Warning: flooring company demanding full payment upfront on big LVP job
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FloorFanatic
·1mo·134 replies·108 participants
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FloorFanatic⭐ ExpertOP1mo
120
Hey guys, we're in north jersey doing a 2500 sq ft luxury vinyl plank install with Mohawk WiseLock planks, gonna take about 3 weeks to knock out. Found this local outfit with solid reviews and tons of Coretec and Shaw options, but they want the full $18k estimate paid on day one before even starting. Never seen that before, makes me nervous as hell, especially after seeing that rant in the Flooring Contractors Network about similar BS. I'm tempted to walk even though their reps seem legit. Anyone dealt with this upfront nonsense? Should I counter with 50% materials in escrow or just bail? Edit: thanks for the input, went with another guy who only asked for 30% down.
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RollerRandy⭐ Expert1mo
28
screw that, full upfront is straight up scam bait.
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ScrewLoose2⚒️ Journeyman1mo
24
exactly, these guys are everywhere now trying to lock in cash before they ghost.
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SawdustSavant10⚒️ Journeyman1mo
14
had one do that on a carpet job, took em to small claims and won, but what a hassle.
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SpraySquad2⚒️ Journeyman1mo
29
i got burned once on a hardwood refinish, paid full up front and they never showed again. lost 5k, lesson learned the hard way.
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WireWizardWalt⭐ Expert1mo
3
damn man, that sucks. did you report em to the BBB?
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ThermostatTamer2⚒️ Journeyman1mo
12
yeah, file with the state licensing board too, might save someone else.
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TileTerror3⚒️ Journeyman1mo
36
tried that, they were already shut down under a fake name. pissed me off big time.
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ShingleSlinger2⚒️ Journeyman1mo
5
3 weeks for 2500 sq ft? that's forever, sounds like they're slow or understaffed. i'd run.
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DustBunnySlayer3⚒️ Journeyman1mo
37
haha, yeah probably some part-timer with a harbor freight knee kicker thinking he's pro.
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WireWhizKid⭐ Expert1mo
59
lmao, seen that too many times on jobsites.
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DoorJamDud⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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never pay full upfront, ever. it's a red flag bigger than a mismatched grout line.
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ScrewLoose2⚒️ Journeyman1mo
29
pay half materials when they deliver, rest at completion. anything else is BS.
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SuperheatSam⚒️ Journeyman1mo
23
as a flooring guy with 10 years, this screams fly-by-night. walk away, plenty of legit crews out there.
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VentVagabond⚒️ Journeyman1mo
15
agreed, i stick to 25% down for LVP jobs like yours.
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WireWizardWalt⭐ Expert1mo
24
jersey inspectors are tough, make sure your new guy pulls permits if needed.
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CircuitSurfer3⚒️ Journeyman1mo
12
good call, had a buddy fined $2k for no permit on a tile job.
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SawdustSavant⭐ Expert1mo
29
yeah, north jersey especially, they check everything.
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PolishPro2⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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permits? for flooring? only if structural, but better safe.
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ThermostatTamer2⚒️ Journeyman1mo
23
i feel you, had a similar deal on a bamboo install, negotiated to 40% and it worked out.
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GutterGuru2⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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smart move, always negotiate on big jobs.
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TileTerror3⚒️ Journeyman1mo
6
full upfront? hell no, that's how you end up funding their next truck payment.
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DustBunnyBoss⭐ Expert1mo
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right? these clowns think we're ATMs.
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DrainDiverDan⭐ Expert1mo
16
or worse, they flip the materials for quick cash. seen it.
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DustBunnySlayer3⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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customer didn't want to pay for underlayment, so i charged extra. upfront demands are worse tho.
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WireWhizKid⭐ Expert1mo
52
same here in flooring pros fb group, everyone says pass on 100% up front.
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VentVagabond⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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watched a tommy mello vid on this, he says escrow for materials only.
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CircuitSurfer3⚒️ Journeyman1mo
23
outrageous, the irs already takes enough without these thieves.
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SawdustSavant⭐ Expert1mo
18
tell me about it, quarterly taxes kill me after a big install.
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PolishPro2⚒️ Journeyman1mo
24
yeah, but deduct that knee tool at least.
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SawdustSavant⭐ Expert1mo
30
propose 30% down, 40% mid job, rest at punchout. standard for engineered stuff.
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PolishPro2⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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use jobber for invoicing, tracks payments and flags red flags early.
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GutterGuru2⚒️ Journeyman1mo
31
frustrated with these demands too, just did a 1500 sq ft vct and same issue.
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DustBunnyBoss⭐ Expert1mo
27
vct is a pain, hope you got paid proper.
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DrainDiverDan⭐ Expert1mo
21
man, i hate when clients push back but contractors pulling this is worse.
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JoistJuggler⚒️ Journeyman1mo
20
pay materials separate, labor on milestones. keeps everyone honest.
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CleanFreakCarl2⚒️ Journeyman1mo
23
this is why i only take checks after demo day.
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TileTerror3⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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disagree, sharkbite for plumbing but for flooring? nah, upfront is always bad news.
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RustyNailBob4⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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sharkbite debate aside, yeah upfront sucks.
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PickMaster2⚒️ Journeyman1mo
51
wait, sharkbite in floors? that's a new one lol.
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RustyNailBob4⚒️ Journeyman1mo
24
got stiffed on a laminate job last year, now i demand progress pics before more cash.
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PickMaster2⚒️ Journeyman1mo
30
i hear ya, these full upfront guys are ruining the rep for all of us.
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BloomBoss2⭐ Expert1mo
53
frustrated af, just quoted a mohawk job and they tried the same crap.
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RoofRat883⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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sharked a deal once by walking, found a better crew for 10% less.
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SparkJockey3⭐ Expert1mo
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smart, saved money and sanity.
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SparkJockey3⭐ Expert1mo
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use square for payments, easy splits without full upfront.
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SoilSculptor⭐ Expert1mo
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sucks, but in flooring contractors network they say always get a contract with milestones.
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ChillTechChris⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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contrary to popular belief, some legit guys do partial upfront for custom orders, but 100% no.
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SawdustSavant27⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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yeah if it's imported tile maybe, but lvp? nah.
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SawdustSavant27⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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proud of dodging a bullet on a similar 2k sq ft gig last month.
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WrenchWarrior⭐ Expert1mo
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pay half on material delivery, that's what i do for all vinyl installs.
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CanvasKing6⚒️ Journeyman1mo
27
irritated by the tax man already, don't need shady contractors too.
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BugBlaster5🔧 Apprentice1mo
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disagree with upfront ever, even for small jobs.
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FurnitureFlipper3⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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hit 100k this year by sticking to fair terms, no upfront BS.
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DoorOpenerDave⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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nice, what's your secret for steady leads?
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DoorOpenerDave⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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warning: check their license on the state site before signing anything.
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ChillOutTech⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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i feel that, lost a buddy to a scam like this on carpet.
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RoofRat⭐ Expert1mo
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had a roofer pull that crap on me last year, demanded full cash upfront for a $15k shingle job and vanished after i paid half, those scumbags ruin it for all of us.
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DoorOpenerPro⚒️ Journeyman1mo
53
haha, told a guy no and he called me scared, blocked him.
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AntAnnihilator5⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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we're all in this crap together with these demands.
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WireWizard88⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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helpful tip: get everything in writing, even the payment schedule.
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TarheelTiler2⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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saw a post on r/flooring about this exact thing, everyone said run.
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SawdustSavant10⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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use housecall pro, invoices progress payments automatically.
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AmpedApprentice6⚒️ Journeyman1mo
28
frustrated, my first big job had this and i almost fell for it.
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LeakHunterJoe⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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damn, these stories make me double check every contract.
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SodSlinger4⚒️ Journeyman1mo
42
same, after taxes eat half, can't afford losses.
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HueMaster⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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pay via credit card for protection if they flake.
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SlateSlinger4⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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we all hate the upfront game.
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PaintSplatPro⚒️ Journeyman1mo
15
in the tile and stone pros group, same warnings everywhere.
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ShingleShuffler4⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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laughed when a client tried to pull upfront on me, flipped it.
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DustBunnyHunter3⭐ Expert1mo
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solid advice: 25/50/25 split works great for plank jobs.
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TarHeelTiler⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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yeah, keeps cash flow steady without risk.
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TarHeelTiler⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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proud i negotiated down to 20% on my last shaw install.
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ACAvenger3⚒️ Journeyman1mo
20
outrage at these companies, ruining the trade.
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CoilCleaner2⚒️ Journeyman1mo
26
i get it, big projects are scary but don't pay full.
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BrushStrokePro12⭐ Expert1mo
29
frustrated with the whole payment BS in flooring.
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CircuitSavant3⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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flooring clowns demanding full pay upfront? that's some straight-up scam artist BS i've seen too many times. walk away before they ghost you mid-job.
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NotAnElectrician25⚒️ Journeyman1mo
41
watched essential craftsman on contracts, he says same: no full upfront.
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FrameForge⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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got paid on time finally after insisting on milestones.
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BrushStrokePro4⚒️ Journeyman1mo
23
these full pay guys are the worst.
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PaintSplatter2⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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these upfront payment demands are total BS, had a flooring crew pull that crap on me last year and it nearly tanked the whole job. pissed me off so bad i walked away from the deal.
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DrainDiverDan⭐ Expert1mo
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man, taxes are bad enough without this.
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SpraySquad2⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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question: did you check their yelp reviews deep?
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PaintSplatterPete⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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use quickbooks to track and deduct bad deals.
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AmpedApprentice5⚒️ Journeyman1mo
30
i feel bad for new guys falling into this.
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RustyNailBob3⚒️ Journeyman1mo
29
sucks, had to lien a house once over partial pay.
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DeckBuilderDan⭐ Expert1mo
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commiserate, north jersey market is cutthroat.
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AmpedUp2⭐ Expert1mo
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damn these stories.
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BoxHaulerBen3⚒️ Journeyman1mo
48
haha, upfront? more like up-front and center for lawsuits.
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BugBlasterBen2⚒️ Journeyman1mo
1
these shady flooring outfits demanding full upfront are just begging for a mechanics lien to bite em in the ass, same BS with half the contractors i run into these days.
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HueHero⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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those flooring scams are EVERYWHERE now, demanding full cash upfront like we're idiots who wont notice the scam. had a buddy get burned last month on a kitchen job, company vanished after pocketing the money. time to hit em with liens and bad reviews til they learn.
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SodSquadLeader⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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these flooring scumbags demanding full upfront are ruining it for all of us legit contractors, just waiting for the day a lien shuts their operation down for good.
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RootRider⚒️ Journeyman1mo
32
hit my goal by avoiding shady deals like this.
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SawdustSavant16⭐ Expert1mo
36
we're pissed at the irs and these contractors.
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RustyNailBob⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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i hear ya, keep fighting the good fight.
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BeamBoss5⚒️ Journeyman1mo
32
frustrated but learned to spot em quick.
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TrimTerror⚒️ Journeyman1mo
43
same boat, big lvp jobs are risky.
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HammerTimeHal⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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those flooring outfits are straight up scammers, demanding full upfront on a big lvp job like that is a HUGE red flag, just walk away before they ghost you.
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NailGunNinja10⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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had the same BS happen to me last year with some fly-by-night flooring crew, demanded full payment on a 1200 sq ft lvp install and then vanished with the deposit. pissed me off so bad i filed a lien and got half back through small claims, but what a hassle. these scammers are ruining the whole trade, just walk away like OP said.
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CoatCaptain⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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these damn fly-by-nights are everywhere now, had one screw me out of $2k on a simple paint job last month and im still pissed chasing the check.
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NotAnElectrician18⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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yeah man, got burned on a similar deposit scam last summer and it took months of BS to claw back even part of it, these assholes are killing our rep.
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ShingleShark2⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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told my buddy to get half upfront on a flooring gig and he ends up with a check that bounces harder than a bad hip after 20 years on roofs 😂
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BugHunter⭐ Expert1mo
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nah, upfront payment aint always a scam, sometimes legit outfits do it for big jobs to cover materials like coretec or shaw lvp that run $8k+ outta pocket.
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ChillMasterHV⭐ Expert1mo
30
outrageous demands from these outfits.
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CircuitSmasher4⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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man, these flooring outfits pulling that upfront crap is straight up BULLSHIT, had a similar mess with a supplier last year who wouldnt budge on payment til i threatened to walk. it pisses me off how they think us trades guys are just walkin wallets, especially on big jobs like lvp installs that take weeks. been there more times than i can count, and it always feels like theyre holdin your ass over a barrel. my buddy in the biz got screwed outta 5k once cuz he paid full upfront and they ghosted on delivery, total nightmare. we gotta stick together on this shit, no way im forkin over cash like that without ironclad terms. sucks that its so common, makes you wanna go back to cash deals only. hang in there, dont let em bully ya.
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BoltBandit⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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question for op: what'd you end up doing?
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DuctDoctor⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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told em i'd pay after the floor was down and not a damn thing before, ended up with a free lunch and them begging for the job 😂
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HeatPumpHank⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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hell yeah, had a roofer pull that crap on me last month, wouldnt budge on my terms either and they ended up eating their own lunch. been there brother, makes you feel like the boss for once.
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DeadboltDude⭐ Expert1mo
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these damn flooring outfits think theyre kings of the castle demanding full upfront like were their personal atm, screwing over every honest contractor in the game.
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JoistJockey4⚒️ Journeyman1mo
16
contrary opinion: if they're bonded, maybe ok, but still risky.
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RustyNailBob4⚒️ Journeyman1mo
14
yeah, bonded or not, that upfront crap always feels like a setup waiting to bite you. been stiffed on similar jobs myself, sucks every time.
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NailGunNed⚒️ Journeyman1mo
14
get a cpa to review your contract terms.
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TenYearVet⭐ Expert1mo
26
frustrated with the whole system.
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MoveMasterMike⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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what's the deal with these flooring outfits pushing for full upfront on a job that size?
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HardwoodHero⚒️ Journeyman1mo
13
these groups are full of similar rants.
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PipeDreamer24⚒️ Journeyman1mo
25
question: anyone use escrow services for this?
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SparkPlugSue⚒️ Journeyman1mo
29
sucks man, hope you found a good one.
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CleanFreakJoe⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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outrage at the tax load plus this.
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PipeLord42011⚒️ Journeyman1mo
22
full upfront is for suckers only.
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PipeDreamer15⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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these flooring clowns pulling the full upfront crap are just begging for a lien notice from me next time they try to snake a plumbing side job.
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WattTheHeck19⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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these flooring idiots think they're slick demanding cash upfront, but i'm done with their side hustle BS. next time they call for a quick drain snake, it's full lien notice before i even show up.
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DuctDoctor3⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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these flooring idiots think they're hot shit demanding full upfront, but i got stiffed 5k last year on a similar sub job and it pisses me off every time. now i walk away unless it's 50% down and the rest on completion, no exceptions. gonna start hitting them with my own liens if they keep trying to lowball the trades.
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TileTamer4⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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yeah, been burned by that crap before on a big install, never paying full upfront again.
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PrunePioneer🔧 Apprentice1mo
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always ask for 50% upfront then the rest on completion, saved me from a shady LVP contractor last year who bolted after the deposit.
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LiftAndShift3⚒️ Journeyman1mo
16
proud of the crews that do it right.
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NailGunNinja7⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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yeah, been stiffed on a big flooring gig like that before, full upfront demands are a massive red flag.
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RollerRascal🔧 Apprentice1mo
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tell em 50% down and the rest after install. had a flooring sub try that crap on me last year, walked away and found a legit guy with shaw LVP who did it right.
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CircuitSavant4⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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nah, upfront on lvp aint always a scam, i always demand full deposit from sketchy contractors cause they ghosted me twice last year. if theyre legit like your shaw guy theyll work with ya, but these days you gotta protect your ass first.
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TileTerror10⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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these flooring outfits are straight up bandits now, demanding cash upfront like were their damn ATMs. got burned last month on a sub job and now i wont touch em without a lien in hand.
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DeckDoctor⭐ Expert1mo
21
proud i turned down a similar gig.
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PipeLord4202⚒️ Journeyman1mo
6
good call, man, i once took a job like that and ended up chasing the check like it was my ex's alimony.
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HeatPumpHero⚒️ Journeyman1mo
18
we're all dealing with this crap.
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RootRider⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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question: how's the job going now?
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GeneralFixIt2⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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screw these flooring outfits demanding full upfront, i had one ghost me after i paid for the whole damn lvp install and left me with a half-done mess.
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WireWhisperer⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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damn, been there with a sketchy roofer who took my deposit for the whole tear-off and never came back, left me holdin the bag.
