How Do I Get Into These Messes

[john70t]

Sammy, you have to watch "the money pit" with tom hanks.

[herr_oberst]

Sealcoating scams have been around as long as asphalt.

I'm betting the guy made 300 bucks cash for 2 hours of work:

Sealcoating: Don't be scammed by a drive-by driveway sealcoating job

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by sammyg2

this guy offered to do the job for $1100, you said OK (verbal contract), he performed the work, you owe him the agreed upon amount.
He did nothing illegal or immoral or unethical. He did not CHEAT anyone. He offered to do some work for a negotiated price, and you agreed.

No, there was no verbal contract and at this point I don't think there was any misunderstanding. I thought "Sounds OK, call me at 4:30" meant the offer was worth talking about, call me when I'm not busy. Later I thought maybe he misunderstood and believed it was approval to do the job. But the facts that he avoided me and lied to me about calling make it pretty clear that he didn't think "Sounds OK, call me at 4:30" was a contract. He wanted to slip by without talking to me again so he could claim we had a deal when he knew we didn't. He lied to my tenant about not having my phone number and lied to me about trying to call me. I don't think it was any coincidence that he showed up 5 minutes after I left.

[speeder]

Originally Posted by sammyg2

Lots of people in this thread are suggesting that dishonesty is the best policy. No wonder this world is so effed up, too many people have zero morals or ethics.
My parents taught me the difference between right and wrong.

this guy offered to do the job for $1100, you said OK (verbal contract), he performed the work, you owe him the agreed upon amount.
He did nothing illegal or immoral or unethical. He did not CHEAT anyone. He offered to do some work for a negotiated price, and you agreed.
If you do not pay him the full amount then YOU will be the cheat.

No. He said, "sounds ok, call me @ 4:30". That is not the same as agreeing to the work. It just means that what the guy said, "sounds ok". I used to have a LT relationship with a woman who would always say, "that sounds good", as a way of avoiding agreement on something. It's so not an agreement or contract. It's a way to get rid of someone.

The guy hid outside of his place and did not call him. He lied about the reason for not calling him, saying that he had lost his #. That was a lie. He's a scammer and a thief. he probably poured watered-down paint on his fking driveway. He deserves a real beating.

You are all wet on this one.

[speeder]

Typing at same time.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

So I'm under the truck at my shop in my office building with the overhead door open. A beat-up Dodge pickup comes in and some guy gets out and asks how I'd like to have my parking lot resealed that afternoon for $1300. I told him no. He chats a bit, all the while I'm under the truck working on the wiring and giving him half my attention...

How do you get in these messes? Get out from under the truck, figuratively and literally.

Anybody pulls up on my farm that I don't know I'm up.

I had two visits by these type of folks, they wanted to re-stain my fences, which looked fine. Standard pitch: "Just did a job in the area, have extra stain left, give you a great deal...today only."

First time I politely declined, letting him know I do all that work myself. Second time I looked the same guy in the eye and told him I wasn't interested in him coming on my property again.

That was five years ago.

You have had some interesting conundrums, WD: Ex employees stealing from you, the fat girls, etc. Get out from under the truck and take a look around.

You don't owe this guy anything by the way.

[Tobra]

Originally Posted by sammyg2

Lots of people in this thread are suggesting that dishonesty is the best policy. No wonder this world is so effed up, too many people have zero morals or ethics.
My parents taught me the difference between right and wrong.

this guy offered to do the job for $1100, you said OK (verbal contract), he performed the work, you owe him the agreed upon amount.
He did nothing illegal or immoral or unethical. He did not CHEAT anyone. He offered to do some work for a negotiated price, and you agreed.
If you do not pay him the full amount then YOU will be the cheat.

You are completely and utterly FOS Sam

Patrick, you need some good security cameras for your business, call the cops too, BTW

[Por_sha911]

Whatever you decide to do, don't pay him a penny without a signed agreement that says paid in full. Otherwise he now has proof that you agreed to the job and the discussion becomes at what price instead of if you agreed.
Prolly a good idea to have a witness with a camera with you if you really want to stand your ground. Definitely get a pic of his license plate when he pulls up and ask for I.D. before you begin your discussion. This way he knows you aren't afraid to call the police. Shotgun? No. He'll just wait until you leave and do something evil to get even.

[cabmandone]

Here's my take, $1000 was okay with you until you realized someone else had done it cheaper. It's not the sealer company's fault you said Ok then realized you could get a better deal.

The proper way to handle this would have been to simply tell them you don't have time to discuss this right now and to come back later (you name a time).

[Gogar]

He did! 4:30.

[scottmandue]

Four days later... what happened?

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by scottmandue

Four days later... what happened?

See post 36.

I have since learned that after he did the job he was stopping people in the neighborhood asking them where I lived. A couple of people told me he was very agitated and tried to intimidate them. He demanded my tenant's employee give him my number and tell him where I lived. When he came back to get paid I got his truck license number. It's registered in the next county west of here. I don't expect to hear from him again.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by cabmando

The proper way to handle this would have been to simply tell them you don't have time to discuss this right now and to come back later (you name a time).

We agreed that he would call me and we would talk at 4:30.

[VINMAN]

The guy did the job without Pat's final consent. Plain and simple.

.