The first picture you see is of Gary Anderson. He was recommended to me as an electrician. Yeah. So Gary comes in to do some work for me and brings his pregnant girlfriend, his mother, some guy that was trying to learn how to be an electrician, and two other people. I didn't know that electricians need an enteragé. My mistake. Considering that some of the people in his group have a history of theft, I should have known better.
Next Gary had quoted a price that was very reasonable. He did most of the work the first day, and because Christmas was almost here and I knew he had a teenage daughter, PLUS they were living in a hotel, I paid him an extra $100 because I knew he needed the money. For those of you keeping score, that's mistake #2. Don't ever let your kindness take over when you are dealing with a person that will never be honest with you.
Gary did the majority of the work that first day and all I had to do was look at his pregnant girlfriend wallowing on my couch, keep an eye on where his mother was at all time (ask me in a PM and I'll explain THAT hot mess) and watch the other three people that he had constantly in and out of my salon. I don't know why he had to have so many people buzzing around him, but he did. I think that they all smelled money in the air. That should have told me something.
He did a great job the first day but needed wiring to finish putting in a switch and told me he would be back the next day to finish the job and wanted to know if I could pay him for the work he had already done. I did. Mistake #3.
Then, because I knew that he had his daughter with him and it was almost Christmas, I gave him an extra $100. Mistake #4.
The next day came and he arrived with the piece of green cable that you see in the second picture. I don't know much about electrical wiring, but I do know that you don't use the green cable that hooks up your wifi device.
Weeks pass. No Gary. He did ask me not to discuss anything with the person that had suggested the job, and I see why. He had time to ask me if I needed any other work done. I was inundated with text messages asking me if I had any other work done, as he needed $40-$60. I was reminded of O Brother Where Art Thou- it was a financial oddity-every job cost $40-$60!!
Finally, I ask that person that recommended him if there is a timeline on when ol' Gary will be finishing the job. A fire was lit under him, but then he took it upon himself to do work I did not ask for, never agreed on a price for, and he left a craptacular mess where he did the light socket.
As I have already paid him, I am under the silly impression that our business has concluded. Mistake #5. Gary now expects me to pay him even more money when I've overpaid him for the job that he quoted the price for doing.
Over the next months, I am the lucky receiver of almost daily text messages asking me if I have any work for him. At one time, I had considered hiring him as my maintenance person for my rental properties and putting him in a rental as part of his compensation. That time passed at the speed of sound. Actually, it was closer to Mach 2.
Time passes and I have blocked his number because I am tired of daily text messages asking if I have any work because he needs $40-$60 dollars. At a point, however, I need someone to repair a furnace and he was the only person that is available on short notice. He looks at the furnace and determined that it needed a new pilot wire. I told him to buy one and bring me the receipt.
Thirty minutes later he's back, and I ask him how much I owe him. He starts listing things. He claims that he cleaned the furnace, serviced it, installed the part and that the part was $80. With his service call fee-he tells me that I owe him $120.
That didn't add up to me, so I told him that I hadn't brought my purse, and I would call him later when I had his money. Then I called my handyman and asked him what all ol' Gary did to the furnace. He told me that he had used some canned air and blown out the area, installed the part and that he lit the pilot light and was finished in about 20 minutes.
I've had furnaces tuned before-there is a thirty-step process and it takes a lot longer than 20 minutes to do it.
Next, I called the place where the part was purchased and asked for the cost of the part. $7.79. When I asked Gary for the receipt for my records-this will surprise you-he didn't have it with him. Finally, my redneck kicked him. I asked him how he was able to service the furnace so quickly when all that my handyman saw was some canned air and asked why the parts store said the part wasn't even $8. Finally, I gave him $20 and told him to fornicate and die.
The same person that told me not to tell the person that recommended him to me about his business broke speed laws so he could complain about my not paying him for what he claimed that he did.
I have pictures of him posted with the caption 'thieving weasel' and have explained to at least four people in the position to hire an electrician exactly what he did. Run don't walk away from hiring him. You'll thank me later.
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