Did we get ripped off for repair work on Dover solid state hydro?

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Hi everyone. My office building landlord asked me to find out if he was ripped off for some repairs he had done to the elevator. The elevator is a Dover that has a capacity of 2,000 pounds and 13 passengers. I am not an elevator expert and do not know the model number. The problem was that the elevator doors wouldn't close and therefore the unit wouldn't operate. The landlord called one company who apparently couldn't fix the problem, then called in another company. This second company corrected the wiring left over from the first company, then replaced the top/bottom option and door solid state cards. They charged $1,910.25 for the cards. The total labor charges were $1,232. Total was $3,142.25. Are these amounts reasonable? Also, the landlord believed that the second "technician" that came along looked like a young boy who could not have been a technician. The company charged for his services, whatever they were, at the same rate as the regular technician. Is this permissible practice in the industry? Or does someone have to be licensed or certified to do that type of work to get paid at regular technician rates? We are located in Denver, Colorado if that makes a difference. If anyone could help with these questions, we would appreciate it greatly. Thank you.

-- John Park (jjpark6@hotmail.com), December 20, 2003

Answers

Gees you people really annoy me...you whinge and whine that the first people couldnt fix it then keep on whinging when it is fixed...havent you (or the landlord) heard of a simple thing like a QUOTE...and I bet the socalled BOY was a fully qualified tradesman. Tell your old fart of a landlord to get a life and pay what he rightfully has to.

-- dayle (daylebrenda@iprimus.com.au), December 21, 2003.

The elevator is a Dover Solid State Oildraulic. Here in Columbus you would pay about the same for that work. That's why it's good to have a service contract with a reliable & knowledgeable company.

-- Rich Moore (rlrvatormanlocal37@yahoo.com), December 21, 2003.

I can tell you on the cost of the boards you probably got taken a little. Those boards useally sell for about $175 each. However, as stated by other contributors, when you don't have a service contract you are opening yourself up for some pretty steep mark ups on material and labor. The only way you can avoid hig parts cost is to have a tech determine what is wrong, buy the parts yourself and hope they will install them. Still, most companies will only do non- service related repairs if they get the service and parts sales. Just the way the game is played.

-- Matt Pendolino (eciparts@aol.com), December 22, 2003.

ECI: ???The Dover DMC1 door board sells for $175.00 (NOT) If so start printing the refund check to your customers that you sold the board for over 1,000.00

-- Net (otisonbrand@sbcglobale.net), December 22, 2003.

Net, read the original post again. They changed top & bottom, option and door boards. It's not a DMC unit.

-- Fred (floesch@comcast.net), December 22, 2003.


I know a guy who works at Otis and he ordered an HVM board for one of our MPH jobs he has on his route and it cost them $900!!! Talk about mark up. We're charged around $150 for a new one. It's the cost of doing business.

-- Rich Moore (rmooreisgoingup@aol.com), December 24, 2003.

Yes you did by the first company!

By trying to go cheap the landloard obviously opened himself up to further damage by company #1. As for the 2nd company and the technician that fixed your elevator. He obviously had the skill and knowledge otherwise your elevator would still be shut down. As for the costs consider yourself lucky, cleaning up someone else's mess is usually much more costly than what you paid.

-- Lou Costello (Lou@hotmail.com), December 30, 2003.

you know if your building had a service contract with any elevator company they would have fixed the problem for free under there service contract.

-- billy (billwane@aol.com), February 05, 2005.

And to add insult to injury, the problem most likely wasn't those boards that were replaced. The Dover Solid State has an intermittant problem that can be corrected for about $1.00 US.

-- Will (mtnrambo@msn.com), February 05, 2005.

And that intermittant $1 fix is done HOW??????? and what does it correct?

-- joe (whobwho@yahoo.com), February 05, 2005.


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