Do I Have to Pay This Tradie?

helpme on 04/11/2023 - 08:32
Last edited 05/11/2023 - 10:07 by 1 other user

I contacted airconditioning repair people who came out, had a look at the evap cooling for 5-10 mins, and said the main PCB board needed replacing.

I then contacted someone who does repairs (over the phone, he didn't charge me) who advised me to try re-pairing the remote. That took a whole 5 minutes and it ended up working again. The tradie even sent me a pic of the PCB board with no lights saying it just wasn't working. He then gave me a quote to replace it and a $200 invoice for that callout.

What would you do in this situation?

Thanks

Edit: Thanks everyone for your input, it's been a fun and surprising discussion. I will call the guys and see what they have to say and take it from there. If paying $200 gives me the right to leave a review, maybe I'd rather do that.

Home & Garden

Comments

- - - - rumblytangara on 06/11/2023 - 10:05
        
        @SlickMick: I've been in the other guys shoes- running teams of IT guys that charged (quite a lot) by the hour.
        
        If it ever turned out that someone on our teams totally messed up and wasted a load of time, we would cut the amount of time we billed for, or we would just scrap the bill. Thankfully, the guys were generally competent and this was very rare.
        
        Screwups were on us, we would not penalise the client for it.
        
        Another difference is that we didn't go out of our way to lie to clients about what the problems were. Though it was oddly satisfying to report that the root cause things like "fileserver running out of space" was due to "hundreds of gigs of downloaded porn."
        
        I am amazed at how many people in this thread think that it's okay to be actively lied to, and then pay for the privilege of being fed documented BS.
- Austrian Oak on 06/11/2023 - 13:09
  
  "Petrol and time does not cost $250 as tradie is doing the rounds with many appointments and he did not come specifically for one job!"
  
  Petrol, time, car insurance, car maintenance fees, job insurance, phone, tools, ($1000s worth), 4 years worth of apprenticeship (qualified trades), school fees, administration fees, expertise.
  
  Fixed.
Assburg on 05/11/2023 - 08:19

+8

No, he has engaged in unconscionable conduct under s 21 of the Australian consumer law. Read it in conjunction with s 22 and s 22A, draft up an email referencing these sections and their sub sections extensively, ask chatgpt to make it sound like it was written by a lawyer and suggest he cancel the invoice.

https://www.australiancompetitionlaw.org/legislation/provisi…

Absolutely sick of these losers in the forum's who just hand their money over and think everyone should do the same. The call out fee is a call out for a service, not a call out to be the victim of deceptive conduct. The plumber example you put above is a better case than this (air)conman's lies.

Godspeed my friend.
- Baghern on 05/11/2023 - 12:36
  
  -2
  
  No he hasn't the op has said himself he has no proof of lying, he's just making the assumption
  
  He's making the assumption the tradie did something to turn the indicator light off , which was the reason for the diagnosis
  
  The Op is a cry baby, who hasnt explained why he didnt call the 2nd guy the first time, instead of a call out
  
  And did he use information from the first guy to tell the 2nd guy..
  - Assburg on 05/11/2023 - 13:33
    
    +4
    
    One of the things that can be considered unconscionable conduct is a service provider to fail to comply with any sort of relevant industry code.
    
    "The light isn't on mate, PCB is (profanity) hey, that'll be $200" with no effort to actually provide the service of diagnosis the call out was made for.
    
    It is akin to showing up, having a look around, saying you don't feel like doing it today and charging the call out fee.
    
    Use the legislation, back yourself. These cowards who can't even do their own job crumble in the face of adversity that requires broad technical or intellectual prowess to overcome.
  - helpme on 05/11/2023 - 14:10
    
    -2
    
    The Op is a cry baby, who hasnt explained why he didnt call the 2nd guy the first time, instead of a call out
    
    Wait, are you seriously saying it's my fault I didn't call the second guy FIRST when getting a second opinion? What the (profanity)…
    
    Here's why I didn't call the second guy first, I googled found what I thought was a decent company, I called them and given the time frame he was up there and the way he spoke, I decided to get a second opinion…I apologise for not being able to determine who's dodgy or not from the beginning…Jesus…
    
    I mean look, I get people blaming me for not doing it myself first, or asking for a quote first (which wouldn't have mattered), but questioning why I didn't call the second guy first…that's a new one…
    
    No he hasn't the op has said himself he has no proof of lying, he's just making the assumption
    
    Given the information, what's the most likely scenario in your eyes?
    
    And did he use information from the first guy to tell the 2nd guy
    
    That the PCB was broken? Sure, I did, but even the guy wanted me to make sure it was broken first. That doesn't count as 'using the information' because had the first guy done his job, he would've just resynced the remote.
    - MS Paint on 05/11/2023 - 14:28
      
      -1
      
      Do you recall seeing or hearing the tradie go to your main switchboard to disable power at the control box for the alleged scammy photo?
      - helpme on 05/11/2023 - 14:37
        
        @MS Paint: You can disable it from the PCB. It was the photo plus him saying it's dead. How do you explain that?
        
        Look if a guy tells you your tv is broken so you need a new one, he's supplying, and then you go turn it on and it works fine, what would you think?
        
        1) it's a bipolar TV
        2) the guy is incompetent as (profanity)
        3) the guy was lying
        
        MS Paint on 05/11/2023 - 15:02
        
        -1
        
        @helpme: So the front switch on the control box is in the on position in the photo?
        
        Pretty sure they are hardwired to mains so pretty brave to disable the connection internally.
        
        Also, I love your 37th analogy of this whole scenario.
        
        helpme on 05/11/2023 - 15:09
        
        @MS Paint:
        
        So the front switch on the control box is in the on position in the photo?
        
        Not sure, I'll have a look when I get home. The second guy said I could switch it off via control box, mains, or somewhere around the PCB unit itself, I just went with the easier option.
        
        Also, I love your 37th analogy of this whole scenario
        
        I love how you keep refusing to answer questions. I've given you the information, if you think he was legitimate in saying it's broken then that's fine, were working off a different premise so we'll never agree.
        
        MS Paint on 05/11/2023 - 15:12
        
        -1
        
        @helpme:
        
        I love how you keep refusing to answer questions.
        
        Which questions are they?
        
        helpme on 05/11/2023 - 15:17
        
        @MS Paint: The analogies…I'm trying to gauge what your stance is on this. Is/Was the PCB broken, did the guy make a genuine mistake and can't see lights, or he was lying?
        
        MS Paint on 05/11/2023 - 15:22
        
        -1
        
        @helpme:
        
        Is/Was the PCB broken, did the guy make a genuine mistake and can't see lights, or he was lying?
        
        How in the world am I meant to answer that question? You don't even know the answer and it's your airconditioner.
        
        helpme on 05/11/2023 - 15:33
        
        +1
        
        @MS Paint: I'm asking what you think. Let's recap:
        
        1) I call guy out, he takes a look and says PCB board is stuffed. He sends pictures of it with no lights on the board. I know this doesn't mean anything, but then I thought, if he was going to reset the remote, he'd have to turn it off and then on again so to take the picture, he'd have to turn it off again (unless for some reason he took it mid resetting), why??
        
        2) I try to get a second opinion, he hears me out and immediately just asks me to try resyncing the remote, he knows I called someone out, why doesn't he assume the guy I called out tried this?
        
        3) I climb up and have a look, PCB board is on, lights indicate things are fine.
        
        4) It takes me one go at resyncing the remote and it works.
        
        So here are the possible scenarios (feel free to add any) :
        
        1) PCB didn't work when he was up there for some reason
        
        2) PCB intermittently works (TBC) but this is easy to test, we'll just give it some time
        
        3) The person didn't know how to reset the remote/diagnose PCB boards
        
        4) He pretended to say it's broken so we would replace it.
        
        1, 2, 3, or 4 is more likely? I don't care what you choose, it's your opinion and I'll respect it.
        
        MS Paint on 05/11/2023 - 16:14
        
        -1
        
        @helpme:
        
        I don't care what you choose, it's your opinion and I'll respect it.
        
        How can I have an opinion on any of these options? I didn't witness any of the tradies work or meet them in person to form an opinion.
        
        The 4 options you listed are pure speculation and to choose one would just be a random guess, not my opinion.
        
        helpme on 05/11/2023 - 19:11
        
        +1
        
        @MS Paint: Then why even bother with forums, 90% of situations are going to be like that. Why even bother having an input if that's your stance? If you think because you haven't interacted with them, that it's a random guess, then your next best option is me…who did interact with them.
        
        MS Paint on 05/11/2023 - 19:11
        
        +2
        
        @helpme: Ok. I have now formed an opinion and I don't give a flying fook if you respect it or not.
        
        After reading your reddit post you concluded the discussion with
        
        And it seems $200 for a diagnostic is what people are willing to pay according to this thread. I wasn't and got roasted for it haha so I guess I don't have a choice.
        
        Someone did give me the breakdown though which was nice, not entirely convinced on how they got the final number but it was a good insight
        
        You were happy to pay the fee after you realised it wasn't outrageous and was justified by a current tradie with a break down of costs associated with performing a call out.
        
        The next day when you tried another source and discovered how simple the fix was you got angry at yourself for not performing basic research or diagnostics. Then came the classic blame shifting to transfer your self loathing for having to fork out $205 for such a simple issue.
        
        As you tried to come up with ideas on avoiding the $205 fee you settled on playing the scammer card. Nice choice. This will get the sympathy of the ozbargain community. Many gullible members here have even fallen for your sad and troublesome story.
        
        I go back to my very first post here that suggested you are just paying the lazy man tax for not doing a basic Google search to resolve the issue quickly and for free.
        
        So my opinion is that you should just pay the $205 to the tradies, stop the blame shifting and take on some personal responsibility.
        
        helpme on 05/11/2023 - 19:17
        
        +2
        
        @MS Paint:
        
        The next day when you tried another source and discovered how simple the fix was you got angry at yourself for not performing basic research or diagnostics
        
        Nope, I've had an incident where all was needed was a washer replacement, I was just like lol, don't really care. I did think of a remote resync issue but couldn't be bothered.
        
        Again, a lazy man tax is getting charged to fix an issue that was simple. If this was an old disabled couple would you have the same opinion? It's their fault?
        
        Also it was $198…
        
        Look, I respect you not making an opinion without being there, but I gave you a timeline of the info and all your response was 'i wasn't there can't have an opinion', what a joke, nothing wrong with 'based on the information you provided, assuming it's true then I think ______ but ______". But nope, wasn't there in person, can't have an thought while proceeding to spend all day commenting on someone's thread… Enjoy getting bent over by scammers.
        
        helpme on 05/11/2023 - 19:19
        
        @MS Paint:
        
        I have now formed an opinion and I don't give a flying fook if you respect it or not.
        
        You sure mate, you seem the next most invested in this…
        
        MS Paint on 05/11/2023 - 20:06
        
        +1
        
        @helpme: I'm invested because my trusty bullshit detector was off the scale from the moment I read your post. I followed through to confirm or deny it's trust status.
        
        helpme on 06/11/2023 - 08:05
        
        @MS Paint:
        
        I'm invested because my trusty bullshit detector was off the scale from the moment I read your post
        
        Great, let's continue with this, don't believe everything you read online but at least ask me questions about the situation. It's crazy it's taken this long for you to go 'something doesn't sound right' but not tried to find out anything further. I've acknowledged so many times I don't have evidence and I don't want to falsely accuse the guy but that's what we're discussing what could have happened. Where do you think I've bullshitted? Have I made something up or have I omitted something?
        
        Would you like me to put a copy of the invoice that says PCB fault? A picture they sent me of the PCB with no lights? A picture of the PCB now?
        
        kiitos on 06/11/2023 - 11:29
        
        @helpme: 5) the PCB lights don't light up unless the remote is paired with it.
        
        (Unlikely, I know)
        
        helpme on 06/11/2023 - 13:01
        
        @kiitos: Nah the lights were on when I went up before pairing and confirmed the remote wasn't working before repairing
        
        rumblytangara on 07/11/2023 - 10:22
        
        @MS Paint:
        
        Pretty sure they are hardwired to mains so pretty brave to disable the connection internally.
        
        Are you just totally guessing here and inventing spurious ideas out of thin air just to try give this guy a hard time?
        
        Why would a PCB control board be hardwired to 220V mains?
        
        Mains is used to drive the big-ass AC motors. There is going to be a step down DC converter which drives the control board at some very modest (maybe 12-24) voltage, which will be connected by an industry standard detachable plug.
        
        What PCBs in a home use situation can you think of that are mains powered? Do you also think that the dinky little PCBs in your washing machine and microwave are powered by 220V AC, despite the fact that they're covered in tiny little resistors, caps the size of a grain of rice or that they have ICs on them? This is like saying that your computer motherboard is mains powered and hardwired… no, it's not. Your PSU is mains powered and steps 220V AC down to 12V DC. There's also a plastic plug that disconnects the PSU from the motherboard. Or if you are on a laptop, all the magic happens at the external power brick.
        
        Why am I even writing this- I know it's going to go unanswered. Just couldn't let something this badly thought out pass, I guess.
- helpme on 05/11/2023 - 14:11
  
  +2
  
  Thanks for this mate, the buck has to stop somewhere or they'll keep doing it.
- Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 05/11/2023 - 15:04
  
  Tell me you're not a lawyer without telling me you're not a lawyer.
- john_conner on 07/11/2023 - 09:38
  
  Plot twist: OP engages repair guy to fix PCB, he simply turns it back on and charges $$$ for “replacing it”, or another call out fee because “it’s working again”.
  
  Money for jam.
iminabrons on 05/11/2023 - 08:25

+6

To me, the agreement with a tradie is for that person to come to my place, so as to do at least one of the following two and if that happens I pay the call-out fee.;
1. Diagnose the problem.
2. Fix the problem.

If a tradie comes out but is unable to diagnose and/or solve the problem then it depends on the situation. (In most cases I probably would pay.)

If the tradie misdiagnoses my problem so that it is not fixed therefore costing me more money than a proper job would cost. I will not pay the call-out fee.
Or if he deliberately lies to me about what the problem is, as it appears in this case then I also wouldn't pay them anything.
- helpme on 05/11/2023 - 08:44
  
  -1
  
  If a tradie comes out but is unable to diagnose and/or solve the problem then it depends on the situation. (In most cases I probably would pay.)
  
  Agreed, I said this multiple times as this was the example people gave as to why I should pay and I said I would. I've had a case where a plumber came to fix a leak somewhere that was coming off our roof. He thought it was a solar panel valve, he came, replaced it and I paid him. It was still leaking somewhere so I paid him to come and fix it again as it turns out it wasn't the valve. It was a mistake so no hard feelings.
  
  Had they come, had a good look, try to fix the issue with no luck, happy to pay.
  
  Had they given a misdiagnoses, happy to pay
  
  This is a case of they may have lied that pro-pay the tradie seem to ignore. Yes, I can't prove it, and I'm not ruling it out, but what are the chances that the PCB just decided to work again when I got up there less than 48 hours later and the aircon worked after ONE attempt at repairing the remote. Pro-pay the tradie people will then say well that's the price you pay for being lazy. No, had he just done that, I would've gone "ah shit I'm a lazy bugger lol here's your $200".
- Protractor on 05/11/2023 - 14:53
  
  Not sure he lied. He either had a guess or has NFI
  - helpme on 05/11/2023 - 14:59
    
    +1
    
    So again, when I went up there, it was clearly on, lights were green except the error ones. If I could tell it was on, why couldn't he? But let's say you're right, should we really be paying people who have NFI that market themselves as experts $200?
    - Protractor on 05/11/2023 - 18:46
      
      +2
      
      and it's a no from me.
      
      "Maybe' it's possible lights were off when he went up, but that in itself is no conclusive proof of PCB death.
      All smells of shortcut, or just wanting a call-out , but not the actual work.
OBEY YOUR MASTERS on 05/11/2023 - 08:37

+1

Ring the tradie and have it out with him. If he's legit he should at least be a bit embarrassed for screwing up so badly.
ECE on 05/11/2023 - 09:03

+1

If you call you pay unless otherwise specified 🤔
- helpme on 05/11/2023 - 09:06
  
  So if you called a tradie, he came out and did nothing and left, you'd pay the invoice?
  - ECE on 05/11/2023 - 09:07
    
    Tradies usually have a call out fee. If there is an invoice then pay. Unless there was an agreement beforehand.
U4333439 on 05/11/2023 - 09:04

+6

Heya, I would not pay - just talk to the person and explain what happened. In the end, let them chase you and go to court etc.

Had something similar happen with plumbing a few years ago. After looking at a blocked drain they said they needed to dig up the front yard to replace the terracotta pipe with pvc. I accepted the judgement, but told them I needed another quote on price. Next guy showed me a video where it was already pvc. Called the original guy and after he checked it out he cancelled the invoice on the grounds they messed it up badly.

Going through something similar again now with a/c repairs also. Told them what my issue was with the original team (wrong diagnosis and wasted money), and what I was prepared to pay. Waiting on their response.

Just have a talk with them. Most people are reasonable. In the end, they want something from you. You engaged them on the assumption they were qualified/trained/experienced - evidence shows they were not.
- helpme on 05/11/2023 - 09:39
  
  +1
  
  Just have a talk with them.
  
  Thanks for your experience, I'll do that tomorrow!
The tiger on 05/11/2023 - 09:12

+3

Some years ago I called a plumber to fix my kitchen water tap. He told me he couldn’t fix it and left with no fees charged and gave me advice to approach the representative of the manufacturer. I got the representative who fixed it well and left with no fees charged and said it was still under warranty period, Those good honest days are gone!
The tiger on 05/11/2023 - 09:17

To add more, some months ago I got a plumber to check the leaking basin he gave me a quote far too much of my budget . I then posted the job to Airtasker and received a better ( cheaper) quote. The first plumber never gave me a bill for call-out. Lucky me.
jizmo on 05/11/2023 - 09:21

If the board lost pairing with the remote, maybe there is a problem that's starting to become an issue with the PCB. No one here will know or could prove any different.

What's the tradie meant to do? Go back to the servo and tell them, he didn't get paid for driving over to that job, so he's not paying for the fuel he used to get there
- helpme on 05/11/2023 - 09:37
  
  If the board lost pairing with the remote, maybe there is a problem that's starting to become an issue with the PCB.
  
  They said the board was gone, not functioning at all. It took me one go to pair it.
- Protractor on 05/11/2023 - 09:58
  
  -1
  
  Not only is it OK for poor workmanship to cost a tradie, it should and it does.Part of the game.
us3rnam3tak3n on 05/11/2023 - 09:22

+1

As others have suggested, challenge him w.r.t ACL, let him know you'll escalate it to VCAT if he doesn't issue a cancellation. Other ammo you have is strongly worded reviews on multiple platforms and name and shame here plus whingepool.

People here suggesting that you should pay up are probably dodgy tradies themselves who wouldn't think twice of scamming a customer.
- helpme on 05/11/2023 - 09:38
  
  +1
  
  Other ammo you have is strongly worded reviews on multiple platforms and name and shame here plus whingepool.
  
  If I don't pay can I still leave a review you reckon?
  - us3rnam3tak3n on 05/11/2023 - 09:45
    
    For you to decide - you'd be doing other potential victims a favour but OTOH it might lead to retaliation. Depends how exposed you feel.
  - Protractor on 05/11/2023 - 09:57
    
    -1
    
    Tell the truth.
    Be accurate.You can also say, you were initially happy to pay but I was told it WAS def a PCB, etc.When it clearly wasn't. Pretty much what you have said all along
    As for all the counter criticism here, dude was called out to fix or diagnose accurately as per his specialist area. He failed.You ordered an orange and got a lemon.
    If anything that $200 should be the GOAT guys
    - helpme on 05/11/2023 - 10:04
      
      Thanks, I won't go hard and accuse them, I'll give a 2-3 star review and outline what happened, people can make their own assessment from there as I've acknowledged that I don't have proof.
      
      If anything that $200 should be the GOAT guys
      
      Yeah, I'll chat with the original guys tomorrow and then reach out to this guy and see if he would like compensation
      - john_conner on 05/11/2023 - 15:03
        
        @helpme: Can also sus out from these guys how likely the pcb would go dead just for the period when the other other guy was on call out
  - john_conner on 05/11/2023 - 14:30
    
    +1
    
    There is nothing to say you have to pay to leave a review..
    - helpme on 05/11/2023 - 14:36
      
      +1
      
      Yeah I get that, but is it poor form for them to not charge and then you leave a bad review anyways?
      - john_conner on 05/11/2023 - 15:10
        
        @helpme: Not paying for a dubious charge is different to not charging for it the first place.
        E.g. you still get charged for attempted murder even if the person lives or didn’t get hurt. Or maybe that is conspiracy. You get the point.
        
        But I agree we have reached a point in society where we are generally happy to not leave a bad review if the wrong is righted. But that’s also like saying if I return the money I defrauded from the bank, I won’t go to jail.
        
        helpme on 05/11/2023 - 15:56
        
        @john_conner: I agree, I did think about it like that, I think it is the societal norm that's preventing me haha.
        
        But that’s also like saying if I return the money I defrauded from the bank, I won’t go to jail.
        
        But a lesser sentence could be negotiated right xD
baskinghobo on 05/11/2023 - 10:07

+1

Proving the tradie maliciously diagnosed your ac will be difficult. I would just pay it but if I was really certain that he was trying to fleece me even if I didn't have proof, I would kick up a stink and then offer to pay $100 as a compromise.
- Save 50 Cent on 05/11/2023 - 10:36
  
  +3
  
  If you were CERTAIN he tried to fleece you then you would pay $100? That is a bit cowardly I say.
  I can't say what I would do in this case.. I guess it would depend on how big the guy is.
  - baskinghobo on 05/11/2023 - 12:13
    
    +1
    
    Certain as in "I believe he tried to fleece me but I can't prove it for sure". Paying might be cowardly but if OP decides to not pay and it goes to court then it will be his job to prove the tradie misdiagnosed the AC with malicious intent and since that is next to impossible he is better off just compromising and paying as not paying could end up with him needing to pay the full amount anyway. Of course OP could also try playing hardball and say he won't pay but the tradie might push back on this since he knows OP has got nothing on him and it may escalate things to where a compromise will no longer be possible which is why I prefer the gentler approach.
    - Save 50 Cent on 05/11/2023 - 14:10
      
      +3
      
      Tradie is definitely not going to court over $200. He’d rather ‘earn’ it back from another gullible customer in 20 minutes than waste half a day at court.
      - baskinghobo on 05/11/2023 - 14:38
        
        @Save 50 Cent: Depends on if the tradie was acting in good faith or not. A lot of people will go the extra mile based on principle if they feel they've been wronged. He could also just send it to collections instead. Too many things could go wrong so I personally wouldn't take the gamble.
hueylewis on 05/11/2023 - 10:14

+2

got my sparky to have his air con guy to fix split system. have used this guy for years and spent thousands on solar etc with him. tells me prob needs a new pc board after looking at it, says it will be a few hundred because he checked and it was out of warranty. i checked and it was in warranty. i got the toshiba to replace board under warranty and when my original guy billed me, i told him why should i pay if you gave me the wrong info and could have charged me hundreds. he said, well you asked me to take a look at it and i have to pay my guy, i said, well you could not fix it and gave me the wrong info and told me it was not under warranty and potentially cost me hundreds. he said dont worry about it. he tried it on and i told him nope. got a new sparky now.
sprocketoctopus on 05/11/2023 - 10:16

I think you should call and have a polite conversation with the Tradesperson.

It could well be that this is an endemic problem with particular PCB, and re-pairing is only a temporary fix.
But ultimately I think you should pay.

Nobody expects to go to work for no reward, other than voluteering.
- helpme on 05/11/2023 - 10:19
  
  It could well be that this is an endemic problem with particular PCB, and re-pairing is only a temporary fix.
  
  Yeah not ruling it out, will have to monitor it. The difference is why didn't he re-pair it? Why did he tell me the PCB was gone? The board says there are no servicable parts inside, none of the diagnostic or servicing lights were on when I went up there, it appeared functional to me. I'd like to know how they came to this conclusion.
  - Protractor on 05/11/2023 - 10:34
    
    +1
    
    I'd guess the PCB is possibly a common flaw, and he jumped to that conclusion in his rush to peg the next call out.
Save 50 Cent on 05/11/2023 - 10:33

Nah, stuff that.. Call him and explain and if he becomes rude and demands full payment, then tell him to go f himself and take you to court when he is done.
I'd personally ask the other tradie who helped over the phone for their payment details and send $50 their way.
Eeples on 05/11/2023 - 11:51

How does this AC turn on?

Does it only turn on by the remote?
bigbadboogieman on 05/11/2023 - 13:39

You should have confirmed Callout fee before letting them visit. Not sure nowadays but a few years ago there was a rort where anyone would become a "tradie" with zero skill and a call out fee. The scam was to make a visit, give a ridiculous quote (which wouldn't be accepted) and charge a callout fee. The Trade was just going from point A to B to C making callout fee the biggest earner.
- helpme on 05/11/2023 - 14:09
  
  I don't care about the callout fee, I'll pay it in almost any situation but paying for trying to be scammed?
  - bigbadboogieman on 05/11/2023 - 17:42
    
    People can get things wrong. Even doctors can misdiagnose a medical condition. If you agreed to a callout fee before the visit and (assuming) you did your due diligence on the quality of service then I reckon you owe them the fee.
    - helpme on 05/11/2023 - 19:42
      
      +1
      
      I get that misdiagnoses happen. I've paid a guy to fix something he misdiagnosed and then paid him again to fix the real issue. I had zero problems with that.
      
      I've paid callout fees with no results, example was a gas leak, first guy wanted $6000 to fix it, I then grabbed a second opinion, he wanted $2000. I paid the first guy for his time and his correct diagnosis.
      
      But you have to understand what it means if this was a misdiagnoses:
      
      1) the PCB board was completely not working (not on) when he was up there but then how come it was fine when I checked just over a day later?
      
      2) there was an error light which indicate what is wrong, why did he not try and fix what the error light indicated? If the PCB board was on, he'd be up there a lot longer don't you think?
      
      Like in what are the chances that someone diagnose a board being dead, only to have it turn on less than 48 hours later, and have the whole cooling system working after basic troubleshooting
    - rumblytangara on 06/11/2023 - 10:20
      
      +1
      
      People can get things wrong. Even doctors can misdiagnose a medical condition.
      
      I'd think that it's far, far more reasonable that a doctor would misdiagnose a medical condition because the human body is an incredibly complex system that we barely understand and there's huge variation between individuals. I don't know why doctors keep getting held up as an example in this thread.
      
      An air conditioner is a zillion times simpler than the human body. Power not being supplied correctly to a PCB can be tested in 30 seconds with a Fluke, and I don't recall an intermittently failing PCB where the LEDs would just go out of a couple of hours outside of a bad power connector in several decades working with tech gear.
baskinghobo on 05/11/2023 - 14:26

+1

I would also ask the tradie who fixed your AC for his opinion on the situation.
john_conner on 05/11/2023 - 14:28

+5

Paying a call out fee is contingent on the trade being competent and acting in good faith.
E.g. I’ve received quotes for trades to fix things, had them turn around and say it’s something else and then charge an exorbitant call out fee. Upon further investigation turns out something completely different was the cause. I’ve received full refunds in these cases (although I have had to wear the cost of unnecessary works being performed by subsequent trades).

Depending on your conviction, If you’re in the position of having not paid yet, just don’t pay and let him take you to a tribunal - if it gets that far. You can then let someone impartial decide. Either incompetence, laziness or greed, such behaviour should be enabled.
emblurr on 05/11/2023 - 17:42

Thought you would be paying for a 'callout and a correct diagnosis' not a 'callout and an incorrect diagnosis'. I'd be starting with asking them to drop the callout fee and if it doesn't work negotiating to a reduced call out fee.
MS Paint on 05/11/2023 - 17:55

interesting reddit post
- sashatheman on 05/11/2023 - 22:11
  
  +1
  
  I found the tradie who is charging the $200 call-out fee.
- churlish on 05/11/2023 - 22:17
  
  +1
  
  It's crazy. Unless it's an emergency call out in the middle of the night how can anyone justify this as a standard charge?
  - Mixhael on 07/11/2023 - 00:46
    
    I do wonder about how people can afford to pay such fees. I know I wouldn't be able to cover something like that without seriosuly saving for a few weeks.
    
    Sometimes it feels like there's two economies.
Miss B on 05/11/2023 - 18:02

+2

I had a similar situation, although also very different.

Plumber with ~$200 call out fee. They take it before they come out. Middle of the night. They confirmed it's definitely on the house side, not the street. They say they can come back during business hours to unblock the drains, will also need to replace the toilet. Quote for about $3000.

I told them not to book anything and I would let them know if I wanted them to come out. Got a quote for someone else to come out and unblock the drains (I believed the first lot when they said that's what was needed) ~ $400. Found out from a neighbour that a bunch of people were having the same problem and it was actually on the street side. I left the first ones a very honest review and obviously when I next needed someone to come out I avoided them.

$200 lesson that you need to read all of the negative reviews even if it's the middle of the night, your drains are blocked and you have family coming to stay in the morning. They had a good rating because after every honest review they did a bunch of fake positive reviews.

I think it's reasonable to pay a plumber $200 to come out in the middle of the night even if they have to come back in the morning to fix the problem. I strongly object to paying scammers anything. The first lot were found to be super scammy by the ACCC.
Protractor on 05/11/2023 - 19:00

+2

Would love to know what ppl here define as a 'tradie'. A bloke who works in a trade, or a qualified professional in that trade.Or a lackey who hangs around with a tradie and picks up the basics and gets charged out at full rates. The whole area has become murky as an overpopulated cess pool anoints anyone to fill the void, (with govt support)
When you pay for a plumber,brickie,sparky,mechanic etc, you should get just that.Not pay full price for a replica
caspochek on 05/11/2023 - 19:36

+1

Is your evap unit a Bonaire by chance?

I had a similar situation a few years ago (without a call out fee for miss diagnosis mind you).

Where the first repair guy didn't have a clue, he went from faulty control module to faulty PCB and everything in between. I needed up calling bonaire direct and the guy fixed it in 2 mins, with a ~$200 call out fee. But hey, at least he fixed it.

Its since happened again and I educated myself on how to fix it myself.
- helpme on 06/11/2023 - 16:08
  
  Nah Breezair
Nebargains on 05/11/2023 - 19:41

+1

I would call the tradie or the company and say that there was no fault with the PCB and that as such you aren't paying the invoice because you paid for the expertise and their knowledge was obviously not sufficient.

I'd start there and they might just say forget about it out of embarassment, otherwise negotiate it down.

I've done this before, job was a few thousand, took way longer than agreed and wasn't really at the quality I expected so I negotiated it down.
paulojr on 05/11/2023 - 21:18

+7

My thoughts,

Don't accept laziness and incompetence by tradies, if everyone does that then the situation we have today with so many incompetent tradies out there will never change in Australia.

Ok, if this was any trade person that was licensed in Australian, a misdiagnosis or big mistake in their work would suggest retraining or recertification is required (especially with electrical work), e.g. a plumber comes out and incorrectly installs a pressure value but does not make the job comply with the Australian standards, you would not only be able to but should be compelled (for the safety of everyone) to report the plumber to the VBA to investigate his/her work and get them trained and fix your job at no additional cost to you.

In this case, someone comes out and claims to be an expert in your HVAC misses the bleeding obvious issue of the remote not being "paired" or knows this and tries to potentially upsell you to replace the PCB board, he/she is either completely incompetent, illegally working as a HVAC repairer (and are probably nothing more than a handyman), or guilty or bait and switching tactics and knew the remote was the issue but figured try you on for a call out fee and charge for a PCB.

Also call out fees, must be disclosed BEFORE not after coming out.

With HVAC, they often require refrigeration or electrical certs so the guy should either be a certified plumber or electrician (or both) so i think raise the work with the VBA.
(whether you pay or not, don't think it matters, to me his failure to provide competent services is what I'd focus on)

I always ask if they have a call out fee in writing (e.g. SMS or email) to avoid hassles, plenty out there that will help over the phone or not charge a call out, depends on whether they are in it for the pennies or for longer term business.

BTW if it was me dealing with this, and assuming I felt the tradie was not being honest or didn't seem competent, I'd tell him to waiver the fee or if really wants the money come on a journey with me with consumer affairs to se what they think. I'd make him work for his money and make sure he got plenty of reviews, BTW please update your post to say who the company is so we can avoid them too.
- Protractor on 05/11/2023 - 22:17
  
  agree name them. But OP should do a proper review elsewhere first (IMHO)
BluebirdV on 05/11/2023 - 21:21

+1

$200 Call out fee. Might dress up as a tradie during tough times.
sashatheman on 05/11/2023 - 22:08

+3

I wouldn't pay especially if its $200 for just a call-out fee. That's ridiculous.
- Protractor on 05/11/2023 - 22:18
  
  +1
  
  according to the Ozb regulars they'd cough it up >and more.
  Sad
  - churlish on 05/11/2023 - 22:21
    
    Astonished at the number of people here that think it's a perfectly normal amount for a call out fee
    - Protractor on 05/11/2023 - 22:28
      
      Ppl who enable this pseudo virtual extortion have wrecked the economy and set the bar of price & service expectation. Even in the mega big cash economy.
      .Now it's the norm to be expected to be reamed.
      Up to (and since) covid, tradies have increasingly officially abandoned unions and the ALP because they are now in the the upper tax brackets.They literally name their price, and double it, Basically they are now zillionaires who work a 30 hour week,dodge tax ,drive RAMs and hire multiple lackeys with govt rebates paying for the training,tools and a big slab of their business costs. But hey. we 'need vuh houses ', innit?
      
      TLDR
      They aint what they used to be.Fair go and fair price? Yeah nah
samfisher5986 on 06/11/2023 - 09:39
It completely depends on the wording

I have identified a fault with the PCB, this is why its not working - You shouldn't pay

Or

Based on my observations, I suspect the PCB is faulty and I think replacing it could fix it - You should pay
- helpme on 06/11/2023 - 16:54
  
  Somewhere in between…PCB is faulty but I don't know if they clearly said fixing it will fix it
mavis30551 on 06/11/2023 - 09:56

+1

DID op pay? I wouldnt of.

Call out fee is for someones expertise, not to scam you and mis-diagnose.
OBEY YOUR MASTERS on 06/11/2023 - 10:08

At what point do we declare incompetence on the part of the tradie? When is it ok to pay for incompetence?
ProlapsedHeinous on 06/11/2023 - 10:58

Perhaps you might want to call the guy/company who came out, and give them the option. Either A: You pay the callout and we go our separate ways, but you will leave a Google review stating they came out and misdiagnosed what was a simple six (stay factual) or B: Waive the callout fee and no Google review. leave the ball in their court.

On a side note, as much as it sucks, you should pay the fee if they insist, since they did come out. but doesn't hurt to give them the option.
Drakesy on 06/11/2023 - 14:04

I reckon you need to pay the call out fee but as the advice was null and void leave it at that.
dowhatuwant2 on 06/11/2023 - 14:46

I would just send them a picture of the lights on the PCB and be like, was it turned on in your picture?
TightLikeThisx on 06/11/2023 - 17:37

Send him an email thanking him for the free quote but tell him you will not be going forward with the $200 repair as another repairman has correctly diagnosed the issue and it was not the circuit board.

If he tries to tell you it was $200 tell him "Thanks for trying to scam me. If you want your money then take me to court."
rogerwilko on 06/11/2023 - 19:46

$200 seems a lot for a callout fee, you would expect an expert for this much. I would respect a callout fee of $50 to $100 to cover the costs and time.

I already feel the hate coming, if the government force us to use trades, then they should regulate the cost of the trades.
- TEER3X on 06/11/2023 - 19:55
  
  +1
  
  I think the standard used to be $150. Maybe it's $200 now. Your numbers are from the 90's.
  - rogerwilko on 06/11/2023 - 21:21
    
    I paid 400 bucks for an aircon install recently, no hidden costs, bracket included, licensed tech, not quite back to back. Did not charge me to quote or call-out fee. Can't fault the workmanship and they supplied an invoice for a warranty. Gave an extra fifty as I was impressed, so I suppose $450 including tip.
    
    200 for a callout seems a lot in comparison.
- kiwimex on 06/11/2023 - 21:56
  
  +1
  
  $200 call out fee is fair, You have to pay for the trades travel to and from your premises and the costs associated with that. Time, fuel, maintenance, insurance, tolls?, super etc. Regulate the cost of trades? you're kidding me right? the government cant even regulate the cost of fuel.

Do I Have to Pay This Tradie?

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