ARS Rescue Rooter American Residential Services inc. A.C. Repair Price Gouging St. Petersburg Florida

After hours A.C. repair. While I was away, my wife, 73 yrs. old, home alone and ill, realized A.C. compressor was not running and the house was getting hot around 6:00 PM. We have 2 big dogs and therefore she could not go to hotel. Our regular A.C. repair Co. could not come until the following afternoon so she called ARS. The tech arrived at 9:00PM and was there 50 minutes. He installed a compressor starting capacitor and jump start kit. He gave her a price for the capacitor of $239.00 and the jump kit for $349.00. She had no idea what these parts can be bought for and just knew they were very expensive. Under duress of being stuck, ill in an 85 degree house, she consented to the job. The bill was $757.45. When she reached me the next day I went crazy. I know what the retail prices of those parts are but looked them up to verify. The capacitor is $36.60 and the jump kit is $66.00. If the tech had quoted me the prices that he charged and I was there I would have asked him to leave and sent my wife to a hotel. She did not have that option. The bottom line is for $102.60(retail, ARS probably paid 40% less) in parts and 50 minutes of labor my wife was charged $757.45. This is an exorbitant charge applied to an unwitting, ill, senior person who was under duress. 

 

How many people do they do this to that do not even realize it. Shameful 

 

A fair deal would have been the normal hourly rate times 2 (double time)since it was after hours and at MOST 25% over retail on the parts. My regular A.C. company charges an hourly rate(premium for after hours) plus retail on the parts. This would have been a total $300.00 after hour repair with them. They would have still made a good profit.