Always Hidden Costs

debodun

debodun

SF VIP
Location
way upstate in New York, USA
When the blacktop in my driveway needed replacing, I called a guy than ran an ad in the local trade paper: $1000 for 1000 sq ft. My driveway is 10 feet wide and abut 100 feet long, so I called him. After the work was done, he presented me with a bill for $1600. I asked why the difference between what he advertised and my bill. He said the advertised price was only for the blacktop and it didn't include removing the old driveway, grading any laying crushed stone in the bed.

Buying appliances is the same. The ads say "free delivery" but there is a fee for installation and taking away the old appliance.
 

debodun said:
When the blacktop in my driveway needed replacing, I called a guy than ran an ad in the local trade paper: $1000 for 1000 sq ft. My driveway is 10 feet wide and abut 100 feet long, so I called him. After the work was done, he presented me with a bill for $1600. I asked why the difference between what he advertised and my bill. He said the advertised price was only for the blacktop and it didn't include removing the old driveway, grading any laying crushed stone in the bed.

Buying appliances is the same. The ads say "free delivery" but there is a fee for installation and taking away the old appliance.
Click to expand...

Reasonable, but next time get the bid in writing, he should add those removal and other fees in the written bid.
 
debodun said:
Buying appliances is the same. The ads say "free delivery" but there is a fee for installation and taking away the old appliance.
Click to expand...

Not for us. In the past year, or so, we've replaced our primary refrigerator, the dishwasher, and most recently, our old washer and dryer. After doing some shopping, we bought everything from Lowe's, and they delivered for free, and took the old appliances....for free.
If you are having some work done around the house by an independent contractor, Always get a complete written estimate, beforehand. Otherwise, you leave yourself wide open to all sorts of overcharges.
 

Some appliances also require an installation kit that is not included in the price of the appliance.

Don't assume anything, ask questions and read all of the information before you hand over the cash, you should be fine.

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Good luck!
 
Don M. said:
Not for us. In the past year, or so, we've replaced our primary refrigerator, the dishwasher, and most recently, our old washer and dryer. After doing some shopping, we bought everything from Lowe's, and they delivered for free, and took the old appliances....for free.
If you are having some work done around the house by an independent contractor, Always get a complete written estimate, beforehand. Otherwise, you leave yourself wide open to all sorts of overcharges.
Click to expand...


Absolutely! Without a written bid it leaves the door open for him to charge you for anything he wants to. And if you refuse to pay it, or don't pay it in full, he can slap a lien on your house and/or get a judgment and ask the court to enforce the judgment, which it always will.
 
debodun said:
Buying appliances is the same. The ads say "free delivery" but there is a fee for installation and taking away the old appliance.
Click to expand...
Installing your appliance and taking away your old appliance isn’t considered part of free delivery.
Do you expect these people to work for nothing?
Of course it’s not free. At one point in time it may have been but times have changed.
 
Don M. said:
Not for us. In the past year, or so, we've replaced our primary refrigerator, the dishwasher, and most recently, our old washer and dryer. After doing some shopping, we bought everything from Lowe's, and they delivered for free, and took the old appliances....for free.
If you are having some work done around the house by an independent contractor, Always get a complete written estimate, beforehand. Otherwise, you leave yourself wide open to all sorts of overcharges.
Click to expand...
Ok I was wrong. Lol 😂
 

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