Technician arrived a little late, but unsure whether or not I wrote down the wrong time (8a. vs. 8:30a.). Since, it was a Thursday, I was advised that the technician's don't start as early, because they have to file their paperwork first thing. Technician started work around 8:45a., which didn't cause any real issue on our end. So this was a non-issue, compared to our experience in the end. SHORT VERSION: Technician charged $232.00 for an igniter that I could purchase online for $19.99 + shipping (approx. $30 total). He offered me the opportunity to "save" by paying for the part + a service contract for 2 cleanings (1 for A/C in spring, 1 for furnace next fall), for $251.00. Feeling I didn't have much of a choice, as the technician holds what he thought may be a defective igniter, I agreed. The next day, I found that they were gouging me for over $200, for a part that I could get for the formerly mentioned price. I contacted the vendor. Cancelled the service contract. Demanded a full refund of service contract and part cost, upon their receipt of the brand new (Carrier Corp. issued) igniter, which I purchased from an online vender. Will be shipping the part to them today (12/12/12). Moral of the story: If you're handy and the issue isn't time-sensitive, it pays to look up the part number to insure the vendor isn't sticking you with an almost 800% mark-up (That's even after I factored in the shipping)!. LONG VERSION: In the course of the technician's visit, he advised me that the existing igniter had a hairline crack in it and that it should be replaced. He then advised me that the part would be $232.00! From there, he suggested that I could get a better price ($100 off) on the piece, if I signed up for a year service contract ($119). So, for $251.00, he said we would receive 2 more cleanings (1 for A/C and another for the furnace) plus the igniter. I reluctantly agreed. As luck would have it, I did not have Internet service at the property, while the technician was there. So, I was unable to immediately check on how their price for the part compared with other sources. The next day, when I had internet access, I put in the part number and discovered that this same igniter (part# LH33ZS004) is available from various online sources for $19.99 + shipping! You can imagine my disgust, when I discovered that I had been duped for over $210! I?m understanding of some mark-up on the cost of parts, when handled by a certified technician, but this kind of price gouging is unacceptable! So, I immediately called the vendor, (12/7/12), to express my disgust, and inform them that I was cancelling their service contract and would be returning their overpriced igniter. Kenny took the message and advised me that he would pass along the information to Jim Britain (sp?), their service manager, and he would give me a call. I also sent an email to
[email protected], outlining much of what I've covered here. As of late afternoon 12/7/12, I had not received a call back. So, I called Mr. Britain to reiterate my displeasure, and I got him on the phone. He advised me that their pricing was competitive within their industry and that $232, is the cost of the igniter, without a service contract. He went on to attempt to justify his almost 800% mark-up, by saying he has a business to run and it costs a lot of money to stock the parts and "put the guys out on the road." He suggested that the additional cost was also for the expertise of the technician, etc., etc.. Mind you, this igniter change amounted to unscrewing a bracket held by 1 screw, unscrewing the igniter from the bracket, mounting the new igniter to the bracket and returning all back into the correct location. After some additional discussion, Mr. Britain offered to cancel the service contract and sell me the igniter for $175. I told him that this would be unacceptable, and that I would be disputing the charge with my credit card company and notifying everyone I have contact with that their company seems to have a policy of grossly inflating part costs and overcharging for services. This isn't to mention the fact that, in hindsight, it seems as though they were employing tactics to recover some of the profits they were sacrificing, when they offered the cleanings through Living Social, for $39. I received the brand new (Carrier Corp. issued) part today. I called Mr. Britain back to let him know that I would be sending it to him, and reiterated the fact that I expect a full refund of the $251.00 charged to my card last week. He said he would look the part over and call me back. He should receive this on 12/13/12, and I will follow up with him then. Once this is resolved, I do not intend to use this company for anything, in the future. Moral of the story: If you're even a little handy and the issue isn't time-sensitive, it pays to look up the part number, to insure the vendor isn't sticking you with an almost 800% mark-up (That's even after I factored in the shipping)!