What were your best and worst consumer experiences this week?

Which consumer happenings cheered you this week and which ones made you want to scream or weep?

Here are my best and worst consumer experiences this week:

My best: Using a free Christmas tree from my yard

Here in the Pacific Northwest, Christmas trees grow everywhere. Small volunteer trees appear frequently in my yard. I let a few of them grow and use them for Christmas trees.

One of my choices got to be 9 feet tall and was growing right up against the fence. It was time to take action.

I invited my friends to help me decorate my tree at a Christmas party. I got busy Saturday getting ready, so two friends cut down the tree Sunday. They did a great job of trimming it and setting it up.

About 15 people came to the celebration. It was really great to be surrounded by the love of my friends.

My worst: The arbitration for my failed metal shingle roof

Thursday I had the arbitration for my failed VAIL Titan metal shingle roof made by Custom-Bilt Metals.

I’ve settled with the manufacturer, so the arbitration was about damages from the roofing contractor Edwards Exteriors.

I’ve spent a considerable amount on attorney’s fees already, so I did the arbitration arguments my self, pro se.

It was quite a consumer learning experience. Jim Edwards had an attorney paid for by his insurance company. This attorney also represented the bond company, RLI Insurance Co. Then Edwards had an attorney representing him.

Their argument was that it was entirely the manufacturer’s fault. This is typical in roofing disputes. The manufacturer and the contractor point fingers at each other.

My argument was my roof wasn’t installed in a workmanlike manner. The contractor put expensive metal shingles over rotten wood twice; the fascia boards – hung on the ends of the rafter tails – weren’t straight causing standing water in my gutters all the time; the eves are leaking and rotting; and leaks appear on the inside of the fascia boards at the ends when it rains. He breached his warranty and contract.

I also argued that Edwards should have responded to my letter to fix the problems, the Notice of Claim, and my offer to mediate the problem. His attorney said it was O.K. that Edwards never responded because it’s a manufacturer’s problem that he couldn’t have done anything about it anyway.

We’ll see what the arbitrator has to say. He has two weeks to give his decision.

Copyright 2010, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist