Duck and Vent Cleaning – Very Disappointing Customer (Disabled Veteran)
I hired a professional on Thumbtack.com to clean my dryer vent. The price quote ranged from $175 to $225 in a message sent via the Thumbtack website’s messaging system. I assumed the lower end of the quote would apply if the cleaning job was straightforward.
However, when the technician from Duck Cleaning Service arrived—who was punctual and had a great personality—he showed up with a basic dryer vent cleaning rod kit that any DIY enthusiast could buy from Home Depot for about $27. See examples here:
All he did was slide the dryer out, remove the vent tube, attach a few rods from the basic cleaning kit to a drill, and clean the vent in the laundry room, which took about five minutes. After he finished, he said, “That’s it.” No outside vent cleaning or inspection was done, yet he charged me the high end of his quoted price—$224—for what was essentially five minutes of work and the removal of a small amount of debris, no more than what could fit in an average dustpan.
I initially gave the technician three stars on Thumbtack, but my wife reminded me that the original message clearly stated the price quote was $175 to $225—something he denied when I asked before payment. He claimed that it must have been another service that quoted the lower price, as his price is always on the higher end.
Although I should have researched more about what a professional dryer vent cleaning typically involves, I feel cheated and want to warn others: Do your research before hiring these so-called pros on Thumbtack or any similar hiring website.
Disclaimer:
The views expressed on this website regarding this issue are based on personal experience and represent individual opinions.
All I can say is, Yelp, here I come. I’ll be sharing my experience across all my websites, which will collectively reach thousands of web pages.
Very disappointed customer of Duck and Vent Cleaning on Thumbtack.com.
Update: Posted review on this issue on Yelp at: https://www.yelp.com/biz/duck-clayton-4
As a retired military member with access to free legal advice through base services, I am seriously considering legal action due to what I believe may be a case of misrepresentation in the pricing structure provided. The pricing was presented in the form of a range, which typically suggests a degree of flexibility depending on the scope and difficulty of the work involved.
In this instance, the task required only a few minutes of work, resulting in a very small amount of debris or residue that needed to be cleaned up. Given the minimal effort and time involved, it is reasonable to expect that the final cost would fall on the lower end of the quoted price range. The very concept of a price range implies that simpler, quicker tasks should naturally be charged at the lower end, while more extensive or time-consuming tasks would justify a higher fee.
However, if the pricing does not reflect this logical expectation, it could be perceived as misleading or even deceptive. Customers might feel unfairly charged if they are led to believe they might pay the lower price for minor tasks but end up being billed at the higher end regardless of the effort required. This discrepancy between expectation and reality could constitute a form of misrepresentation, and for that reason, I am considering whether legal action may be warranted to address this issue.