On Oct 28, 7:51 pm, wrote:
On Sun, 28 Oct 2007 15:11:49 -0700, "





wrote:
On Oct 28, 3:40?pm, DerbyDad03 wrote:
On Oct 28, 4:30 pm, wrote:

I ordered a truckload of stone (gravel) for my rural driveway. I
phoned in the order and told them I wanted 2 inch stone without the
fines (fines means the sand and small pieces of stone). I was told
that they are currently out of the 2 inch, but they could bring either
3 inch, or common gravel which means a pile of crushed rock of any
size being an inch or smaller. I told them that this is for a hill,
and that "gravel" would be worthless in the next rain storm and told
them to bring the 3 inch without fines.

The truck finally arrives one and a half days after they said they
would come. The driver comes down my hill and gets the truck stuck in
the 2 foot deep rut that was in the roadway from a bad storm we had.
(I should note that although this rut was a definite problem, there
was room to drive next to it, and I had been doing this with my car
for several weeks without problems. But this trucker who seemed to be
a complete idiot drives right into it and gets stuck. Then he asks me
to pull him up the hill with my farm tractor, which I refused to do.
I was not going to wreck my tractor pulling a huge truck with 20 tons
of stone on it.

I should note that at this point I could not see what was in the dump
truck due to the height of the truck. I told the guy to dump a small
part of the load, pull forward further downhill, and I'd use my
tractor loader to spread the stone so he could get back up the hill.
I went to get my tractor while he dumped it. When I get back, I find
that he had not brought the 3" stone without fines, but had instead
brought that gravel, which was at least half sand. I told him he
brought the wrong stuff. He told me that is all they had. Having
little choice since the stuff was already dumped, I proceeded to
spread what he dumped so he could get back up the hill. He gets back
up the hill and even though I told him it was the wrong stuff, he
insisted on dumping the rest of it (since it was already there).

As soon as he dumped it and left, I phoned the company and left a
message for the original person I spoke to. Since then, I have called
several more times and could only leave messages. I have not received
a return call, and that was over 2 weeks ago. Yet, I got a bill in
the mail 3 days after the stuff was delivered.

I do not feel I should have to pay anything for this, since it is not
what I ordered. However, I was willing to pay them about half the
cost since I can use the stuff somewhere, but that means moving all of
it with my tractor loader. But after 2 weeks and no return phone
calls, I have decided to pay nothing at all. Apparently if they are
that uninterested in communication with their customers, then I am not
going to show any interest in paying their bill. How difficult can it
be to read a an order that states "deliver 3 inch without fines".

I am just wondering how others would deal with this matter. I am sure
that if I refuse to pay, this will end up in court and I really do not
need that hassle. Of course they are a large company and these
companies always win in court anyhow. Plus there is no way I can prove
that I left phone messages for them to call me.

I should mention that this gravel has already partially washed out
from rain. It's too small for use on a hill.

Alvin

"...even though I told him it was the wrong stuff, he insisted on
dumping the rest of it (since it was already there). "

You were aware that it was not what you ordered, yet you let him dump
it anyway...because he "insisted"?

Care to explain your reasoning?- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I would make a personal visit to the company, its probably not far
away. be nice but firm. offer to pay 1/4 but plan on half once they
deliver the 3 inch.

I would put in a proper base with drainage to minimize these troubles
in the future. have you considered tar and chip?

how much $ are we talking about?

The amount of money is about $140.

Yes, I plan to do something more premanent with that hill, but being
on a fixed income makes that tough.

I agree about the personal visit, and plan to do so. Of course since
I ordered by phone, they can easily deny that I ordered the 3". I
guess from now on when I do domething like this, I will have to
require something in writing mailed or hand delivered to me before
they deliver. Seems we live in a world these days when EVERYTHING has
to be in writing. I still can not understand how anyone can be so
stupid to mis-read a simple order for THREE INCH. I know the person I
spoke to when I placed the order got it right, because I strictly said
I DO NOT want the small gravel, and she read the order back to me, and
it was correct.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I'm still wondering why you allowed him to dump the remainder of the
stone even after you knew it was wrong the size.

I have a lot of stuff in my garage that I'm sure you have no use for.
If I brought it over and insisted on dumping it (since it was already
there) - your words - would you let me, and then try to figure out
what to do with it?

Why didn't you just tell the guy to go away and wait until they had
the correct size stone?