We Got Screwed

Remember back a couple weeks ago when we were getting our garage sheet rocked. Well we got the bill yesterday and while we expected it to be over the original bid, it was WAY over!!

I came home Saturday after a day of shopping, yes another one, with BFF-Shannan, and the contractor was here. He had sub-contracted the work out so he came to deliver the bill. I thought it was strange that he left so quickly as I got home. BUT then it was mass chaos in here. Kids, adults, cat, dogs, shopping bags, awful smell!? (thanks CAT now i know why i keep you outside). So he leaves and I take a look at the bill and there was an addt'l charge of $1600!!!!

Do you know what that was for?? 'Moving owners property'. Can you believe that?? OK so it's the middle of winter and we can't keep everything out in the elements. So there was things that needed to be moved but yeah, we told them come in the summer and will have it all out of here.

I guess they told DH it would cost a little bit more b/c of the 'junk' they had to work around but when he asked, well how much? they didn't say. I was fuming. I was so mad I called the guys cell phone and said you'd better do something or I'm going to stop payment on that check. I really couldn't even believe DH just wrote the check. He questioned it but yeah, felt like he had no say in it.

Needless to say when the guy got his v/mail he called and said he'd come right on over. We decided to split it. However, I'm still not happy with even $800. At $30/hour per guy, there is no way in hell (pardon the language) that they did that much moving of property. I said to him did they build an addition on to the garage that I haven't noticed?

We sent him on his way with $800 less. While we were at church the guy who actually worked on the garage, called. Obviously we weren't home but he eventually called back. I really didn't want to talk, well actually I did. I wanted to say 'Really Kevin. You feel justified in billing us $1600 EXTRA b/c you wanted to do the garage now and not wait? Why didn't you tell us you need this sh** out of here or we won't be back. After all we did in helping you around here, providing food, cleaning up after you, making your time here as best as we could, you are going to charge us this much. You don't feel just the least bit guilty in doing this??'

But DH talked to him and told him we took $800 off and he didn't respond one way or the other. The bad part is there are 3 'groups' involved here. The guy we hired 'Joe', Kevin and his sons, they actually did the work, and us. The guys bad mouth the other to us and we're stuck in the middle. Each said 'oh we're done working with Joe, or Kevin, etc after this job." DH and I just sit there thinking here we go again.

We will see what transpires in the weeks to come. There are some cracks in the sheet rock that need to be fixed before they get there money. BUT i said I'd rather not even pay the $1600 and live with the cracks:) I don't think they'll say to much really. But I'm still bothered that we even paid them $800. DH thought that was 'fair'. I thought $200 was fair. Seriously.

I know now why 'Joe' raced out of here yesterday. He knew I'd have hair on my teeth and i can sure bet that when they come back to fix the cracks, they'd better hope I'm not here. I'm not mean about it. I very nicely will express my feelings. OK I might get a little bitchy. I'm used to dealing with this stuff. I dealt with it for 10 years at my job. When people didn't have phone service, like a business, they would get furious. Rightly so. So i learned real quickly how to talk the talk in getting what I needed done in a very efficient way. Nicely but forcefully.

Stay tuned I guess:)