Dateline stuff

John R. Hall

Dateline had an undercover camera on a remodeling contractor who they showed doing shoddy work and then not returning to finish the job. The contractor had been arrested 30 times and jailed on occasions for cooking his books.

Now all we have to do is have enough people die from CO poisoning to get Dateline to sit up and take notice.

Seems they spend a lot of time bashing people -- maybe they can spend a little time doing some actual good, like informing home and business owners about the deadly consequences of poor IAQ.

Sorry, Tuesday is vent night.

ScottMP

We know what sells ...

And thats the but crack, handyman, who takes the money and runs.

To bad they can't give equal time to a contractor like David Yates. I know it will never happen, but temper a show with the good and the bad. I'll offer up my services if they need the ugly.

Scott

To Learn More About This Contractor, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Contractor"

Brian (Tankless) Wood

He's well known around here, John

In my hometown of Lake Charles LA. that is.

He's just your typical good-old-boy, coonass redneck, con-man. He's well connected, and has worked for some of the "better" folk around here. He gets wrist-slapped, and is back on the street bragging about his exploits, and will probably get much more work because of "fame", now. He'll convince more dummies that that the story was a setup, and he'll be rolling in his new trucks & Vette's. His particular type of scum makes me sick.

His story won't be on our local TV, because his "connectedness" might just drag in folk who would rather not have it known that they do business with him.

***News Flash. It's 6.19 am, and the guy was just on TV morning news, advertising his website!!! Talk about balls.

I went to City court last week, to fess up to a seat belt ticket. The $25 ticket cost me $247, and I spent the day locked up until I could arrange for the CASH. While I was in court, a fella with a slightly different ethnic background than myself (but the same expensively dressed, bragadotious type as the guy in the Dateline story). He had 12 outstanding warrants, but he called "his wife" on a prepaid cell phone, and she paid it all, minus the $1,500 court costs, with a credit card.

That man's 12 fines only cost him just over $300, and he didn't spend a minute in jail, I wonder who HE new.

Enough rant, off to work.

Brian in slightly corrupt Swampland

Dave Yates (PAH)

I would welcome......

Dateline anytime, anyplace, any hour. Bring it on! Thanks Scott, but that could also apply to just about anyone here.

Cases in point. Last night - two separate calls:

First one was elderly folks with a 30 year old heat pump. The "contractor" who was just there the night before, took three hours to activate their emergency heat toaster at OT rates. The owners felt they were ripped off. I wasn't there, so I'm not saying one way or the other. But he went further by telling the homeowners NOBODY else in our area is qualified to work on heat pumps, much less handle the complicated wiring! He was a maintenance man in a local nursing home up unitl three years ago. Works cheap. So, I focused on our company policies, warranty issues and equipment we sell/service. We got the job for replacing the equipment - in spite of having a much higher price. They recognized the difference between BS and experience without my needing to slam the other "contractor".

Call two. Clogged sewer. High end home in historic district. Sump pump has already caught & discharged 100's of gallons of sewage to street level. Homeowner's maint man had bucket covering floor drain with large concrete lintel block holding it down. A fountain was eminating from the house trap's cleanout plug. A fully furnished recreation room with home theater and motorized exercise equipment is adjacent on same level - carpeted floor. Storage rooms beside that area with hundreds of boxes containing their life memories. Pull the plug to clean the line? I don't think so. Manhole located in direct traffic of the circle in intersection. Can't block it with my truck - time is of the essence. Call city numbers - no one in! Call 911 - no help! Finally get through to sewage treatment plant & after another hour, they send the Camel. They block the intersection & pull the manhole - up to within a foot of the lid!!! That's 6' above the basement floor level - yikes. Had I been less experienced & pulled that plug..................................... Biggest clue? Cigarett butts in the basement sewage littering the floor. I know no one in that home smokes because they're long time customers. That and the copious amount of sewage plus the water meter was not budging at all.

Only trade licensed in my area? Plumbing. Let the buyer beware.

Bonus points: We installed a three zone damper system. HO complains things don't seem quite right. Turns out we goofed and installed one incorrectly due to oversight on the installing mechanics part. Immediately tell HO we goofed and that the problem will be resolved immediately - no charge of course. Hell, everybody goofs up from time to time. I've always found HOs to be acccepting of that fact and pleasantly surprised when you fess up.

To Learn More About This Contractor, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Contractor"