1 yr. ago • 100%

PSA - Be very wary of using Metropolitan (Plumbing|Electrical|Air Conditioning) or any of the other 150+ company names they have

On the local Facebook groups, I repeatedly see people querying what they consider to be overpriced invoices for very basic trades work. While some people are being completely unreasonable in being upset with standard industry rates, some people are completely justified after being charged thousands of dollars for minutes of work.... which often doesn't solve the problem.

Without exception, the company I see responsible for the latter is Metropolitan (you may recognise them from A Current Affair). Or Mr Emergency. Or Upside Down. Or Cyber. Or Jims. These are all the same company. They just have 150+ company names to make sure they always appear high in search results.

I've posted the current list below, but I'm sure it will change on the daily as they add more and more names to their main ABN:

https://abr.business.gov.au/ABN/View?abn=69609895721

My issue is not with their charging as such. If they want to charge top dollar for their work then I say good on them. There's no point racing to the bottom and these guys with their obscene pricing means I can charge a reasonable rate for my work and look great by comparison.

My issue is with their ethics and ability. In my opinion, they quote work which is categorically impossible to solve the issue the customer has, but which is presented as being the first step towards resolution. As an example they will turn up for their $150 call out fee (no extra for weekends!) to look at an air conditioner that isn't working. They will immediately quote a $1500+GST rejuvenation of the unit. This work will involve a clean of the coil and a flush of the drain. There are two issues here:

This work is worth more like $500+GST, including the call out, assuming a proper bag clean of indoor and chemical clean of the outdoor unit,
Without diagnosing the fault in the first place, this work will probably not solve anything. At best the customer will now have a lightly scented and lemon fresh AC that will not work.

The second step is typically to quote a full system replacement. I've seen this going for around $6500+GST for a 2.5kw swap out. Here again we have two issues:

This job is more like $2500+GST for a new install including an electrical circuit,
Without diagnosing the fault, the customer may be getting a unit with a very minor fault swapped out for a huge price tag.

The same story is repeated over and over again. People have got someone out based on a Google search. The tech has arrived and without even looking at the unit advised that it needs a rejuvenation before proceeding as that MAY solve the issue. Sometimes the home owner is savvy enough to query this response and only ends up out of pocket for the call out. Often they naively follow what they believe to be expert advice and end up thousands out of pocket for a likely useless clean that is not going to solve anything - its just part of the process to milk as much cash as possible. The replacement is then quoted at sky high rates which means the customer either overpays AGAIN to get a working system or they end up with the sunk cost of a rejuvenation and have nothing to show for it.

In those times where the customer pulls the pin and a more reasonable local company is called instead, they often find its something basic - a fan capacitor, a faulty PCB, a tripped breaker, a minor refrigerant leak.... Things that anyone with a qualification should have identified on the first attendance.

This is all my opinion only based on what I see happening. Assuming I'm wrong about all of this, my takeaway suggestion is to immediately pull the pin on ANY COMPANY who turns up and quotes work without taking reasonable steps to identify the issue, and does not explain the path to resolution in plain English (or your other language of choice) including the diagnosis.

And if you're getting three quotes to compare pricing, make sure you aren't picking three companies from this same list.

Here is a list of companies I believe should be avoided:

AIR CONDITIONING REPAIR NEAR ME
AFTER HOURS AIR CONDITIONING
AFTER HOURS AIR CONDITIONING BALLARAT VIC
AFTER HOURS AIR CONDITIONING BENDIGO VIC
AFTER HOURS ELECTRICAL BALLARAT VIC
AFTER HOURS ELECTRICAL BENDIGO VIC
AFTER HOURS PLUMBING BALLARAT VIC
AFTER HOURS PLUMBING BENDIGO VIC
MR EMERGENCY HEATING AND COOLING
BALLARAT AFTER HOURS AIR CONDITIONING
BALLARAT AFTER HOURS ELECTRICAL
BALLARAT AFTER HOURS PLUMBING
BENDIGO AFTER HOURS AIR CONDITIONING
BENDIGO AFTER HOURS ELECTRICAL
BENDIGO AFTER HOURS PLUMBING
GEELONG AFTER HOURS AIR CONDITIONING
GEELONG AFTER HOURS ELECTRICAL
GEELONG AFTER HOURS PLUMBING
MOUNT BARKER AFTER HOURS AIR CONDITIONING
MOUNT BARKER AFTER HOURS ELECTRICAL
MOUNT BARKER AFTER HOURS PLUMBING
MOUNT BARKER AIR CONDITIONING
MOUNT BARKER EMERGENCY ELECTRICAL
MOUNT BARKER EMERGENCY PLUMBING
MOUNT BARKER PLUMBING
AIR CON REPAIR NEAR ME
UPSIDE DOWN AIR CONDITIONING
UPSIDE DOWN ELECTRICAL
UPSIDE DOWN PLUMBING
AFTER HOURS PLUMBING CANBERRA
AFTER HOURS PLUMBING DARWIN
AFTER HOURS PLUMBING HOBART
AFTER HOURS PLUMBING MELBOURNE VIC
AIR CON REPAIR CANBERRA
AIR CON REPAIR DARWIN
AIR CON REPAIR HOBART
AIR CON SERVICE CANBERRA ACT
AIR CON SERVICE DARWIN
AIR CON SERVICE HOBART
AIR CON SERVICE PERTH WA
ELECTRICIAN NEAR ME ADELAIDE
ELECTRICIAN NEAR ME AUSTRALIA
ELECTRICIAN NEAR ME CANBERRA
ELECTRICIAN NEAR ME DARWIN
ELECTRICIAN NEAR ME HOBART
ELECTRICIAN NEAR ME MELBOURNE
ELECTRICIAN NEAR ME PERTH
ELECTRICIAN NEAR ME SYDNEY
PLUMBER NEAR ME ADELAIDE SA
PLUMBER NEAR ME AUSTRALIA
PLUMBER NEAR ME CANBERRA
PLUMBER NEAR ME PERTH WA
PLUMBER NEAR ME SYDNEY NSW
PLUMBER NEAR ME MELBOURNE VIC
CYBER AIR CONDITIONING BALLARAT
CYBER AIR CONDITIONING BENDIGO
CYBER AIR CONDITIONING GEELONG
CYBER ELECTRICAL BALLARAT
CYBER ELECTRICAL BENDIGO
CYBER ELECTRICAL GEELONG
CYBER PLUMBING BALLARAT
CYBER PLUMBING BENDIGO
CYBER PLUMBING GEELONG
AFTER HOURS PLUMBING ADELAIDE
AFTER HOURS PLUMBING PERTH
AFTER HOURS PLUMBING SYDNEY
PLUMBER NEAR ME GEELONG
AIR CON REPAIR MELBOURNE
AIR CON REPAIR PERTH
AIR CONDITIONER NEAR ME
AIR CONDITIONING NEAR ME
AIR CONDITIONING REPAIR
HEATING COOLING NEAR ME
HVAC NEAR ME
PLUMBER NEAR ME DARWIN
PLUMBER NEAR ME HOBART
TRADIE NEAR ME
CYBER AIR CONDITIONING ADELAIDE
CYBER AIR CONDITIONING MELBOURNE
CYBER AIR CONDITIONING PERTH
CYBER AIR CONDITIONING SYDNEY
CYBER ELECTRICAL ADELAIDE
CYBER ELECTRICAL MELBOURNE
CYBER ELECTRICAL PERTH
CYBER ELECTRICAL SYDNEY
METROPOLITAN HEATING AND COOLING ADELAIDE
METROPOLITAN HEATING AND COOLING GEELONG
METROPOLITAN HEATING AND COOLING MELBOURNE
METROPOLITAN HEATING AND COOLING PERTH
METROPOLITAN HEATING AND COOLING SYDNEY
CYBER PLUMBING ADELAIDE
CYBER PLUMBING MELBOURNE
CYBER PLUMBING PERTH
CYBER PLUMBING SYDNEY
GASFITTER NEAR ME
23 HOUR PLUMBING
ONLY HOT WATER
ADELAIDE PLUMBER NEAR ME
AIR CON REPAIR ADELAIDE
AIR CON REPAIR SYDNEY
AIR CON SERVICE ADELAIDE
AIR CON SERVICE MELBOURNE
AIR CON SERVICE NEAR ME
AIR CON SERVICE SYDNEY
AIR CONDITIONER
AIR CONDITIONER REPAIR
AIR CONDITIONER REPAIR ADELAIDE
AIR CONDITIONER REPAIR MELBOURNE
AIR CONDITIONER REPAIR PERTH
AIR CONDITIONER REPAIR SYDNEY
AIR CONDITIONER SERVICE
AIR CONDITIONER SERVICE ADELAIDE
AIR CONDITIONER SERVICE MELBOURNE
AIR CONDITIONER SERVICE PERTH
AIR CONDITIONER SERVICE SYDNEY
AIRCON REPAIR
HEATING
HOT WATER SYSTEM
PERTH PLUMBER NEAR ME
AFTER HOURS PLUMBING ELECTRICAL AIR CONDITIONING
23 HOUR PLUMBING ELECTRICAL AND AIRCON
CYBER PLUMBING ELECTRICAL AND AIR CON
CYBIE
MR EMERGENCY
JIM'S PLUMBING RESERVOIR
METROPOLITAN PLUMBING MARION
METROPOLITAN PLUMBING WEST LAKES
METROPOLITAN ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS ANDREWS FARM
METROPOLITAN ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS ELLENBROOK
METROPOLITAN ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS GREENWITH
METROPOLITAN ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS LILYDALE
METROPOLITAN ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS ADELAIDE
METROPOLITAN ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS GEELONG
METROPOLITAN ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS SYDNEY
ADELAIDE METRO
ADELAIDE METRO PLUMBING
METRO PLUMBING ADELAIDE
BOOK A PLUMBER ONLINE
Jim's Heating & Cooling
JIM'S AIR CONDITIONING
JIM'S PLUMBING PERTH
Upside Down
UPSIDEDOWN
Metropolitan Plumbing
METROPOLITAN PLUMBING ELECTRICAL AIR CONDITIONING
METROPOLITAN GROUP AUSTRALIA
METROPOLITAN DRAIN CLEANING
METROPOLITAN BLOCKED DRAINS
METROPOLITAN GASFITTING
METROPOLITAN HEATING AND COOLING
METROPOLITAN HOT WATER
METROPOLITAN AIR CONDITIONING
METROPOLITAN ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS
Jim's Plumbing (WA, SA & VIC)

13 comments

Interesting. I decided to look at reviews the usual way if I was going to use one of the company’s. Chose “mr emergency” and pretty much 4.6 out of 5 from just the google search. Drilled down to product review and it looks pretty good, too good, suspiciously good in fact.

https://www.productreview.com.au/listings/mr-emergency-plumbing#reviews

Check on the “people” giving these reviews and they all have a single review and every one reads like it was professionally written. AI perhaps ?

Go to the 1 star reviews and suddenly it’s a different picture.

https://www.productreview.com.au/listings/mr-emergency-plumbing?rating=1

Good lesson, thanks for the heads up.

14
- Always go to the low ratings first. If they're chiefly people bitching about non consequential shit, you also get hilarity
  
  11
Can confirm, my heat pump died a few weeks back, I contacted one of these, was quoted $6500 to replace my unit. Looked up the new unit saw the good guys selling it for $1650 so more than $4k for the install/replacement.
While the guy was onsite doing the inspection i made a comment that my original install cost $500-$800, his immediate reaction was, “we may not be the company for you”.

Bunnings managed to replace it with their installer network for $2900 all done and a better unit than quoted by these sharks. Really happy with the installer, was a local guy anyhow, seemed very professional and took a careful approach. Even told me about a few steps that others may skip. Job took 2.5 hrs.

8
Do you have any aircon companies that you do recommend?

5
- Depends where you are I guess, she's a big country and I have no idea where you are in it.
  
  My personal experience has been that the companies with the worst websites tend to do the best work though, so find a place who's website is a 10+ year old site with all of 4 pages on a default Wordpress theme and you're probably off to a good start. My pet theory is that its a good indication that they have enough work from word of mouth and don't rely on SEO trickery and flash websites to get customers.
  
  Side note: This is why Hipages and the like suck. Anyone who needs those sorts of sites to find work is clearly not getting any referrals and that speaks volumes.
  
  13
  
  It's because it's actual tradies running those companies, not marketing and sales hacks.
  
  2
- If you're in Melbourne I've got one I could recommend. Based out of the south east but works all metro. Let me know and I'll DM you.
  
  Edit - I can DM people here, right? I've not been here that long.
  
  2
  
  Hmu we're looking at an install
  
  1
Oh my god, that's crazy they have so many company names with obviously fake reviews?

3

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