Ed's Pool Service

Hired Ed Klingberg to re-tile and acid-wash our backyard pool. He gave us a written quote based on estimated time and materials, claiming to have lots of prior experience working for nearby pool service companies. After I agreed to his detailed estimate, he insisted that I go out and locate and purchase the tiles myself, which I did right away. Once I got the tiles and delivered them poolside, Ed told me he would immediately do the work. However, instead of any sort of regular daily schedule, this guy showed up at all different hours, would work sporadic amounts of time, peered into our windows and sliding doors, and generally made an ongoing nuisance and mess. Although he had initially estimated the entire job would take six man-days, the job took instead took well over a month of his piecemeal, short-work-sessions to complete. When he initially started to install the tiles, they were crooked and unevenly spaced. I luckily noticed it early and called it to his attention as unacceptable sloppy work product (before he got too far into the job), and asked him to remove and replace the crooked tiles, which he did. However, without any warning on increased cost, he then submitted a final invoice for almost double what he had originally quoted, as if I should be responsible for his bad workmanship and poor estimating. I promptly delivered a check to his home for the original estimated amount (on my way out of town for a planned Memorial Day trip), and enclosed a note offering to pay him more but asking him to meet with me first to discuss the remaining balance. Several days later, when I tried to sit down and talk with him in a businesslike manner about the difference of his much higher bill, he was upset and angry and used vulgarity, would not even consider any compromise in his inflated charges, and wanted every single penny of his inflated bill paid - which I did then pay him in full just to get him to leave my house. The job was left messy, requiring me to clean up after him. I WOULD NEVER ALLOW THIS MAN TO DO ANY WORK FOR ME AGAIN OR EVEN ALLOW HIM TO COME ONTO MY PROPERTY.