A Appliance Repair Specialist neglected to consult me between the diagnosis and repair, even though I was right there. And lied about their accreditation. Mechanicsville, Virginia

I called A Appliance Repair to diagnose a broken dryer. At first it was going to be a $65 fee for diagnosis, which is fine. What isn't fine is that after finding the problem (clogged vents causing a blown fuse), the technician went ahead and did the work, when he had originally told me he was going to do the diagnosis and then talk to me.

It wouldn't have been a big deal if the work he did was skill-requiring...but I think I can handle cleaning a vent. The most ridiculous part is that at $90/hr for 2 hours of labor (a good 30 minutes of which was spent with the tech. putting on his jacket every time he had to go out to his van) plus parts, I was paying up the wazoo...It doesn't take 2 hours OR $90 to clean a vent!

After he left, I called the company, but it turns out that (of course) the technician that had helped me was the owner himself, so nothing else could really be done about the problem. The website (aappliancerepair.com) says that it is a member of the BBB, ACCA, and Richmond Area Chamber of Commerce. Which is odd, because those groups don't have any company by that name in their directories.

I don't know if anything can be done about these various issues, but I at least wanted to make sure to let anybody in the Greater Richmond area know not to go to the people at A Appliance Repair.