Still think face to face handshake deals are better than contracts after a contractor screwed me.

This old timer named Hank at the hardware store back in Austin told me a handshake was better than any lawyer's paper. Said trust was the only bond you needed. I believed him. Hired a guy to build a deck for $3,200 based on a handshake. He took $1,500 upfront, framed half of it, then disappeared. No call, no text, nothing. Now I'm out the cash and have a half built structure in my yard. Has anyone else been burned this way by putting faith in a person?

3 comments

3 Comments

patricia_wells29d ago

Well, looks like you paid for a deck and got an expensive lesson in what not to do. I guess the only handshake I'll trust from now on is the one that comes with a signed contract attached.

wren82629d ago

Signed contract? You actually got one of those to hold up?

ramirez.sage29d ago

Tbh @wren826 has a point - signed contracts don't always hold up either, but at least they're better than a handshake.