I called Beacon Plumbing on 7-06-2018 in a crisis. A copper pipe had sprung a leak underneath the house. The woman on the phone said she would send someone out the same day for a non refundable $75 dollar trip fee. I might not have minded that had the answer to my next question been adequate. I asked their hourly rate. She refused to tell me thow much they charge saying that each job had to be assessed individually. I wasn't born yesterday. This is the common practice of a predatory business who will jack up their rates based on what they think you can afford when they arrive on site.
In other words if Beacon rolls their tires to your job and you disagree with their exorbitant fee structure they will leave 5 minutes later with $75. I have been in business my entire life and the only reason to not quote your hourly rate when a customer calls is to take predatory advantage of your customer. The good news is this is the day in age of the internet and we can share reports like this so others can steer clear of businesses like Beacon Plumbingwho engage in this type of alleged fraudulent business practice.