Diagnostic fee disclosure

Definition

The rule that a diagnosis charge is collectible only if the customer was told the amount first.

Why It Matters

California fixes the moment: the fee goes in writing before a repair in the home, before the goods leave the house, or when the shop takes them in. It also closes the usual add-on, because the written estimate has to carry the initial service call and every travel charge inside the labor line, so a trip fee cannot appear at the end as a surprise. When a customer declines the repair the shop keeps only the service call and the diagnosis fee, and the fee only if it was authorized in advance. Read the estimate form before reading the revenue, because a book built on undisclosed trip charges is a refund liability.