So I sent my Kiefer to a RV and horse trailer repair and reno shop to get the awning replaced, strip and replace the seal on the roof, re-seal the seam at the junction of the floor and wall in the horse compartment, and install a propane furnace.  I put a deposit on the furnace, which was being ordered on winter special and was therefore discounted.  The payment on the rest of the work was to be made this weekend when we picked it up and we saw the work. Here's what happened:

I'm laid up with back pain, so I stay home and my husband goes to pick up the trailer.  I remind him to check everything and ask lots of questions before bringing the trailer home - including asking why my credit card was billed for the full amount without my permission 3 weeks ago, for an amount that was 40% higher than quoted (verbal quote, not written - yes, I'm an idiot).  I was upset, but willing to put that down to a lesson learned the hard way, and carry on.  I was getting repairs done and wouldn't have to worry about leaks, and freezing inside my trailer.

He gets there and the owner is away.  The guy in the shop just started work 2 weeks ago, knows nothing about my trailer, doesn't even know which one it is, and did not know we were picking it up.  Needless to say, no questions are answered.

The trailer arrives here last night.  I go tearing out to the yard to see how it looks and the first thing I see is the crappy bracket to hold the propane tanks (no tank included).  The bracket is mounted in such a way that the platform is level, but the arms bolted to the trailer lean about 10 degrees to the right.  A small corner brace it attached, one on each side.  The right one is nice and straight, the left one is hammered out into a curve with another curve notched out of it, and really sloppy.  No paint.  Turns out the tank we stole off the BBQ fits on that side only because of the lovely alteration, but not on the other side.  Guess I won't be carrying two tanks on this piece of crap.

I climb into the truck bed to look at the trailer roof.  At least my roof is fixed and the leak is gone, right?  Nope.  They only replaced the seal on the front half of the roof, over the LQ shell.  Now I'm mad.  I get down and open the door to the LQ and the floor is wet, fully half the compartment is saturated. 

Back in the horse compartment, the seal I wanted done along the floor seam at the base of the wall is nonexistent.  Instead, somebody took black caulking and went along the slant wall and caulked my rubber floor mats to the rubber wall mats.  But only on that wall, cause nothing could get under or around that on another seam right?  And I would never want to take the mats out either, right?  The fact there was still a small pile of shavings and manure in the trailer (it was frozen when they picked up the trailer) shows what quality work I was getting. They caulked the dirt down, too. Half way up the wall there is a bit of trim that covers the top edge of the rubber wall mats.  A seam of black caulk very neatly covers this, for half the length of the trailer.  I have no idea why they did it, and if they thought there was a point in doing it in the first place, why not finish it?  To add insult to injury, they wiped the excess off on the middle of the wall mat.

The furnace.  Well, it works.  Would have been nice to see an instruction booklet or owners manual with it.  This being the first furnace we've ever had, we could have done without the guess work.  The awning is decent, too, if you don't count the fact that it doesn't quite lock tight to the trailer wall anymore and we now have to bungie it to keep the front arm from bouncing while we drive.

So, I've called the shop, only to be told the owner will not be back until Monday morning.  I've called VISA, only to be told that their Resolution department won't open until Monday morning.  I want to cancel the un-authorized payment these morons put on my bill.  I'm willing to pay for the supplies I received, but there is no way I'm paying for their $1900 worth of labor they want to charge.  Personally I can't see more than 6 hours work, and 4 of them weren't worth a dime.  So, let's see...$1900 divided by 6 hours of work = $316/hr.  Maybe I need to change careers.

So, how do I play hardball with these guys when they already have my money?  If VISA can't help, the only thing I can threaten them with is a ton of bad publicity. 

Very, very p.o.'d

I've got the pictures and VISA's resolution department opens in half an hour so I'll be speaking to them ASAP.  If my phone rings before that, I'll let the answering machine screen it.

They charged it to my card because they had the card number for the deposit on the furnace.  This is what worries me.  I'm concerned that VISA will say that I gave them the number and therefore they can charge whatever they want. 

Originally the plan was to take the trailer down last weekend, and pick it up next weekend.  The shop owner wanted it sooner than that, saying that this was such a busy month for them, they would rather do the work in March, and if I wanted to, I could still pick the trailer up in April and pay for it then.  His idea. It worked for me since I was still meeting my deadline for having the trailer back, as well as the timeline for when I had the money to pay for it.  So, imagine my surprise when the VISA bill shows up and he's charged me for all the work on March 22, one month before I pick up the trailer, without asking me, and without my having seen the work.  I never intended to put the full bill on VISA.

Well, VISA is not helping.  They say that since I authorized the deposit on the furnace using my card, the shop is within it's right to charge the rest of the work to the card, even without telling me.  It's frowned upon, but there is no rule against it.  They tell me this is the standard for all card companies, visa AmEx, master card.  So, be warned people.  Use a cheque for a deposit.  I certainly will in future.

According to VISA, the only thing I can argue is quality of service, and for that I need a lawyer and/or the Better Business bureau. 

Now they tell me the owner is away until tomorrow.  I have to wait again.

As for the labor they have billed me for, I figure 3 hours to take down the old awning, cut and sew the new one, and do the install; 4-6 hours to install the furnace with all of it's accessories, and 3 hours for the part of the roof that they actually did something to.  At best, this is 12 hours work.  The bill is for 19 hours.

What I want (aside from someone's head on a platter) is a refund of the difference in labor, plus the discount on the furnace that I didn't receive, and maybe even a few bucks more for the giant inconvenience of the whole thing.  And an apology.  

The only effective way to dispute a charge on a credit card is in writing.  The phone people try to blow you off.  Because you used a credit card to pay the down payment DOES NOT authorize additional charges.  If that were true, then any restaurant you ever went to and used a card, could charge you for an extra 100 meals and that would be ok.  NOT.

Write the letter and send copies to consumer protection or consumer fraud.....and cut up and return the card with a letter stating why.   DO NOT pay the fraudulent and unauthorized charges.  You also should see a lawyer about the damages to the trailer.

Best wishes to you. 

My experience was that VISA did help. I used the form on the back of every statement to submit my complaint with the quality/misrepresentation of a product I purchased. I then got a call from a supervisor at the VISA regional HQ(my VISA is through my credit union). She requested full information and documentation, in writing, which I was able to provide. Ultimately, the full amount I'd charged to my VISA was credited back to me. My mistake was in sending the initial deposit/down payment(of half the ultimate total)to the seller/builder, using a check--the product was a miniature horse cart, being built/sold by a woman in OR--so if you happen to be shopping for such in the Pacific NW, email me first for someone to AVOID doing business with!

 Though I made clear that I really wished to return the cart for a refund, and so offered to the seller, a totally UN-USABLE, INCOMPLETE cart still sits in my barn...and I will NEVER see the initial ONE-HALF that I sent her by check, as she has chosen to ignore my attempts to communicate. But, I feel sure I'd have not seen a PENNY back if I hadn't used my VISA, and had them to stand behind me,once I was able to provide clear proof of the problems with the product.

I understand mine is a somewhat different situation from the OP's, as mine is more about a product, and OP's is more about work/workmanship. Even so, I would suggest doing all you can to get your cr. card co. to help. Other possibilites... filing a complaint w/ the AG's Consumer Affairs division of your province, if you all have such, and also the BBB. There are also websites where those who feel they've been ripped off can warn others??

Best of luck in getting a satisfactory resolution!

Margo AKA olehossgal