Sharp dealing and prosperous cheats

[drscott]

I'm getting a little stressed out. Our flooring company is trying to pad their bill now that the install is scheduled to start tomorrow. The arrangement had been somewhat vague, and we paid them half the estimate based on personal knowledge of the salesman, who then resigned and told us to "be careful." Now the company owner wants $1,000 extra to remove the old carpet, another $1,000 to remove and reuse the old baseboard, etc. This is why I hate dealing with anyone unknown.

This phenomenon, BTW, is very common in any industry where the frequency of purchase is low and the value of transactions are high, and it's exacerbated if the product is complex and hard to compare with similar offerings (not a commodity, in other words.) The seller has a huge information advantage and is tempted to cheat, because the normal restraint of damage to reputation only slowly or never catches up to the benefits of cheating. Other transaction types where this is common: real estate, car sales, medicine, marriage (just kidding about marriage!) It also points out that what keeps fairness in the vast majority of our daily transactions is not legal enforcement or government oversight, but the ongoing nature of our relationships.

Comments

[dakoopst.livejournal.com]

I wish you best of luck in battling this...it really sucks, but as you say, it's quite common...

[ciddyguy.livejournal.com]

I've heard of this kind of thing before and am sorry it's happening to you.

I do wish you success in getting all this done, within budget.

Good luck.

[excessor.livejournal.com]

Is there any way you can stop dealing with this company and pick up with someone else? Perhaps the installer will cut a deal. It might add time to the schedule, but it's worth considering.

In my last job as an EDS IT account manager, I attended a series of week-long seminars in Dallas. All of them stressed the idea that relationships matter, that relationships are how business happens, and that relationships are the context through which conflict can be best resolved—not contracts or the threat of legal action. Ol' Ross Perot may be a wingnut, but it was valuable information and I use that training every day.

I'm really sorry you guys are going through this. $1K to remove existing carpet is outrageous; another $1K for baseboards is even worse.

[dr-scott.livejournal.com]

Because they already had $5000 of our money and would not return it.

Update: so we complained and the installer (who has been in business a lot longer than the flooring company) helped twist the flooring company's arm into letting us pay the flooring company for materials alone. "Don't come back to us asking for help if something goes wrong!" Like that would do any good. :-)

Pretty much ironed out and the guys are at work now. Interesting to see the bare concrete slab for the first time.

Savings from not being a pushover for lock-in-and-add-on scams: $2300. Additional stress: priceless.

Moral: there really isn't one, since it's not typical that you have a former co-worker as your salesman and then he resigns. But in general pay only the cost of any assessment needed to make a firm bid, then make sure specifications are written in the bid and a signed copy is available before agreeing to pay any more.

[excessor.livejournal.com]

Good moral, since I'll be needing it soon.

I'm glad they've started the work. I hope you're taking pictures.