Predatory contractors. Argh! Venting
 

Couple of days ago, a painter, who had painted my house and my aunt's house a few years ago, showed up at my aunt's door and asked if she needed to get some work done. The painting company he used to work for had gone out of business and he was looking for work.

She decided to get her garage painted and have her unfinished part of the basement painted with a sealant (to protect the cement walls) After talking to the guy and giving him money UP FRONT! (bad juju there) she came over to our house with the guy and somehow convinced my dad to let the guy paint our garage (the inside) and do touch ups on the outside and do some caulking.

They painted our garage (1 coat, instead of the promised 2 coats) caulked one window in our basement that the builders of our house never sealed (he used a can of my dad's spray foam actually, instead of real caulk), and then supposedly touched up the paint outside. They also repaired a rotten board across the top of our garage.

For this work, my dad paid him over $600 (yikes! overpaid much?) and they were supposed to stain and seal the deck stairs (cedar stairs, that go up to a glass enclosed deck and patio room) for another $600.

I've been really uncomfortable with this painter. For one, he contracted out the work instead of doing it himself, when he had promised a bunch of things. I walked around the house today, which was tough to do while limping with a cane and walking on uneven ground. This guy did no touch ups on the outside of the house. The only two spots that he caulked outside were the 2 spots that we specifically pointed him to. (my dad could have done those) and I found a ton of places that they said they'd touched up that werent touched up.

At my aunt's house, which they've had unrestricted access to, because she gave them the code to her garage, it doesnt appear that they've even painted the inside of the garage yet. I need to help her change the code to her garage now. The caulking they did on the outside looks like crap, and they apparently have never done any of the promised work in the basement. My aunt paid them up front ($400) and then paid them another $250 (or $350?). So they've got about $600 of her money and she hasnt seen much work done yet, and it was supposed to be all finished tomorrow.

I feel like these people have screwed my parents and my aunt over. To make things worse, my aunt talked to a couple of neighbors and those neighbors were going to have work done by this guy and his subcontractors.

I have serious concerns about their knowledge about carpentry, because they said they were going to have to rebuild one of the neighbor's deck.

The carpenter was the same guy who said it was ok to put up grab bars on the wall in our garage without putting the screw into the studs. (they were going to use alligator screws) I told them no to that. I wasnt comfortable with the idea of a grab bar that I might need to grab onto some day being held up by nothing more than a couple of alligator screws screwed into the drywall, which I dont think is very thick.

They told me that the studs in our garage are not 16inches apart. (not true) I've seen the studs inside our walls before the house was finished! I've also seen our walls with the drywall removed so we could put bracing in the walls of our bathrooms so we could put up proper grab bars in the new showers. They're 16inches on center. They also didnt think that grab bars needed to be anchored in a stud or on a 2x4 that's been anchored to the studs. They said alligator screws would be just fine.

I just feel like my parents just got screwed over. Just like after we had a bad storm 3yrs ago and the roofer screwed us over (and stole stuff). We thought we'd gotten a local guy, but it was an out-of-towner who came to Omaha right after our big storm to try to make some quick money. They stole most of our large landscaping rocks while they were doing our roof. I saw them put some of our rocks in their truck just before they packed up and left.

Wish my aunt wasnt so trusting, and that she'd stop sending people over to do work for us. We got suckered into an alarm system 4yrs ago when she sent over a door-to-door salesman and my dad misunderstood that the guy was selling them door-to-door. He thought the guy was a friend of my aunt's (aunt didnt come over with him) It wasnt until after the guy screwed up our telephone line in the kitchen and spent the entire day hooking up the system (it was his very first install...we were his guinea pigs) that my aunt came over and said the guy was a door-to-door salesman. The alarm company is at least reputable, because the alarm works, and they've had a great response time when we had a problem once.

My parents and my aunt are too trusting, and I kind of ignored my Spidey sense for a day, and a few hundred dollars too long this week before I said something to my dad. I think I'm going to have to start being the one to find contractors the next time we need something done.

My parents and my aunt are in their 60s and 70s. (my aunt is 63 or 64, my parents are early 70s)

Never pay up front, always get a contract in writing that explains and lists exactly what's going to be done, and never pay the entire bill before the work is finished. And always anchor grab bars in the studs and use the correct type of screws.


At least I didnt let these guys mess around with the structure of our garage and all they did was do a crappy painting job (didnt fill any holes before they painted, didnt fill nail holes with putty before painting the piece of wood they replaced) and I didnt let them put up grab bars. I'll go out and buy a 2x4 and a stud finder and do that myself if I really have to and have a few days to work up the energy to do it. (actually I'll call someone who I know knows what they're doing and pay them to do it correctly)

I have to go email the BBB now. *grumble* :mad:

PLEASE have your aunt/dad call this guy and give in writing what is expected of him, and give him a deadline. Notify the cops about this guy. Next time he is at the house TAKE HIS PHOTO! tell him you just want to show off his work, in case the neighbors ask about him. I admit that this time, you are probably doomed, but its a valueable lesson for next time. NEVER give the full amount up front. up to half is included and that is NOT covering supplies. unless that is negotiated into the contract. Make him sign anything. a contract, a paper, a napkin, something! You doled out a lot of money to get no work done. Its my hopes that he realizes what he is doing and comes back to fix it. Your best hope is to be extra nice, but extra firm with this guy.

Im sorry you guys got ripped. make sure to tell the neighbors NO! dont use him.

We out here have a problem getting guys to show up. I have been trying for 3 years to get my tub replaced. I have called tons of folks who say "see ya on thursday for an estimate" and then never see um. you call and they tell you how busy they are and reschedule, but never come, OR they come, they see the other side of the water front million dollar homes and their estimate doubles. I point out to my yard and say "NO water! see! im not on their scale" and then I point to their yards and say "Money, up there, NO MONEY here. can you please recalculate?" its been a challenge. I still have a tub that needs to be fixed because I havent fallen for the BS of some of the local numb nuts around here.

It's raining out, and my dad said that guy didnt come back to our house this morning like he'd told my aunt when she called the guy last night. We're not having this guy come back and do any work. My dad called him last night and told him we changed our mind (and went over budget)

He is however, over at my aunt's house right now. (she's at work) I'm hoping he's finishing the work he's supposed to be doing, and that he's doing it correctly and isnt screwing up her house. (or stealing her stuff)

I really think she needs to change the code to her garage now. She gives it out to workers when she needs something done in her house. Usually this doesnt scare me like this. She needs to change the code this time. It's really freaking me out how trusting she is with people.

When we had this guy and one of his subs at our house painting the other day, my warning bells were going off and I locked the door from the garage into the house even tho I was home at the time with both my parents.

If I wasnt having such a crappy MS day (raining out, I feel like I cant move very well at all and I'm in pain everywhere) I'd probably be over there, watching this guy do the work. I dont think I'd be able to go down the stairs into her basement tho.

It's just that my aunt is so trusting. I dont want to see her get screwed out of money. Again. 15yrs ago, at her old house, she had a contractor come in and remodel her house, did a lot of nice woodwork. He really did great work, until his drug/alcohol problem interfered. Big problem with that, is that my dad had the same guy doing similar work in our house, and while he did good work, it took forever for him to do it, and he ended up screwing my dad out of a couple thousand dollars.

I got about $800-$1000 back of my dad's money from that guy. Our carpet the guy had ordered for us on his contractors account was backordered. When it finally came, about a month or two after he'd screwed my dad out of his money, and we went ahead and had it installed, I was chatting with the installers and told them how we'd had problems with that contractor. They finished, and asked how I wanted to pay. Cash, credit card, or charge it to the contractor :D My dad had told me to pay with a credit card, but I made the executive decision to charge it to the contractor.

Loved it when the guy called my dad the next day, and said "I see you charged the carpeting to me. Well, at least you got some of your money back". That was 15yrs ago, but it was a good lesson for me. Watch for the red flags of bad contractors.

I just have to get over the whole, being polite thing and not butting in when I see someone getting ripped off.

I hope this guy doesn't have exclusive access to your aunt's house while she is not there! :eek:

Like Dej suggested I would definitely get a photo of the guy....either with or without his knowledge. I'd also take down the tag info and the year/make/model of the car he's driving. Probably a pic of it and the tag, too, wouldn't be a bad idea.

I don't trust anyone. It's sad but in these times it's the only way a single lady can protect herself. Plus, having a son in law enforcement doesn't help matters as he thinks everyone is guilty until proven innocent! :rolleyes:

ackk, don't they ever watch those court shows??

TIPs

Get EVERYTHING in writing!! details & specifics

pay in 3rds is the standard that I have seen.

1 third at start up

another third at half way point if all is going well and on time, acceptable work- if not - renegotiate & make the changes on the paperwork and both sign & date again

final payment only when all is acceptable.

and probably good to have a note & signature saying " paid in full"


Personally I would never hire anyone right away that comes door to door without doing some cost comparisons and check references etc..

These guys just hope no one will complain or call them out on the poor workmanship , so they go from place to place milking everyone...

yes, he does have exclusive access to the house, and she's got all sorts of nice, EXPENSIVE stuff in her house.

I'm scared this guy or one of his subs will steal her blind, or come back later on and use the code to break in and rob her or worse. She's the widow of my dad's younger brother and probably my favorite aunt and one of my best friends. I'm really protective of her. Probably just as protective of her as my cousins are with her.

I probably need to "suggest" to my cousin that her mom needs to change the garage door code.

I constantly have to keep my mother (very trusting, easily scammed) from getting screwed over by people calling the house selling things, now I feel like I need to get a shotgun and scare off all the people showing up on my aunt's doorstep asking for work.

That's very worrisome. :( I'd find some way to change the code now and only allow him to work when she is there.

This guy could be as honest as the day is long but his helpers may not be and, if she hired him then he is responsible for their actions while on the job.

The only time I ever let a painter inside my house while I wasn't there was when I hired my BIL to paint the outside of my house about eight years ago. He and his two sons painted it and I was only too happy to give them access while I was at work. They'd need to be able to use the bathroom and eat lunch. But, I'd never do that with anyone else.

I hope your Aunt doesn't get bamboozled.

Maybe one of these sites will be helpful for them to read before the next time comes around.

tips on hiring contractors -

http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sugexp=...87f12844e59d11

The guy is still there (at least he was 20 minutes ago when I got home. It's 7pm now)

My aunt should be getting home right about now. I really hope that this guy was honest and did the work he said he was going to do and that he wasnt out to cheat my aunt out of any money or steal her stuff.

I'm still going to beg her to change the code to her garage.

When we had our big fiasco with a contractor the local building commission told us that truck/car they arrive in needs to have the name of the business and the license of the business on the vehicle. If they don't have it, don't open the door. My DH is one who lets money talk. Which to him means the less amount of money he is charged the more it speaks to him. We have been burned in the last 3 of our 4 major jobs. The only one that did not burn us was the company that fixed the botched job.

We presently have a deck we paid about $500 for. It is unusable. We were told a permit was not needed. The slats are so ill spaced. My Mom couldn't walk on it, the prongs of her four prong cane would get caught in them! But he told us he had a double money back gaurantee. So that spoke to my dear husband. Well you can't collect from a guy who is in prison for fraud! He is still there. He was not licensed, bonded or insured. So our bank account was just out the money. When we have the major work done on this aging house I will make sure it is done right.