Brian Andrews

Review: [redacted] was hired to complete work on our house. He did not complete the work that was asked in a timely manner and he began work that he was specifically asked not to begin. He was not honest in his estimation of the work and significantly overcharged us. When confronted with his dishonesty and inappropriate work, he argued with my husband and was very unprofessional.Desired Settlement: I was told the fee was hourly; I was charged for more than an hourly rate. Due to his dishonesty and disrespect, I would like a refund for services.

Business

Response:

I was contacted by this client to do some painting at her house I was referred to her by a mutual friend I had done work for fixing her walls and painting them. When I got there she said she wanted the exterior of her house painted I informed her that there was not sufficient weather to start on the exterior painting of her house. She then showed me a bathroom and a hallway that were in need of painting and repair. Her gutters were also full of leaves and gravel from her deteriorating shingles and working under the assumption that I would be back in the springtime to paint the exterior I told her it would be a good idea to clean the gutters to help stop the deterioration of her exterior.I promptly began working on fixing the multiple cracks in the bathroom and hallway and while patches were drying I worked on exterior work by cleaning the gutters and ripping off ivy that was growing up one side of her house and infiltrating the shingles underneath the facia and later as I found out under the stucco at the foundation. While cleaning gutters I found three areas that the gutters were coming loose from the house I also found a back window that had been damaged due to hail. I showed her these things and told her I would get gutter screws to reattach the gutter and caulk the window where it had been damaged to prevent the wood underneath from rotting. I also found a shingle that was broken and allowing roof runoff to run down her facia and I told her I would install a piece of flashing to protect this area. I worked hard to prepare the interior areas for painting and when things were drying I worked on some of the exterior issues and while caulking the damaged window I found that most of the flashing where the back roof meets the house was separating so I decided to caulk that too so that it would not leak and damage the wood underneath. I kept working to coat and sand and wipe in prime and paint the interior walls and ceiling most of which required multiple coats of mud to be smoothed out and ready to paint and removed the quarter round that was set too high due to carpet being previously installed and pulled the remaining nails.It doesn't matter how good I am it does not affect the rate in which mud, primer and paint dry. When it came to painting the trim, door and vanity in the bathroom I found that latex paint had been used directly over top of oil base paint thus the paint was chipping off the vanity and the door I removed all the things in the drawers of the vanity individually took them outside and sanded them to remove the latex paint and then re-primed them and returned the items back in to the drawers they came from. I also took the door off the hinges and took it outside to prepare only to find out that the oil based paint underneath the latex was not adhering to the original polyurethane coating so I scraped the door all the way down then sanded and primed it. Each day I cleaned up the dust that had been raised so that they could use the bathroom the next day and then each day I removed the items they put back in the bathroom to use. The last day I was there her husband left me a note to work on the bathroom and try to get it done. I immediately took the drawers out of the vanity and put them in another room while I sanded the rest of the latex paint off the vanity so that they wouldn't get dust in them. After the sanding was finally complete I wiped down the vanity while that was drying I wiped down the patches in the hallway when it was dry in about 15 or 20 minutes I primed the vanity the primer takes an hour to dry while I had a roller and brush full of primer I primed the patches in the hallway in the areas where the quarter round was. When the primer on the vanity was dry I painted the window, the trim, the vanity and the door using oil based paint the paint said it takes 24 hours before it can be recoated so there was no way to put a second coat and finish the bathroom. I proceeded to start cleaning up when her husband came home he was furious that I spent any time working on the hallway and would not listen when I was trying to explain that I only worked on the hallway while the vanity was drying after being wiped and then again after being primed. She was not there to hear this discussion nor in a position to make a judgment on how she thought I was treating her husband but I guess that didn't matter because I was not there to defend myself in his retelling of the story which I'm sure was biased as was her decision to be angry with me. I take great offense to accusations of dishonesty, I worked very hard for them and only charged them for hours that I worked and materials of which I turned over the original receipts. In the 17 years of doing odd jobs I have never been so insulted, I work hard for a fair day's wage and I have many clients that insist on paying me more than I asked for also feed me and send me gifts or bonuses for [redacted] or on my birthday because of the fact that I do a good job a fair price for my labor and expertise and usually thank me profusely for doing such good work. I always try to be fair in my business and personal life my ethics are very important to me and I don't ask for more than I deserve or do work that is less than the client deserves. When starting this job they both remarked on the speed at which I was working and were happy that I was doing it right and my never complained about the quality throughout the job. I’m sorry that this woman feels that in some way I have taken advantage of her and that the job cost more and took longer than she thought it would but I did the job right and as quickly as I possibly could without sacrificing quality. Now she wants to be refunded for all my hard work, and accuses me of doing too much work and I wants it for free, who's being dishonest now? I have no intention of returning any of my hard-earned money and I think she and her husband have some anger issues that should be addressed. I however will go on to work for people who appreciate me and all that I do. Here is a copy of the Facebook communication I had with her:Hi there - XXX XXXX gave me your name -- I'm looking for a house painter, mostly trim. Any chance this is something you could do? Thanks!Me: I’m a little backed up right now but if it can wait a month I could do it, it could be earlier because most of what I have to do is outside work that I am trying to finish while there is weather to do it but if I run out of work I can do in the rain I might call you sooner.Client:awesome - keep me posted and thanks for getting back to me!NOV 16TH, 9:50PMMe: Wondering if there is sometime we can meet and look at what you have to paint.Client:Sure. I work a crazy schedule - what about a Friday (I teach yoga in the am but I'm usually home after 10am). Or when is good for you?Me: Yeah I don't usually start until after 10 anyway.Client:that's great. it's (Address). I pick up our daughter from school around 3 so anytime between 10ish and 3 is fine.NOV 20TH, 9:55AMMe: Just checking to see if you are home before I get ready to head over.Client:Yep! Just got home. Thanks!Me: Cool I'll get moving then meet you in a little while.NOV 23RD, 7:42PMClient:Hey! Thanks for all you did today! We're going out of town Wed so any chance you can come to a good stopping place tomorrow ... around 6ish? Then pick up Monday? Thank you!!!(Notice the exclamation points)NOV 24TH, 9:31AMMe: Can do.NOV 30TH, 7:10PMClient:I just got home to find that you significantly overcharged us. I am not happy and certainly will NOT recommend you to anyone who asks. You did NOT do what was asked of you and you took advantage of me. I also am incredibly upset with the way you treated my husband - you were working for us and you treated him very unprofessionally not to mention disregarded what he asked you not to do. I never asked you to do anything in the hallway - we talked about it but I asked you to paint the bathroom and that is all and [redacted] asked you specifically not to do anything in the hallway. I cannot even convey to you how distressed I am over this - had I known it would take you 4 days to paint a bathroom, I would never have agreed to this. I wish that you had been up front with me. Since you were not, I can never re-hire you nor can I in good faith suggest you work for anyone I know.She then promptly blocked me without allowing me to respond, If she never wanted me to do anything on the hallway at all she should have spoke up the first day when I started the hallway while she was standing right there and asked me not to do anything but the bathroom but she did not nor did she protest me doing the things outside that needed to be done when I told her about them. Any way I am through with this, it upsets me that I have to try and defend myself from these accusations but I thought I would do my best to set the record straight.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

In regards to this complaint, I reject [redacted]'s version of events. Clearly we will not come to an agreement on this issue. [redacted] took advantage of me, plain and simple. I have never hired someone to work on my house and clearly did not know what I was doing. I have learned an expensive lesson that I will not repeat. Please close this case but keep my complaint on file, ad infinitum.

Regards,