My wife and I stopped by the local floor store and ordered new vinyl for the kitchen and one of the baths. Total bill with materials and labor to install, $2000.00 . The salesgal said the vinyl would be shipped in and installed in two weeks. She handed us a invoice and asked for the $2000.00...

Sounds like a normal deal to most people nowdays I suppose. But my wife and I our now senior citizens and are of the dinosaur era. We do not pay in full for something that costs two grand that we cannot leave with, or hold the title to when the check/cash changes hands... ..

Needless to say the sales gal freaked out, apologized and said we could get the carpet on credit if we needed to. I kindly said "no thanks" and that we had the money in full and that we would like to just make a 50% deposit on the order. She said her company did not take "deposits" and required payment in full. ...

I said I do not pay 2000 dollars for something I could not take home with me. I told her that at least 3 times in my life I have had dealings with merchants that when I paid them in full, I went back 2-3 weeks later to get my back ordered merchandise and there was plywood nailed over the doors of the store....

We bought a $3k carpet from this same company for the den two years ago. Paid 50% down then, rest when it was installed. Now ,the floor company is saying they have changed their sales policy because of so many customers wanting to hold back paying in full and using so called "defective flooring or installation defects " as excuses not to pay the floor company the balance of the contract. We said we understood that reasoning, and thanked them for their time and turned to leave....

Oh, no ! " Let me talk to my manager, the salesgal said, and I'll see what I can do ". The manager agreed to our 50% deposit, we gave them a check and all was well ....

That was over a month ago and the installation date is supposed to be two days from now. Moral of this saga ? The merchant always gets the last gig.

 

I don't think it is either uncommon or necessarily unreasonable for a business to expect someone to pay up front for "Special order" merchandise.
However, requesting up front payment for the labor associated with the entire transaction, before the work is performed satisfactorily, is not right. Glad you stuck to your guns and got a reasonable settlement on the process.
It is, after all, the only leverage you have to assure satisfactory completion of the work.

I have also been reluctant to do business with small firms that seem to stock virtually nothing (but samples) where everything is considered a special order. If they cannot afford a decent stock of merchandise in their line of business, then I would be concerned for their solvency.

 

AGREED. A lot of contractors I've been around ALSO have a "Time Clause" in the agreement as to the time when a service wlii be performed. ( Most retail businesses have an OPENING date - and the work needs to be done before then.)

 

I , as a small business owner will not take payment for a job not completed. If they want to be billed after the job or make payments I require identification, ssn, and a signature. If they want to pay after the completion just their signature agreeing to the terms and conditions. It gives most people comfort in you doing what you say, and I don't expect others to do what I wouldn't do.

I'm with Greg.

I will not pay for something up front. A deposit or partial payment ok, got to keep some leverage.

 

Good call, hope the work turns out great.

 

I would not pay in full either. I would pay for 50% of the "special" order merchandise, and get in writing from the company as a completion date. That way it "motivates" them to get the job done and done right.

 

I think I might offer them payment in full for the materials, payment for labor after the install. I'd rather pay them in full for their cost of the materials, blance to be paid upon satifactory installation.

I for one think some if not most American businesses are taking advantage of the average consumer for their own greed profit.

 

Well, the contractor scheduling office just called and said they will be here between 8 and 10 in the morning to install the floor. Exactly six weeks from the day we signed the invoice. Looks like making deposits only does make a difference in speed of service. I just hope the installers dont have the same mindset.

 

Yeah, sounds like ebay.

 

I just had a roof done and the contractor wanted money for materials, I told him to call in his order and I will pay for materials when the arive at my house. He was hesatant.

So got another contractor when I payed the supply house for the materials i found the first contractor had marked up the materials $500.

I payed in full for instalation after the job was inspected.

 

We, A hardwood floor distributer / installer will take a deposit before the job is began, The material must be paid for at time of delivery, The balance is due when the job is complete.

Does it work? yea for the most part. but we have a list of people who havent paid either.... The law frowns upon reclaiming your material with a chainsaw

 

So? There is nothing wrong with a contractor marking up materials. We do it all the time. Profit is not a dirty word.

 

yes, we set our pricing (different tiers) so the contractor can make money for himself. its common,

no different than a mechanic getting a lower price on something at an atoparts store than the avg. Joe

 

If it's marked up OVER retail then there can be problems but yes, contractors should make money on material. Joe Shmoe shouldn't be able to buy at contractor prices anyway so I do question the $500 difference here.