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Can an electrician charge you for taking a look at something without discussing a price?

Asked by Meandmine (4points) October 14th, 2021

I called an electrician recently
concerning my ceiling fan. I told him the fan itself was working fine, but the lights on the fixture were not. I asked if he could come take a look and possibly fix it. When he arrived I told him what fan it was and he got to work. He took the fan down, told me it was broken and that I would need a new one. I told him I was busy at the moment and would give him a call if I decided to get a new one and have him install it. This guy proceeded to tell me that I might as well get it done now because he is charging me either way for two hours of work despite the fact he was in my house no longer than 15 minutes. Mind you we never agreed upon a price. I told him I was confused because I thought he was just doing a consultation. He told me he charges $100 an hour and I have to pay him a minimum of $200 just for coming out. I refused to pay that amount, but told him I could pay for the time he took a look at it. He declined the offer and left the fan on the ground. He proceeded to tell me I can expect a $200 bill in the mail and if I didn’t pay he would take me to court. He then got in his car and drove off. Like I said we never discussed a price and he didn’t fix anything. I also cannot find a website stating he charges $200 minimum. Is it legal for him to do this?

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