Are Call-out Fees a Trap? My Experience with Electrician Quotes

BuddhaBoy on 25/11/2024 - 10:12
Last edited 25/11/2024 - 11:45 by 1 other user

I recently needed some electrical work done at home, including installing a 32A 5-pin industrial socket in the garage. After some research, I found a local electrician (pretty well known business brand) with over 200 glowing reviews (4.9 stars) on Google and Facebook. Sounded promising, so them a gave him a call.

He advised there’d be a $99 call-out fee, which would be deducted from the total if I proceeded with the job. They don’t quote over the phone, so I agreed and booked.

The next day, he arrived, reviewed the tasks I needed, and gave me an on-the-spot quote: $2,350 (approx). This included all labor and materials. The quote took 10 mins. For context, one of the tasks was replacing a 4-gang switch in the bathroom, which he priced at $220 (switch included). Other costs - $1680 for 32a socket with safety switch, conduit, open colorbond roof to access. Generic socket included. Premium socket at additional cost $180 + GST. Replace existing flood light with Eufy flood light and move the existing flood light to the side yard - $260.

I was a bit surprised by the total and asked if it was accurate, to which he confirmed it was, "includes all cost and labour". He also mentioned the $99 call-out fee would be deducted if I went ahead within 7 days.

I paid the call-out fee, but decided to shop around. Here’s what I found:

  • Electrician 2: Asked for photos, quoted $1,400 via text (availability after two weeks).
  • Electrician 3: Came over, quoted $1,550 in person, and was available to do the job that weekend.

Both confirmed they'd provide compliance certificates, so I went with Electrician 3 as he seemed pretty chilled, had availability, and his pricing felt fair.

Later, I noticed a few 1-star reviews on Google for Electrician 1, mentioning similar concerns—high quotes after paying the call-out fee. These were mostly older reviews, which I initially missed.

Now I’m wondering:

  • Should I leave a Google review about my experience to help others?
  • Do you think call-out fees are fair, or are they being used to "trap" customers into accepting higher quotes?

I don’t mind paying a call-out fee for time spent, but the practice of quoting significantly higher afterward doesn’t sit well with me. In this case, I saved $800 by getting additional quotes.

What are your thoughts? Have you had similar experiences? Would love to hear how others handle this!

Home & Garden

Comments

  • Duckie2hh on 25/11/2024 - 10:20
    +11

    trap

    • jv on 25/11/2024 - 12:43

      Are Call-out Fees a Trap?

      🐁

  • Xyzzy on 25/11/2024 - 10:22
    +18

    Generally I find any "well known business brand" (which I assume is a franchisee) is significantly more expensive that independent tradies.
    I'd leave a review but be polite and factual.

    • Jimothy Wongingtons on 25/11/2024 - 10:49
      +13

      polite and factual.

      Facts and only facts. Leave emotion out of it.
      Australia’s defamation laws is quite strict.

      • BuddhaBoy on 25/11/2024 - 11:16
        +1

        Got it, thanks

    • BuddhaBoy on 25/11/2024 - 11:16
      +1

      This one is a not a franchise but a local business. I think it started small and has now turned into a big team. Great branding on FB, Insta etc.
      I am contemplating regarding review and if I do, will keep it short and factual.

    • AustriaBargain on 25/11/2024 - 18:02

      I find big places tend to have their shit together more than independent ones. But ymmv, I bet there's plenty of Indies that are consummate professionals.

  • pegaxs on 25/11/2024 - 10:24
    +14

    And I am sure the second guy who just wanted photos would pull the "well, I didnt know access to this was obstructed, so there is a $300 access fee, and that point was through brick, so there is a brick drilling fee of $300, and that power point has old wiring and needs to be upgraded, that's a $300 fee… It's $1,400 via text, that is not his final price. This his "get my foot in the door to lump you with unexpected costs" price.

    And to give you an idea. I had just a 32a wiring, socket, switch and breaker installed with a 6~7 metre run on cable and that cost me $1,400 just on it's own…

    • Jimothy Wongingtons on 25/11/2024 - 10:51
      +5

      Pretty much this.

      There’s no way they can guarantee that’s the final price and most jobs are never as easy as them seem from photos.

    • BuddhaBoy on 25/11/2024 - 11:19
      +3

      Lol yeah, he did mention, there maybe additional costs on the day and that his quote is not final, and asked tons of questions and pics. But I get what you are saying.

      • Jimothy Wongingtons on 25/11/2024 - 11:23
        +6

        those $800 smokos are what gets ya in the end

        blame kfc inflation they'll say

        • BuddhaBoy on 25/11/2024 - 11:45

          hahaha

        • pegaxs on 25/11/2024 - 15:53
          +8

          That $180,000 fully kitted out LandCruiser isnt going to pay for itself. There is a lot of "Well, I wasnt aware of that, so I'm gonna have to adjust the quote…" that goes into paying the repayments on that line of vehicles…

          • Jimothy Wongingtons on 25/11/2024 - 15:58
            +8

            @pegaxs: well you cant have him running around in a beat up workmate. he'll get bullied by the other trades.

    • thatonethere on 25/11/2024 - 17:40
      +2

      I recently (3 months ago) for an EV put in 32a socket and it was $600 for 6 metre run. Easy access though.

    • HeWhoKnows on 26/11/2024 - 17:42
      -1

      There are always several ways to perform electrical work and it can have a big impact on the cost….
      1) Quality of materials - Electricians preferred Clipsal brand or some cheap chinese brand from Bunnings - makes quite a difference to materials cost
      2) Quality of cabling and hence cost vaies too.
      3) Running ducting along wall is cheap and cheerful but is that what you want?
      4) Running cabling from under floor or through cavities is much time consuming and hence more expensive but much more professional
      5) Adding another circuit and running new cabling from there can add cost, but for safety reasons it may be the way to go.
      6) In NSW such electrical work requires upgrade of the main board if it doesnt meet current standards. (eg old fuse board or no safety switches). This can add significant cost.

      So before you shoot down the most expensive quote and go running to the cheapest, make sure you are comparing apples with apples.

  • Asx10000 on 25/11/2024 - 10:29
    +7

    I think you should, so other people could avoid getting trapped. Call out fee should only be for emergency purposes, not for providing a quote, which he could use the call-out fee as a "weapon" to jack up the quote.

    I got a similar experience with a "Well-Known" brand plumber (JIMS Plumber), he did almost the same thing. a simple relief valve replacement could fix the problem, he came and want to replace the whole hot water system for big money (forgot how much he quoted). I told him to go away, he then said he can replace the valve for $600. Told him to piss off. after 5 mins he knock on my door said he spoke to his boss, he will do it for $200…

    • BuddhaBoy on 25/11/2024 - 11:21

      Exactly what I thought regarding quotes and being emergency. They pretty clear - "we don't provide quotes over the phone, that's our business policy. We charge a $99 fee and that fee is deducted from the work cost."

      Your experience with Jims franchise is funny! :D

    • airzone on 25/11/2024 - 14:43

      It's to capitalise on the sunk cost.

    • Loopholio on 26/11/2024 - 12:00

      That's dodgy as bro..

  • PissLUR on 25/11/2024 - 10:34
    +7

    Usually it's free quote.

    • Loopholio on 26/11/2024 - 12:02

      Was? I don't think sparkies do free quotes anymore.

      • SlickMick on 26/11/2024 - 15:38

        The ones that have so much business they can be picky might not.

        It would have to be hard to find one before I'd pay for a quote.
        Let companies like this go out of business I say. If your rates are reasonable, you'll get your share of work rather than making a living from quoting.

        Unfortunately, I think there is lots of work, so some are choosy. I've had guys come and assess the job (for free) and after chasing them a couple of times for the quote, gave up and found someone else.

  • Bruceflix on 25/11/2024 - 11:52

    Many years ago I was helping family with their fridge that was not keeping a good temperature. Too warm. Anyway, guy in the local paper offered repairs with a $150 quote fee deducted off the job. Called him up, he came out, took the back off the fridge, pretended to look at something and put the back on. Said that it was one of 3 possible problems and gave 3 different repair costs that would depend on what it was. Said he wouldn't know which one unless he took the fridge to his workshop. He then said it would be better to replace with one of the similar 2nd hand fridges he had for sale. Then asked for his $150 quote fee, without having actually given a quote.

    • BuddhaBoy on 25/11/2024 - 20:43

      Absolutely ridiculous!!

    • SlickMick on 26/11/2024 - 15:40

      Did he get his $150?

      • Bruceflix on 26/11/2024 - 15:42
        +2

        He did not

  • Fergy1987 on 25/11/2024 - 12:15
    +9

    Was it Fallon Solutions

    They quoted me 4000 bucks to clean 2 air cons……i told him to GTFO of my house and i had to pay him 100 bucks to leave.

    They are crooks

    • LSGH on 25/11/2024 - 17:42
      +1

      thanks for the feedback, I often see them in my suburb in Bris.

    • BuddhaBoy on 25/11/2024 - 20:44
      +1

      Nah this one is based on western suburbs of Melbourne. Werribee.

  • netjock on 25/11/2024 - 12:27
    +4

    Expect a lot more of these things going on.

    There is a big industry online of "business coaches" who help owners to get off the tools and work on the business (whatever it means) so shift the work to employees that don't care and jack up the rates for customers. Owners will just go off and fishing all the time. Also a lot of business coaches who keeps on selling the "is your quote enough to cover your expenses" basically jack up the rates.

    Call out fees are like failed investments, it makes you want to invest more money to get your money back not knowing it is a con. I called someone local for a job and he said $199 call out and I was like, you are like 5 mins drive. Some of these people have no idea what customer service is. They'd rather drive 20 mins to get their $199.

    I usually ask how much is their hourly rate. Some won't tell you because they are going to fleece you. Then I ask them how long it would take to complete the job. Usually if the two doesn't match you know something is going on.

    A lot of tradies don't go out of business because of the lack of work or wrong charge out rates, it is what they spend the money on that sinks them. A lot of that happened in the 90s now with good economy for construction and good charge out rates they still manage to screw it up.

    • BuddhaBoy on 25/11/2024 - 20:45

      Good insight. I like the idea of asking the hourly rate!

  • dogboy on 25/11/2024 - 13:09
    +11

    I don't use businesses that have a call out fee or charge to do a quote for basic work.

  • cloudy on 25/11/2024 - 13:56
    +2

    Many years ago wife’s friend hubby started a business and ask for some (fake) reviews. We were whatever about it, so went ahead. Now days this business is a 100m plus business with lots of glowing (and probably) mostly fake reviews.

    Reviews work, it drives in business, but the truth is most can not be trusted. Negative reviews are often not published, due to threats of defamation.

    • kiitos on 25/11/2024 - 16:16

      You must have written some pretty damn good reviews!

      • cloudy on 25/11/2024 - 17:41
        +1

        Nar, she told us to write positive but not overall unrealistic reviews. And gave us some to copy and paste.

  • JimmyF on 25/11/2024 - 16:04
    -4

    I don’t mind paying a call-out fee for time spent

    Ok then, so /thread. You paid for their time to travel to you and quote. You got that.

    • BuddhaBoy on 25/11/2024 - 20:46
      +2

      Yup. I did. However the quote for the job is significantly higher for the job in comparison to the other quotes received.

      • JimmyF on 25/11/2024 - 20:50
        -3

        That's why you got a quote!

        Some are costly, some are cheap.

  • LVlahov on 25/11/2024 - 17:38
    +2

    Pretty much I'll ignore businesses that charge a call out fee for this reason.

    If I get 3 quotes from 3 providers that come out and quote on site for free I find I probably avoid getting the worst possible deal, and get to pay attention to all the little details that might persuade a person to go with one group over another (appearance, friendliness, degree they are paying attention to my requirements etc).

    I might potentially miss out on someone a bit cheaper who quotes over the phone (as he doesn't have to price that extra X number of trips into his work to win a job the others do), but I'll take that trade to get additional service and surety there are no hidden icebergs that are going to come back and bite me later.

    A person that quotes for free might also be keener to win your job before walking away than someone who is getting paid just for turning up also. So if you act a bit unsure on the spot you might get that "ok well if you are prepared to commit today.." kind of discount.

  • Euphemistic on 25/11/2024 - 18:16
    +2

    On one hand i can see that charging a call out fee for a quote is a way to help prevent time wasters, but as youve discovered can be a trap.

    Not sure what the solution is, other than leaving a review stating the facts. That is, $99 call out, attended promplty provided a full written quote, with call out fee deductible off the quote, job was quoted xx% higher than comparable businesses.

    I dislike trying to get tradies, unless by recomendation from friends. You never know what youre going to get. To me, someone turning up in a mega$ branded vehicle that doesnt look like a work truck is a turn off.

    My last encounter with a tradie wasn't great. Shiny Ram truck turned up, quoted decent price. Advised id need to pay a deposit to get the ball rolling. I messaged, then email to go ahead. Heard nothing for a month, by which time I'd organised another mob. When i said not going ahead any more, he told me he'd already ordered parts and was annoyed, but had initially told me he would order once I paid a deposit. Sorry mate, should have let me know you'd received my message to go ahead.

    • BuddhaBoy on 25/11/2024 - 20:50
      +2

      Thanks, will leave a factual review. Lesson learnt and I’ll have to stick to known tradies via referrals instead looking up google and fb reviews.

  • JIMB0 on 25/11/2024 - 21:37
    +2

    This is why I DIY everywhere I can.

    • skillet on 26/11/2024 - 12:39

      Even if I can't, I will learn then DIY. Except for doing surgical operations on myself.

    • BuddhaBoy on 26/11/2024 - 15:21
      +1

      With electrical, all works must be completed by licensed electrician. I know it sucks, but that's why the law states here.

      • SlickMick on 26/11/2024 - 15:50

        I suspect many homes are safer and some people are alive today because of these laws.

        I'm glad I'm not allowed "have a go". I have too many "aha moments" during handyman projects, but you don't always get 2nd chances with electricity.

  • Nillionaire on 25/11/2024 - 23:13

    So you don't want to pay people for calling them out…?

    • BuddhaBoy on 26/11/2024 - 15:21

      I never said that.

    • SlickMick on 26/11/2024 - 15:53
      +1

      I don't.

      I don't think many people would waste somebody's time calling a tradie out for a job they aren't going to give to somebody.

      I'm giving you a chance to bid for a job, and if your rates are reasonable, there is a decent chance you'll get it. If you don't get much work, consider whether your rates are reasonable or what is wrong with your service.

  • 0 0 0 on 26/11/2024 - 07:34
    +1

    Yeah $220 to replace a switch is $20 for the switch and $50 per screw they have to turn. Good rort.

    • JIMB0 on 26/11/2024 - 12:34
      +2

      That's why I recommend to young people to do a trade instead of going to university.

    • Captain Musty on 26/11/2024 - 13:55
      +1

      … and how do you think that tradie got to the point where he/she can know what to do and do it LEGALLY?

      It's not a rort.
      That tradie has put in a lot of time and effort to acquire the skills and knowledge to complete the job, with no fear of burning your house down.
      Everyday, there are news items on the TV where a house has gone up in flames, with an electrical fault being the suspect.

      Do you still believe in DIY?

      Give credit where it's due, pay appropriately and sleep in peace at night.

    • BuddhaBoy on 26/11/2024 - 15:25

      Yeah the $220 did trigger me, but I guess it's the fee for the professional skillset/knowledge/safety. However, it still doesn't justify $220 for a replacement. I mean, it will take the electrician 5 or 10 mins to replace this? Let's just say 15mins. So, $25 for a 4 gang switch and $195 for 15mins to replace the switch.

  • skillet on 26/11/2024 - 12:35
    +2

    I'm a contractor and I am a call out fee free quote. I am transparent with my fees, I spend a lot of time detailing the items of charges and procedures in my quotes which help me net most of my potential clients. An appropriate Iist of items and procedures in my quote is much more professional than a quote with a few lines of generic job description. I also encourage them to get a second quote, so I we can discuss about the disparity and brainwash my clients. Being friendly also helps.

    • BuddhaBoy on 26/11/2024 - 15:18

      Nice that you encourage them to take a second quote.

  • LFO on 26/11/2024 - 14:17
    +1

    Funny thing is a 32A socket and switch retails for well under $70 … at Bunnings … $50 or less on line …

    Obviously the real co$t is all the work to take wires from A to B.
    Perhaps not all electricians want to do that sort of semi-skilled, painful, sweaty, unrewarding tasks hence those astronomical quotes.

  • Loopholio on 26/11/2024 - 21:01

    So what I'm hearing is if I buy a two door ute, get quotes to fix / paint any home.. or car or boat.. I'll be rolling in it because I'll quote $8000 for any small job. I could even refuse to do some plumbing for some easy money.

    Yes, it's all falling into place, I am amazingly smrt. I'll call my company..

    BIMS Odd Jobs
    All Quotes $50
    Any Work Done Guaranteed

    I will have James May Painted on the hood for added cred. This is a really good idea!

  • ATTS on 29/11/2024 - 15:50
    +1

    If we cant rely on google reviews, what are good to rely?

    I think word of mouth but the prob with that is family and friends spruking relatives etc

    • clover on 03/12/2024 - 00:56
      +1

      Yup, I got some electrical work and roofing work,
      Electrical work : a guy came and quoted 8k for a simple switchboard upgrade. Took a while but I got someone else did it for 1.2k
      Then some small leak in the garage work. Got a guy came and quoted 5k. No details whatsoever. The job was then fixed by a relative. Costs < 100 bucks and 30 min,

      They all have stellar google reviews.
      God! I hate dealing with tradies so much. Why don’t we have something like ozbargain for tradies?

      • ATTS on 03/12/2024 - 10:58

        Its the worse feeling getting ripped off.

        When you said took a while was it a while because keep getting quotes until find someone who didnt ripp off? Also curious was it couple months to find good one? And how did you end up finding good one?

        Oh wow, i would have assumed onsite quote would have been detailed. Did he charge call out fee aswell for the quote?

        Nice diy!

        Oh so google reviews cant be trusted

        Same. Hate tradies they usually unethical, also tax evasion aswell

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