Found Action Auger online, so I had called to ask how much it would be to change 2 wax rings on 2 toilets. The girl on the phone says she does not know, and would need to send a technician to review and would let me know at the house, but would cost $69.95 for a "service call". Here I thought it couldn't be that expensive to just change a wax ring.... Tech shows up, and assessed my need, and then pulls out his magic pricing binder and tells me It would be $267 per toilet. Plus GST, plus the "service call" fee of $69.95 + gst on top of the $267 +GST per toilet. I had to stop and really think about this....it would cost me over $634 to just change 2 wax rings on 2 toilets.... As I'm thinking this through.... the tech brings up that the price is $267 only if the flange is ok. If the flange is broken, then it would be an additional $267 per toilet on top of the wax rings jobs of $267. At this point, I was feeling like I am really getting ripped off here and I better start thinking this through....as this could potentially be over $1,000!!! for just 2 small jobs. I had it then... I couldn't help myself but had to ask the tech that did he not think this was outrageous pricing??? He tells me that is the average......they are not the cheapest, but they are not the most expensive he says. I told him then I think I can get another plumber that is cheaper at the rate he is quoting me. He then proceeded to tell me that this is how it is with bigger names companies. That the company had big overheads with not just one plumber, but several. He says, maybe if you go with a one man plumber company, only then you may find something cheaper. And then I asked, that is how you justify on passing huge overhead costs to the consumers? And he says, well yes, that's how we make money. I was so blown away with his answers, their pricings, that I told him, No.... I have to stop you here and I do not want you to do the work. He then bills me for the "service call" of $69.95+GST. I was choked!!! But I still paid it because I was ignorant when I agreed to the girl on the phone on the service call fee. This is when I really needed to voice out which is HomeStars was the way to go. I want consumers out there to know and to really call around, and if the companies tells you that they need to charge you a service call, then really beware. I found another fully licensed & insured one man plumber company who did the job for me for $150+GST total. And he got it done in less than half an hour. And he was honest and actually tells me right out, it is a simple job. No need to charge you outrageously for a simple job.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $69.95