A Virginia woman who got caught in a bidding war between two home improvement contractors told NBC4 Responds when she tried to cancel her contract with the highest bidder, the company didn’t want to hear it and pushed back.
The Leesburg homeowner sought multiple estimates, as is recommended, but what was supposed to be a fairly standard home improvement job turned into an epic disaster.
The homeowner said she got a quote from a home improvement company, signed a contract and put down a $21,000 deposit. According to the contract, if she wanted to cancel she could "at any time prior to midnight of the third business day after the date of this transaction by providing in writing the intent to rescind."
She said when she got a quote from another contractor who would do the job for less, she called to cancel the first contract and sent them a certified letter the third business day after the transaction.
“So I just told him that I was getting a better deal with someone else and I thanked him for his time,” the homeowner said.
But canceling wasn't as easy as the contract claimed, she said. The company told her since it received her cancellation request after the third day, it would not cancel the job.
“He got very mad and told me I couldn't and just wouldn't accept it,” she said.
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She found herself with two contracts, and the first company told her it already moved forward with the job.
NBC4 Responds contacted the company, which emphasized the written cancellation came too late, even though it was post-marked the third business day after the transaction.
The company admitted it was hoping the homeowner would allow them to do some of the work but agreed to just refund her $21,000 deposit.
