The Mad Electrician said:To gain a little bit of part time income and to support my MR2 I do car audio security and custom lighting. Well part of the audio is basic component repair.
The story
Customer brings me a Kingwood amplifier (cruddy off brand) and states that the protect light comes on every time he tries to use it. Okay, not a problem, I ask him if it smelled like burnt beans, customer says yes. I tell him I am about 95% sure i fix it for him but I would charge a $25 diagnostic and repair fee just to crack the case weather I can fix it or not. He agrees, and leaves me with the amplifier.
I crack the case and sure enough it's a blown capacitor. I de-solder it and run to the local electronics store to get a replacement cost me all of $0.25. Get home and slap it into place and BAM working amplifier. Call the customer tell him that I fixed the amp and it will be $25 I am not charging him for the cost of the capacitor. Well he says I am ripping him off and he wants his amp back. I tell him that he will have to pay me the the $25 or I will keep his amplifier as stated in the contract he signed with me.
Well in the end I wound up with a $0.25 amp
Does any one think that mabe I charge too much, or am I in the wrong here? I kinda feel a little guilty for what I did but I think thats just my nice side trying to show. Thing is this guy didn't even buy it from me originally, and never used my services before. He also agreed to pay the $25 at first.
Well any advice?
Leftyretro said:No, you did fine.
The customer might (just might) have a reason (but not a legal) to be a little tweaked if you had said it's not repairable but it's still $25 for the diagnosis, however you did tell him that up front and in the contract. But to be pissed at a successful repair for $25 is just nuts. What was his/her expectation anyway?
The Mad Electrician said:To gain a little bit of part time income and to support my MR2 I do car audio security and custom lighting. Well part of the audio is basic component repair.
(snip) ..... I tell him that he will have to pay me the the $25 or I will keep his amplifier as stated in the contract he signed with me.
The Mad Electrician said:Does any one think that mabe I charge too much, or am I in the wrong here? I kinda feel a little guilty for what I did but I think thats just my nice side trying to show. Thing is this guy didn't even buy it from me originally, and never used my services before. He also agreed to pay the $25 at first.
Well any advice?
HiTech said:$25 inspection/estimate fee seems a tad high (for my region) but cost of living in your area may well justify that.
SPDCHK said:Funny how the exchange rate determines the cost of things?
In South Africa, (where our currency RAND vs. USD = $0.1466/R) and (Rand vs. GBP £0.0748/R) it usually costs R60.00 (~$8.8) or (~ £4.49) for handling fee to open and inspect. And we think R60 is expensive
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