Brett had made a trip to my home to replace a bathroom fan. He had quoted maximum of 2 hours at 55/hr. When he came in, he took a look at the unit for approximately 10 minutes, took out electrical housing in the unit, then he mentioned that it wasn't possible to install a new fan but would have to find the exact model, or I would have to open up the entire ceiling which could cost a lot more. He said he wouldn't charge me for just coming in for now, so I just tipped him $20. Thereafter he told me that there is a supplier 30 minutes from my home that could supply the parts I need, if I brought in the part that needed replacing. I had decided to take the trip and bring the part in, but they had no matching parts or found one for me. When I confronted Brett about this, his reply was, "They told me they could". I went on to say I will be finding someone else to have my fan modded to be installed, instead of opening up the ceiling which could cost me thousands. I then asked him to come back and at least install back the electrical housing which took him 10 minutes to take apart, to which he replied, "That would be $110". Maybe he was hoping that I would go for the big job I am not sure, but asking $110 (2 full hours) to put things in original state which took him 10 minutes to do, to which I have no electrical knowledge on, was quite frustrating.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $20.00
- Company Response
You should be ashamed of yourself Justin...if ever there was a circumstance of no good deed going unpunished, this is it. Let us set the record straight:
I based the initial estimate of two hours on grainy photos you sent me of the existing fan housing. I explained to you that I charge a two hour minimum and you were fine with that. On examination of the housing I found that the original installer fastened it to the brackets from the outside of the enclosure which meant that the housing could not be removed without cutting out a section of the ceiling to provide access to the fasteners. I have no idea where you got the impression that to do so, and then patching the ceiling, would have cost thousands of dollars...certainly not from me. As you did not wish to do this I offered to search for a replacement fan that would mount into the existing housing. I also stated that I would not charge you for the initial visit even though I spent an hour (not 10 minutes) at your home. I also stated that although the fan switch had been disconnected inside the housing that the wires were capped and that it would have had to have been removed to install the new fan anyway - there was absolutely no point in reconnecting a switch that would need to be removed again.
The search for your replacement fan took me to a supplier in Scarborough - a trip I made in order to try to help you out...remember, I still haven't been paid. The HVAC specialist at the specialty HVAC/Plumbing store stated that they could not match anything based on the measurements I had taken but that if the original unit were brought in they would be able to do so. Just like you, I sometimes have to rely on the advice I receive from other professionals. I relayed this information to you and even went as far as to offer to stop by and pick up the original unit to bring back to them when I was next scheduled to go to Scarborough. You said "please and thank you". You then decided to make the trip yourself and, unfortunately, the store was not able to find a matching fan for your enclosure. You then had the audacity to become aggressive with me via text message and to blame me for the fact that they didn't have a suitable part!? You then demanded that I return to reconnect the switch even though I had explained that it wasn't necessary. I told you I would do so but would have to then charge you for the two hour minimum - remember, I still haven't been paid! You refused this and then decided to attack my business and reputation on Homestars. Again, shame on you. Unfortunately, Homestars is not designed to protect business owners from malicious reviews...anyone can say anything they like and our only recourse is to sue for defamation and/or libel. Unfortunately, I have neither the time nor the resources to do this but, if I did, I would certainly do so in this case.
In the future, I suggest that you be aware that the people you hire to perform work for you expect to be paid. I would also suggest that you disclose all of the facts in your reviews. Renovations and repairs can be frustrating at times but attacking a businessperson that has done their best to assist you is unconscionable.
Good luck with the fan replacement.
Sincerely,
Brett Tague, Owner
Call My Handyman.