GC wants refund for item not installed

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AC\DC

Senior Member
Location
Florence,Oregon,Lane
Occupation
EC
I bid a job, it called for heated towel rack. When roughing owner decide not to install. Now MONTHS after payment for complete job. GC wants invoice broken down and refunded for that part. I am going to tell them to fly a kite, or other option. sure here a refund plus my expense to add an outlet that was not called for during rough in ,that I so graciously did for free originally.
 
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Dennis Alwon

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
Probably the owner trying to get some money from the gc I would just explain to him that you did the work and didn't charge for it. If he insists make sure you charge more than the credit...hahaha
 

Hv&Lv

Senior Member
Location
-
Occupation
Engineer/Technician
you bid the job and won the job apparently.
Did you rough for the towel rack?

The customer should have asked for a refund or change order when they changed their mind. I agree totally with Dennis above.
Refund $35 for the towel rack, then add $55 for the outlet and demand payment plus interest at the stated contract amount.
 

petersonra

Senior Member
Location
Northern illinois
Occupation
engineer
I bid a job, it called for heated towel rack. When roughing owner decide not to install. Now MONTHS after payment for complete job. GC wants invoice broken down and refunded for that part. I am going to tell them to fly a kite, or other option. sure here a refund plus my expense to add an outlet that was not called for during rough in ,that I so graciously did for free originally.
no good turn goes unpunished.

the irony is that the cost to the GC to demand all of this documentation probably exceeds whatever the refund might be.

the question for you is how much are you willing to spend to not have to refund the cost of the part you did not install.
 

gadfly56

Senior Member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Professional Engineer, Fire & Life Safety
Just say no. It was a swap for the outlet.


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Unless he put in a few of those $100 "audio" grade receptacles, there is a credit due for the difference between the towel rack (~$290) and the receptacle (~$10). I assume the rough in for the towel rack was used for the receptacle. This comment not valid if the towel rack was provided by others.
 

James L

Senior Member
Location
Kansas Cty, Mo, USA
Occupation
Electrician
Thanks I told them I can refund then charge you and it’s in your favor to leave it alone.
I have told people the same thing.

One time a CG insisted I take the money off for some things that got deleted off the scope.

So I did. Then I added about triple that amount that he asked for additional.

I didn't gouge him on the extra stuff, just gave him regular prices. But he had removed about $350 off the scope, then he added almost $1,200 worth of other stuff

I was content to just leave it alone because I honestly didn't want to do the paperwork. But he twisted my arm and got a big shock when he owed me an extra $800
 

gadfly56

Senior Member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Professional Engineer, Fire & Life Safety
Thanks I told them I can refund then charge you and it’s in your favor to leave it alone.
also offered to call owner since she been nice to talk to.
Were you supposed to supply the towel rack?
 

jaggedben

Senior Member
Location
Northern California
Occupation
Solar and Energy Storage Installer
Write an invoice that gives, say, a $15 credit for not installing the towel rack, plus a $15 'clerical' charge for writing a new invoice, therefore a refund of $0. Then stamp it 'Refund Issued' and mail it to him. 😜 Or is that too much work?
 

gadfly56

Senior Member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Professional Engineer, Fire & Life Safety
OK, in that case everyone should just call it a day and go home.
Further to my response, the expensive part of this was the towel rack. The GC needs to go after whoever was supposed to supply the towel rack for any refund.
 

yesterlectric

Senior Member
Location
PA
Occupation
Electrician
Probably the owner trying to get some money from the gc I would just explain to him that you did the work and didn't charge for it. If he insists make sure you charge more than the credit...hahaha
Actually, could the GC be asking you for a credit that it will not pass on to the customer?
 

sparky1118

Senior Member
Location
Massachusetts
Occupation
Master Electrician
I bid a job, it called for heated towel rack. When roughing owner decide not to install. Now MONTHS after payment for complete job. GC wants invoice broken down and refunded for that part. I am going to tell them to fly a kite, or other option. sure here a refund plus my expense to add an outlet that was not called for during rough in ,that I so graciously did for free originally.

I always tell contractors/customers that if they want a breakdown of an invoice it cost $500 for the first hour and $150 for every hour after that. Your time isn’t free and 99% of the time they have a change of heart and don’t want it broken down any longer


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AC\DC

Senior Member
Location
Florence,Oregon,Lane
Occupation
EC
I burned the bridge with this guy I think. It’s fine he does Crap work anyway, and no one likes him. Worked out fine when I first started to get my foot in the door, I don’t need him now.
 

Hv&Lv

Senior Member
Location
-
Occupation
Engineer/Technician
I burned the bridge with this guy I think. It’s fine he does Crap work anyway, and no one likes him. Worked out fine when I first started to get my foot in the door, I don’t need him now.
I doubt it..
People like that will call back when they get in a bind because eventually his subs realize he is trying to rip them all off.
It may take a year or two, but he will call back.
 

norcal

Senior Member
I doubt it..
People like that will call back when they get in a bind because eventually his subs realize he is trying to rip them all off.
It may take a year or two, but he will call back.
And the reply is that they are booked up for whatever period of time the OP desires to tell them.
 
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