Story on our local TV “Problem Solvers” about this company. Some one paid $4k for countertops and when come the install date no one shows and they go to the store and it was empty.
In this case a local wholesale supplier and fabricator helped them out.
Did some googling and found out that they where based in MI and had 15 shops around the country.
There practice was to get 50% deposit up front and the remainder at templating.
I saw a couple of their ads on line and they where the “replacement window and siding” type. “This week only special, must buy now”.
Never heard the ads locally, but I might have gotten on in the mail.
Anyway they claim $29/sq ft. But that has gotten common in this area. Last fall there where $29/sq ft ads on the road side signs. You know the ones that advertise power washing or grass cutting. And ads in the paper.
And I find out that it was just not the local store, but all of them.
In addition to the buyers and employees they own one supplier $890,000
So don’t be surprised if clients don’t want to put down more than a small down payment.
William the Geezer, the sequel to Billy the Kid – Shoe
Replies
I don't think I'd pay 50% down and the balance on templating... but the buyer has to understand, when they order stone tops, the first thing the shop does is buy the stone and have it moved to their shop (assuming the HO goes to a distributor's yard to pick out slabs). When they start cutting, the stone is pretty much worthless for another project. There's a stone fabricator's forum out there somewhere, I spent some time reading threads and there were a lot of issues related to nonpayment for completed work. People see the work in place and get cold feet.