FOREST GLEN CONSTRUCTION CO

I was very specific with Forest Glen about what I needed, a detailed bid to remodel my basement exactly as it was so I could make sure I was being fairly compensated by my insruance company. Tom Reidy of Forest Glen was upfront and said he didn't have a lot of experience working with insurance companies but could prepare what I asked. He charged me $500 for the bid preparation. On May 2nd we got off to a good start and he sent over an architect and mechanical contractor to measure and inspect my basement for the bid. Tom said I'd get the bid in about 2 weeks. Two weeks goes by, I contact him and then he says he'd rather wait for the insurance company's bid. Fine - a little lazy - but no need to reinvent the wheel. I forward the insurance company's bid to him in late May. He says I should have something by the end of June. Fine. 4th of July comes and goes. My emails ignored. I finally call after the 4th and he says he'd like to present in person and my first available day was July 18th. On July 18th we met and he presents a bid that only partially remodels my basement and is at a cost of what the insurance company said the WHOLE basment should cost. (Granted I had requested a few extra things that maybe might have amounted to $10-15K extra.) Tom said I wouldn't want to replace the whole basement anyway. (How does he know what I want?) I expressed my dissatisfaction and he said he must have misunderstood what I wanted. (I don't know how as I have the emails to prove it.) A week later he comes back with a bid to remodel the whole basement which is double what the insurance company was willing to pay. (again I had some extra items that may account for $10-15k tops- but his bid excluded things like paint, carpeting, tile removal). I forwarded his bid to the insurance company and they couldn't make heads or tails out of it as it was a lump sum bid with few specifics. They wanted to know (and legitmately so), how he arrived at his numbers. I asked Tom for a cost breakdown and he flatly refused. The bid I paid him $500 for was worthless to me. I understand the reluctance to providing a cost breakdown (afraid of being shopped) but he also knew what I wanted from the get go and collected $500 from me towards it and then why did he need the insurance company's bid in the firs place? I felt misled. I've been reading Mike Holmes of Holmes on Homes (formally on HGTV) and Forest Glen is exactly what one DOES NOT want in a contractor. Holmes says we should get a detailed bid (Forest Glen, not). Holmes says to give contractors no more than 10% upfront (Forest Glen wanted 20%). Homes says the contractor should listen and respect your needs (Forest Glen, not). In my opinion, Forest Glen is tired and burnt out. That's a very risky circumstance for the consumer. The subs Forest Glen has employed in the past have done good work, (I've seen it) but the general contractor (Forest Glen) is slow, lazy and doesn't listen to you the customer, so how can one be sure you'll get that same good work? For me, I'm not taking the risk. I want to employ a company that is actively pursuing and maintaining its reputation. I'd shop elsewhere.