SOS... wet snow...trees down...pond buried...powers out for 9 days!

[addy1]

I would not pay and do all that Todd suggests, you did not ask for an emergency inspection, they are charging you because they are not getting the job. A lot of peeps would just pay them...........don't pay.

Make sure you mention they showed up a day before they should, without notice.

 

[sissy]

yep call the bbb they will tell them and warn them not to do that again .I can't believe the nerve of some people .You can go online and file a complaint with the BBB anytime .I used them this past year for a guy who claimed he did work for me .

 

[CountryEscape]

Definitely do not pay. I would not call, though, I would send a letter, along with a copy of their website showing free estimates, and that you wanted an estimate, NOT an emergency repair. Also tell what the guy said to you, why he was there a day early, and how irritated you were with having a contractor show up at your house on Thanksgiving day. Sounds like one of their employees may very well have written up a bill for emergency repair, when he did no such thing, so don't assume it's the company. Let them figure that part out.

In my area, I just learned today, the latest scam is a couple of Mexican men (don't mean to be prejudice, this is just what I was told) show up asking about doing carpet replacement job. They shoot cheap price. Then one sits at the table with the homeowners while the other one goes to "measure" the rooms. While he's measuring, he's also lifting items from the homeowners. Great, like we needed more thieves in the area! Last year this time, there was a car pulling up at houses, ringing the doorbell (dressed in suits, BTW) and when no one came to the door, they would look inside and if they saw anything handy to lift (i.e. laptop, DVD player, etc.) they would check the door and if unlocked, walk right in and steal!

Now, if I can convince my daughter to quit posting on Facebook the specific day I'm heading to see her this month! UGH!!! She's just so excited and not thinking about the ramifications if people know I'm gone. However, that being said, I also have some very nice (and nosey!!!) neighbors that will watch my place while I'm gone.

 

[CountryEscape]

Filing a claim against them with the BBB is a good thing, but wait until you see if they drop the bill first. As I said, the employee might have been the one trying to charge some extra money for himself, and didn't think he would get caught. In IL, the Attorney General's Office has a consumer complaint line as well. You can call them, they send you a form to fill out and from what I understand, they contact the employer and report the complaint. If they get numerous complaints, they do more than call the employer. So, if your state doesn't have a Better Business Bureau listed, try your Attorney General. Good luck!

 

[j.w]

Thanks everyone for your ideas and I think we are going to start out w/ a nice friendly call to the owner come Monday morning and say something like we feel there had been a mistake in sending us a bill for a free estimate and calling it an emergency inspection. See where it goes from there. Don't want to start a big brew ha ha if don't need to. But if they give us any lip we will do all that stuff on the BBB and the attorney general. They do belong to the BBB. And I did copy the web-site info about giving free estimates. Also have the info here that I posted to you all about them coming on Thanksgiving a day early w/o even calling us. They wanted to do the work right then and there that day (Thanksgiving)too w/o even telling us how much it would cost! Sent them on their way and told them to tell their boss we wanted an estimate and would let them know what we decided after we got more estimates from other companies. Then decided to try doing it ourselves. The stuff they said they needed to do we also didn't believe all needed to be done.

 

[addy1]

Good job jw, stick to your guns!

 

[j.w]

So hubby called the guy this morning and told him there must be a mistake on billing us. Guy says no we only have free estimates on when getting a whole new roof. Well why didn't he tell us that when we asked him to come out and why not say that on the web-site? He then said guess he will have to eat the loss then and continues on to say, that's the way things seem to be going on in this world now! Hubby says, hey wait, your not pinning the guilt on me now cuz you should have told us there was a fee and hubby was not taking the responsibility for this guys mistakes! Still seems dumb to me to not be able to come out w/ a free estimate on any job. Other companies will and he only lives a few miles away from us and could have come out himself instead of sending 2 workers who wanted to do the job on the spot on Thanksgiving when they weren't even supposed to come on that day for Heavens sake. Anyways we don't have to pay him and will not be back to him ever! Glad that's over!

 

[addy1]

Way to go jw and hubby!
We are getting some work done in florida, the guy has called a few times, with little price increases, 350 to move some drywall, 175 to move an electrical box, hubby told him we signed and gave a down payment on a contract, for a finished project. It is your job to do that job, quit attempting to add expenses to this job.

Long and short of it, they backed down. We will not send a final payment until we go down again, which will be in a few weeks. We want to make sure it is done and done right.

 

[CountryEscape]

I can tell this is not your first rodeo, Addy! Way to go to both of you! You are inspirations to us all. Have to stand up for what is right!

On a similar note, the electric boxes I have been trying to get installed since July for the pond, are SUPPOSEDLY going to get put in on Wed. All I can say is they better not charge me very much. How much can it cost to run a new circuit (already have an empty spot in the breaker box, I checked) to the outside edge of the deck with the breaker in the basement just under the deck! I want a 4-spot box on each corner of my deck. I figure that should be plenty. The most I've had plugged in so far is 3 things, but wanted extras for future needs. And, I offered a 1/4" piece of plywood (it's junk, son used it for same purpose) for them to use to get under the deck, since it's muddy now. Of course they had plenty of weeks of dry weather to have done it, but since I have the plywood they might as well use it and maybe get the job finished quicker.

 

[addy1]

54 tonight............wednesday night 33 and snow................

 

[CountryEscape]

Haha, my weather is heading your way, Addy. Was 55 on Sunday here, and today it only got into high 30's, supposed to be steady temps tonight through tomorrow night, but at least the sun is going to come back out. Snowed some this afternoon but didn't amount to anything, except our first snowfall. Fish were topside on Sunday while I was outside, so I sat by pond's edge and chatted with them. LOL They sure love to have the company. Of course, the goldies and shubies are the friendliest, the koi pretty much stayed toward the bottom.

 

[addy1]

Well geez thanks a lot...........don't think it will amount to much, but it will be our second snow.

 

[j.w]

Good for you guys addy on making those dudes do the job as promised and I hope they do it right so they can get paid and you can get the place finished. Seems like businesses are trying to squeeze any excess money out of some people thinking they will just roll over and pay up. Need to stand up to them and make them do right by us all.

Patti, glad you had a nice visit in some of maybe your last nice weather w/ the fishes. Our weather has been nice but chilly lately and I'm hoping for some snow for Christmas but not holding my breath. Unusual here to have a white one. Addy you will prolly get a nice white one as you prolly do each year. I'll be watching for it on your cameras and you can share it w/me on Christmas eve.

 

[addy1]

60 here today, we are around 10 degrees above normal, after that cold snow smack in october it has been warmer than normal. But once again the cold is heading this way. Wait and see, they are calling for snow, wednesday night, but I don't think it will be much.

 

[sissy]

Well 63 this morning no rain yet ,but know it is coming and so is the cold and only supposed to be in the high 40's the rest of the week and then saturday back to the higher 50's .Still have not shut down the filters and waiting until I really have to .Not sure when that will be but I have to go out again today before the rain and get more yard work done .This time of the year here is the scariest because it can turn real cold fast so don't know what to do about the pond .I don't want to shut it down when the fish are still active and eating .Thats great country you are thinking ahead bettter to pay once than twice .