This Ebenezer Made Me Feel Like I Was Getting "Scrooged"

EBZ Painting

Serving Lawrence and Surrounding Area
Phone number: (404) 290-7215
Prices: $$$$

Ebenezer was recommended by a neighbor in Nextdoor, stating that he was "reasonably priced", dependable, and thorough, so I looked him up on Yelp and asked him for an estimate to sand and paint one 30' x 8' exterior wall. The five "5-Star" reviews made me hopeful, but I was quickly disappointed.

Our appointment was at 10am, but 10am came and went, so I called Ebenezer to find out why he was late. I received a call from him about 10 minutes later telling me "I'm running late and will be there shortly". He finally arrived around 10:30am, 30 minutes late.

I started to explain what I needed done, but he cut me off and told me that the job would cost "about $550". I explained that I had not finished talking and that there was more trim and touch-up elsewhere on the house that needed work. I showed him the rest of the job, then he asked me if I thought the price was fair. I told him, "actually, no, because I have another estimate for the entire job for about $275". He asked me what would be a "fair price" and I said: "well, I have an estimate for $275, so that seems like a good place to start".

Ebenezer explained that he is a perfectionist and that his work would make the house "look like new". I told him that I did not want it to look like new because it's an 1860's house and superficial imperfections are part of its history and charm. He told me that he could not do the job for "anywhere near $275", so I thanked him for stopping by and he was off.

If I were not a disabled Veteran, I could sand and paint the "$550" wall in a single day, eight hours max plus a $35 can of paint. Based on EBZ estimate, his labor alone would come to approximately $65 an hour, quite excessive for a self-proclaimed novice. Skilled tradesmen (plumbers, electricians, etc.) charge around $65 an hour and his estimate was double that of another "experienced" house painter, so "reasonable" is not a word I would use to describe him. Based on his lack of punctuality, excessive price, and wasting 45 minutes of my time ...

CombatCritic Gives EBZ Painting 2 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Two Bombs Equates To

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - Elite '14/'15/'16

Tabelog - Official Judge (Silver)

Zomato - #1 Ranked "Verified" Foodie





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Read Chris S.'s review of EBZ Painting on Yelp

Title: This Ebenezer Made Me Feel Like I Was Getting "Scrooged"

Key Words: EBZ Painting, EBZ, Ebenezer, Scrooge, painting, paint, pricey, late, Nextdoor, Lawrence, Kansas, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, service, review, Yelp, Zomato, Tabelog

Translation for Civilians: TANGO UNIFORM = "Tits Up"