something tells me they expect me to clean out the kitchen with a 5 cent dust mask, windex and a prayer.
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my email to the bigwigs:
1. I was informed that the list of items in the estimates that Mr. Harrison and Mr. Horn are negotiating contained different items (e.g., there was no mention of electrical work). How can there be a real negotiation if they aren't even working from the same list? Brandon Wilkins, the insurance adjuster, said he was going to get together with Mr. Horn to compare notes and work on pricing for our area. Apparently, this never happened, and Mr. Wilkins sent his list as it was to Mr. Harrison, without discussing it with Mr. Horn.
2. There is a huge discrepancy between the prices of items for our area between Mr. Harrison and Mr. Horn. Apparently, Mr. Harrison is using his company software to gauge these prices, with no regard to the experience of a contractor working in this area. For instance (not even mentioning the roof and A/C unit, also ridiculously priced by Mr. Harrison), to replace the carpet in the house, Mr. Harrison has it priced at $9 per yard, and Mr. Horn has it at $22 per yard. Mr. Horn says he can't even put in Astroturf for $9 per yard. How can we expect quality if Mr. Harrison is pricing things this low? How is he coming up with these numbers, and is there any room for honest negotiation?
3. My biggest issue with what I was told by Mr. Horn about his negotiations with Alacrity Services was Mr. Harrison's behavior. Mr. Horn says that they were negotiating our claim, and halfway through the list, Mr. Harrison stated that he had reached his maximum amount of negotiations, and got off the phone. Whose policy is this? If he could negotiate the first half of the list, why not the second?
Mr. Harrison also told Mr. Horn that to make me happy, he should just go with Mr. Harrison's estimates. Astroturf in my un-air conditioned house is not going to make me happy. Neither is the replacement of 70% of my wallpaper in the kitchen for an estimated price that wouldn't even cover painting. Also not making me happy is that you, on behalf of Alacrity and ZC Sterling, called me to complain about Mr. Horn, when it was Mr. Harrison who called off negotiations. Mr. Horn's problem, apparently, is that he feels an ethical issue with cutting quality on our family home to save you some money. My only question is why don't Alacrity and ZC Sterling have the same issue?
4. I have done some research into Alacrity Services, and noted that they seem to have a "contractor network." Is Mr. Harrison's angle to push us into using someone in their network? How much do Alacrity's policies inform the service we receive from ZC Sterling?
5. What is the resolution here? Why can't we resolve a problem like the $3,000-$4,000 difference between the two estimates? The last amount we saw from you was, after the allowance for Salem Tree, approximately $7,500. This has come so far since then, and I don't understand Mr. Harrison calling things off halfway through the process if everyone's idea of success is a compromise that moves this along and gets us back home and off your desk.
Are we supposed to get another contractor now? You instructed me not to when Mr. Wilkins suggested that to me months ago, when he also advised us to get a cheap handyman and do the work ourselves to save money. You said that wasn't good advice, and that I needed to keep the guy that started the work and that you all would work with him and us to secure a fair price. I was also told that any damage would be covered. All I am seeing right now is evidence to the contrary of those statements, and that makes me the most frustrated. It has been almost three months. This is no time to have to start over. Yet, I am not willing to sign a check that ensures substandard work with substandard equipment. If on Friday afternoon, you close the claim and submit a check based on Mr. Harrison's estimate alone that I won't sign, where does that leave all this?
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i don't know. we'll see how the rest of the week goes, but it ain't looking good, kids. the two estimates are only $3,000-$4,000 off, not the astronomical amounts we were facing in may. i simply don't understand why negotiations would be called off now. i also don't want to have to scramble to find another contractor to start negotiations over. i could have done that two months ago, but now? ugh, it just feels never ending.
i just want to go home.
*cries*