"C. Brunner" wrote in message

And, for Pete's sake, didn't the OP just want an estimate? He wasn't
talking about signing a contract--he just wanted an idea how much the
job would cost, excluding color as a factor. I doubt this was really a
contract-law issue.

C. Brunner

The OP wanted an estimate. The seller wanted to make a sale, not just give a
price. Different goals by the parties that will be meeting.
Ed