I do not know if the members have been affected by the Tariffs being imposed on imported items, but I just had my first taste. I contacted a local franchised constructing company that I have had good luck with over the years to have the deck (just over 700 SF) replaced in the backyard. We had agreed on a price and we gave them a 30-day window to start and finish.
The 30-day window gave them the chance to get their workers and equipment scheduled. They assured me that they had all the supplies. And I always include a “Time is of the Essence” clause to ensure they do not leave us hanging with an uncompleted job, else they forfeit some of the cost… (they get penalized for dragging a job out…)
Yesterday, we received a “new” estimate that due to Tariffs imposed on Canadian Lumber, the estimate would now be about 15% or $3,100 higher with the possibility of the estimate rising by 40% or over $8,000.
I called and asked how is this even possible and the agent went into a long-winded diatribe about the President’s Tariff’s War and it took me beating the phone on the desk to get a word in edgewise…
I demanded the “WHY” and he assured me that their accountant had reviewed all of the estimate and it is correct. I asked why I would have to pay the tariff on the supplies when the original agent that wrote the initial estimate assured me that they had all the supplies in stock and nothing would have to be ordered (thus delaying the work…). The also agent assured me that all the workers were employees and not sub-contractors, so I asked where they hiring Canadian Construction workers as the new estimate also included a 15% increase on the labor…
He fumbled the labor issue, but explained that the tariff on the supplies was necessary to replace the supplies used on my project…
At this point, I explained that they can forget the project and to cancel it. I also told them that I would be filing a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, I would be contacting the Attorney General’s Office to notify them the they might be guilty of Fraud for charging a tariff on labor and supplies already in stock, and I would be notifying the National Franchise…
I hope this serves as a warning to rest of the members that this world is getting crazier by the day…
In order to try to keep this car-related, here’s a look at what we can expect with car insurance as a result of tariffs. Even if you’re not buying a car, it looks like your already-high car insurance rate will increase shortly. Just my luck, as my policy comes up for renewal in ~30 days.
This has to be the lamest excuse ever. Who would agree to cover the replacement cost of lumber they already have allocated to your project? That extra cost would be applied to the next customer. This is clearly a money grab or, the original person lied about the inventory status. I suspect the former since they seemed to stumble on their answer(excuse). Surprised they let you walk away. A lot of people are deciding to hold off on big expenses and they may very well be sitting on that lumber inventory for some time, begging for work…
So my car insurance could increase by 3% because of tariffs… A far bigger increase comes from buying a newer, more expensive car assembled in Flat Rock, Michigan.
The 5% increase likely anyway is bigger than the tariffs might cause and is caused by idiot drivers damaging expensive car parts.
I have not had this newer Mustang a month when some inattentive driver almost rammed into the front head-on! Judicious use of the horn woke the old lady up! How can anyone not see a black car in broad daylight right in front of them?
Consider composite decking instead. Azek and Trex are US companies and you could avoid cost increases due to tariffs. They aren’t cheap. We have Azek composite decking and it’s great. It looks a lot like painted wood, but you don’t need to paint it. Get literature on their websites and decide if composite decking works for you.
I’ve been really interested in the Trex “lumber” myself, but the cost always scares me away. I thought of replacing a few deck boards at a time with Trex, to sort of spread out the cost. Of course, the wife may feel differently…
And I’ll carry the Trex in my car, just to keep this car-related.
In these times folks will be using any excuse to increase prices whether legitimate or not. I understand replacement cost and is used for gas etc. lots of people like the plastic. My BIL spent all summer putting his down, cutting, fitting, screwing. I still like wood even though I do some replacement most every year. That stuff is a lot heavier and expands and contracts with the sun, but everyone does what they want. Yeah expect similar excuses. Remember all the fuel surcharges?
I know exactly how you must have felt. I had my new car for about 3 weeks when a woman coming from the opposite direction, in her right lane. decided to make a U-turn right in front of me and come to a complete stop. I’m glad I got the Big brake package. LOL
When I 1st got my truck, it seemed like everyone was trying to hit me one way or another, I thought about getting a custom license plate saying “BULLSEYE” … And it is a RED billboard!!!
VDC alluded to this, but it started out with a non car example, and it’s also got strong potential to turn into a partisan rotten tomato fight. Please try to stick to car-adjacent angles, and not the wider political things. Thanks.
This is a 1st (for me anyway), this started out with a non car example and has turned into a full on car example… It must be the end times (for cars)!!!
I work on school busses myself and have once made a comment about a thing like that when a white shuttle bus came in with the entry doors smash by a car. I just found the irony humorous and said to my coworkers that people who hit yellow school busses are a few lumens short of a lit candle.
Accidents happen, of course, you could be slipping on ice and skid right into a bus which is what happened to that shuttle bus. That’s understandable, but if you hit any type of bus with a motorized vehicle you’re certainly going to need a good excuse.
Trust me… that forum member had LOTS of excuses for his frequent incidents while driving. Several forum members told him on more than one occasion that he shouldn’t be on the road. I limited my comments to a suggestion that he take a Driver Improvement course.
Maybe the reason he’s not been here is because he’s been following our advice and has been taking that driving course
There’s no shame in admitting you may need a refresher, imo
For example, us professionals on this website need to get our credentials recertified every so many years. at least, that’s the case with me
One of my friends has his elderly mother-in-law living in his house and her driving skills are apparently also in need of some help and I keep mentioning he should urge her to enroll in a senior driving refresher course, perhaps through the auto club
For a few decades. I’ve been taking the AARP’s Driver Improvement course in order to get a discount on my car insurance. (No accidents or tickets for over 50 years, but the discount is decent and everyone should be open to new information)
That course has been done online for at least 6 years, and you can do it at your own pace, as it “holds” your place from where you left-off.
Prior to their online version, I took an in-person AARP course a couple of times. The people who “teach” this course are unpaid volunteers, so I shouldn’t criticize, but the last “teacher” informed the class that it is “always illegal to pass on the right”. So, I politely stated that she was mistaken, and then I posed a hypothetical question for her: If you’re driving on an expressway, and someone is driving waaaay below the speed limit in the left lane, are you telling me that everyone else on the road is in violation of the law if they pass that car on the right?
She thought about it for a moment or two before responding that I was probably correct about it being legal to pass on the right. Then, I showed her the specific verbiage in the NJ Drivers Manual, which says, “Although most passing should be done on the left, it is legal on multi-lane roads to pass on the right. However, it is never legal to pass on the road shoulder”.
