Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  13/03/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have hired this contractor, Harbourview Construction (*** *******), before. I always get a quote, research the items, and approve the work. Every quote has been in the range of what one should expect for the job. This time, I got no quote, and was told in an email that the job wouldn't take long (a small, under 1-square-foot hole in drywall to patch). Going online to search for such a job, I repeatedly get the same estimate: $50-$100 to patch a hole of that size. In addition, when I mentioned to one of the workers that I thought this would be around $200, I was told that I should expect the cost to be around $80. When I got the bill on March 10th, it was a whopping $489.90. On the bill were items that didn't belong, like insulation (I never requested this), $100 for travel time (despite the fact that the company is in fact located 12 minutes from my residence in West Arichat). When I challenged this, pointing out that the work only took 50 minutes in total, I was told that he (*** *******) charges for a minimum of two hours, something he failed to mention in his initial email that stated this was a small job that would take little time. I have worked with this contractor before and have purchased close to $20,000 of work from this company, and always got a quote. I have come to know this contractor quite well and have no doubt that he knew I would never approved $500 to patch a small hole, which explains why I didn't get a quote for the first time. I then got an email where Mr. ******* lists all these expenses, like returning tools to the shop, etc. States how I should hire a DIY person who doesn't have business expenses, etc. That the business is not set up for profit is not my responsibility as a customer. Had I received a quote for this amount, I never would have approved this. Mr. ******* knows this. As such, I have not paid the bill. I am willing to pay $230, which is generous considering how small a job.

  Business response

  13/03/2023

    Hello  to whom this concerns,

   My company Harbourview Const. LTD,  was called in early Feb, by the customer stated above, to ask if I could send someone from my company in early March, to repair a water damage aera, that was caused by a freezing of a water pipe in the wall,  a plumber reapaired the leak in Feb, and the customer e-mailed me in March, and to send an employee over to repair the drywall, she did not ask me how much it would cost, so I sent  2 of my men over  as I did not know just how much damage there was, My men left the shop at 8;00 am, took 12 min,s to go to the hardware store  and  15min,s  to pick up the supplies, then it took another 10 min,s to get to the customers house, they  took 35 min,s to repair the drywall, and then  20 min,s to get back to the shop and to another job site, this was a total of  92 min,s . I have to pay my men as any company charges, so I told her that I charge a min, of 2 hrs  even for a small job such as her,s . I am a registered company that pays workers comp. and I have liability insurance,  my rate is 45.00 per hr, and I have to charge a travelling fee, due to the price of fuel.  she seemed to think that she should only pay for the 35 min,s they spent there, and  along with this my drywall guy had to go over and crackfill the new drywall that my men installed. and he charged 80,00 , and thats what he had told her, that the crack fill job would cost approx 80,00  and she seemed to think that the whole job would cost the 80.00 that he had told her. I am sorry for the confusion, but, I did not do anything wrong and if she continue,s with this, I may have to consult my lawyer. Thank you  for the inquiry.

  *** *******

  Harbourview Const. LTDTell us why here...

  Customer response

  13/03/2023

   I am rejecting this response because:
  
  1) I never indicated that I should be paying only $80. This is clear not only from my email, and also my offer through this resolution process. In fact, I was generous with my offer of $230 to resolve this dispute.

  2) I always receive a quote, even when Mr. ******* has offered work under the table (which I can prove through banking and written correspondence). This time, I was not provided with a quote, told in writing that this was a small job that would take little time (in took 55 minutes in total), with no mention of any two hour minimum, travels costs, etc. I strongly believe that I was not provided a quote this time because Mr. ******* knows I never would have accept to patch a small hole for $500.

  3) Previous quotes and bills from the past show no transportation cost, and I assumed this was because the company is technically down the road from me. If Mr. ******* knew that he would have to charge $100 for travel, to get workers from a distance, something never on previous bills, I should have been asked and given a chance too approve this or disapprove. Really, I should have been provided an quote.

  4) When I told a worker that I assumed this work would cost in the $200 range, the worker indicated that in fact it would be less, around $80. This matches any research for simply patching a small hole. Had I been told then that the cost would be close to $500, I would have stopped the work immediately.

   

  As Mr. ******* rejects my offer for resolution, I very much welcome going to court. There, I can show the judge the cost for such service, as well as all of the above. 

  In addition, seeing all of the above, a court may well see it as "probably cause" that I was not provided an invoice this time purposefully to take advantage with a greatly inflated bill. Personally, I know this is the case. I have given nearly $20,000 worth of work to Mr. ******* and he knows I would have never approved this had he provided me a quote. And I think a court would be able to see this probably cause.

  Please Note: I ask here, for court, that Mr. ******* please retain all receipts for supplies that he claims to have purchased for this job. For example, the worker came here with a large bucket of drywall mud (relative to the very tiny amount needed to patch the small hole), yet left with the almost full bucket. Same if indeed a full sheet of drywall was in fact purchased for the 1 square-foot maximum hole that I had to patch. 

  Thank you to the BBB for trying to help me in finding a resolution. I will therefore hold off on any payment and await a subpoena.

  ***** ******

   

   

  Business response

  13/03/2023

   To Whom this concerns;

    I will tell this 1 more time, and thats it, my lawyer will take care of it from here,

   

    I have already gave my explanation of the labour cost, and  this is my cost of material.

   1 sheet of drywall, regardless of how much was used, unfortantly we can not by a part sheet,  as for the compound, we also can not buy a aprt bucket of compound, same with the bag of bond, we also purcahsed a roll of tape , again, we can,t buy a part roll, I also  used shop supplies for plastic to cover the hole, and a batt of insualtion, the pipes froze and busted, due to no insulation in the wall, so we put insulation around the pipes, so it would keep it from happening again. along with tuck tape to seal the plastic.  all these items came to $ 51.00 $ 

   again, my labour rate is  $ 45.00 per hr, per man and as I  said, we charged for 2 hrs, as it took 92 min,s from start to finish, and any customer knows that  a registered company that pays all the company expense of   such,  has to charge from the time they leave the shop, untill they get back, including the time it takes to go pick up the material at the hardware store.    2 men, at   45.00 per hr, is 180.00 ,  and  then the crack filler guy, charged me 80.00 for doing his work, so that makes  it 260.00 toal for labour .

   I also have to charge for the travelling, fuel is not cheap these days, so I charge a fee of 100.00 for any job, regardless of size.

  I also added a 15.00  profit charge for this job,   which total comes to   $ 426.00 plus hst $ 489.90

   I guess I should not have charged a profit fee, but, as I explained to the customer, my company would stay in business long if it didn,t make  money.

   I am 1 of the most reputable  company,s in the construction market today, I can direct you to  hundreds  of satisfied customer,s  over the yr,s . 

   I am so perflexed of this customer,s additude that I  feel like she is just trying to get out of paying, and to be honest in 34 yrs in business I have never run across this situation.  so I am telling you BBB bureau  that because of this customer doing this I will never do work for her again, and never  will I do another small job, such as this again, and I will also tell you that  she can keep the money, and I will not except any payment from her, I will consider it a write off. and not because she contacted you pleople, but because it is not worth the headache os dealing with it.  Consider this the end, or as I said, my lawyer will look after it, and it would cost her a lot more.

  Yours truly *** *******

  Harbourview Const. LTD Tell us why here...

  Customer response

  13/03/2023

   I am rejecting this response because:
  
  

  Something that I failed to mention in my previous response, which Mr. ******* just reminded me of in his latest response: There were 2 men sent over to put the small piece of drywall in the hole, one which was Mr. *******'s son, who was clearly an apprentice. One man was helping him to do the job by instructing him verbally. In fact, this took longer because of the apprentice situation. Plugging a small hole with a piece of drywall does not take two men, nor should I be charged for two.

  Also, from Mr. *******' last response, it seems that he believes that he can charge for products, use a small amount, and walk off with the rest. Again, I urge Mr. ******* to bring the receipts for these products to court, please.

  I welcome court and personally very glad that Mr. ******* has chosen to take this action. The court will easily be able to see the situation here.

  And as for Mr. *******'s claim that taking me to court will cost me way more, I am not sure how he reaches this conclusion.  I won't need a lawyer to show a small claims judge that I was inappropriately and significantly overcharged for a job. It is Mr. ******* who stands to lose here. And my attempt to come to a resolution for $230, which was in fact generous, is now off the table, as the consensus in cost for such a job is less.

  I have said all that needs to be said. Thank you. 

   

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