Maggie T

Review of Bead Bungalow

I've had very good experiences in the past, but wi...

I've had very good experiences in the past, but will be much more careful from here on. I brought a necklace in for re-stringing. I carefully chose some wooden beads and a pewter closure, all of which cost about $10.00 according to the owner. He verbally estimated that the repair would cost $50, which I thought pricey, but he'd spent about 15 minutes with me. I gave him a $25 deposit. He did not give me a written estimate. I picked up the necklace today, and he charged me an additional $71.00. When I asked why, he told me it would cover two hours of labor, plus $20.00 for materials. I paid for it, told him I was upset that it cost so much--the piece wasn't worth it. I left without a receipt.
I came back an hour later and asked for a receipt. He gave me my check back, but I refused to take it. He had, after all, done some work. He made me decide what to do, so I paid him for an hour and a half labor (51.50) and 20.00 for "parts."

If you decide to have Beaded Bungalow do your repairs, make sure you get a written estimate first. I was wrong to not have requested it, but any retailer who marks up products by an additional100% (on top of his normal retail mark-up) is wrong.