Rant: Dishonest repairmen, construction and FENCING COMPANIES!!!!!!!!!

[welsummerchicks]

Ok, here's your place to put your complaint about companies, large and small, who do work for you.

I just made agreement with a fencer to pound line posts and concrete in corner posts. Not only were the corner posts pounded in, no brace posts were put on all 4 corners on one side, no brace posts on end posts, and NO CONCRETE. AND...the line posts were only in three feet, we specified 4 feet down. I guess he thought I wouldn't notice!

I'm not exactly happy with the person who recommended this company or the company itself.

Would not even simply pull out the corner posts, even though it would have only taken him a few minutes. Concrete, his excuse was it's too cold. Yet everyone else I talked to, told me that it is fine to pour concrete today, just cover with straw or dirt.

So he just pounded them in, and tried to bully me into thinking it was not necessary to concrete in the corners.

Now we will have to try to figure out some way to get the corner posts out.

I am not happy, and I'd like anyone who wishes to, to post THEIR little experience with' the trades'!!!!

 

[Orchid]

As someone who owns a "trade" company, I am sorry to hear that happened to you. However, it seems highly unfair to paint not only fencing companies but "the trades" as a whole with one huge incompetent brush.

A bad experience with one contractor does not mean all "trade" companies are out to do shoddy work and cheat you out of your money.

 

[welsummerchicks]

How true, how true. And yet, I started this thread to talk about bad experiences because I just got ripped off for a whole lot of money and will need to spend a whole lot more, to make it right.

And I will bet you something. People may not have the time or inclination to tell their stories on this thread at the moment, but I will bet you, there is an immense amount of potential material out there for this thread.

If there are so many great experiences to be had, maybe you have some suggestions for making other people in the trades who aren't quite as ethical as you, tow the line a little bit.

 

[Mattemma]

I would recommend finding online yellow pages(and similar) where you can post your experience with a company. I have not had 100% satisfaction with most people I have hired.Some fix their mistakes,and some never bother to come back.The worse being a roofer.People do look at local pages that give ratings,so post on every one that you can find.

Lol, I recall a home I passed daily that had put up a sign on their busy road letting everyone know how bad a local company was to them.I think it was some sort of granite or tile.They kept that sign up for months.

Better luck with the next person your hire!

When my water tank blew I went to my elderly neighbors who sent over 2 plumbers that lived around us.My other elderly neighbor hooked me up with a furnace guy.Same neighbor recommended the roofer.Their roof did not leak but mine did.It happens.What is uncalled for is the way a contractor responds to your complaint by disregarding it.They have a chance to recitify the situation,and they really blow it by not making you happy.I still see my roofer around town,but eventually the complaints and negative reviews will affect him.

 

[Orchid]

Quote:
I'm sure there are many people who have had bad experiences with contractors...and car dealerships...and fast food restaurants...and insurance companies...well, I could go on, but I won't.

Not every transaction I've been a party to has gone smoothly, for sure.

I have absolutely no suggestions for making an unethical contractor "toe the line", since that is probably impossible. I would suggest that in the future, before you hire a contractor, you check their references, view some of their previous work if possible, inquire after insurances and any necessary permits or licenses in your state, and above all have a contract that lists exactly what is to be done on the job. This will weed out the unethical contractors and you will probably end up with someone you are quite pleased with.

All stories have two sides, and there are also many contractors out there with stories to tell about customers who expect contractors to be mind readers, expect more work or product than they are paying for, or just plain expect the impossible. A contract will eliminate many miscommunications between owner and contractor, and change orders signed by the consumer will reduce billing hassles at the end of the job when the customer conveniently forgets about that $2000 extra they authorized verbally two months ago.

 

[elizabethbinary]

My husband and I are starting this thing about doing it yourself... you'd be surprised how easy fence work is compared to calling fencers, having them not show up, calling them again, having them do a dodgy job and then fixing it yourself anyway. It's gotten to the point these days where we want something we just do it ourselves.

But do NOT let me get started on my wedding photographer. 2 months now and it's been 'it'll be done by the end of this week' for 6 weeks now. And now she's ignoring my calls. Time to lawyer up on this one.

 

[michickenwrangler]

We had our bathroom remodeled a few summers ago. The contracter--who came highly recommended and bragged that he's built 54 houses--did an atrocious job on the bathroom. The tub surround wasn't flush with the tub. He did a shoddy job of cutting paneling to fit the sink on the side. He didn't caulk anything, did a horrible job going around the bathroom window. I'll have to load and post pics of it later.

DH and a friend of his ended up finishing it up and it looks nice now. DH has back, hand and knee problems and could not physically install toilets, new heavy ceramic sink, etc ... but luckily one of his younger, strapping friends who is an OTR truck driver happened to be home that week and they finished it up.

Still, there was about 5 days we couldn't use the tub or shower and it was a pain going over to the neighbor's for it.

 

[herfrds]

Depends upon the fence being put in.
For our normal cattle pastures we do it, but for some corral work with panels weighting over 100 pounds I hired a couple that does that work.
I tore out the old fence and they dug the holes for the new posts and panels supports.
I paid them an extra $200 because the helped to load our truck with the old fence I hadn't picked up yet and adjusted a gate on the end.
If I remember correctly it took us around 5 hours to do it all. All the posts were cemented in.


As for the bad guys I had a guy out to build my chicken house. He mismeasured the windows so the one we had did not fit until DH cut the window frame out and resupported the windows. Was also suppose to put in a screen door, but never did.

Then there was the concrete contractor that called us at 7am to tell us he wasn't going to do our house foundation 5 days before the builders were due.
The BBB is pretty great.


Had a fire a few years ago. Cleaning company got fired after only showing up to work 3 days. Then they tired to bill our insurance for 24 hours of work. They would get here just before 11am and leave around 3:30pm.
Busted.

 

[I have WHAT in my yard?]

Funny, I just posted about my current issue with a contractor.

Since we had our house built we have had more than our fair share of issues with contractors. When I find a good one I tell everyone and sue them repeatedly. Problem: the good ones all seem to be 102 years old and retire on me!! My fabulous plumber retired this year.

The reason trades get such bad reps is due to the fact that there is so little ability to check on them. You get references, you check BBB and other sites, but I actually watched a guy come out of court after losing a judgement and then declaring bankruptcy so he would not have to pay ANY of it, pull his magnetic sign off of his truck and put on ANOTHER!

Bankruptcies are listed by county in most areas, so they simply need to start the next business in the next county over and their record looks clear. They change the name of the company and there is no record.

My fence guy did a great job, my deck guy did a great job.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
I'm sure there are many people who have had bad experiences with contractors...and car dealerships...and fast food restaurants...and insurance companies...well, I could go on, but I won't.

Not every transaction I've been a party to has gone smoothly, for sure.

I have absolutely no suggestions for making an unethical contractor "toe the line", since that is probably impossible. I would suggest that in the future, before you hire a contractor, you check their references, view some of their previous work if possible, inquire after insurances and any necessary permits or licenses in your state, and above all have a contract that lists exactly what is to be done on the job. This will weed out the unethical contractors and you will probably end up with someone you are quite pleased with.

All stories have two sides, and there are also many contractors out there with stories to tell about customers who expect contractors to be mind readers, expect more work or product than they are paying for, or just plain expect the impossible. A contract will eliminate many miscommunications between owner and contractor, and change orders signed by the consumer will reduce billing hassles at the end of the job when the customer conveniently forgets about that $2000 extra they authorized verbally two months ago.

If the contractor is licensed, contract those who grant the license and register a complaint. If not licensed, contact the Better Business Bureau (although from past experience, they are worthless, relying on $$$ received for membership to determine who provides "better business." But they DO maintain a list of complaints, even if they will do nothing. Contact your city or county to see if a permit was needed and appropriately obtained for the work, just make sure that it is not going to come back and bite you (such as you choosing to forego a required permit and inspections).