[Pairadocs]

Originally Posted by lisahathy

I was wondering the same thing. There must be an explanation for the massive difference in the quotes.

I don't know, but can tell you once we heard about this from our handyman (who has tried to help a couple people who had no idea how they were being overcharged), we began to ask others if they had heard of this. We heard from one resident, who thankfully had a bit of knowledge, about that same company charging 4 TIMES the rate of others to remove a gas tank water heater, and instill the SAME capacity heater in the same location on the existing pad... nothing new had to be done. The installation, MINUS the cost of the same O.A. Smith 40 gal. (apples to apples) was 4 times quoted by others. One bad review of any business can be suspect, but do your own investigation from neighbors you trust on this one.

[Pairadocs]

Originally Posted by birdawg

Had the same issue with RoMac 50$ for a estimate for a broken window said Forget about it.

Question, did you really mean $50 ? I have similar problem, 3 windows that do not raise and lower correctly... kind of "push sideways" and do not go up and down straight/evenly. Did you find someone who repairs such a problem without having to have an entire new window put in????

[villagetinker]

Originally Posted by Pairadocs

Question, did you really mean $50 ? I have similar problem, 3 windows that do not raise and lower correctly... kind of "push sideways" and do not go up and down straight/evenly. Did you find someone who repairs such a problem without having to have an entire new window put in????

There have been a few threads on window problems, as I recall some have counter weights or springs that fail and create the problem you are describing. I have no first hand experience with these, so I cannot help you but as i recall there were several possible solutions.

[Nilda E Aponte]

QUOTE=Mike&Silvia;2211476]I recently sought estimates for a simple plumbing job - running a water line across a 30' garage to a new outdoor hose bib. I got the following three estimates:

1. Mike Scott Plumbing $350 (no estimate fee)
2. Anthony Torri Plumbing $325 (no estimate fee)
3. Frank Gay Services $2158 ($38 estimate fee)

After two calls to Frank Gay Services, seeking to speak to a manager and being promised a callback, I finally got through to a customer service person who said that they would refund my $38 estimate fee if I signed an agreement to keep my dissatisfaction silent. The form required me to not "post or author any detrimental reviews, blogs, etc. regarding the Company, in any form, whether written or oral."

My silence cannot be purchased for $38. I am a new homeowner in The Villages. The majority of service companies that I have dealt with have been upstanding and a pleasure to do business with, however, when I find a company that exploits and takes advantage of unsuspecting homeowners, I want to share my experience and help others avoid making a bad decision.[/QUOTE]

[Michael G.]

Originally Posted by Mike&Silvia

1. Mike Scott Plumbing $350 (no estimate fee)
2. Anthony Torri Plumbing $325 (no estimate fee)
3. Frank Gay Services $2158 ($38 estimate fee)

In all fairness I would like to hear what Frank Gay Services would say about this.
There has to be some type of explaining because the cost isn't even close.

[JMintzer]

Originally Posted by rustyp

We are trying to spread the word. Push the thumbs up button on post #1. We are at 174 thanks so far.

Yiou know that doesn't do anything to help promote anything, right?

[rustyp]

Originally Posted by JMintzer

Yiou know that doesn't do anything to help promote anything, right?

No I don't know that so help educated me and 224 other posters who pushed the thumbs up button thus far. I'm game for what is your idea to help out ? If you think someone has not tipped FG to our silent majority plot you maybe living in an alternative universe.

[rogerk]

I had a similar experience with Frank Gay. Killey and Sons was a pleasure to work with. Gay seems to be a commercial and impersonal corporate trying to be was lol things to everyone.

Customer Service appears to be secondary.

[Lea N]

Originally Posted by Pairadocs

We had no idea of the price differential in F.G. and others in the area, until we hired a man, a resident of another close by senior community, who does handyman work a couple days a week. While completing our simple job, replacing the "guts" of an existing toilet tank, we were all chatting, and he made a remark about not charging us for a small additional "job", 15 seconds to replace rubber washer. So that started some chat about the various rates of trades people. He told us in his opinion (since he gets around to many homes) most plumbers, electricians, etc. do not vary that much from one to the other. But, told us how he had helped one of his neighbors, a widow, who had been confused and misguided by F.G. in such as way to have a $300-to-$400 job turned into a bill of over $3800. He went on to explain how they were able to do this (expand the problem !) from his experience as a handyman, but most people would have no idea what is going on. He said a number of plumbers in the area had been consolidated, "bought up", under one name, and were getting quite a reputation for misguiding people as to what it takes to fix a problem. When he finished, I wrote down the name "F.G." to remind me not to call the next time we needed a plumber. So I know your story is factual, and there are many others who have been seriously overcharged, we've found out since.

Wow, this must be how they get a lot of their business.

We lived in SE FL and my father moved down. This was 20 years ago. He bought a home that had been inspected, including a termite inspection.

My father was getting older and needed our help. He called me to let me know that he called a termite company (after getting one of their flyers.) He didn't even have to call them, but he was starting to get confused about things. They came out and told him he had termites and it would cost him $2,500 to put bate out.

I told him not to do anything. I immediately called the company who had done the termite inspection for my father before he bought the home. We used them monthly to treat our yard for bugs. I told the owner, who we had a good relationship with what happened. She immediately sent her husband to my father's home and guess what? There were no termites.

[JMintzer]

Originally Posted by rustyp

No I don't know that so help educated me and 224 other posters who pushed the thumbs up button thus far. I'm game for what is your idea to help out ? If you think someone has not tipped FG to our silent majority plot you maybe living in an alternative universe.

All it does is let YOU know that people like your post.

Nothing more...

[rustyp]

Originally Posted by JMintzer

All it does is let YOU know that people like your post.

Nothing more...

I highly suspect there are 239 TOTV subscribers thus far that are unlikely to use FG services. Nothing less... I suspect FG does not see it your way. Why would they offer to refund $38 only if one doesn't publish bad press about their business via a signed agreement. Power of the pen.

[Lazydaze]

Recently had a friend who had Gay estimate a plumbing job at $1200. Tim Herndon Plumbing did the job for $200.
Tells you everything you need to know about Gay Plumbing..

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by Michael G.

In all fairness I would like to hear what Frank Gay Services would say about this.
There has to be some type of explaining because the cost isn't even close.

I don't think there needs to be any explaining. This is how some contractors operate on a regular basis. It's not illegal. That is why it pays to get competitive quotes.

In this case, if the contractor charges $75 per hour, do you really think it is going to take a licensed plumber more than 3 days run 30 feet of plastic pipe?

[Peazoup]

I am one who got seriously overcharged by FG.

[collie1228]

My 94 year old neighbor signed an agreement with FG which has turned out to be expensive. They did something to his A/C, which I'm not sure of, but it cost him over $1K. Then they blew out his main sewer pipe for over $1K, and to add insult to injury, charged him $400.00 to replace toilet wax rings and reset the two toilets. Two toilets reset would be less than two hours work for me (I'm not a plumber, but it's easy work), and the wax rings cost about $5.00 each. I told him to never let one of these FG guys into his house again, and if someone shows up, he should call me. I've used Kiley and never felt anything but confidence in their performance.