Answer Summary

Members rallied around someone facing an unexpectedly doubled landscaping bill for mesquite tree mistletoe removal, with the overwhelming... Read more

Members rallied around someone facing an unexpectedly doubled landscaping bill for mesquite tree mistletoe removal, with the overwhelming advice being to contact the company directly to dispute the charges before involving an attorney, and several sharing their own experiences of negotiating down to a middle ground or learning hard lessons about getting multiple estimates upfront. Many members questioned whether a signed contract existed and whether adjustments should work both ways, while others expressed sympathy for the shock of being charged nearly $1,150 per hour for three workers on what seemed like a straightforward five-hour job. A recurring theme was the frustration of feeling taken advantage of by service providers, the importance of having everything in writing before work begins, and the grace needed to accept costly mistakes while planning how to move forward financially.