Originally Posted by LookingAtTV (Post 2255612)

Regarding putting money down before receiving the goods. Normally I never do that, however I purchased motorized lanai shades from Shade Brothers who are located in Leesburg where they actually get in the shade material, cut it to size and add in the motors. Because they’re custom-made shades, I put down 50% on day one utilizing my credit card. As someone else suggested, I think using a credit card is your best bet. I was very pleased with Shade Brothers who also do shutters. Sorry, I cannot address the Florida Blind Company reputation

Originally Posted by retiredguy123 (Post 2255188)

There is no way that I would pay them in advance. But, if you absolutely need to, I would offer to put it on a credit card with the understanding that you will dispute the charge with your bank if the materials are not delivered within 60 days. Under Federal law, you have 60 days from the credit card statement date on which the charge first appears to dispute the charge. I would do this even if I had to pay a small fee for using a credit card. Note that you can always reinstate the credit card charge if the contractor can prove that the materials are running late. If the contractor will not accept a credit card, I would find another contractor. Also, I would take any Google reviews with a grain of salt. Good luck.

Originally Posted by retiredguy123 (Post 2255196)

As a followup, did you notice that there are 33 Google reviews and every one is 5 stars? The reviews include the name of the reviewer, but no information about where they live. I didn't see any reviews by a Villager. Call me skeptical, but these do not appear to be genuine reviews by actual customers. I don't know of any contractor who gets a 5 star review from every customer, with zero complaints. Why not select a few of the recent reviewers and ask the contractor for their phone number or email address?

Originally Posted by sophie720 (Post 2255199)

I just went to their FB page and they also have great reviews on there, as well...just read one from a Villager...from the Villagers FB page, so doesn't appear to be made up. Maybe they are just an all-around great company!

Originally Posted by Triker (Post 2255232)

If you’re talking about Joe and Christine, they are awesome! We had them install plantation shutters in our home and we’re 110% satisfied. If I moved again I wouldn’t even consider anyone else. Joe measured up our house and he had several samples for us to think about. After deciding on what we wanted he gave us a very good quote. He did request a down payment but I had no problem with that because I’ve seen that before with small mom and pop businesses. Our shutters arrived exactly when he said they would and he and his wife were here the next business day to install them. They did and excellent job of installing them and cleaned up everything, even hauled the old blinds away! I honestly can’t say enough good about how happy we are with our shutters and the excellent customer service that they provided.

Originally Posted by retiredguy123 (Post 2255359)

Will they accept a credit card for the down payment?

Originally Posted by rrdsg (Post 2255433)

As others have said, if you can't use a credit card, you are vulnerable. We installed shutters and every estimate we got included a 50% deposit. That given, we would only deal with a large, long time, business. With the owners as you described, what if one or both become ill or decide to leave the state? You can be left with a big loss. You need to evaluate the risk vs. how much you save by dealing with this couple. If their price is substantially less than the larger companies, I would be very sceptical. The biggest expenses the materials. The installation is not that complicated or time consuming.

Originally Posted by jlaurieb (Post 2255545)

Which company was that? That’s always helpful to have the company name.

Originally Posted by Debvan (Post 2255538)

We used them last month in our Lake Denham home. Extremely happy with the quality of plantation blinds and level of service. Would definitely use them again!

Originally Posted by Annie66 (Post 2255559)

Be sure to check them out via Seniors Vs. Crime. Always a good last step before contracting for a major expenditure.

Originally Posted by LookingAtTV (Post 2255612)

Regarding putting money down before receiving the goods. Normally I never do that, however I purchased motorized lanai shades from Shade Brothers who are located in Leesburg where they actually get in the shade material, cut it to size and add in the motors. Because they’re custom-made shades, I put down 50% on day one utilizing my credit card. As someone else suggested, I think using a credit card is your best bet. I was very pleased with Shade Brothers who also do shutters. Sorry, I cannot address the Florida Blind Company reputation

Originally Posted by retiredguy123 (Post 2255620)

Note that if you use a credit card for the deposit, make sure that there is a clear understanding in writing that the credit card is for the procurement of materials, and that you will be disputing the charge if the materials are not delivered. Do not make a contract payment using a credit card because your bank may side with the contractor and refuse to reverse the charge.

Originally Posted by retiredguy123 (Post 2255359)

Will they accept a credit card for the down payment?

Originally Posted by Graspher (Post 2255641)

Yes, me too. And I'm dealing with the same concept - custom-made. Thanks for the insight.