so is it just me.......

Simply keep an old rusty AMC Pacer out behind your guest house, and roll it out in front of your portico on days service people are coming. You will immediately get their lowest prices and they will even offer EZ-payment terms.

 

It is just you

 

Depends on what your house looks like...for me price goes up as they pull into the driveway. I try to get preliminary quotes over the phone first to try and mitigate.

 

yup. If you live in a mansion, a jalopy out front won't change anyone's mind.

 

As SCEye said -- my neighborhood always gets the "nice neighborhood" jacked-up price for everything...

 

yup.

 

Ya, they'll think it's your maid and jack the price even more.

I noticed another trend. The first job might be reasonably priced but then the costs creep up and up to the point they become obvious rip-off greed. That's when I stop using that company and start all over. Very few service firms actually behave. Can you blame them though? Rich people have all the money so why can't they take their fair share?

I had a guy who worked for me for six months doing some very complex fine carpentry on a fixed quote. He did a great job and we gave him a couple more jobs. The last one he did, which was to fit a couple of small bits of wood in an antique cabinet, he charged us $500 for an hour's work. After he left, I examined his work and it was so bad that I had to tear it out and do it myself. Took me two hours to do it right and I'm slow as molasses in January. Last time I hired him.

We had a tree guy who did extensive work for us to the tune of $10k. It was a fair price and we were satisfied. The next year, he came back and charged us $5k for about 1/10th the work. We begrudgingly paid him. We had him come out one more time to treat some trees for some kind of infestation. He dropped off a 17 year old kid who had no idea what to do so he sat in our driveway for four hours waiting to get picked up. He charged us $200 for that. Again, last time we called him.

I could go on and on. It's a human thing so I don't blame the workers. It's just a painful thing to have to keep an eye out for it and dump anyone who gets greedy. I may have the good fortune to be well off but I certainly did not get that way by throwing my money around like a drunken soldier on leave.

 

Fancy stuff brings fancy prices..

 

It is annoying so if it is getting to you.... go spend a few minutes in your garage and image a Ford Escort and a KIA mini SUV where your two Stablemates reside....... Everyone has problems!!! Some problems better than others

 

those people are actually quite stupid to even think that we can get to this point by being stupid and so we will pay up. So they deserved not to be not hired again.

 

We always park our fancy cars a bit away from vendors so it’s easier to negotiate. I don’t blame you at all.


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I do the same thing. Front door only. Garage stays shut. You're not alone!

 

I think it has no effect.

 

I've never had that problem.

Maybe the problem is the people you are hiring to do work.

 

That's been my experience as well

 

Ditto.
T

 

When the front door is opened, and the service gentleman is holding a clipboard, that’s when I know I’m probably wasting my time.

 

My point being is what slimeball changes his rates due to what he sees in your garage? Do you really want someone dishonest in your home? Would you really trust the job he does? I'd love to hear his excuse when you call him back for warranty.

 

That's already the point of this thread.

 

I have three "Easter Eggs" that have never been to my house that's being restored/remodeled, and won't be, until it's done. I don't want the neighbors to inadvertently say something to a carpenter, plumber, concrete guy, GC, etc.
I've had that experience.