We needed a plumber to do a gas leak soap test to pass inspection to become a state licensed foster home. Our foster agency had a list of plumbers who charge about $100 to do this. This is a very common and basic test.
So we called the plumber that was closest to our house but he was booked for weeks and recommended we call Doug Turner Plumbing. We called and they said they couldn't give us a quote over the phone and that there'd be a $62 service fee to come to the house, which would be rolled into the price of the test. We assumed the price would be inline with the other area plumbers so didn't think this was a problem.
When the plumber came out, he said they don't do this kind of test and that he didn't even know how to do it. Had they told us this over the phone, we wouldn't have had them come out. Then he back tracked (probably when he realized we wouldn't pay him) and threw out a number over 3 times the price of the other plumbers. Again, we wouldn't have had him come out if they would have just quoted it over the phone.
So we had to pay $62 to get a throw down quote for something the plumber doesn't even know how to do. What a colossal waste of time and money. We will be spreading the word to the thousands of other foster parents in the area to NOT use Doug Turner Plumbing for this yearly required state testing or any other work they need done to their homes.