Plumber or electrician costs to repair your home can vary depending on a number of factors, which is why it’s important to “shop around” different options, a spokesperson for the Office of Consumer Protection (OPC) said.
In an interview with QUB Radio, Charles Tanguay, responsible for strategic partnerships and media relations at the OPC, summed up, “In an emergency, we have to be very suspicious, we are very vulnerable to being misled.”
According to him, artisans who sometimes cheat consumers at their expense are called to haste. This is why Mr. Tanguay suggests.
“If you type “plumber” past half past midnight, it is [les entreprises spécialisées dans les urgences] appear first in search engines,” he explained. “It pays to provide a service 24 hours a day.”
Whatever happens, these activities are often controlled by institutions that can intervene in the abuse phenomenon. For example, a plumber must be a member of the Master Pipe Mechanics Corporation of Quebec and an electrician of the Master Electricians Corporation of Quebec.
“These bodies can intervene if you judge that you deserve a higher bill or lack transparency about it,” said Mr. Tanguay recalled.
“If the plumber charges you $50 for a trip, that doesn’t seem like a lot, but if it’s $500, that’s considered unfair, and there’s an opportunity for consumers to compete,” he said.
