Yes. There are shortcuts that can be taken to keep the price down that the customer would not be aware of until it's to late, such as using inferior materials or spraying over an old reglazing job and not stripping it and doing the job right.
The difference between me and my competition is professionalism. I use the most durable material available to a professional reglazer which is an expensive 24-HOUR CURE HIGH SOLIDS ACRYLIC URETHANE COATING. This material is only sold to trained professional refinishers and It's not an inexpensive 1-step epoxy finish which the lowest bid companies are using. This material is not sold from a hardware store.
Price is an important factor for potential customers, so I have given some pointers in helping you make a decision. Not everyone uses the same materials. If a company is offering a 2-3 year warranty, chances are they are using inferior materials.
I have invested a lot of time into my website to help give my potential customers as much information as I can about my services before they call me. Asking for References is good, but companies will only give you favorable references, so you should check things they don't have control over misleading people about such as their license status with the Department of Consumer Protection. Becoming a member of Angies List is an excellent way to get unbiased reviews of bathtub refinishing contractors. I know your time is precious as is mine, so I don't want to waste it.
All tubs by MrResurface are done by Ernest Staton Jr since 1996, so you get the same A+ certified quality every time as you can see from the testimonials on the bottom right and my reviews from Angies List. There are companies besides mine that may do good work, but usually not for only a few hundred dollars. A small state based company will usually have more experienced technicians than a large multi-state franchise company which usually have technicians with under 5 years experience.
Some companies will say they have a 5 year or longer warranty, but when the customer calls with a concern or is in need of a repair they don't return their calls or blame the customer for the damage and tell the customer the warranty does not cover the repair, thus the initial couple hundred dollars savings to use such a company is useless in the long run.
Many times a year I have to strip and redo tubs reglazed by other companies that will not honor their warranty or the tub is peeling after the warranty period is over, or have they have gone out of business and now the customer has to pay almost double to have the job done right. One customer I took care of told me that one franchise company that services more than one state told her that she was a liar and that she was rude for complaining about her reglazed tub. That is the type of customer service you can expect from the lowest bid company.
If you are told that the finish will take longer than 24 hours to cure, then the company is using an old epoxy curing formula.
For the most part a locally owned tub refinisher will give you a better job and better customer service because they will have more experience. A local company will be better able to service your tub should it ever become damaged for any reason even if accidentally damaged as things can and do happen such as someone dropping a heavy tool in the tub or some other heavy metal object falling chipping the tub by accident, and it is nice to have a local company that is willing to take care of you even if the warranty does not oblige them to .
I Ernest Staton Jr will service your tub reglazed by MrResurface even if the damage is not covered by the warranty, I have just charged a modest repair fee ($55-$75) to bring the tub back to like new condition. This policy has won me more than a few referrals.