You are getting ripped off by both companies. No if's, and or butts about location, cost of a truck or blah blah blah. There is no issue silver soldering in a new TXV value for a competent experienced tech and should immediately scratch Bandit #2 off the list who wants to replace the entire A/C coil, what a joke.

You know what's wrong, so start calling other shops to get a quote over the phone and tell them the last joker wanted $1500 to do it. I know he said $2800 but you are negotiating for a fair price. A fair price would be below $1000.

You need a new dryer installed with the TXV valve and it's also not a big deal.

The TXV you have is brazed in place. What is required to replace that requires skill otherwise the new one will fail just as quick or quicker. (get the valve too hot, failure is guaranteed.)

The cost of refrigerant(s), the cost of over head, the cost of if the new valve gets over heated and fails again. These parts are all made in China / or Mexico. We aren't on good terms with China right now. These parts are hard to find if you can find them at all. (inflation supply chain problems)

A fair price would be below $1000. Sure a couple of years ago. As everyone clearly knows the world isn't the same place it was since 2020.

I think $2800 is over inflated even with all these other issues but jobs are quoted in person and the person quoting the job may not be telling what is included with their quote. Their quote should be to do a good job and resolve the issue and then stand behind their work.

So it's quite easy to argue what is fair and what isn't. Only if it doesn't work are you getting ripped off. Or the part fails again in short order.

The company selling you the new coil. He knows replacing that TXV is going to require skill. Of which he likely doesn't have on his crew. Easier for his crew to just replace the coil then stand behind the whole coil, if any part of it fails. However, if the new coil he puts in the TXV fails? Interesting dilemma to say the least.

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Which one is a rip off?

Comparison: I went to McDonalds got a double burger meal that cost $8.

I went to Fudruckers and got a double burger meal that cost $13.

Who is ripping who off from the above two? ( you get a double burger meal from both.) The difference? McDonalds burger likely sat in a warming drawing waiting for you. Fudruckers was made to order.

I service the Katy, Texas area.

Most HVAC systems have a 10 year parts warranty. Did you check that?

Thanks for all the feedback. I am still calling around for quotes.

I checked and the system is out of warranty.

True, but price doesn't always correlate with quality, especially in this business!

Yeah exactly. It's one thing to pay what you need to, and get what you pay for.

Time passes it breaks again. It will break again, and there in lies the rub. (how much time)

The thing is if someone is doing quality work, they are more likely to charge for it. You still have to use your gut on things like this because there are con artists as well. (charlatans you might say, anyone can do HVAC?)

We don't want to pay for service. Service goes away, con artists move in to sell you all new equipment. Plenty of ways to fix this kind of problem.

If you don't pay repeated service calls and only get free estimate... that is telling. Plenty of ways to spin this topic. The free estimate is more likely to fill your head with a bunch of nonsense as to why you need to do this or that.

How could I know that? I actually run calls in person & I talk to people. Beyond that there is no other way I know of to find these little truth nuggets.

I service the Katy, Texas area.