Did You Feel Obliged To Do Business With The "Brothers"or Did You Not Care?

by minimus 32 Replies latest jw friends

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  cruzanheart

  Yep, we got burned a couple of times. The worst one was this guy we hired to build a deck in our back yard. My parents recommended him, because he was related to a big roofer Witness family in their congregation and he "needed the business." Well, he asked for half up front, which we innocently paid him, and then we started getting the old stall routine. MONTHS passed -- I even took my dad to his house to try to shame him into coming out and finishing the job (he sunk the foundation posts and that was it). After that visit, when he swore he'd be out the next day to finish the job, he packed up wife & kids and moved to Austin! We tried talking to his elders but got nowhere and filed suit -- oh, such disapproval for filing suit against a BROTHER! At that point I found out that we were small potatoes -- he had at least a dozen suits against him and he owed thousands of dollars all over town. I traced him to Austin and found that he was trying to hide by putting the phone in his wife's name, so after we got a judgment against him we sent the sheriff and his body of elders after him. He coughed up the dough.

  I will never use a Witness for anything again. (A) They're not well trained. (B) They're not reliable. (C) They're arrogant. That last statement is because the other time we used a Witness, he was an air conditioner repairman. Big Tex wasn't going to meetings and when this elder jerk came out to fix the air conditioner he dropped attitude all over the place.

  GRRRRRR.

  Nina
• 

  minimus

  We had the worst air-conditioning technician imaginable do the Assembly Halls. This same guy did lousy work in remodeled Halls and quick-builds. He did the work at our KH and everyone complained about it either being too hot or too cold, depending upon where you'd sit. The only reason the brother was hired was because he did work at the Assembly Hall. And he cost more that other contractors that weren't in the "truth".
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  rocketman

  Easy answer for me - the world. After having and trying to have jws come to do jobs and give estimates at my home, I've concluded that I'd much rather use non-jws. Two never even bothered to come when they said they would, one for a repair and one for an estimate. I think they take advantage of the "brothers" in various ways.
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  minimus

  hmmm Rocketman. You're giving me ideas for a new thread.
• 

  Skeptic

  Well, at least here is an area we can't blame on the Society; except for the stupid "don't sue a brother" rule - which is in the Bible! They counsel JWs to treat JW businesses like any other, and to get everything in writing. I generally treated JW businesses like any other.

  So let's be fair; many JWs are honest. My car have a broken and very siezed spark plug, and the estimates were $1000-$1500 because the a head had to be pulled and machined. A JW mechanic did the work for $375; the difference was he had access to a tool that could extract the spark plug - none of the other garages heard of the tool.

  When I gave business to a Witness mainly because they were a Witness, the results were iffy. I have received bad service and good service from JWs, like any other businesses.
• 

  freedom96

  I have seen first hand many witnesses and their business practices, and to say the least, I was never impressed.

  Many are dishonest, but those people were just the dishonest type. Wouldn't have mattered what religion they were, though it did give witnesses a bad name for those who new.

  I always have preferred to give my business to someone who deserves it. If they work hard, are honest, and fair, and I like them, then that person will get my business until I find reason not to give it to them.

  Funny, growing up my parents had complete electrical work done on our house, and also a different time got it painted, both by witnesses working in their respective fields. Both did horrible jobs. Both were elders.

  Back to the original question, I never felt obligated to go to a witness over someone else to get work done or whatever.

  To this day, there is a certain witness whom I still give work to, and still another witness I won't set foot in their store, for their attitude.
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  minimus

  But Skeptic, the Society's bigwigs are the ones that will use a JW over anyone else AND recieve FREE service and products. The Society says we should put EVERYTHING in writing but realistically, not everyone gives an itemized account before they recieve service. I've seen many times that a brother takes advantage of things by saying, "I never agreed to that in writing". But the other brother says, "You told me that you'd do this particular work and said it would be no problem". I know of a person that had work done (built a new addition) only to have it completed 6 months after it was supposed to have been. The contractor said, "I never put in writing exactly when I'd finish the work". But he did tell the client verbally when he'd be done by. This Bible Study swore he'd never hire another Witness again and 10 years later gets baptized....Go figure, huh?
• 

  Xena

  I always found it kind of amusing how many brothers didn't want to do business with the same people they claim to be willing to die for

  My parents both went to a JW Dr. My mom had cancer and personally I felt she was neglected by this Dr. due to his overwhelming JW patient roster. And my dad went into him on a Friday for a check up and had a massave heart attack and died the next day...he had been given a clean bill of health from the Dr....

  and don't even get me started on the JW brothers that tried to take advantage of us after our parents died....jerks.
• 

  Skeptic

  But Skeptic, the Society's bigwigs are the ones that will use a JW over anyone else AND recieve FREE service and products.

  Well, no wonder, since the price was right. Not to mention that if they are bigwigs, the service they get from the brothers will be top-notch. Why wouldn't they keep using JWs? Their advice about treating JW businesses like any other business is sound, even if they personally choose to use only JWs. In my case, I have only been blatantly ripped off a few times by JWs. Of the times I remember, it was incompetence, as I only selected that sister because she needed the money and I wanted to help a JW out. I quickly cancelled her services, and selected a worldly firm who gave me good service. Another time, I was ripped off by a sister for $1000. A brother would lie about when his work would be done; the actual time was three times what he told me. He did work hard most of the time though, and the finished product was breathtaking. When confronted about the lie, he simply admitted to it. And, of course, the JW brother who saved me tons of money....I mentioned him in my last reply. Xena, I am sorry to hear about your father. That is so tragic.
• 

  Francois

  I have said elsewhere that most JCs are composed of men who come to adjust your thinking who couldn't adjust the pilot light on your water heater. I feel about the same concerning their competence in all other areas of persuit. They don't have any.

  After all, they were "encouraged" not to go to school, not to learn a trade, then WE were encouraged to use them for various skilled activities around our homes. No way Jose'. I want someone who knows what the hell he's doing, putting his hands on my moving parts and such. I felt no such obligation. I'd seen too many examples of some semi-educated brother or other screw up something beyond recognition.

  Nope, none for me thanks. The JWs created an entire generation dumkoffs, let 'em work on the GB's shit, they're not working on mine.

  Frank