"Up Charge Electric"
 

Had a breaker switch pop off and would not reset. Looked at the websites for several local electricians. "In Charge Electric" in Leesburg was all about their many 5 star reviews. Said they give a discount to residents in The Villages.

The guy came and flipped the breaker and it worked, no need to replace it or do anything else.

Charged $144.00

Wonder how much they charge for actual work?

I agree that you were overcharged. They obviously are not interested in making you a regular customer.

For those who don't know, when a circuit breaker trips, you need to push the switch to the "off" position and then push it to the "on" position. It is a two part process to reset the breaker.

Consider it an educational experience on ”how too”. Now it's time to figure out why the breaker tripped.

To reset the breaker push it farther to the left than the tripped position then all the way to the right for the on position. That’s for breakers on the left. For breakers on the right it’s reversed (thanks to another poster for pointing out the right side is reversed)

Whether you push it to the left or to the right to turn it on depends on which side of the panel the breaker is located. Breakers on the right side need to be pushed to the right and then to the left to turn it on.

How much do you think a licensed electrician should charge for driving to your home and fixing the problem you made an appointment to have repaired? Like another poster indicated, chalk it up to a learning experience.

I think it was a bad business decision to charge that much to a new customer who really didn't have a problem that required any work. It would have been better if the company had told the customer that the minimum charge was going to be $144 before he agreed to the visit. But, as a customer, I would have asked about the minimum charge in advance.

Lenhardt charges $95.00 for a visit. I have always been pleased with their prompt and friendly service.

Probably about $144.

According to their website, it shouldn't have been a surprise:

Up Front Pricing | Florida Electrician | In Charge Electric

UP FRONT PRICING

What is Up Front Pricing?
Up Front Pricing is giving an exact quote to the penny for any type of electrical repair or installation you may need. There are never hidden fees in our pricing. No surprises. We will show you the price up front, before any work is started in writing and the price will not change, guaranteed.

much less than $144

Their website says a lot about up front pricing, but doesn't mention the minimum charge of $144. If the person scheduling the visit had told the customer that in advance, they may have had a satisfied customer, or at least a customer who was not surprised by the bill. Bad policy.

The OP said they looked at the website. This is on the website. Maybe it's not a bad policy but weak research.

How much does your Dr charge for a “check” appointment? (At his office, not at your home)
Even if no actual work is needed??

Seems like $96 for at least an hour of travel time and $48 for knowing more about electrical switches than you do and teaching you about it. Maybe not a bad deal.