On the local Facebook groups, I repeatedly see people querying what they consider to be overpriced invoices for very basic trades work. While some people are being completely unreasonable in being upset with standard industry rates, some people are completely justified after being charged thousands of dollars for minutes of work.... which often doesn't solve the problem.

Without exception, the company I see responsible for the latter is Metropolitan (you may recognise them from A Current Affair). Or Mr Emergency. Or Upside Down. Or Cyber. Or Jims. These are all the same company. They just have 150+ company names to make sure they always appear high in search results.

I've posted the current list below, but I'm sure it will change on the daily as they add more and more names to their main ABN:

https://abr.business.gov.au/ABN/View?abn=69609895721

My issue is not with their charging as such. If they want to charge top dollar for their work then I say good on them. There's no point racing to the bottom and these guys with their obscene pricing means I can charge a reasonable rate for my work and look great by comparison.

My issue is with their ethics and ability. In my opinion, they quote work which is categorically impossible to solve the issue the customer has, but which is presented as being the first step towards resolution. As an example they will turn up for their $150 call out fee (no extra for weekends!) to look at an air conditioner that isn't working. They will immediately quote a $1500+GST rejuvenation of the unit. This work will involve a clean of the coil and a flush of the drain. There are two issues here:

1. This work is worth more like $500+GST, including the call out, assuming a proper bag clean of indoor and chemical clean of the outdoor unit,
2. Without diagnosing the fault in the first place, this work will probably not solve anything. At best the customer will now have a lightly scented and lemon fresh AC that will not work.

The second step is typically to quote a full system replacement. I've seen this going for around $6500+GST for a 2.5kw swap out. Here again we have two issues:

1. This job is more like $2500+GST for a new install including an electrical circuit,
2. Without diagnosing the fault, the customer may be getting a unit with a very minor fault swapped out for a huge price tag.

The same story is repeated over and over again. People have got someone out based on a Google search. The tech has arrived and without even looking at the unit advised that it needs a rejuvenation before proceeding as that MAY solve the issue. Sometimes the home owner is savvy enough to query this response and only ends up out of pocket for the call out. Often they naively follow what they believe to be expert advice and end up thousands out of pocket for a likely useless clean that is not going to solve anything - its just part of the process to milk as much cash as possible. The replacement is then quoted at sky high rates which means the customer either overpays AGAIN to get a working system or they end up with the sunk cost of a rejuvenation and have nothing to show for it.

In those times where the customer pulls the pin and a more reasonable local company is called instead, they often find its something basic - a fan capacitor, a faulty PCB, a tripped breaker, a minor refrigerant leak.... Things that anyone with a qualification should have identified on the first attendance.

This is all my opinion only based on what I see happening. Assuming I'm wrong about all of this, my takeaway suggestion is to immediately pull the pin on ANY COMPANY who turns up and quotes work without taking reasonable steps to identify the issue, and does not explain the path to resolution in plain English (or your other language of choice) including the diagnosis.

And if you're getting three quotes to compare pricing, make sure you aren't picking three companies from this same list.

Here is a list of companies I believe should be avoided:

• AIR CONDITIONING REPAIR NEAR ME
• AFTER HOURS AIR CONDITIONING
• AFTER HOURS AIR CONDITIONING BALLARAT VIC
• AFTER HOURS AIR CONDITIONING BENDIGO VIC
• AFTER HOURS ELECTRICAL BALLARAT VIC
• AFTER HOURS ELECTRICAL BENDIGO VIC
• AFTER HOURS PLUMBING BALLARAT VIC
• AFTER HOURS PLUMBING BENDIGO VIC
• MR EMERGENCY HEATING AND COOLING
• BALLARAT AFTER HOURS AIR CONDITIONING
• BALLARAT AFTER HOURS ELECTRICAL
• BALLARAT AFTER HOURS PLUMBING
• BENDIGO AFTER HOURS AIR CONDITIONING
• BENDIGO AFTER HOURS ELECTRICAL
• BENDIGO AFTER HOURS PLUMBING
• GEELONG AFTER HOURS AIR CONDITIONING
• GEELONG AFTER HOURS ELECTRICAL
• GEELONG AFTER HOURS PLUMBING
• MOUNT BARKER AFTER HOURS AIR CONDITIONING
• MOUNT BARKER AFTER HOURS ELECTRICAL
• MOUNT BARKER AFTER HOURS PLUMBING
• MOUNT BARKER AIR CONDITIONING
• MOUNT BARKER EMERGENCY ELECTRICAL
• MOUNT BARKER EMERGENCY PLUMBING
• MOUNT BARKER PLUMBING
• AIR CON REPAIR NEAR ME
• UPSIDE DOWN AIR CONDITIONING
• UPSIDE DOWN ELECTRICAL
• UPSIDE DOWN PLUMBING
• AFTER HOURS PLUMBING CANBERRA
• AFTER HOURS PLUMBING DARWIN
• AFTER HOURS PLUMBING HOBART
• AFTER HOURS PLUMBING MELBOURNE VIC
• AIR CON REPAIR CANBERRA
• AIR CON REPAIR DARWIN
• AIR CON REPAIR HOBART
• AIR CON SERVICE CANBERRA ACT
• AIR CON SERVICE DARWIN
• AIR CON SERVICE HOBART
• AIR CON SERVICE PERTH WA
• ELECTRICIAN NEAR ME ADELAIDE
• ELECTRICIAN NEAR ME AUSTRALIA
• ELECTRICIAN NEAR ME CANBERRA
• ELECTRICIAN NEAR ME DARWIN
• ELECTRICIAN NEAR ME HOBART
• ELECTRICIAN NEAR ME MELBOURNE
• ELECTRICIAN NEAR ME PERTH
• ELECTRICIAN NEAR ME SYDNEY
• PLUMBER NEAR ME ADELAIDE SA
• PLUMBER NEAR ME AUSTRALIA
• PLUMBER NEAR ME CANBERRA
• PLUMBER NEAR ME PERTH WA
• PLUMBER NEAR ME SYDNEY NSW
• PLUMBER NEAR ME MELBOURNE VIC
• CYBER AIR CONDITIONING BALLARAT
• CYBER AIR CONDITIONING BENDIGO
• CYBER AIR CONDITIONING GEELONG
• CYBER ELECTRICAL BALLARAT
• CYBER ELECTRICAL BENDIGO
• CYBER ELECTRICAL GEELONG
• CYBER PLUMBING BALLARAT
• CYBER PLUMBING BENDIGO
• CYBER PLUMBING GEELONG
• AFTER HOURS PLUMBING ADELAIDE
• AFTER HOURS PLUMBING PERTH
• AFTER HOURS PLUMBING SYDNEY
• PLUMBER NEAR ME GEELONG
• AIR CON REPAIR MELBOURNE
• AIR CON REPAIR PERTH
• AIR CONDITIONER NEAR ME
• AIR CONDITIONING NEAR ME
• AIR CONDITIONING REPAIR
• HEATING COOLING NEAR ME
• HVAC NEAR ME
• PLUMBER NEAR ME DARWIN
• PLUMBER NEAR ME HOBART
• TRADIE NEAR ME
• CYBER AIR CONDITIONING ADELAIDE
• CYBER AIR CONDITIONING MELBOURNE
• CYBER AIR CONDITIONING PERTH
• CYBER AIR CONDITIONING SYDNEY
• CYBER ELECTRICAL ADELAIDE
• CYBER ELECTRICAL MELBOURNE
• CYBER ELECTRICAL PERTH
• CYBER ELECTRICAL SYDNEY
• METROPOLITAN HEATING AND COOLING ADELAIDE
• METROPOLITAN HEATING AND COOLING GEELONG
• METROPOLITAN HEATING AND COOLING MELBOURNE
• METROPOLITAN HEATING AND COOLING PERTH
• METROPOLITAN HEATING AND COOLING SYDNEY
• CYBER PLUMBING ADELAIDE
• CYBER PLUMBING MELBOURNE
• CYBER PLUMBING PERTH
• CYBER PLUMBING SYDNEY
• GASFITTER NEAR ME
• 23 HOUR PLUMBING
• ONLY HOT WATER
• ADELAIDE PLUMBER NEAR ME
• AIR CON REPAIR ADELAIDE
• AIR CON REPAIR SYDNEY
• AIR CON SERVICE ADELAIDE
• AIR CON SERVICE MELBOURNE
• AIR CON SERVICE NEAR ME
• AIR CON SERVICE SYDNEY
• AIR CONDITIONER
• AIR CONDITIONER REPAIR
• AIR CONDITIONER REPAIR ADELAIDE
• AIR CONDITIONER REPAIR MELBOURNE
• AIR CONDITIONER REPAIR PERTH
• AIR CONDITIONER REPAIR SYDNEY
• AIR CONDITIONER SERVICE
• AIR CONDITIONER SERVICE ADELAIDE
• AIR CONDITIONER SERVICE MELBOURNE
• AIR CONDITIONER SERVICE PERTH
• AIR CONDITIONER SERVICE SYDNEY
• AIRCON REPAIR
• HEATING
• HOT WATER SYSTEM
• PERTH PLUMBER NEAR ME
• AFTER HOURS PLUMBING ELECTRICAL AIR CONDITIONING
• 23 HOUR PLUMBING ELECTRICAL AND AIRCON
• CYBER PLUMBING ELECTRICAL AND AIR CON
• CYBIE
• MR EMERGENCY
• JIM'S PLUMBING RESERVOIR
• METROPOLITAN PLUMBING MARION
• METROPOLITAN PLUMBING WEST LAKES
• METROPOLITAN ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS ANDREWS FARM
• METROPOLITAN ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS ELLENBROOK
• METROPOLITAN ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS GREENWITH
• METROPOLITAN ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS LILYDALE
• METROPOLITAN ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS ADELAIDE
• METROPOLITAN ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS GEELONG
• METROPOLITAN ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS SYDNEY
• ADELAIDE METRO
• ADELAIDE METRO PLUMBING
• METRO PLUMBING ADELAIDE
• BOOK A PLUMBER ONLINE
• Jim's Heating & Cooling
• JIM'S AIR CONDITIONING
• JIM'S PLUMBING PERTH
• Upside Down
• UPSIDEDOWN
• Metropolitan Plumbing
• METROPOLITAN PLUMBING ELECTRICAL AIR CONDITIONING
• METROPOLITAN GROUP AUSTRALIA
• METROPOLITAN DRAIN CLEANING
• METROPOLITAN BLOCKED DRAINS
• METROPOLITAN GASFITTING
• METROPOLITAN HEATING AND COOLING
• METROPOLITAN HOT WATER
• METROPOLITAN AIR CONDITIONING
• METROPOLITAN ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS
• Jim's Plumbing (WA, SA & VIC)