# I Had To Learn The Hard Way



## SJPI (Jan 21, 2014)

Since SJ took over NJ I thought, what the heck; I'll give them a shot. I heard all the horror stories but I was just too dumb. I've been working for them about two months and they owe me over 8,000. I get the run around about my pay and they say: oh that's another department, let me transfer you...... The only thing they're good at are charge backs! OMG!!! I cornered (via phone) a manager who stated the charge backs I'm receiving are all BS. Of course he would never go against SG officially.

So let me hear those three words: TOLD YA SO!!!!


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## JFMURFY (Sep 16, 2012)

Unfortunate.


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## JDRM (Apr 16, 2012)

When will you people learn! Hundreds of people arent making this stuff up....FFS! 

I get emails weekly from them, No thanks! Another PT member just quit them recently, a year ago he was bragging bout how good they were....:whistling2:

Sorry to hear anyway, sometimes you have to learn for yourself:thumbsup:


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## All Island Handy (Dec 12, 2012)

well I would say to move on to a better company but it seems to me the more us contractors talk bad about SG the more all the other big ones are starting to operate LIKE SG, right now there are "better" ones to work for but they are all pretty sh**y, I will put money down on the fact that the whole damn industry will be "just like SG" with in a year or 2. time to start looking for a way out now because when it ends suddenly for whatever reason you decide to quit you can bet your checks will end suddenly also. the last time I quit a regional I told my wife we are not gonna get another dime from them and I was right, they found a way to "justify" back charging me for the remaining $6,800 they owed us. I was just so over the BS I was just happy to be done with them.....all I can say is good luck and the sooner you get out the better


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## Ohnojim (Mar 25, 2013)

*It is just in the nature of people who*

choose to be self employed in the first place. We are a thick headed lot. Most of us have a mix of opimism and stubbornness, that make us have to learn many things the hard way. I nearly made that mistake too. I decided to try AFAS instead. I will probably be sorry too, but at least I didn't have to spend extra money or buy "approved insurance" to learn my lesson.


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## idaho (Oct 20, 2012)

I only work in the reo area with sg, I refused to do any pp work with them. but I have to ask what are you guys getting back-charged for. been with sg 3 or 4 years and the only thing I have got was 30 dollars here and there for things like chirping smoke detectors and burnt lightbulbs etc... and that has only been recently.

I have had bid approvals cut after the work was done but never any back charges I would say that has caused me to much pain. 

And I am not saying I am the best out there. we have staged or forgot debris at property and have gotten plenty of bso to return to property. but as long as its completed in a few days life goes on and we here nothing more about it.

also I don't do silly things for sg .. no painting or rehab most plumbing repair is outside the scope of the emergency allowable and license plumber will fix it if bid is approved which makes the bids high real high there travel time is 75 a hour. I can change the guts of a toliet but decided a long time ago stay away from that bid to replace the whole toliet kind of thing. 

I see a lot of contractors get caught causing damage on dewints where they call it a charge-back when they have to fix it or someone come behind them and fix it .. to me that isn't a charge back they shouldn't of left the water on... bill out a pressure test, place the bid and inform broker water isn't on that is what we do. I think some try to force the issue and find ways to leave water on at places it shouldn't be so they can at-least get paid for the dewint.

to me yeah sg is horrible in a lot of ways but so are many contractors, I would think if contractors stick to what they know keeping themselves out of work that is beyond there scope they might have better luck with less charge backs or that one screw up that puts them out of business.

I should also say I do not do any re-curring gc or snow removals for sg so i can stay away from the bs no pays for some silly reason... and that has made it easier, just because I am part of sg network doesn't mean I want all the work they have to offer


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## JDRM (Apr 16, 2012)

The other member that had no complaints a year ago with SG...

http://www.preservationtalk.com/showthread.php?t=3942


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## newreo (May 30, 2014)

idaho said:


> I only work in the reo area with sg, I refused to do any pp work with them. but I have to ask what are you guys getting back-charged for. been with sg 3 or 4 years and the only thing I have got was 30 dollars here and there for things like chirping smoke detectors and burnt lightbulbs etc... and that has only been recently.
> 
> I have had bid approvals cut after the work was done but never any back charges I would say that has caused me to much pain.
> 
> ...


We left their P&P line for reasons of the grass cuts and follow up orders.
One was "water leak" on divider walls in the basement, another disco in the basement where we cleaned 100 SF (the rest of the basement got mold as client never removed debris), another one city line burst in winter and this was "our fault" and because it burst we had to address it along with basement seepage that happened in mid summer (no sump pump). Enough was enough. This was after they lost one vendor in our area, you would think they will learn the lesson. We didn't even have QC in our area, poor thing probably quit and they could not find replacement. Not to mention that new rules calls for free work more and more and they make threats that if you don't do it, they will charge you back. Grass cuts: Called before April and asked about rates, we had been lied many times by regional and lead including. So season comes and he-he, prices even lower than last year. Called many times inquiring to remove grass cuts from us. They just would not. We also capped ourselves and left them slow. We were losing money and ethic is very low. I can tell stories and stories about funny things we heard and dealt with. I will save it for the rainy day though or when we out of the industry completely


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