Q: Can a repairman (electrician, plumber, etc) bill you an arbitrary trip charge after the visit without telling you first?
You call a repairman for help. He says he needs to come over your home to take a look. He NEVER tells you he's going to charge you for the trip and you assumed he won't because he never told you how much or said anything about it. He realizes you made a silly mistake, didn't fix anything but solves the problem under 60 seconds without telling you an estimate first. Then he just arbitrarily names his price. Is that legal? Shouldn't he name his price BEFORE coming and BEFORE doing any work? Can I refuse to pay if I don't agree or can I pay an amount I think it's fair? Can I make a complaint or take to small claims court? It's not about the money per se but principle. Thank you.
A: Principles are nice, but seeking legal remedies for them, especially in this case are NOT going to be cost effective.
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
