“How on earth can I trust?” [them]?

A homeowner was frustrated because he received a ridiculous markup on his HVAC repair quote. Original poster subscriber Their experience in a homeowners forum on Reddit, explaining how their old AC unit needed a new refrigerant.

Originally, the HVAC tech told the OP that the refrigerant would cost $300 per pound. Since the OP works in the construction industry, they asked friends who work in the commercial HVAC industry about purchasing refrigerant directly and were able to purchase it for just over $30 per pound.

“Expect a 20-30% markup on materials if these places charge $70 per pound.” books Optional protocol. “I’d say OK, but $300 is a 900% markup. Obviously, the whole goal is to make the repair price so high that you have no choice but to buy (or more likely finance) a new system.”

Since OP’s air conditioning unit was old, they planned to replace it entirely in a few years. However, after this experience, OP felt hesitant to move forward with replacing him in the near future.

“How can I trust buying a new system from someone who just tried to shovel me over coal for a simple repair job?” books Optional protocol.

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The OP gave Redditors an update on their HVAC tech journey, mentioning how they found a local contractor who was not only friendly, but also reasonably priced.

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