When I came back from vacation on January 2nd I found the place partially painted, with damage to the house. The quality of work was amateurish at best. The walls had multiple unrepaired or very poorly repaired spots. After I'd point them out, they would try to fix them, with varying level of success. Sometimes it took 4 attempts and it still was not right. As I later found out from one of the employees, Dido trains his people to cut corners and do things fast. They paint first and then see if it looks “good enough”.
My experience with Etinde painting was horrible. The job was to paint the interior of my house including walls, ceilings, moldings, doors, closets etc. We agreed on $9,500 and it was to be completed in 3 weeks, by January 1st, 2014 while we were away on vacation.
I have used Mr. Etinde for over five years and have always been very pleased with the quality of his work and the way that he makes sure the job is done perfectly. My son's room was painted over five years ago in two beautiful shades that he helped me pick out and the room still looks fresh and beautiful today. I hired him to do the bathroom, which required removing wallpaper, a den which was a dark red and he transformed to a warm neutral white. All jobs were done quickly, professionally, and with super nice communication. I highly recommend him, and yes I did compare prices and he came in lower... In fact came on the weekend himself to finish the job, which required an extra coat to cover the dark color, because he wanted it to be perfect. It was!
All along Dido was absent from the work site. He would pop in for a second to see the progress. At some point he left for Congo, where he apparently has other businesses that he runs in that country. The job was never completed. I was finally forced to hire other people to do the garage, basement and the hallway that were never touched by Etinde Painting, and to correct and finish the rest of the house. The total sum paid by me out of pocket to clean up the mess that Etinde left behind was over $7,000. When I confronted him asking to cover some or all of the losses, the answer I got was: “I'm not paying you a dime”. Of course I didn't see a dime to cover the damage to my house either.
Not getting involved with unreliable, shady companies like Etinde Paining is, of course, the best way to avoid problems. You don't want to find yourself in a situation I was in – paying $7,000 out of pocket to fix/finish a job that was over 90% paid for once already, and having to live with a trashed house.
I think Etinde Painting is a predatory business, taking advantage of consumers by using false statements, empty promises, or blatant lies. Dido bids below what he can do the job for (later admitting he did so because he knew he wouldn't get the job otherwise). Then he jacks up the price, extends the time-line and compromises on quality. Etinde Painting is NOT a registered Home Improvement Contractor, which violates Mass GL 142A, since they advertise and perform multiple types of work (carpentry, floor refinishing, wall repair, exterior painting), not just interior painting, which is exempt from the registration requirement (but still there are plenty of painters who are registered). It is a good idea to hire only registered HIC businesses, because in case you run into issues, there are means of dealing with them and holding them accountable. There is a complaint system, an arbitration process conducted by a qualified person, pool of money that will cover whatever the business owes you etc.
Etinde Painting is a US Painter based in Amherst, Massachusetts. Etinde Painting is located at 730 West St, Amherst, MA 01002, USA.
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