yeah, you sound like me. I always get suckered trying to do a good deal. Always finish my end but always get left short. What ever, move on and chauk it up as a loss. With friends like that who needs enema's.
Sorry to hear this, I've been in the same boat as you. Think you can trust someone and they're sticking the knife in your back. My wife says I trust too easy but the truth is, I would never do this to someone and expect the same in return. Too bad it doesn't always workk out that way. Good luck!
This is a big reason why whenever someone has done something for me I've done everything I can to make sure that they are taken care of. Even if it's the smallest thing.
When it comes to people who have screwed me or not held up their end, I always remember these words, "Always forgive. Never Forget"
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"I should have just started smoking crack. Its just as addicting and WAY cheaper..." --unknown
Sorry to hear this bro. I know everything will work out in the end. But I must say, while I do have friends I do favors for and some who do favors for me, when money is involved...that's where I draw the line. Short story, I had a friend who wanted to buy a TV and some furniture from me on a payment plan. I've known this guy for about 12 years. I told him no payment plan because I felt that it would only complicate things, lead to trouble and be too much of a hassle with getting my money. What I did was tell him I would hold it for a good while until he came up with money. Guess what, he came up with the money alot faster when I told him no payment plan and he really wanted the furniture as I was giving him a hell of a deal.
Just another example that when doing business with friends and family it is even more important to out things in writing. Not to beat anyone down over it but to put all of the expectations in writing so that no one "forgets" what the deal was. weeks, months, and sometimes years later everyone has their own version of what was agreed upon and it typically is colored in their direction. Handshake and "buddy" deals will almost alwasy get you screwed... and sometimes it gets expensive.
I'm sure everyone has a horror story along these lines...
When I first started my shop I was using a good friend to do paint and body. He was partners in a body shop and was the best painter I have still known to this day. I would trailer the jobs to his shop several hours away because I knew the quality of work he did. Downside was that he had lost his wife a few years earlier to cancer in her mid 30's and he was sill struggling getting things back together. He was burying himself in his work but not paying attention to the business side.
First car he wanted to deal directly with the client. They talked every other week and I assumed they were talking about the change in price as well so when the bill was $5k more at the end I picked up the car and paid the bill without thinking . When I delivered the car to the client (several states away) he went sideways saying he knew nothing about the price increase. The client strung me out on this bill and another $4k he owed me on the mechanical work just on principle to prove a point. I ended up writing most of it off. Workmanship was top notch and the second car was already in process when this happened so....round #2.
I think I'm smarter this time... I make sure all the estimates are updated and sent to the client in writing after teardown so everyone is on the same page. I talk to my Body shop guy every other week to make sure we are still on target with the estimates and have him send me pics every month. The story is always that we are right on track or even ahead of the quotes. Car gets finished. I drive up with car #3 in the trailer and the client is flying in to inspect the work before it leaves the body shop. The night before the client flies in my Body shop guy hands me the final bill... $13k over the most updated quote. He was keeping track of his hours but hadn't added them up since the project started but he thought he was on track. And of course like all rework projects there were extra things to fix once work started. I was still dealing with the mess over car #1 at this point so I about had a stroke... Told him I couldn't give the customer that bill. Made him mark down the labor and I cut out all of my profit on the job and it was still $5k over. He breaks down crying and proceeds to tell me how his house is being foreclosed on and he is filing bankruptcy again. I've known him too long and too well to know its not a scam... it's not a fluffed bill... The guy is just burying himself in his work to hide from the world and not handling his business.
The client loved the car... he grumbled a little over the bill but he paid it. Body Shop guy and I agreed to part ways business wise and that was the last car he did for me. We had been close friends but after that he stopped returning phone calls and haven't spoken since.
There's a guy on this board who offered to work on my car in exchange for me giving him financial advice.
I turned Weld down.
lol
the messed up part about all of this is he never used to be like this. it seems that just this last year or less he's really changed and became a huge POS. He ruined it for everybody now though. I'm always the first guy to help people, now its a money up front if you want my help deal sadly.
Brian Hobaugh SCCA National Tour June 2014
First Hemi 'Cuda Convertible Ever Built
Short clips: Goodguys Pleasanton autocross and pit videos
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