TLC Home Improvements LLC

I first contacted TLC in May of 2011 to request a quote on repairing or replacing a fence section and gates. They were listed in the local homeowner's association publication, and I like to hire local providers. They were on a big job, and could not give me the advertised free estimate right away. I was patient. I called and reminded them. Eventually, on July 18th, Bill came out to take a look and he gave me good suggestions for the job. More time passed. I called Tina about the estimate, and she told me what it was over the phone, and promised to e-mail me a contract. Our agreement on the phone was that I would pay 1/3 up front and the balance upon completion. More time passed. I called Tina to remind her about the contract, and she promised to e-mail it that weekend (this was sometime in early August). More time passed. Hurricane Irene passed by, and I was reminded of the importance of having the fence repairs completed. I called Tina again in late August to inquire about the contract. She said she had "tried to send it." She had my phone number, but had not bothered to call me. Finally, on August 30th, the e-mail came through. I was about to put the first check in the mail (TLC could not start the job right away, of course) when it occurred to me that they had all of the protection and I had none. What if they postponed my job indefinitely? I would be out over $200. So I called and suggested that I could not put the check in the mail without some assurance that the job would be done before the next hurricane, and Tina responded: "If you don't want to hire our company, that's fine," and hung up on me. Not before I uttered an expletive. It was extremely frustrating dealing with this company. And now, after waiting three months for them to put my job on their To Do list, I am back at square one. Arrrrrrrgh.