War-taking The Offensive

ChainsawCharlie

On craigslist hacks.

I think I'd like to have someones else do my yard for a change. I work hard...I deserve a break. I called the guy. He's coming by in the morning to give me a bid.

I'll use one of my own estimate forms, write up a nice lowball bid, and see if this bozo can beat it. If I was biddng my yard legit, I would go $85/visit. I'll write the estimate for $40.00 for Mr. Beat It By Far CL Hack.

The only way I know to beat an estimate "by far" is to have no insurance, no WC, and no tax license, the latter of which I was able to verify by checking our tax department's business registry.

And no tax license means no bank account in in the name you chose to advertise your company with on CL. Good luck with cashing that check.

Gus Dering

That sounds entertaining.
Are you really looking for a guy or are you just looking to have fun with this guy?

ChainsawCharlie

Both. If the dude beats my "written estimate" I will glady pay him mowing my lawn at that price. that's cheaper than I can do it myself.

I just found a second ad from someone else:

I think I will try and schedule them bot to be here at the same time to bid.



I could have some serious fun with this.

Lew

How did it turn out?

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Lew

ChainsawCharlie

First one shows up to give my free estimate in the morning. Haven't heard back from 2nd one yet.

critter

Doggone, guy, you're evil, really funny, but evil. Awesome plan!

Bodger

No worker's Comp, as you said. Be careful Mr Beat Any Quote doesn't do a slip and fall in your yard and end up owning the joint.
No kidding, I wouldn't be surprised if some scammers are looking to do just that.

rotarex

why not leave the person alone, if they can do a job for less and do a good job, why do you care if they pay taxes or not? or have wc, or all the other letter of the alphabet, in stead if they are good you know you got people to sub work to

.......obviously people why can beat a price isnt paying all those stuff, i know i been there except i never beat a price, i always sold on the spot, now 3 years later ill trow the highest price and still get the job, even if the other contractor has been doing it for 20 years

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Custom Decks
Custom aquarium all salt water
Renovation
next on my list............planting trees for all those material i used

Bodger

Because the more we leave them alone, the more business they take from licensed contractors who operate legally.
And why do we care if they have WC??? Because if they don't and one of their workers gets hurt, we are LIABLE!

And if they are good you "know you got people to sub to"..?
Where I operate, it's illegal for a GC to sub to an unlicensed entity.

C'mon Rota, you're kidding right?

ChainsawCharlie

No insurance, no comp, not license? Keep the bid and fill out an application. If you really are that good, I'll gladly give you a job. As AN EMPLOYEE.

ChainsawCharlie

I could cancel my insurance, cancel my comp, cancel my medical, quit making contributions to a retirement plan....

But I like to know that if I get hurt on the job, I'll still have income.

I like to know that if I get sick, I can go see a doctor.

I like the peace of mind that comes from knowing if I misread the lean of a tree and drop it someone's house, I won't lose mine.

I like knowing I will be able to retire one day.

If I bid to compete with these jackasses, I have NONE of that. I have lost work to these idiots. I bid to run a successful and profitable business, and I still get work. Just not as much as I used to because of these guys and more and more of them are popping up every day.

I know times are lean right now, and you gotta do what ya gotta do to survive.

So they'll do what they do, and I'll do what i do.

And if I can hire someone to take care of my place 10 hours a month at 12 bucks an hour, well that's 10 hours more a month that I can be out there earning 35.

And 10 hours a month they can't be undercutting me.

Crawdad

I've always wanted to get 2 of those "Cheapest guy in town" types together, to bid my lawn down to the lowest price, so I can sit and drink beer, watching them.

woodchuck2

I am not licensed for what i do nor do i need to be but i am insured for my business and i also have to pay for additional health insurance along with my wifes insurance at her job. I wouldnt blame you for what your are doing, IMO it is a good business tactic and i would do the same. Hell, you might be able to get him to sub-contract through you if he is a good worker. Tell him you can set him up with good steady accounts and keep him paid promptly for these accounts. You may end up making $20-25 an hour without leaving your home.
I have a friend who is a supervisor of grounds at a "5 star ?" golf course who is considering a different career do to new management and the hours he has to put in. I proposed to him a partnership that i would supply all the new equipment he needed to start a lawn care business, all my lawn accounts, advertising and insurance if he would do all the mowing, trimming, tree cutting, fetalizing, liming, raking, etc. In the winter he can assist me with plowing/sanding and snow removal. He is a good worker and has a great reputation at the golf course so hopefully he considers it.

ChainsawCharlie

So he showed up. he quoted me $50. I showed him my $40 estimate. He actually talked **** about it....Complaining about people who bid jobs that low...don't know what they're doing, do a ****ty half-assed job, don't show up when they're supposed to...THEN he offered to match it!!

I had to "sympathize" a little with him on that one, telling him...yeah-probably some hack who bought a lawn mower at walmart and now he thinks he has a lawn business. I bet he doesn't have insurance, wc and probably doesn't even pay taxes....

He remained pretty silent.

Then I mentioned he said he would BEAT any estimate, and that if the best he could do was match it, I was going to go with the first guy since he was there first. So I told him "I'll see how the other guy does. If he really is as bad as you're telling me he'll be, then I will call you".

So then he offered to do my yard for $35. He's supposed to be here tomorrow. We shall see...

ChainsawCharlie

The "license" I was referring to is our state tax license. We do not have sales tax here, but we do have an excise tax which is a tax on business. For every dollar a business brings in, they have to give 4% to the state.

For example:

with sales tax, you charge someone $100, you add the sales tax on top of that and then forward it to the state. You have $100 when you are done.

With excise tax, you report a sale of $100, give 4% to the state and you are left with $96. We CAN show the excise tax on our invoices and pass the expense on to the customer, but then we must report income of $104 and pay 4% of $104.

Bodger

Maybe, with any luck, more people will start doing this and run these jackleg fools out of business.

Gus Dering

well......
Do tell us all how the lad did

ChainsawCharlie

He actually did a pretty decent job. But he didn't haul off the green waste as stated. Oh well.

I wrote him a check in his advertised biz name, and as I suspected, he asked me for cash. No problem. I made him give me his info for 1099 and paid him cash. I'm debating on reporting it or not.

Gus Dering

Not bad. Lets see how he does for the long haul.

If this was to go bad, you could take refuge with the current state of affairs in Pittsburgh PA

ChainsawCharlie

I've actually been looking at houses outside Pittsburgh, in Washington-my hometown.