Best Of

it’s an odds game at this point.

I suspect boiler prices will continue to go up as they are mainly imported parts even if they are assembled here.

What are todays tariff numbers for China and the EU? 10, 30, 50%. The tariff game will also lead to shortages at some point, limiting options and driving prices even higher.

It's not that crooks have more rights than we do, it's just that they'll do things that we won't.

Unfortunately, if we do the same things as the crooks, then we're no longer the good guys…

Its ok to have an "enemies list," just don't write it down..ask President Nixon! Ha ha...This is where belonging to contractor organizations, like PHCC is very beneficial: You get around other legit outfits and network accordingly.

In my neck of the woods, we share this intel "off the record" with a quick phone call. "Hey Sweeney...I just looked at a job you were at ( bid on, et cetera)…what's the deal with these people???"

Me: "Be careful with them. They bounced the first check, played games with the $$$$." This protects all of us legit & honorable outfits from the bad actors out there. Mad Dog

My boss and I went back to the shop one day patting each other on the back and talking in the office because we had sold the largest job we ever had at that time.

The owner after hearing all this chatter for 20 min or so came in and said. "the biggest job in the world doesn't mean crap until we get paid". "I want to know who is paying the bill and when there going to pay"

And he was right.

It's more important to know who your working for.

And as smart as he was in business even that owner got taken a couple of times.

We had a customer I won't name but they are/were one of the largest handgun MFGs. I am in Western, Ma so you can figure it out.

We had done work for them for 35 years or more including selling them tons of fuel oil.

They had a new 'assistant" in the purchasing dept. I bid a job there and he was told to get 3 prices. I was the low bidder. He called me and told me to order the equipment. He said the PO would be coming in a couple of weeks. This job was 150k which was a big job for us 45 years ago. Time went on , No PO another week, no PO.

I was scared I would get fired if I screwed up this account which was worth a lot to our company. I went to my boss and explained it. I had called the PA 3 times to get the PO and he was stalling me. He said "don't order the equipment , something is wrong". I said but "this is a big account" he said 'what are you going to do when you order the equipment with no PO and you find out this guy (the PA) gets fired"

And he was right.

We didn't get the job he was waiting for a kickback before he issued the PO. I was to young and naive to realize what he wanted. He did get fired a year later when they found out what he was doing.

There are dirty people everywhere. Develop your senses. When something seems to good …it is. When something seems wrong…it is,

Some people live their whole lives and get off suing people. Stay away from them.

As has been said, don't do it. The type of "client" to which you refer almost always has at least one tame lawyer handy. I might add that this is much the same mentality which takes advantage of landlords…

or could it be Asian products resemble Caleffi?
one relay brand I recall shows “assembled in Mexico, components from China. A double whammy😗

Of Course...that was "tongue in cheek" gallows humor. Like a bucking Bronc...gotta hang on and ride it out...what are WE really going to do about it? Improvise, adapt, overcome...not gonna ring my hands over it.....Mad Dog