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Wizcrafts Computer Services

Hourly Rates and Minimums

My current rate for Webmaster, consulting and other website services is $52.00 per hour, or part thereof, with a one hour minimum charge.

The same rate applies to online consulting and technical assistance, whether conducted by email, or by instant or private messages, or telephone (Long distance charges may be added, if applicable). I accept payment for these services online, through my PayPal account, in US Dollars.

My onsite computer troubleshooting rate is $50 per hour, with a minimum charge that reflects the distance I must travel to and from your location. My minimum charge is for two hours, within 10 miles of Flint, Michigan. The minimum increases to three hours, between 11 and 21 miles, and four hours, between 22 and 32 miles. Contact me for a rate quote if you are beyond 32 miles driving distance from Flint, Michigan.

I have a handy zone map online which shows my common travel ranges as zones starting at downtown Flint, Michigan. Use it to estimate my minimums and surcharges for services calls to your location.

There may be a surcharge applied to service calls beyond 30 miles, to compensate for fuel costs or travel time. Contact me in advance to determine what these costs will be.

My time-charge begins when I arrive at your location and ends when I am dismissed, on the same day.

Most troubleshooting calls are resolved within two, to four hours. More involved problems may require that your computer be brought to my home, for time-intensive repairs. I will only charge for the time that I actually work on your computer. Payment is due for my time without regard to the outcome of the service call.

The minimum charge is waved on minor service to computers brought to and removed from my house by the customer. Flat rate arrangements can be made, on more involved troubleshooting jobs, done at my home. My at-home computer troubleshooting rate is just $25/hr.

The above terms and rates do not include any replacement or add-on parts which may be needed, the cost of which will be added to my labor charge.

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Payment Terms

Due to the as-needed nature of computer servicing I expect payment to be made immediately, upon completion of a service call, or online/phone consulting job. If a job spans more than one day I will expect payment on the last day of that job, or at least once a week, for long-term jobs. I accept payments by cash, company check, US Postal Money Order, or, preferably, online payments, via PayPal.

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Since many name brand computers use proprietary hardware, requiring specially written "driver" files, it is the customer's responsibility to provide access to any system-restore CD's, hardware device driver disks, or installation diskettes that shipped with the computer, and which may be needed to restore a computer, and all of it's hardware devices, to good working condition.

Please notify me in advance if you know that system-critical installation diskettes or CD's are missing. That will give me the the chance to try to locate them online, download and save them to a CD or diskette, and bring them with me on the service call.

I will not waive my initial service call fees if you are missing required driver installation disks and I have to leave your location to locate and download them at my base of operations, then make a return visit to install them.

Any parts supplied by me, and the cost of obtaining them, will be charged to the customer, in addition to the labor charge. Any parts installed, whether supplied by me, or the customer, are covered only by their own manufacturer's warranty, if any exists. All such parts installed are deemed to be satisfactory, if they are working properly, at the time of installation and completion of that service call. If I supply a part, which is obviously defective, or dead, out of the bag or box, I will not charge for the part or the time spent trying to install it, on that service call. I will offer to secure a working replacement and schedule a return visit, to install a working component, for the customer.

I am not responsible for the failure of any existing parts, during, or after servicing your computer. All repairs done will be deemed to be satisfactory, upon approval of the customer, at the completion of the service call. Due to the basically unstable nature of computers and their operating systems, it is impossible for me to warranty my troubleshooting repairs, against future conflicts or failures.

In the event that the repairs cannot be completed, on the initial call, due to time or scheduling limitations, a return call, or take home service will be offered to the customer. Note that my hourly charge applies, whether the problem is resolved on the initial call, or otherwise. If it appears that the problem is not resolvable, due to total system /software conflicts, then I will only charge for a minimum call-rate, based on distance, as per my Rates schedule.

If the customer sets a maximum charge, which they are not willing to exceed, I will only work up to that amount of time, setting the operating system integrity as my priority, followed by the hardware interaction, then software programs, in that order. If it appears that the system is so messed up, that it is better to reinstall Windows and all of the programs, rather than try to fix it, piecemeal, I will so advise the customer. There is a two hour minimum charge for reinstalling Windows, redetecting the hardware and installing the basic operating software, such as sound, modem and video drivers, assuming that all of the required driver files are supplied to me (or are detected and installed by the operating system).

Please send inquiries about my rates to me by using my Webmaster Inquiry Form.

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