What do you guys do with non-responsive contractors?

I had to get a new furnace put in around new years. I had a few guys come for estimates and this guy seemed like the best option. He was supposed to come about 4 days later for the install, but then said he could only come in the afternoon so he measured some stuff and said he'd come back to install on Monday. Got a text monday saying one of the air ducts wasn't ready yet, he'd come the next day. Finally after a few blown off days he showed up and installed it. I finally had heat again, so that was a bonus, only now when it kicks on you can feel it vibrating through the living room floor and I've been trying to get him back here for just over a month now to fix it. Of course the first time I called the guy he showed up within a half hour for the estimate, and every time after that he says he'll call or show up he either sends me a text hours later, or I just never hear from him again. When I do get a hold of him he says he'll come a certain day, never does. Unfortunately he's already got my money because I thought we were done, any contractors out there with any advice as to what would get someone to actually show up to fix something?? I'm also trying to get a final invoice out of him because I can get a $750 rebate through the gas company for the high efficiency furnace, but he can't even be bothered to spend 2 minutes writing up a paper and putting it in the mail or me.

I've read in a similar post on here before that no one really cares about the BBB anymore, is that even worth bringing up, or will I just sound even less like I know what I'm talking about if I mention it? Just go ahead and file a complaint and hope he shows up to sort things out after? The guy I've been dealing with is the owner of the company, so there's no boss above him to call, obviously no office to show up and bother him at because he's always out doing work. Short of utterly trashing him on the internet, I wasn't sure where to go from here, but that's obviously a move for after everything is all said and done. Until he actually comes I don't really have any options but to still be civil. This is why I hate having anyone do anything on my house/vehicles/computer, but I wasn't gonna mess with anything gas related.

 

Was he the least expensive quote ?

 

Should gotten invoice before you paid him or right after you paid.

Did you research other people's experience with the guy before hiring? If he does good work he wouldn't have a problem letting you talk to his prior customers if they were willing.

 

nah, he was about average with some of the others(except for the 1st guy who came of course, but that quote was just ridiculous because they hope you're in such a panic that they can rush you into saying "yeah just go ahead and fix it" before you call around)


I did research, only thing about him was one positive comment, which was nice after most of the companies I looked up had a few negative comments around. Obviously that'll change by the time I'm done with it all, and people will know when they think about calling him. I talked to him about the invoice, and obviously I should've gotten it ahead of time, but when he was packing up I couldn't remember off the top of my head everything that needed to be on it for the rebate, so I said I'd let him know what I needed and he could just mail it. I never thought having someone take 2 minutes out of their day to mail you something after you handed them a couple thousand dollars would be so difficult.

 

Ya I came back from northern Wisconsin to Illinois on 01/19/12 to a flooed house a total loss. Have been in a hotel since the. I cant replace the pictures & things I lost.
Waiting around for 3 weeks when I should have been in NV and back in Hayward ice fishing. Just waiting for insurance adjuster & contractors. Still no totals. Insurance adjuster has not been out yet.
They gave me 5k and a nice hotel suite so what! what about the time wasted it my life wasted doing nothing. How about a few pictures.
The house is gutted it has concret walls in side, brick out side. They say its a total loss.
I don't care it's only a house, I do care about loss of my time.

 

That was flooded
Pictures of the roof and floor before gutting

 

wow, f**k that noise

 

Sorry had to vent to much time waiting for the contractors and ins. to do something.

 

understood man, thats shitty to hear. sorry for your losses

 

Thank you,
The thing is I know I cant replace old pictures, family things they are lost.
It's my time, my life time lost I should be with my family. My grand father is 101 ya 101.
He likes to play cards with me, or when I catch big fish and the old guy looks at it and smiles. Also the rest of my family.

 

Roofing blow off ?

 

The shingles look curled, on the inside it's old 1x6 t&g. It was wet for two weeks. I have been told if it was new sheeting (plywood) it would be done replaced. Now that it has dryed the T & G it cracked were the nails are. When I look at the garage the roofing shingles they are flat and the T & G is not split were the nails are. No water in the garage it's open and not connected.

 

not sure about Pa, but here in Az, we have the 'Registar of Contractors'. Sometimes just letting the contractor know that you are going to file a complaint is enough to get action, due to the fact that no matter what the registar's decision, they have a mark on their record.

 

I mean , what caused the sudden water intrusion , did you have a blow off in a windstorm ?

 

It like a scam to me.
first when i got home at 7:40 pm had to push the door in and water flowing & spraying. Called State Farm had them on my cell shut the water main off then shut down the ele. call my freind he told me to turn the ele. back on so not to freez the house. So also shut off my hot water tank (gas)
State Farm sent out Service Master out they took everything out of the house to restore or store it and started with the blowers and dehumidifier bs. They were running them and the pergo floors & wet celling were still inplace. they were chiping the plaster off the walls. I called the dum ass in charge and said WTF how can you dry the place with the floors down. He gave me a bs line. Then a hour later they started pulling up the floors.
Then they said it might be asbestos insulation in the attic. Shut down for a week. Oh god it just goes on.

 

Broken pipe in the attic.

 

That little crack in two days. It was in the 2nd above the beem.

 

The crazy thing is why after ten years it froze, the temp. was colder than 5 in the last ten years.
The contractor told me maybe a mouse moved the blown in ins.
I guess no one was hurt and it's only a house.
I just hate the down time.

 

OP I know you said contractors, but w he licensed?