and there was nothing misleading or otherwise out of context, my mother signed it and even gave the repairman kudos for the job he had done. She is under contract with the company for the next two years where they come out and take care of routine maintenance a few times a year, this is not charged for as it is part of the contract. The contract also covers service calls so there is no charge for that either.
I was able to set it up so that in the future no service will be preformed without my first being notified and giving the go ahead, so at least I wont have to worry about this sort of thing in the future.
My mother called Mr. Quick electric because the light on her garage door opener would not shut off. The electrician came out to her house today and he did fix the light on her garage door opener but also convinced her that she needed a whole home surge protector installed at her breaker box to the tune of over $300. I am not saying this is a bad thing to have but he had her believing she had to have this, not that it was an option she believed that she needed this to fix her garage door opener. That is absurd. It really pisses me off when someone takes advantage of a little old lady like this. When she called me and told me how much it cost I said MOM you could have bought and installed a whole new garage opener for less than that. My mother is 80 years old and pretty much clueless in situations like this. She lives on her social security and does not have a lot of money to spare. I called Mr. Quick electric and am waiting for a manager to call me back tomorrow. Buyers beware!!!