Buyer beware!
I'd originally written a stellar review for their first visit when we hired 5-Star to fix our outdoor AC unit. They provided a quote, did quick work and the fan roared to life, but it was March and still cold out. I thought Rodney worked miracles and brought that old AC unit back to life. He just fixed the fan and didn't fix the coolant. The first hot day in May and our house is 84 degrees.
We thought so much of his work ethic that we hired him a 2nd time in April to install a whole house filter and 1 sink RO system I'd purchased from the manufacturer. He said he had never done an install like that so he couldn't estimate a price. He sold me on one copper pipe "to avoid sediment" then overbuilt the whole thing out of PressPro copper, which is a do-it-yourself way of plumbing if you aren't skilled at Brazing or Soldering.
Since there was no estimate or contract, I had assumed it was under $1,000 as per IL Consumer Protections limits. That night after the family evening showers, I discovered 3 leaks in the whole house system and the RO systems auto shut off didn't work.
At 9:30 pm that night, I received a $5,600 bill. They "offered payment plans" which actually was a high interest 3rd party loan (18-21%). When checking the bill, I was charged for an extra tech who they claimed was a "high school student who will apprentice after graduation" the full $920 per person for 8 hours. They were only there 5.5 hours. The invoice charged $111.74 per 5 valves when the system only required 3. When I googled the serial number on the valve, they retail less than $30. I assumed it was a late night typo, giving him the benefit of the doubt. His response quickly changed that assumption.
We went back and forth for a few emails and he eventually agreed to remove 2 hours of travel time and the 5 valves at cost as long as I paid cash. He also stated he would come out for free and fix the leaks and auto shut off if I paid cash $3,400 that day.
I'd written up a contract on legal zoom stating that the cash payment is accepted as full payment. In exchange, I wouldn't be charged for the repair visit. I also put a clause in there that if it was fixed, I wouldn't post about this on review sites or social media. He refused to sign and instead tried to get me to sign a blank invoice. The exchange became heated. He had stated, "If I cant charge mark up, how can I make any money." He threatened to put a lien on my home and to get lawyers involved. He kept referring to the agreed upon amount as a down payment.
At that point, I felt no longer safe with that much cash and no guarantees. I called law enforcement. We eventually agreed through their mediation that I would sign the receipt. The cash was counted. He was supposed to write "paid in full for all parts and labor" on the invoice. He just wrote "paid" so before I signed, I wrote "for all parts and labor." He received the receipt back, called me petty, crossed "all parts and labor" out and ran off with the money.
The comment, "If I don't charge mark up, how do I make any money?" really stuck with me. I went through the invoice line by line and discovered 200%-300% mark up on supply house parts. Rodney also left a Menard's bag with the packaging in it so I was able to find the exact costs and was charged 500%-600% mark up for electrical supplies.
I had to take a max loan on my 401K, my whole tax return and summer seed money for my small business, which was effectively shut down this season because of his dishonesty. We are left with no AC, 3 leaks directly into our foundation, and an RO system that runs up our water bill. read more