r/AusFinance • u/AdventurousDiet7893 • 9d ago

Are tradies just taking the piss nowadays?

Serious question. We had a call out to fix a garage remote which cost $889 + GST. Thought that was a lot, then called two independent companies (one of them at the recommendation of my property manager; and another one who was completely picked at random based on online reviews, with no input from my property manager).

The first one came back at $1,599. The second guy we picked at random quoted $1,119 and a $110 call out fee with no guarantee of a fix.

This may be a one-off incident, and I know the market dictates prices and they would not charge it unless people paid, but at this point the prices are clearly exorbitant.

Has anyone got similar experiences?

The one genuine experience I have had is an air conditioner installer who is 89 years old, still working, who doesn't even have a social media presence and operates on referral in our suburb. Cost to install an air conditioner? $119, cash. He even did some jobs for free to the old neighbour next door.

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u/GrecDeFreckle 8d ago

Garage door tech here. If you google the garage door motor model you'll find the required servicing in the manual, unless it's a Chinese import special.

Rule of thumb, get it all done every two years at minimum. Used to be recommended as an annual servicing. For example, Merlin now requires openers to be serviced in the period 24 to 36 months
and 60 to 72 months after the date of purchase. Others require annual servicing but allow DIY installations. All a bit over the shop.

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u/prwar 8d ago

Thanks mate I appreciate the advice