The tribulations of HVAC in Phoenix

[Potential_Landlord]

Originally Posted by Greenvalleyfan

Yeah, what the hell is going on?
I think a lot of it has to do with all the California money and Northwest money coming into the state. Those people are used to paying more for services and products.
I got into a heated argument with my builder over the cost of my septic system. The initial estimate was eight to twelve thousand dollars. I received a bill for twenty four. I made one phone call to the business that did my perc test when I bought the property. Theiy quoted me fifteen thousand. I sent quote to builder and told him I wasn't from California. I told him I'd pay fifteen or rip it out. I paid fifteen. This place sucks for newbies.

This is really good advise, thanks for sharing to both of you! I will need a new car within 2 years and need any advantage I can get. Hmmm. Regarding home repairs I do everything myself by now... but this is also not sustainable long-term. I can't split myself up a million times. MN is 100% correct about this. You got to outsource.

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by Greenvalleyfan

I'm finishing off a newly built home. I've dealt with many sub contractors for many things in different fields.
Arizona has more scam artists, liars and thieves doing business than most places. You need to be on your toes when doing business in Arizona.

This is common in places with rapid growth & high transient populations. You really have to do extensive research to find the contractors & companies that are honest, and there are plenty around. After you've been here a while, you'll be more familiar with the reputable ones, and will be able to avoid the scammers (many of which are "fly by night" anyway). One thing to keep in mind is: never pay a large sum of money to a contractor ahead of time, unless you are certain that the person/company is trustworthy, and always use a credit card if you can. Too many people have written checks or paid cash as deposits, and have been ripped off with no form of recourse. Credit cards at large banking institutions will offer a certain amount of protection for larger transactions.

[Greenvalleyfan]

Originally Posted by Valley Native

This is common in places with rapid growth & high transient populations. You really have to do extensive research to find the contractors & companies that are honest, and there are plenty around. After you've been here a while, you'll be more familiar with the reputable ones, and will be able to avoid the scammers (many of which are "fly by night" anyway). One thing to keep in mind is: never pay a large sum of money to a contractor ahead of time, unless you are certain that the person/company is trustworthy, and always use a credit card if you can. Too many people have written checks or paid cash as deposits, and have been ripped off with no form of recourse. Credit cards at large banking institutions will offer a certain amount of protection for larger transactions.

I'm not new to building a home or hiring someone to perform a particular service. Arizona, or should I say Southern Arizona is in a league of it's own. I haven't been ripped off because I do my homework. That said, I was discussing the way business is conducted in this neck of the desert with a local that has lived here all his life, and he chuckled and said " Welcome to Southern Arizona "

[Voebe]

Originally Posted by MN-Born-n-Raised

Yes. I notice it takes more digging to get to a local (non-paying) company.

I too have 3, Carrier units. All about 6 years old. When I said "Google is your friend", I was talking about searching for a problematic theme. Look for people complaining in a forum, etc. POSSIBLY, if you can show a trend, then you could get ahold of someone at Carrier asking for their help.

Based on my experience with Carrier, I won't ever buy one. They have been the most unreliable units in my close to 40 years of home ownership. FYI. The Techs all seem to blast Trane units. They have a lot more technology (and more things to go wrong).

Funny you should mention Googling a forum. I'm finding more and more that when I include the word "forum" in a search, Google (or Bing, in my case) chooses to ignore that part. They do, in fact, choose to ignore the words that would narrow a search to something useful.

I've already called Carrier, and they were so horrifying bad over the phone - I was talking to a supposed supervisor who was saying things that were patently untrue - that I wrote them a detailed complaint. No result so far.

Sorry, I'm not sure what you mean by "blast." Do you mean techs damn Trane as bad, or blare their praises as good?

[MN-Born-n-Raised]

Originally Posted by Valley Native

This is common in places with rapid growth & high transient populations. You really have to do extensive research to find the contractors & companies that are honest, and there are plenty around. After you've been here a while, you'll be more familiar with the reputable ones, and will be able to avoid the scammers (many of which are "fly by night" anyway). One thing to keep in mind is: never pay a large sum of money to a contractor ahead of time, unless you are certain that the person/company is trustworthy, and always use a credit card if you can. Too many people have written checks or paid cash as deposits, and have been ripped off with no form of recourse. Credit cards at large banking institutions will offer a certain amount of protection for larger transactions.

I hired a "reputable" contractor. 11 years in business and tons of great reviews, and I know 5 people in our neighborhood who used them. I paid $500 for the CAD design by check. They wanted 1/2 down or $9K (the job was $18K). I said no way, 1/4 down. And when they start, I will finish paying the 1/2 down fee. Their lead time was 6 months. She called her boss and they agreed. Why the Hell do you need 1/2 down? Or for that matter, 1/4 down? But I paid because of their reputation.

In short, I got a letter that said they claiming bankruptcy. Other neighbors got the note too. The construction firm charged me 3% more for a CC. I paid that extra fee on my deposit. In return, I filed a claim. The person holding the bag was the credit card clearing house that represented them. It's been 7 months and my reversal stuck. You need to prove you didn't get any service. That CC saved me $4500. As you suggested, use a CC.

People need to remember this lesson in life. If a person's back is against the wall financially, you really do not know what they are capable of. It could be your brother, your best friend, or ANYONE! Ask me how I learned that lesson! I didn't get burnt on any one of these. Because I understand this concept.

Still, I hired a contractor to put a tile backsplash. I paid their asking price. I was easy to work with and nice. They have ONE little item left which was to caulk the edge. So I paid in full. I mean, they were super nice AND they live 1 mile away. It would only take them about 1/2 hour to do it. I made 10 calls and texts over a month and he went MIA. So no matter how well you think you can gauge someone in the trades, you cannot.