Complaint Review: Airflow Appliance Repair - Van Nuys California

On March 23, 2010, a service repairman came to my home to take a look at my Whirlpool Refrigerator that was no longer cold.  After inspection, he told me that I needed to replace the starter.  He said he didnt have the exact part number, but he had something better that would work.  He said it was going to cost $245.00 for the part and $55.00 for labor.  It seemed a little steep, but I accepted due to the fact my family and I were going on three days without a refrigerator.  The repairman finished the job inside of 15 minutes.

After he left, I looked on line for the parts that I thought he replaced.  Starters cost around $50.00.  This concerned me.  Before I assumed the repairman took advantage of my ignorance and anxiousness to repair the refrigerator, I called Airflow Appliance Repair to ask them about the charge.  I talked to an operator who said that a manager would get back to me the next day.

The next day Danny Zusman ( the manager) and I talked.  He told me that I agreed to the contract and authorized the repairman to do the work.  I told him regardless of what I authorized, now, after doing some research, I have found that the repairman charged me approximately $200.00 more than other retailers.  Dannys reply was that I should have looked and compared prices before hiring Airflow Appliance to do the work.  I told him regardless of what I should have done, now that I have found that starters run around $50.00, and that his repairman charged me $250.00, I wanted to talk to him directly to see what could be done before I give him and his company bad press.  Again, he repeated himself and stated that I should have done comparison shopping.  He said that when you shop for a car or TV prices margins vary between businesses.  I told him that I didnt care about the price differences for anything else but what I was charged for a starter.  I asked him how much do they cost them at wholesale.  He declined to answer that.  He told me prices vary and added that starters run from $10.00 all the way up to $300.00.  I told him that for the life of me I did not see anything out there for $300.00.  I added that if he could send me a link online that proved what he was saying as true, Id give him $1000.00.  He said that he didnt have time.  It would take you two minutes of your time, I said!  Obviously you know of a place that retails starters for $300.00.  You mean to tell me that two minutes isnt worth $1000.00 to you?!  You must be a millionaire if thats the case.  Are you a millionaire, I asked?  He didnt respond to that, but at some point in the conversation he told me that the service repairman only charged me $55.00 when they usually charge $150 and also that I wasnt charged any tax.  I guess that labor rate fluctuates according to how much they feel they can gouge the customer.  I asked if he had a boss.  He said that he did.  I told him if I was his boss Id fire him.  I asked Danny, who is identified as the manager, if I could contact his boss.  He said, I am as high as it goes.  Youre as high as it goes, I asked?  Im as high as it goes, he repeated.  Thats right, you are high, I retorted.  I told him that Id find out who his boss was and that he should have a nice rest of his day, while he could.  We then both said good bye and hung up.

Throughout the conversation/argument, Mr. Danny Zusman  acted like this was my fault.  I signed the contract, hired the repairman after I was told how much it was going to cost, and paid the money.  Hes right.  I am at fault for hoping that I was not getting taken advantage of.  I had three things going against me that day.  A repairman that wanted to gouge me with either over priced parts and/or over priced labor, a huge need to get the refrigerator that had been inoperable for three days to get fixed, and my lack of knowledge when it came to refrigerator parts.  Oh, there was one more thing working against me; a company who the repairman works for that supports this kind of unethical business practice. 

I was unable to find the owner of the Airflow Appliance Repair, and only found Mr. Danny Zusmans name as the manager and contact source for the Airflow Appliance Repair main office on the Better Business Bureaus website.  They were rated a B to my surprise!  A B?!!  Unbelievable.  I find it hard to believe that this company actually has treated enough people fairly to earn that B.  I find it more plausible that most people dont have a clue that they have been taken advantage of.  I wouldnt have known it if I didnt do my research after the service call.  I did though, and found out the hard way.  I should have done the research, then hired someone.  After all, whoever comes out pretty much knows they have you because they are going to charge you for going out there anyway.  Who wants to pay for just a diagnosis?

After more research, Im running out of steam now and ready to wrap this up, the part that the service repairman used was not what he took out of the refrigerator.  He removed a run capacitor that runs for $36.25 at Sear Parts Direct online, and a starter that costs $58.42 at Sears Parts Direct.  That total came to $94.67 and they were the most expensive that I found.  Instead, the repairman installed a device called a Relay Overload Start Capacitor Combination/3 n 1 Start made by Supco.  I tried contacting Supco via phone and email through their website and have not heard back from them concerning the price of their product.  I doubt it retails for over $100.00.  After waiting until Monday to contact Supco, I received an email from them stating that they have suppliers and evidently dont sell direct to the general public.  So I called Johnston Supply in Long Beach and gave them the description of the part and the model number RCO410.  The price they gave me was $13.00!!

I really hope by posting this letter that I help keep people from making the same mistake that I made.