Geniescience
Homeowner
laugh with me
randy,
from what you said of the guy and his wording to you, it didn't smell good over where i am, thousands of miles away... if that is the best talk you get now, it'll only get worse, after you've done a few days and money is owed, and then it'll get even worse after that.
Your last post makes me think you may get tough on an abuser, by saying "No". However, in spite of all the warnings every single person has provided, there are always newcomers willing to be conned, in every field. Any field. New DIY, new plumbers, new in anything.
So, i'll mention this: if you (or anyone else who thinks he might like to work for a builder doing a favor...) really want to play for free or almost for free and take on risks that you cannot control, and that you cannot even evaluate at the outset, then at the very least get paid daily.
I know i have played with fire and gotten badly burned, all just to acquire experience and judgement. Occasionally, I thought I knew how to turn tables on these guys and get paid, like when once I got a ("future-") scammer to write postdated cheques before the job started. I said I would be calling them at every time I had finished a billable step and that we would negotiate which cheque I could take to the bank, and he could always put a stop payment on them if things didn't go as expected. Would you like to know how that one went? Wait a minute.
IF... He pays you daily, $400 a fixture or more, you have him on a short leash but you've still not taken charge of the situation. This will allow you to get conned or squeezed or stiffed for a bit less than the whole thing. When a small dispute or disagreement arises (e.g. whether finishing only 99% is grounds for demanding payment), then you will see how he works the angles. If you get post-dated cheques in advance on the understanding that you won't cash them until he agrees, you may think you are in the driver's seat. My experience learned the hard way taught me never to operate on their level, as they have all the experience - at this level -- and you have little.
david
p.s. see http://www.beforethearchitect.com/19DS.htm for humor telling people to pay for services rendered
randy,
from what you said of the guy and his wording to you, it didn't smell good over where i am, thousands of miles away... if that is the best talk you get now, it'll only get worse, after you've done a few days and money is owed, and then it'll get even worse after that.
Your last post makes me think you may get tough on an abuser, by saying "No". However, in spite of all the warnings every single person has provided, there are always newcomers willing to be conned, in every field. Any field. New DIY, new plumbers, new in anything.
So, i'll mention this: if you (or anyone else who thinks he might like to work for a builder doing a favor...) really want to play for free or almost for free and take on risks that you cannot control, and that you cannot even evaluate at the outset, then at the very least get paid daily.
I know i have played with fire and gotten badly burned, all just to acquire experience and judgement. Occasionally, I thought I knew how to turn tables on these guys and get paid, like when once I got a ("future-") scammer to write postdated cheques before the job started. I said I would be calling them at every time I had finished a billable step and that we would negotiate which cheque I could take to the bank, and he could always put a stop payment on them if things didn't go as expected. Would you like to know how that one went? Wait a minute.
IF... He pays you daily, $400 a fixture or more, you have him on a short leash but you've still not taken charge of the situation. This will allow you to get conned or squeezed or stiffed for a bit less than the whole thing. When a small dispute or disagreement arises (e.g. whether finishing only 99% is grounds for demanding payment), then you will see how he works the angles. If you get post-dated cheques in advance on the understanding that you won't cash them until he agrees, you may think you are in the driver's seat. My experience learned the hard way taught me never to operate on their level, as they have all the experience - at this level -- and you have little.
david
p.s. see http://www.beforethearchitect.com/19DS.htm for humor telling people to pay for services rendered
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