Premier Garage STL - Terrible Dealer!!

[Epacy]

I have been dealing with the owner of the STL Premier Garage dealer, Steve Bisch, for about 5 weeks working on getting the layout and products right.

I guess I should have seen this coming with him not getting back to me when he said he would and then having to prompt him and say "hey, haven't heard back from you in two weeks".

I referenced an article he did in a local STL mag that quoted him as saying the price for a 3-car garage with full cabinetry and flooring is $4,000. This was two years ago.
I was quoted $6300 for only a two car garage. I understand costs go up but c'mon. So a two car garage two years ago was approx $3,000 less than what I was quoted. He's trying to tell me the cost of a two car garage has doubled in two years. Not buying it. No way costs go up that much and with that increase, he is pricing himself right out of business. Also, he was charging $5 sq/ft for flooring. Not only is that one of the highest I have ever seen on this board, it is even more outrageous because it is so much higher than I have seen in higher cost of living areas such as on the coasts or in Chicago.
Well, based on all of this I attempt to negotiate price with him and ask him what can we work out here since these prices are higher than his competition and other higher market PG dealers and I get this response from way out in left field the very next email;

"I appreciate your interest but at this point I think it would be best if you find someone else to help with your needs. Thanks again."

After working on a solution and providing me with various changes to the design, he just cuts it off like this. Five weeks just wasted dealing with this guy who obviously tells people to just get lost when they try to negotiate price. Now, I see what kind of guy this is...so beware of Steve Bisch of STL Premier Garage and lets hope this isn't a reflection of how all PGs are run.

What a way to conduct yourself and to present the reputation of PG...

 

[DaleK]

I understand being upset about the delay, but would you prefer that he pretended to negotiate with you for another couple of weeks and shut you down then instead? I'm sure he's seen lots of customers... maybe something about the vibe between you gave him the idea he couldn't win with you no matter how hard he tried. Maybe what he gave you really is his best price. Maybe he is or isn't a *****. Seems like he was reasonably polite, so move on.

 

[tcianci]

Obviously this guy and you didn't click. Cout it as a blessing...If you continued on with the project, there are inevetable hiccups that need to be resolved as you proceed. It's doubtful that he would be the guy you would want to be working with at that time.

 

[Bull]

Obviously this guy and you didn't click. Cout it as a blessing...If you continued on with the project, there are inevetable hiccups that need to be resolved as you proceed. It's doubtful that he would be the guy you would want to be working with at that time.

I agree. It just doesn't sound like it would have been a good business relationship for either of you to continue.

If his prices were so very much higher than you wanted to pay, then perhaps it would have been more efficient to go with another company rather than trying to get him to come way down.

 

[kmacht]

I don't get the problem. You saw him quote another garage a couple of years ago for a really good price. Now that you want him to build your garage his price is no longer what it was back then. They guy tells you what he wants for the type of garage you are asking and you call him a bad dealer because he isn't willing to accept your lowball offer? If his competition is so much cheaper then why not just use the competition. Look at it from the dealers point of view. He has a customer that keeps asking for a lower and lower price until it gets so low he finally decides the job isn't worth taking.

Keith

 

[RbrtAWhyt]

I dont see why you're dragging the guys name through the mud. Seems to me like he was being up front with you about his prices. It's better that he did that instead of try and inflate the prices halfway through the project. If his prices are so much higher than the competition after his quote, why would you keep trying to negotiate him down? Perhaps he felt you were going to be a demanding, problem customer and decided not to deal with you. At least he bothered to e-mail you and tell you to go elsewhere instead of just not returning your calls and e-mails. It's probably a blessing in disguise...

 

[logical]

You've arbitrarily set your baseline price based on a price thrown out in a magazine article. What someone quoted to someone else or even did a job for years ago has zero to do with your situation.
It sounds like he gave you a quote but it took some time, you thought the quote was too high, he didn't seem right for you and he was maybe getting tired of you. Who knows how much free design he's done for you and probably sensed it was a lost cause. Enough with the drama Sally...he's just not that into you.

 

[Epacy]

I agree. It just doesn't sound like it would have been a good business relationship for either of you to continue.

If his prices were so very much higher than you wanted to pay, then perhaps it would have been more efficient to go with another company rather than trying to get him to come way down.

His prices were so much higher than what they were before. A doubling in price isn't something you would blink at?

I don't get the problem. You saw him quote another garage a couple of years ago for a really good price. Now that you want him to build your garage his price is no longer what it was back then. They guy tells you what he wants for the type of garage you are asking and you call him a bad dealer because he isn't willing to accept your lowball offer? If his competition is so much cheaper then why not just use the competition. Look at it from the dealers point of view. He has a customer that keeps asking for a lower and lower price until it gets so low he finally decides the job isn't worth taking.

Keith

I guess you don't get the problem when you make up your own circumstances to bolster your story.
I never made him an offer, nor a lowball offer. Did you read my post? You couldn't have since you come up with this idea of a lowball offer.
Where do you get this dealers point of view? You have no insight into the situation and some how come up with this huge back and forth of me lowballing the dealer. This was the very first time we talked price and like I already said in my post, I asked him what we could work out. The price was never negotiated down past the initial price I already indicated.

 

[Epacy]

You've arbitrarily set your baseline price based on a price thrown out in a magazine article. What someone quoted to someone else or even did a job for years ago has zero to do with your situation.
It sounds like he gave you a quote but it took some time, you thought the quote was too high, he didn't seem right for you and he was maybe getting tired of you. Who knows how much free design he's done for you and probably sensed it was a lost cause. Enough with the drama Sally...he's just not that into you.

I didn't arbitrarily set the baseline price based on a mag article. I have seen what other's have paid per sq/ft on here as well and this was the highest price I had seen. As I had previously said. That seems inflated...

 

[Zrexxer]

Maybe it's a mistaken impression, but none of your previous posts on this forum have painted you as exactly easy to deal with - sounds as if the dealer felt he'd wasted five weeks also. Time to cut your losses and move on to getting your project done instead of publicly complaining about the one that didn't work out.

 

[Bull]

His prices were so much higher than what they were before. A doubling in price isn't something you would blink at?

Oh no sir, I'd blink alright. I'd blink real hard, and then move on to the next company. I wouldn't fault the company for having a high price, I'd just choose not to do any kind of business with them.

 

[Bull]

Hmm...I see what you are saying.

Epacy, why are so many of your posts here to date confrontational in nature?

Maybe it's a mistaken impression, but none of your previous posts on this forum have painted you as exactly easy to deal with - sounds as if the dealer felt he'd wasted five weeks also. Time to cut your losses and move on to getting your project done instead of publicly complaining about the one that didn't work out.

 

[logical]

This is actually going better than the other thread you started.

 

[Epacy]

Hmm...I see what you are saying.

Epacy, why are so many of your posts here to date confrontational in nature?

This is actually going better than the other thread you started.

Have you bothered to look at "thegarageguy" posts? Look through those and you'll see how confrontational he gets with everyone.

 

[shoot summ]

So the guy works with you for free trying to develop a plan while he is trying to keep his business going at the same time. You take him through a number of changes and get antsy with him over turn around. Then when he quotes you a price you try to negotiate. He politely tells you he isn't interested which indicates he has determined you and he aren't a good fit for the project. Then you get pissed at him?

Sounds to me like the guy is outstanding, very few would have told you what he did, they would have taken your job and put you both through enough misery that you WOULD have a reason to complain.

I know when I did some work for others there were people I could tell would be difficult to work with. I would typically double the normal charge in an attempt to scare them away. Oddly many of them took the bid, and made me sorry I didn't triple it.....

 

[logical]

You should start a separate thread complaining about garageguy, Bull, Zrexxer, Kmacht and me.

 

[sammerdog]

Epacy -

fwiw - in reading your posts here and over in the flooring section, it's safe to say the installer was simply adding a proportional amount of I.T. onto your quote.

Your passion for getting your garage finished is neat to see, but you may want to bring your emotions down a pinch to help ensure a smoothly completed project that is satisfactorally (sp?) priced.

 

[kmacht]

I guess you don't get the problem .

I get the problem. You want a 2 car garage for 3k. The builder wanted 6k to build it. You don't like the price so you go compaining on here. Does that about sum it up?

Keith

 

[Epacy]

I get the problem. You want a 2 car garage for 3k. The builder wanted 6k to build it. You don't like the price so you go compaining on here. Does that about sum it up?

Keith

Again, where do you get I wanted it for $3k? I never said that nor hinted towards it. Again, if you read, I said I understand prices would go up but not double in three years.

You still don't get it.

 

[sammerdog]

......and IN BEFORE THE THREAD GETS LOCKED!

 

[Epacy]

So the guy works with you for free trying to develop a plan while he is trying to keep his business going at the same time. You take him through a number of changes and get antsy with him over turn around. Then when he quotes you a price you try to negotiate. He politely tells you he isn't interested which indicates he has determined you and he aren't a good fit for the project. Then you get pissed at him?

Sounds to me like the guy is outstanding, very few would have told you what he did, they would have taken your job and put you both through enough misery that you WOULD have a reason to complain.

I know when I did some work for others there were people I could tell would be difficult to work with. I would typically double the normal charge in an attempt to scare them away. Oddly many of them took the bid, and made me sorry I didn't triple it.....

They advertise they will develop a plan for you for free. So, that's not a valid point.
Double the charge huh... why am I not surprised?

 

[nehog]

... I get this response from way out in left field the very next email;

"I appreciate your interest but at this point I think it would be best if you find someone else to help with your needs. Thanks again."

What a way to conduct yourself and to present the reputation of PG...

Yes, absolutely the best way to resolve the problem. Honest, and right to the point.

 

[hguerrero]

here's an idea, find another company to do it...in this economy i'm sure you can find someone to beat his price...