Quote:
Originally Posted by Ozzello
Not wrong. I have been a contractor, consultant AND inspection engineer on many state and Fed construction projects. Every single major project had a mobilization pay item. Money up front, PRIOR to any work being done.
Who said the contractors wanting money up front won't accept credit cards? I can name several who do, including the largest landscape company in this area. And unless your job was small, less than 10k, I doubt seriously there are 5 landscapers that wouldn't want a token payment prior to starting. In the thousands of contracts I have fulfilled , I can say the very few times I got screwed by a home owner, they did not want to pay even a small amount up front, and I know now in hindsight, they had every intention of screwing me before I ever started.
If you don't trust your contractor, why should the contractor trust you? If you don't trust them enough to pay an installment, for the acquisition of materials, the scheduling of equipment and laborers to set aside for your project, then by all means.. pay that extra 20% or more a couple of these guys charge that don't want money up front.
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On the Federal contracts I worked on, mobilization was a scheduled line item, but no payment was made until the mobilization work was done. And the contractors were fully vetted and purchased a payment and performance bond which guaranteed the work would be completed. But, comparing Government contracting to a guy in The Villages with a pickup truck and a cell phone asking for money upfront is absurd.
The contractor being discussed on this thread did not accept credit cards for advance payments. That is why people are complaining about them. If you use a credit card for the advance payment, you can just dispute the charge with the bank and get your money back if the contractor disappears.
I have always refused to make advance payments, have gotten a lot of work done, and have never regretted it. Why are so many people complaining on this web site after making advance payments? If you do feel the need to pay in advance, use a credit card. If the contractor will not accept a credit card, don't hire him.