Shane's Helpful Handiwork

I hired Shane for a first time job on September 30, 2018. It turned into a nightmare. I had purchased a beautiful and expensive new mailbox and was looking forward to the installation for curbside appeal. He was punctual which was the only positive however it soon went downhill because the main pole/post which went into the ground came in two parts. The longer plain and the shorter decorative which was to be at the base. Shane said the shorter was “defective” meaning as he tried to slide it onto the longer from the top down to the bottom it would not slide down so he forced it by hitting it which caused the seams to split. I was pretty upset and there was heated conversation and I questioned him as to why he did do the opposite and slide it up from the bottom which he discounted by saying he knew exactly what he was doing and “I did not understand the process.” He put the long piece and cemented it into the ground without the decorative piece and told me to call the company and complain about the “defective”part. He originally quoted me $100.00 but then charged me 25.00 more for the difficulties and another 20 to return on a future date to either place the existing decorative piece or a new one if the company was willing for a total of $145.00. He had me so convinced that it was defective due to his stubborn and insistent demeanor that I did call the company on October 1, 2018 with an email October 2nd with the extremely disturbing and upsetting information that the “part was in fact not defective but damaged due his negligence due to improper installation. The part was supposed to slide on from the bottom up which was my query to Shane and not be forced from the top down which is what Shane did and was absolutely resistant to any other suggestions. I was livid because what he put me through on Sunday was unforgivable considering that I now had the facts. The company sent me the specs in a PDF which substantiated the truth. I conveyed this to Shane and rather than apologizing for his error, the damage or what he subjected me to because of it he blamed the company and said, “ they are saying that because they do not want to send you a new part.” He then refused to return even though I paid him 20 more to do just that unless he now had a new condition, “That unless I produced a new decorative piece he would not return.” This was never stated to me on Sunday because I never would have agreed to such since I had not even called the company. This is what Shane left me with: 1. I have been and continue to try to clean up his mess resulting in an unfinished mailbox that he got $145.00 for. 2. The company will not send a new part because they did nothing wrong and the pdf concurs. 3. I had to find another handyman to explain this mess and see if they can make this right for me. I did and kudos to them but it will obviously cost me another fee plus my time and energy. 4. Trying to reason with Shane by texts he sent me for example this, “you will sleep better tonight by denigrating me.” So in other words everyone else the company and myself are at fault for his mistake but not him. Hire this man at your own risk and be aware that his skill set does not equal his ego. He did not display to me maturity, professionalism or the moral compass to do the right thing and own up to his mistake and apologize and just get this job done for me. He just deserted me. ****** Update and response to Shane’s Comments to my original review: I absolutely stand by my original review. His ego far exceeds his skill and validates his tactics of blaming the homeowner for his incompetence and the company. His deception and taking advantage of my kindness is not a good look either but this is where I am at: 1. I had to hire a second handyman who viewed the workmanship and said it was not set in the cement properly so yet another negative fallout. 2. I had to purchase another piece for $75 to replace the one Shane split. If he would have installed it correctly in the first place from the bottom up I would not have been placed into this debacle. I incorrectly assumed he knew what he was doing but he did not and got very agitated with me in person. It was a very uncomfortable situation for me and he browbeat me into believing that it was defective. 3. I also have to pay the new handyman who was kind enough to step in and clean this mess up. 4. I can provide the PDF to support his improper installation. In conclusion, there are other companies that you should hire in this area who have the experience, mind and skill set, professionalism, maturity and who are Gentleman who will represent their skills in an accurate light and who will operate in good faith and see the job through. Shane’s Helpful Handiwork was not that company so just Be Aware, Informed and Not as Trusting as I was. I know this was the first mailbox install he ever did, after to the fact, because the company said any reputable contractor would have gone on line to look at the specs if there was any question whatsoever but he did not or even offer to do so.