Had Jesse (the owner) out to my house to fix my thermostat. Although he was friendly enough and seemed to be pretty knowledgeable, I can’t help but feel like he took advantage of me and my situation. My thermostat stopped working properly and it turned out to only need a new fuse and to plug in a wire that was already there, just not connected by previous installer. This was a 10 minute job that cost me $433!! Before starting any work he made me sign agreement to pay amount. $135 diagnostic (asked me what happened), $7 for fuel charge (because the other $429 wouldn’t cover a 6mi round trip), and $250 in labor (he installed a fuse and plugged in my thermostat…) plus tax. To his defense, I did agree to pay the described amount prior to his work. However, he could sense the desperation as I requested a service on short notice given I had dogs at home without AC on a 80*+ day while I was at work. In preying on that desperation, he explained the labor charge prior to the service with potential of it being a much bigger job. Maybe if it had been, he might not have charged me more than what we agreed. And I might have felt fair with his price. That said, if it costs you little to no time, money, or effort, give your customer a damn break and you might be the one they call again next time they have an issue! After this experience, I will NEVER do business with Je$$e again! **Update** - After this service I spoke with two other companies (Benton County Heat/Cooling and Comfort Living - both here in Bentonville) who I contacted at the same time, but unfortunately were not available until later in the day. I ended up calling them both back the day after and explained to them the service I had done (less than 30 minutes) and asked how much it would have costs if I had waited a couple of hours more for them. I was quoted $98 (Benton County) and $112 (Comfort Living) plus tax. They were in shock when I told them how much I got charged, just as I still am. Unbelievable. Do yourself a favor and call one of the other guys and save yourself some money and frustration!
Response from the owner
Reviews like this genuinely concern me as the owner. From our point of view you called for same day service which we provided by rearranging the schedule just for you because of the stated dog issue, without charging any additional fee. We diagnosed the issue and told you the price to proceed, and you agreed without any hesitation. We would have rather have not performed the service call if you didn't think $392+tax of $38 was too much to diagnose the unit, get in hands and knees in 130 degree attic to rewire the unit properly, change the fuse, and reinstall your thermostat or if we thought you would be disappointed or dissatisfied in any way. So strange actually since you acted so differently in person. Furthermore the characterization of preying on you is totally out of line, that's not the case at all. We would not want to do any business with you either if you seek to miss characterize the situation so insultingly, after acting so cordially in person. People in the Northwest Arkansas know what things cost and many customers are readily looking for companies that will actually fix something for under $500 instead of suggesting a new unit, so we welcome reviews like this for that reason. To all those people out there with bills ranging in the thousands of dollars, feel free to call us for your repair needs , we have fair prices an honest diagnostics of your HVAC systems.