Jack Alter is the owner of The Yardstick.
I purchased 6 drapery traverse rods from Jack for about $1000. Later I decided I wanted to return 2 of the rods to save money on the project. Jack originally offered to take back the rods but tried to dissuade me from returning them saying that the restocking fee plus his own miscellaneous labor fees and shipping fees would leave little money left:
"I will get an estimate to return the rod. I will charge $50 for the time I will have to spend on the phone and for packaging the rod for shipment and generally tracking the return.By the time they deduct a restocking fee and the freight back to their location there will be very little left. The price of the rod was based on the whole, but the refund would be based on the parts. Jack"
Anyhow, I held off on returning the rods since I was still working with him to get an estimate on drapery. I requested a free estimate from Jack to fabricate some drapes. After all, his website offers FREE in home consultations.instead of offering a quote, Jack speculated and made unfounded assumptions and tried to finagle $250 for the estimate.in other words, he attempted to lock me in:
"You have come a long way from the guy who came into my store and new nothing. I may be wrong but it seems to me that you are working with someone in the industry i.E. A competitor of mine. If your final decision comes down to price that is not the way I market myself. I provide years of knowledge and expertise that few have. My time has value. I would like to do the job but I don't want to be giving an estimate just to see if you are getting a fair price from another designer whom you are using. I would charge $250.00 to go further with this project.
Jack"
Jack was way off the mark. He was the first and only fabricator I had contacted at the time. It really irritated me that he accused me of working with another fabricator, got all paranoid, and then has the nerve to ask for $250. Anyhow, I responded that I would not be paying him the $250 and requested a free estimate if he was interested in my business.in particular, I stated
"Yes, Jack, time is money. I agree. However, if you want the business provide a free estimate. I've already shelled out a grand for the rods. So you know I'm a paying customer. I am not just trying to use your quote as leverage against some other designer's quote. But even if I did, competition is a fair game that benefits the customer. That said, I have not received a quote from anybody yet. I just finished installing the rods the other day. I should not have to explain myself, I am the customer."
Jack replied in a totally unprofessional and immature manner with this response:
" I must be PMS. Accept my apologies. Let me know which fabric and I will get you the information you need.
Jack"
Later, after having provided him the fabric I desired, he promised to get an estimate:
"I am working on it and will gave it for you tomorrow.
Sent from my iPhone"
Tomorrow came and went. Nearly two weeks later, another email:
"I have it and will email it today
Sent from my iPhone"
Instead of receiving the estimate that day, I received another email with Jack nonsensically pasting excerpts of previous emails. He again brings up the fact I have not paid him to do an estimate. He makes the claim that his estimate is "proprietary" yet the guy still is wanting to do business with me. Making any sense to you? It sure didn't make sense to me. He also wanted to see his competitor's estimates first.
"In an email I wrote:
If your final decision comes down to price that is not the way I market myself. I provide years of knowledge and expertise that few have.
My time has value. I would like to do the job but I don't want to be giving an estimate just to see if you are getting a fair price from another designer whom you are using.
You wrote the following back to me:
I am NOT working with anybody. I have been spending some time looking around at different fabrics and researching but I have not committed to any fabricator. I stumbled across the Robert Allen brand and have found I like it the best so far.
Price is a huge factor in my decision but not the only one.
Then I wrote I would do an estimate.
Then you wrote:
You would be the first I've contacted to quote the job. I plan on getting a couple other quotes as well. I'd be willing to share those quotes with you if it helps your bottom line.
I really want to do business with you. Let me know what the other estimates are, how many widths they are using and the style of pleat and I will try to match or beat it if I can. Also, I need all the information about the sheer you have chosen. I have an estimate but it is proprietary. It uses my knowledge which you haven't compensated me for. Look at the second statement that I copied above.
Jack"
By this time, I had had enough with Jack's games so I was frank with him:
"Your loss if you don't want to share your "proprietary" estimate. I will divulge the other estimates once you provide your free estimate. If your estimate is higher than the other estimates, which I suspect it will be, you still have an opportunity to beat the lowest estimate. Matching the estimate gives me no incentive to choose you over the competitor.
Frankly, this whole psychological "chess game" you are playing is ridiculous. No other fabricators made big deals about providing estimates. If you really want to do business, free estimates are just a part of doing business. Trying to lock customers in by charging them $250 for an estimate that takes 10 minutes to do is preposterous."
Jack replies back:
" I wish you the best. I am not interested.
Jack"
So after wasting weeks of my time with this guy, I realized I never got around to returning the rods. I demanded a refund for the rods and said I would file a complaint with the BBB should he not comply. As you might have guessed, Jack was no longer interested in providing me a refund:
"In regards to your rod order, your order is not returnable. There is no possible complaint you can make with the BBB about this order. On the bottom of your receipt it clearly states that "Deposits on special orders are not refundable". I am under no obligation to return any part of your order and at this point my previous offer is withdrawn.
I won't be sending you any more emails. Use snail mail or an attorney if you chose.
Jack"
True on my word, I have filed a complaint with the BBB. I also thought I'd share my experience here on usacomplaints.com. I decided to quote Jack verbatim since it is from the horse's mouth. Hopefully somebody considering using Jack's services might think again after reading this report. The man is a real snake, weasel, money-hungry, immature, manipulative, psychotic. The mans a crook and a liar. He doesn't know how to treat customers with respect nor does he buy into the idea that the customer is always right. When I first met the man, he was bad mouthing another customer who left the store. His business practices are unethical and arbitrary. He will do everything in his power to lock you into using his services and take you for as much as you got.
—Number 31
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