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I had absolutely no problems with MET labs contacting me. Their rates are lower than UL and they actually explain issues to you when they inspect. Since UL went to a for profit format company I believe they should absolve themselves of creating additional standards and open this up to free enterprise as well...or stop listing products based on their own standards. Can't you see a little conflict here? I would much rather NFPA handle the safety and standards issue when it coms to electrical signs. The NEC is functionally more important for the protection of person and property since most listed products are only as safe as the methods used to install them. There are at least 7 National Recognized Testing Labs. ETL and Met are good choices to start with for making comparisons. I found MET to be the best choice for the Austin, TX area (within a 100 mile radius) of my locations

I signed up with MET a few months ago, everything went smoothly, no problems. Have had some tough inspectors pass them with no questions. All in all, I highly recommend MET.

The MET UL 48 Sign Shop Program is absolutely for real, I work out of our regional office in North Carolina, and can tell you we have some very happy customers after they get up and running. Outside of our (Southeast Office) factory inspection territory, there is still some work to be done - these new programs never get up to 100% right away, but our office is ahead of many others. Our factory inspection territory, for example, does not include Texas, that is handled by our Austin office, and I'm not sure exactly where they are at on the whole process. We certainly can't blame anyone for shopping price on these services either, the investment needed can make the entire decision. In some cases, UL is the best choice. UL is huge and they have many many regional offices and resources. We originally started this program because some companies desperately needed an alternative. We have some flexibility here in our SE office, but the further we get away from here, the more expensive it will be, (Travel time, etc). Time will tell how long it takes the other regional MET offices to come up to speed. Intertek / ETL is also a great choice for signs, but to my knowledge they do not have the "open" program which allows you to to make any sign as long as it complies to UL 48, UL 8750, etc. The ETL program is a standard "Listing" which is a descriptive report detailing which models you are producing. (Please somebody correct me if I'm wrong). So..if you produce the same models of sign over and over again, they can be a great choice. In our office, Karen Best is the contact for sales and program information, 800-321-4655. If you have a question she can't answer, email me: gsmith@metlabs.com. We appreciate all your comments on this, as we strive to make this program improve. A monopoly is never good for an industry, and I imagine there will be some other testing labs starting this program also, which will be a great thing for the electric sign industry. Thanks! Greg Smith, MET Southeast