Over Charging (Price Gouging) by a Electrical Contractor
<p>I was charged a highly inflated rate (which is ~6X times the retail price). The price of this transaction is $3,000 dollars.</p>

<p>We purchased 5 regular smoke detectors, and 4 combination carbon monoxide detectors, totaling 9 units. Using the ratio of prices that Home Depot showed one can estimate the amount paid per unit since the receipt did not include such information. This contracting company estimated cost for the regular detector is ~$233.14, and the combination detector ~$407.26. This comes to the contracting company inflation rate of 5.9 times the retail price or ~700% over retail.</p>

<p>Home Depot with the same exact model (Kidde P4010DCS-W) is only $40 dollars.</p>

<p>The smoke detectors have already been installed and paid for by credit card. But what honest company makes a person pay 6 times for the product. We don't know how much smoke detectors cost, that is why you hire someone. This really caught us by surprise.</p>

<p>We contacted them by email and phone, but so far, they have only offered $300 dollars off, which is ridiculous.</p>

<hr>

<p>(EXACT Model P4010DCS-W) Smoke Detector (Home Depot $39.50 each unit): 
Home Depot link available.</p>

<p>(EXACT Model P4010DCSCO-W) Carbon Monoxide Combination detector (Home Depot $69): 
Home Depot link available.</p>

<hr>

<p>First thank you for your help, I know this is somewhat of a gray area, but X6 times the price, without labor!</p>

<p>I have complained to the main Consumer Complaint companies, but I would like to do more. </p>

<p>Is this legal?</p>

<h2>In general, a business can charge what they like for their goods and services</h2>

<p>If you don't like the price - don't buy.</p>

<p>Once you have bought, your electrician should charge you the price that you agreed in the contract. If the work has varied from what was contracted, they should charge you for variations in accordance with the procedure in the contract.</p>

<p>If your contract was silent on the price to be paid:</p>

<ol>
<li>Why did you agree to pay someone an unknown amount of money?</li>
<li>Contract law requires that the price be reasonable. You clearly don't think it is so you have a dispute. You can resolve this dispute by:

<ul>
<li>negotiation, or</li>
<li>by following the dispute resolution clauses in the contract, or</li>
<li>by going to court.</li>
</ul></li>
</ol>

contract-law consumer-protection payment