# I got there too late



## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

some fella off of craigs list calls me yesterday and
need an estimate to finish up his house....

I was near by at the end of the day,
so I go over out of courtesy, but I think I 
got there too late to salvage his work....

 

all lines on outside wall, uses different pexes
from Lowes and Home depot and a variety of different
fittings to put mess this all togethor




He already drilled the back of a nice Aquaglass shower and was
expecting to somehow push that shower over the drain hole 
buried in the concrete floor and it was somehow gonna work
also somehow backing that up to the faucet he put on the back wall...




There was Really no place to stop or start, and then he mentions
that he aint got no---mo money.........:blink::blink: 
So I had to walk away quickly:yes:

I am thinking craigs list is a total waste of time


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## user2090 (Sep 26, 2009)

What exactly was he expecting? Looks like someone already did the work. Was he seriously expecting you to finish up that mess? Speaking of craig's list, have you ever had a job come through on it?


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

*expecting somethign for nothing*

:laughing:I have done a few little things from Craigs list
a faucet or two ,, but its pretty dicey....

usually they are all *bottom feeders* and *know*
*it alls*, that want to tell you how it should be done
you are there only for the grunt work, they have a bad back
or something that keeps them from doing it themselves.....



this fellow has some buddy do most of this crap and 
then ran out of patience and money....

I did not have to go out of my way to look at this mess
so I was ok with looking at this crime scene.......

run a new gas line 30 feet, ,
install a 2x4 wall and then break up a floor and install a shower stall, move the faucet, 

re-do the upstairs water line mess, re -do the laundry, re-do many other things that I did not take pictures of.. the list goes on ....

and he wants to move in as soon as possible ..

I told him probably about 2k and he about had a heart attack.... but I already knew he would.......:laughing::laughing:


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

Master Mark- don't you just hate it when the cust. tells you all the work they want and then add at the end they don't have any more money? There comes a point on such service calls that the light bulb goes on in your head and you realize that you need to beat a hasty retreat. You did the right thing, cut and run.


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

Indie said:


> What exactly was he expecting? Looks like someone already did the work. Was he seriously expecting you to finish up that mess? Speaking of craig's list, have you ever had a job come through on it?





If I can add my two cents: I've gotten a few good calls from CL. Usually it is price shoppers looking for rock bottom cheap prices. But one lady who contacted me is a realtor with several rentals. She actually asked me if I have a license. She was tired of 'handy men' who are not plumbers. I jetted a K/S line and repaired a 1/2" copper water line for her tenants. Another call was a man w/ a Moen tub valve that was in need of repair. When I told him price of about $200 to re-build valve, he tries to wheel and deal. Then he produces the Moen 1222B cartridge. I told him OK I'll use your part for $125. He counter-offers with $100 bill cash. So I thought about it for a moment and agreed. After all I have children who want to eat every day, so if dad can't earn $200, he'll take $100 and be happy with it. Like my beloved grandmother used to say when I only earned $20 as a caddy on golfcourse, "That's $20 you didn't have when you got up today."


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

*Respect Grandma....*



Tommy plumber said:


> [/COLOR]
> 
> 
> "That's $20 you didn't have when you got up today."


 
This is true about what your Grandmother said, and it was very polite of you not to tell old grandma that it cost you
35 bucks invested today to make the 20 in the first place..:laughing::laughing:

Craigs list is not to be taken too seriously.. once in a blue moon something good comes from it...:yes:


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## Don The Plumber (Feb 14, 2010)

I can see why he wanted to save that nice green tub:blink: And let me guess.....he was going to save that nice green tile too?

Did you ever notice that alot of these morons that buy these houses, think they can get all this work done for next to nothing, but they have zero mechanical ability, to do any of it themselves. But expect everyone who can, to work for peanuts:furious:. I have a few x-friends like that. 

C'mon over Mr. best friend plumber who I haven't seen in 10yrs, & I will buy all the beer you want. I say no, I will come over, & I will buy, "you", all the beer, "you", want, just so I can watch:laughing:


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## Phat Cat (Apr 1, 2009)

Tommy plumber said:


> [/COLOR] Another call was a man w/ a Moen tub valve that was in need of repair. When I told him price of about $200 to re-build valve, he tries to wheel and deal. Then he produces the Moen 1222B cartridge. I told him OK I'll use your part for $125. He counter-offers with $100 bill cash. So I thought about it for a moment and agreed. After all I have children who want to eat every day, so if dad can't earn $200, he'll take $100 and be happy with it. Like my beloved grandmother used to say when I only earned $20 as a caddy on golfcourse, "That's $20 you didn't have when you got up today."


You do realize you are training your customers to adjust all your pricing by 20% or do you? If the transaction took place in person, I would have called his bluff and walked if he did not pony up the full amount. Better to sweeten the deal with a freebie than to come off your price.

Those who discount down once will be more apt to do it in the future. We have to eat too and that is precisely why we don't negotiate. It's a slippery slope, be careful.


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## RealLivePlumber (Jun 22, 2008)

There have been jobs in the past where I would have been better off giving the ho a hundred bucks, and leaving. 

Thankfully, I figured it out quick. 

Better to stay home sometimes.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

I love that PEX stub out for the tub spout! :thumbup:

True craftsmanship right there if you ask me...:laughing:


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## futz (Sep 17, 2009)

Redwood said:


> I love that PEX stub out for the tub spout! :thumbup:
> 
> True craftsmanship right there if you ask me...:laughing:


Yes, I was laughing about that one too. Quite an amusing job. :laughing:


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

*re-use the tile too*



Redwood said:


> I love that PEX stub out for the tub spout! :thumbup:
> 
> True craftsmanship right there if you ask me...:laughing:


 


I forgot to mention that he wanted me to patch the drywall back in for him and re-use the tile...:laughing::laughing::yes:

if you notice that is a 1955 green tile and most of it is 
falling off the wall al around in that 5x4 green bathtub... It was literally falling off everywhere throughout the bathroom

I told him that their was really nothing left to save..
just tear outthe bathroom and start over

he did not understand why you could just scrape off that old grout , clean them up and re-use the stuff..

I politely told him that a tile man would be much cheaper to do the drywall and tile work..

and I got the hell out of there


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

*I forgot this one*

:laughing:

here was another bathroom that he wanted me to 

"clean up" for him... the 2x4 that he installed needed to be removed so the handles could extend out
past the tile, but he could not grasp that....

I was gonna mention that it needed to be a pressure balanced faucet.... but why make the effort...:laughing::laughing:


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## Kevan (Jul 5, 2010)

Master Mark said:


> ... the 2x4 that he installed needed to be removed so the handles could extend out past the tile, but he could not grasp that.


He could not grasp that he could not grasp the handles -- that's getting pretty bad. :wacko:


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## plumbear (Jun 24, 2010)

This is a prime example why I dont deal with residential.


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

Kevan said:


> He could not grasp that he could not grasp the handles -- that's getting pretty bad. :wacko:


 
That is pretty funny! Master Mark, thanks for making me laugh tonight. How did you hold the camera stable while laughing? While snapping pics surely you must've been thinking about posting on the Zone.:laughing:


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