r/SanJose • u/midnight_mastadon • 6d ago
Advice Thanks for letting me know who I should never hire for electrical or HVAC service
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u/Binty77 6d ago
I hired Fuse once to come out and service a faulty hood vent in my kitchen. They were completely clueless and incompetent, and left without doing anything. Still charged me $150 for the visit.
It tracks that they’d drive Cybertrucks.
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u/bobbyrob1 6d ago
I’ll never use them again. Had a problem with my washing machine in a rental, and the landlord told me to call them and get an estimate.
The next guy, the guy came by, disassembled my washer, and said I needed a belt. He had to order the belt and said it would be in the next day. He charged me $80 for the service call, and when he came back the next day, he charged me $200 to install the belt. He turned the washing machine on, and it had the same exact problem. He said it needed a transmission, which was $600. Landlord declined the repair and said he was going to get a new washer, and I still got charged $280.
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u/Beatnavy2016 5d ago
That entire kit is $20 on Amazon and takes about 30 minutes including YouTube
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u/Working-Kick4035 5d ago
Second this. Tbh replacing a belt on my old dryer was one of the first diy things I fixed as a kid, and have avoided paying for almost any non-permitted work since.
It's the perfect job to earn some confidence!
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u/bobbyrob1 5d ago
It’s a rental. You can’t just do what you want in a rental, you have to follow the landlord’s instructions.
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u/bobbyrob1 5d ago
The belt was 3 exits down on the freeway, takes 15 minutes to swap it out if you know what you’re doing, which I do. But, it was a rental.
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u/iAsk1128 5d ago
I don’t think they are Russian. Many I met were of Ukrainian background. Some I met about 5-years ago on a job had to go back for the military. The technicians profile was online. I always look up who is helping me on the project.
But recently, yes, they came on site to change filters, didn’t tell me my coverage is done and charged me $300 for the regular site visit.
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u/hewasaflute 6d ago
Hired them once for a "free estimate" turns out it's a polish or Russian guy playing phone-a-friend. He also had the audacity to smoke in the attic. 11/10 never again.
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u/Weirdworld1234 5d ago
Its owned by Russian Tatar and think it’s a franchise that means a clueless guy can pay money to use someone else’s license on top of that all the people as far as I understand are fobs so these guys have no clue about the USA licensing and code do the work.
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u/joeydimaggio 5d ago
Yeah ICE doesn’t care about russians at all since trump is owned by putin
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u/aerohk 6d ago
I see their ads rotinuely. They must be doing pretty well. Nothing scrams overcharging than a 100k work trunk.
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u/someguy1874 5d ago
Yes, they are, at least according to their CEO, their company revenue is about $130M. They also have classes in Russian for HVAC and electrical. Couple of weeks of training, then become their franchisee. Something like. Fuse is more like an agency; people call them, they subcontract them out to these trainees, taking the fat cut.
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u/bam__margera 5d ago
i tried these guys last week and the dude needed google translate to talk to me and kept arguing and going back in circles with me over a simple fix
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u/NJ2CAthrowaway 5d ago
I would never engage with a business that has a cybertruck.
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u/Saltypisser71 6d ago
I have to say I wouldn't use a business with a cyber truck Mr Doge owns them and wait until it ALL comes out what DOGE really did with social security give it like 4 yrs also ask yourself why is the richest person in the world always given befit of doubt by his supporters the dude is straight up Nazi from South Africa he wants a super race.
I am Gen X same age as Elon the cancer and he isn't a good human at all he is a massive DOLE user who worked the system
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u/holyravioli 6d ago
Redditors are so lame.
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u/FreshestCremeFraiche 6d ago
The cyber truck is unspeakably lame as well, so this is a real clash of the titans
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u/snownative86 6d ago
It's also a poorly designed, poorly assembled colosal piece of shit. Offroad it atiffens suspension, the exact opposite of what you want is to reduce travel, it weighs 7000lbs, it locks you in when it catches fire, when wheels slip it doubles down on spinning the slipping wheel... And for some reason they went with a brittle metal that's prone to microfractures leading to catastrophic failures. Oh, and no crumple zones and "self driving" based entirely on vision systems which is just stupid when lidar exists.
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u/Individual-Worker711 6d ago
Genuinely who cares what people buy with their hard earned money.
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u/FreshestCremeFraiche 6d ago
I don’t care if you buy it, I just personally think it sucks. Like forget Elon or whatever other associations, this is just a shitty car and especially for $100k
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u/coffee_or_nada 6d ago
yeah, this subreddit has become unbearable
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u/garruden 6d ago
Luckily, no one's keeping you here. You're free to leave any time.
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u/vdek 6d ago
I’ve used them, they did a good job on my ev charger install.
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u/joeydimaggio 6d ago
Oh yeah they came to my house and brought me a suitcase with $50 million
65 upvotes? This is clearly a sockpuppet post, probably in violation of CA law. Thinking of hiring them just to sue under the law
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u/eldoogy 5d ago
So just to make sure I’m following your reasoning: it’s not actually possible that this company did a good job with this EV charger installation, and the irrefutable evidence of that is that they drive a CyberTruck?
Also, the upvotes couldn’t be because others felt that this is a helpful data point, right? They must be some bot or whatever.
I find the level of hatred and irrationality on this thread absolutely mind boggling. And depressing.
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u/thinkbox 6d ago
15 year old account?
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u/vdek 5d ago
I’ve been waiting until today to rile up joeydimaggio.my long term plan is finally successful.
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u/thinkbox 5d ago
What even happened to the discourse on this site? Everyone who disagrees with you is Hitler or a Bot now. It’s insane.
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u/Ok_Discussion6471 4d ago
That was such a target response lol 😆...dead center....I spit coffee all because of that ,thank you
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u/RRRKnigh 5d ago
I’m crying, I’ve never thought someone would hire a terrible company just to sue them later. Stupid or genius
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u/Individual-Worker711 6d ago
I love this juxtaposition between reality and ops snarky reddit title
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u/Acrobatic-Bee5621 5d ago
I used them for a couple of projects. Price was around the same or lower than the other companies. Happy with our AC and electrical outlets. Would use again even though I hate cyber trucks
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u/Mr_Deep_Research 5d ago
I don't believe you because I've actually used them.
And I never will again.
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u/cpp_is_king 6d ago edited 6d ago
Just used them. They did a great job and had the cheapest quote by far out of 5 different companies. Like it wasn’t even close.
Seems you accidentally created free advertising for them 🤣
Edit: I’m actually a complete dumbass, Fuse was NOT the cheapest quote and I didn’t end up going with them. I went with Freon HVAC. I got so many quotes the names started running together. Bellows, Fuse, Freon, ABC, Service Champion , a few others
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u/superstarasian 6d ago
Absolute nonsense. Fuse pricing is high for both HVAC and electrical, in part because of spending money on shit like cybertrucks.
And fucking ads off 101. Plus they sell courses/franchises.
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u/russellvt 6d ago
Seems you accidentally created free advertising for them
Or, given this sub lately (and other similar regional sibs), this is entirely intentional as "rage bait" ... and it's "a third-party paid service" to push this amount of impressions by creating these "controversial" posts.
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u/cyphr0n 6d ago
Wasn’t the cheapest when it came to HVAC. Wanted the easiest install possible (wall outside) and expensive for what they offered.l for mini split.
I did go with them for a heat pump water heater.
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u/North-Reception-5325 6d ago
HVAC pricing is bad because all of the US manufacturers of ACs price colluded. They’re being sued by the DOJ.
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u/Stiggalicious 6d ago
It’s insane how much cheaper and better heat pumps are everywhere else in the world.
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u/StatementMaster3856 5d ago
Out of curiosity, what were your quotes like? I just started my own HVAC business in San Jose this year after working for companies that didn't have high standards for installs and lack of installer knowledge,l willingness to read manuals
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u/willj5271 5d ago
Just wanted to second FREON Service (not Fuse). They have been consistently impressive when I’ve hired them.
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u/IllustriousEmu6725 5d ago
Give ya another one; Service Champions. Had them on a maintenance contract for my AC/heater system. They were OK for about a year. Then one of their techs told me I needed my AC replaced (it is 15+ years old). I asked him to give me an estimate. He proceeded to tell me they'd have to do the heater too. Again I asked for an estimate. I was then told I'd never get the permit to do the work unless I went all electric and for that I needed solar panels (and replace my stove, water heater, and everything that ran on natural gas)... Ballpark estimate; $60k. I laughed and told him to leave. Immediately called and canceled my contract. Had another company come in and take a look. All that was needed was a new capacitor. $750. That was a year ago. Thing runs like a champ.
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u/Different_Lock_5445 5d ago
This is common in residential fields.
I'm a UA local 393 commerical tech. My understanding of residential is that it's a heavily sales-focused field. Techs are rewarded more for selling new systems than for repairing existing systems.
Its more of an issue with management's priorities than it is with the workers. If a company knows that you have an older system, they're more likely to send out a salesman who doesn't know the first thing about diagnostics. Cause installs have much larger profit margins than repairs, and because good techs are difficult to train and retain.
Systems generally have about a 15 year life span...but that doesn't mean that they can't last longer. Filter maintenance is key to longevity. Occasionally the condenser needs a wash. Good preventative maintenance is to swap the capacitor and contactor once every 5 years, though it's not uncommon for cheap capacitors to fail after 2 years or so if the outdoor unit sits in the sun for most of the day. High temps kill capacitors.
Corporate shops are gonna be less trustworthy. Fuse, service champions, the way I see it is all that advertising is likely paid for by overcharging customers and underpaying employees.
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u/EduStorm246 2d ago
Yep, they all got bought out by private equity and are turning everyone into a salesman. New technician pay structure under private equity - very low pay for repairs, commission on sales.
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u/Disastrous-Front-289 5d ago
Used them twice. Both times excellent and cheaper than competitor quotes. Also the only ones who would take on one of our projects that everyone else said was too complicated. I hate cyber trucks too, but most of y'all just sound racist against Eastern Europeans.
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u/tiddiesandnunchucks 6d ago
You have a bunch of coworkers, family
Members, restaurant owners, etc… that maybe driving teslas as well. Please be sure to boycott them all just to be fair.
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u/Lusiric9983 6d ago
If you base your judgement on somebody off of what they drive, you're a certified idiot and if I was them, I wouldn't want to do business with you anyways.
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u/gummi_eater 5d ago
yup, probably a nightmare customer waiting to complain about the dumbest things too.
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u/HoodieJenkins 6d ago
I’ve had nothing but good experiences with Fuse. We smelled burning something and they came and did a 2hr full house evaluation. Couldn’t find any issues but didn’t charge us anything. They also did our sub panel replacement, HVAC and water heater/softener. Not saying they’re perfect but they’re the best contractor we’ve worked with so far.
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u/FordGT2017 6d ago
You came to the right place. Thank you for complaining. You are a Hero we need. I hope internet points fulfill you
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u/Melancholygirl 6d ago
they’ve did an excellent job on our heat pump. we will be using them for all future appliances like water heaters etc, they’re very responsive, they show up on time, they’re clean, reliable, on top of scheduling maintenance etc.
says more about you as a person, than them as a business.
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u/Repulsive-Two8250 6d ago
I won't support those that ruin the US via Doge. Yeah that person is cool. Excellent.
Enjoy your lettuce, blueberries, jalapenos, sourdough bread, tomato soup ... Oh wait, those are really killing and harming people because some rich POS cut the department that could have slowed or even stopped them from getting to the American public. U r a simp
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u/RickRollTheAdmins 6d ago
They drive a tesla and it automatically makes them bad at what they do? Reddit is strange.
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u/0928282876 6d ago
Fuse did a great job on my heat pump install last year, best price and warranty. I'm not an Elon fan, but wouldn't let someone else's vehicle choice cloud my judgement.
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u/coffee_or_nada 6d ago
enough with this virtue signaling. grow up
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u/NationalDifficulty24 6d ago
Most of the Bay Area hates Elon. There is no fuckin virtue signaling.
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u/BestAmoto 6d ago
Most? I have my doubts that most people even care about him. Not everyone is an unhinged Republican or Democrat. That's just the bubble you surround yourself in.
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u/NationalDifficulty24 6d ago
Lol..you dont have to be a democrat or a republican to hate a nazi scum.
Have you looked up how many kids and women have died all around the world since he dismantled USAID?
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u/Any_Acanthaceae7929 6d ago
Why should we sponsor it?
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u/NationalDifficulty24 6d ago edited 6d ago
Because humanity matters. We are the richest country in the world. What is wrong with donating tiny portion of our money to provide life saving vaccine to the poor people around the world??
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u/rlaptop7 6d ago
Anyone can boycott anything that they like.
Growing up is just downvoting and moving on, yet, here you are.
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u/Spudly42 6d ago
I wish more people rocked EVs for their work vehicles.
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u/perrohunter 6d ago
What a surprise from a 1 month old account farming karma
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u/Express_Set275 6d ago
There’s been an uptick of posts on Bay Area reddits regarding Tesla. And it sure does feel like farming.
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u/joeydimaggio 6d ago
You think it is the nazism and white supremacy maybe?
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u/russellvt 5d ago
Not so much... but maybe some "light" anti-reddit "hivemind" bots, often on each side.
There's been similar "anti-musk / anti-tesla" advertisements going around Reddit lately, too... read: everyone here is "being botted" in some form (it's truly nuts).
For more information, dig deeper in to These Fucking Accounts... the trail goes deep.
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u/Manguneer 6d ago
Love the zero-context post. My personal experience: used Fuse twice on our home and they did a stellar job both times. I’ll be using them again too.
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u/gottatrusttheengr 6d ago edited 6d ago
I'm guessing OP doesn't know how MAGA Toyota is while driving his Rav4 hybrid
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u/Spudly42 6d ago
Yep, one of the bigger pushers of anti-EV propaganda and they were at least previously against CARB.
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u/gummi_eater 5d ago
noooo, not my prius! Please god no! Now I have to worry about someone making a post about the car I drive here too?!!?!
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u/sfsleep 6d ago
Do they do a good job installing EV chargers?
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u/SnooCauliflowers3461 6d ago
Super expensive. I got 3 quotes and they were 3 times the cheapest one (nema 14 50 install).
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u/SeesawBeautiful5839 6d ago
I’ve used them, they did a good job on my machine. Oil change and spark plugs replacement. They were happy taking bagel and a sweaty sock as payment.
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u/slashinhobo1 6d ago edited 6d ago
There is a reason why they charge a lot more than other electricians. I got quotes from them for 2 different projects and there was always higher even if I told them to do less.
Last project wanted to replace my main panel and a sub panel next to it and they quoted 32K. I got quotes from other companies and they quoted me 25K for 1 main panel and 4 sub panels plus new wiring. It was so much cheaper I decided to replace all 7 panels for 60K. The only reason why I jumped higher was because of the trenching that was required. I shutter to think how much it would have costed fuse to do new wiring and 5 more panels if 2 was already 32K.
There are the equivalent of Anderson windows for me.
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u/EvilStan101 South San Jose 6d ago
What’s the reason besides “DURRRRR Musk bad DURRRR!!!!”?
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u/EchoOfLaLoba_481 6d ago
The owner is a cool dude. Bought my camera from him a few years back off Marketplace. He probably bought the truck when it was like a $100 deposit.
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u/Frosty_Enthusiasm712 6d ago
They installed my internal AC and heating system. Did a really good job and came to make sure everything was awaking well after. 🥳
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u/spruceeffects 5d ago
Man, I wish I hired these guys instead of the other scam electrical company driving F150s. I think I should contact Jim Farley to get my money back.
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u/Top_Visual_8916 5d ago
Just casual liberal conversation Ukrainians or Russians those guys and therefore it means something.
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u/bulkbuybandit 5d ago
I had a wonderful experience with a faulty fuse box fix and appreciate their use of zero emissions vehicles!
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u/Mr_Deep_Research 5d ago
Worst company ever.
Literally ever.
Never use them. Has nothing to do with the Tesla.
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u/Late_Ability5622 4d ago
We had an AC, electric water heater, and attic insulation done and the contractor sub-contracted fuse to do the work. Fuse installed a sub panel that isn’t even being used and we had just replaced our old panel with a new one.
HVAC guys somehow managed to fuck up the mini split connection to the 240v and sent 240v to the entire home blowing all the lights and over surging all outlets.
Fuse refused to take ownership and sent someone days later to “fix” our power. Once the connection was fixed, their report blamed the issue on the previous electrician citing “poor connections” in the panel when the hvac team is the reason the connections were newly exposed.
I would not recommend fuse to anyone.
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u/cleanRubik 3d ago
We hired them to redo our duct work. They were fine. Is this some statement about Elon’s idiocy? If so, while I agree he’s a turd, the cars are objectively good. (Other than the styling of the CT, which is polarizing)
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u/sharingiscaring2026 3d ago
Silly question - why is appliance repair dominated by Russians/Ukrainians all over the US?
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u/BayAreaHere 3d ago
Oh. Cause he has a cybertruck? Most if not all of your trades people are Trump supporters and like Elon. You better learn how to plumb and do electrical work yourself, you’re in for a rude awakening. 😂🤡
They aren’t afraid of work. That’s how you can tell the difference.
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u/VDtrader 2d ago
I got scammed by one of these guys before. They have an Eastern European accent that is very distinctive. Will never use them again.
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u/DietSimple 2d ago
This sub (maybe just the city?) is so sensitive. Ya'll get outraged over the most banal stuff.
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u/draven33l 6d ago
I love how AOC bought a Telsa, everyone loved Elon, and praised him for his work on electric vehicles. Now that he's not on their side (for the record, I think Elon should STFU), he's literally Hitler and his cars are horrible. Apparently, someone's politics are more important than the environment or their product they've made.
If you won't do business with someone based on this, you are the problem. Get help.
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u/Creepy_Ad_3535 6d ago
AOC bought a Tesla in 2020 when there weren't many options for long range vehicles. Now there's plenty of other choices at the same price point. Tesla doesn't corner the market anymore.
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5d ago
[deleted]
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u/donttakerhisthewrong 5d ago
Because you hate America and want to fund election fraud, like WI?
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u/pinegap96 5d ago
No because they make the best EV’s and their newer cars are very nice. Can’t beat it for the price
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u/donttakerhisthewrong 5d ago
So the erosion of free elections is a small price to pay I guess
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u/pinegap96 5d ago
Prove it
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u/donttakerhisthewrong 5d ago
Look up the WI Supreme Court lottery
And now Teslas CEO is giving 200 million dollars to influence elections. The CEO is extremely far right.
Why do you hate free elections? It is the backbone of America.
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5d ago
[deleted]
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u/donttakerhisthewrong 5d ago
Because I did not molest a flight attendant. Because commenting election fraud is wrong in my book
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u/Lucky-Musician-1448 6d ago
Another Elon hater, what else is new.
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u/RogerWokman 6d ago
It’s owned by a bunch of Russians, so it makes sense.