My state is California.
I hired a flooring contractor to install laminate floors in my house. This contractor required a $1000 deposit (for a $2400 job). I found out later that it's illegal for contractors to charge over a 10% deposit... is this true?
I never received a valid contract from this company, only an invoice. There are no dates of when the work will begin and end and no signature from the flooring contractor.
Nothing went right with this company. They didn't come on the day they were supposed to, so they came the next day and I left the door unlocked because I wasn't going to be there (had I known this was going to happen, I would have hired someone else). Since I wasn't there, I didn't see the work until I got home and noticed that they had installed the wrong floor.
They also tried to charge me additional for baseboard moulding that was supposed to be included. They tried to charge me $450 extra for what I found out later was less than $100 in materials. I ended up purchasing new moulding for the entire house for less than $200.
After the wrong floor was installed, I decided to find another contractor because I didn't feel good at all about this other company. I found a guy who did a great job and everything went perfectly, and the price was a lot better.
Even if I loose the $1000 deposit, I still end up saving money, but I'd like to get my deposit back. Since these contractors are licensed in California, I have a feeling that they have violated my rights by not supplying me with a proper contract and requiring too much of a deposit. What would be your advice in trying to get my deposit back? Should I report their practices to the state?
I hired a flooring contractor to install laminate floors in my house. This contractor required a $1000 deposit (for a $2400 job). I found out later that it's illegal for contractors to charge over a 10% deposit... is this true?
I never received a valid contract from this company, only an invoice. There are no dates of when the work will begin and end and no signature from the flooring contractor.
Nothing went right with this company. They didn't come on the day they were supposed to, so they came the next day and I left the door unlocked because I wasn't going to be there (had I known this was going to happen, I would have hired someone else). Since I wasn't there, I didn't see the work until I got home and noticed that they had installed the wrong floor.
They also tried to charge me additional for baseboard moulding that was supposed to be included. They tried to charge me $450 extra for what I found out later was less than $100 in materials. I ended up purchasing new moulding for the entire house for less than $200.
After the wrong floor was installed, I decided to find another contractor because I didn't feel good at all about this other company. I found a guy who did a great job and everything went perfectly, and the price was a lot better.
Even if I loose the $1000 deposit, I still end up saving money, but I'd like to get my deposit back. Since these contractors are licensed in California, I have a feeling that they have violated my rights by not supplying me with a proper contract and requiring too much of a deposit. What would be your advice in trying to get my deposit back? Should I report their practices to the state?