ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — When the air conditioning went out at his mother’s house on a hot July day, Mike Johnson knew they had to get it fixed as soon as possible.
“I have congestive heart failure, I have emphysema and COPD -- and I can’t breathe. The hotter it is the worse it is," the St. Augustine resident said.
Johnson said the first company that called them back was Wilson Heating and Air Conditioning down the street.
Johnson said his mom agreed to a $99 diagnostic fee, but said the technician who came out made the repair without telling her the total cost -- before springing a $327 bill on her.
The invoice breaks down the cost this way: $237 to repair the broken capacitor, and $90 for labor.
The invoice doesn’t list a diagnostic fee.
First Coast News wanted to find out what that service typically costs – for parts, labor and any diagnostic fees.
After calling five other local heating and AC companies, their costs ranged from $123 to $250 for the same service. The average total cost was $177.50.
Johnson said he went to Wilson Heating and Air Conditioning to tell them they had overcharged his mother, but he said employees yelled at him and one tore up his invoice.
“Rips it out of my hands and throws it on the floor. I got this little piece left," he said.
The company defended how it managed the situation, noting Johnson’s mother approved diagnostic fee before the repair and signed the invoice afterward, which she did.
In a statement, the company said:
"We offered to give Mr. Johnson a full refund & remove part. He declined but stated he has another problem with drain line & asked if we would come out to clear drain line at no charge and call it even. We agreed and cleared drain line that day at no charge.”
Johnson said the company did come back that day to fix the drain pipe without charge -- a job they initially said would cost him an additional $175.
In the end, Johnson believes the fact that he complained helped get at least some additional work for what he paid.
If you feel you’ve been overcharged for a service, you can reach out to the On Your Side team at onyourside@firstcoastnews.com.
You can also find Better Business Bureau's tips for hiring a contractor, here.