Wow guys..... bad times. And to think I feel like I friggin idiot because I'm a week behind on something due to a totally foolish error... and ordering a tool gone MIA. Well, I'll still feel like an idiot anyway, but you guys are picking the wrong offers or something.
Thing is, you might get a better price on here than local. It just depends. But with what you guys are saying, it sure would scare people. I know around here the other shops would do a good job, but on certain things, I could blow them out of the water on price. Just depends on what it is. Just saying it doesn't hurt to test the waters online.
It can go the other way too. I've had a couple people that I offered quotes to that will come back and say, "I have a quote for $x.xx. If you can do $0.50 cheaper, I'll give you the job." And, sorry, but can not play that game, especially since I am often on the low side anyway.
I know there are a lot of hobby guys on here, and may or may not have experience. But, when they do it as a hobby, one must wonder how it may be handled, though I expect many are more professional about it than I am. And, some seem to quote cheap for the simple fact that it is a hobby. Some of us others use machines that consume more power in 1 hour sitting idle than those little benchtops do in 12 hours of solid use. So, no, I can not compete with a benchtop hobby guy doing it for beer money, even though I may be able to remove material 100 times faster.
Anyway, in my long-windedness, maybe when there is harder pushing for lower price, some of these guys find they jumped in over there head. I've goofed on a quote before too, stupid mistake, probably came out to $15/hour. But, it still got done, and that is the way it is suppose to be.