Trust No One (when it comes to contractors...)
I found an HVAC tech online who had 64/64 five-star reviews on Google Maps. There was nothing but praise for him, so I gave him a shot. He diagnosed my problem as a faulty control board. He quoted me $700 for the board plus installation. I nearly said, "OK, do it". But then I looked up the replacement cost of the exact same board online and found that it sells for $380. I called him and said I found the board online for just over half of what he quoted me. He laughed and said, "That's the cost of doing business." A nearly 100% premium payed just for parts? I bought the board online, installed it myself in about 15 minutes. AC works. At least his diagnosis was correct.
Anyone have any ideas for finding honest contractors? I almost feel like the only way to find an honest HVAC tech is to become one myself. This guy now has 64 five-star reviews and one two-star review, courtesy of yours truly.