This is her house. Everything within those walls belong to her now. Previous owners have no claim. She hired/contrated him to do a job. She doesn't owe him a damn thing. If he took what was within her walls,(and did'nt tell her) then he is a thief. I think she was generous to offer him 10%, she doesn't HAVE to give him anything. She doesn't owe a contracter, or...a known for a long time, so called friend....squat! I think that he is soooo out of line, to feel intitled to any money he found, within HER walls. What if he found money in her dresser, if she hired him to fix the drawers? Should he be intitled to any of it? Hell No! What if she hired a mechanic to repair her car...is any money he finds in her car...partially his? Hell No! He's incredibly lucky that she was willing to give him 10% of what belongs to her, But he's going to take her to court, for at least 40%!? PahLeeze....

Geoffrey, that is unduly harsh as well as inaccurate. Although Kat Bennett is cost conscious, the point of contention isn't the fees, but the lack of disclosure. As others have said, standard practice is to discuss delivery and installation at the time of purchase. Some people fetch their appliances themselves (perhaps with a truck full of nephews), have the contractor (if not GC, perhaps plumber or independent installer) pick it up, use a truck company they have a relationship with, etc. Other people pop for white glove delivery. Many people opt for standard, drop it at the curb delivery. Each of these has a different price, but it usually is a set fee, either based on an average run, or calculated by the mile. Some have a surcharge for stairs, winding paths, and non-standard openings, such as having to remove doors, shove through large windows, erect a block and tackle, or use a crane. These potentialities are known and usually have a price schedule. There may also be a disclaimer about an hourly fee if undisclosed difficulties arise. Similarly, installation is charged either as a set price for a standard call, or hourly, or a combination of both. Given inside delivery and unboxing, the installation is often quoted at $xxx for the hookup, plus $yy/hr. for work past the initial time estimate. Even if all the variables are not known, the pricing structure is. A properly trained order writer knows how to interview the customer to get a feel of the scope of the job, and provide an estimate based on the price schedule. Again, usually with notice of what the charges are if the job is more complicated and takes longer. Professional installers are expected to have commonly needed hardware with them, though having to get a specialized something may come up, and may not stop the clock. Given that the electrician called ahead to make sure the installers had everything, the refund for getting the part was appropriate. The charge occurring in the first place is likely due to the lack of authority the people in the field have for waiving charges. If the above sounds familiar to you, it should. It's really no different from fixing the pipes, or your car, or any other kind of professional service. There is a price schedule and an estimate and they are disclosed to the customer before the work is done. It is also true that some stores, selling some goods, offer free delivery and installation. Expecting the fees to be disclosed when the services are offered but not free, is not outlandish. It is, in fact, normal. The OP would have been justified in saying, "I didn't agree to pay that. Take it back." By not disclosing the fees, they lulled her into thinking she was going to be paying less, and pounced when she had no choice but to let them go forward and pay or refuse and be without a cooktop. I totally get why she's miffed.

If I ever find myself driving through there I will definitely try to make a stop. I guess you're not too far from there also Ken, right? I could drop off that bottle of brown liquor I owe you... ; )

Any non standard item you're inserting into a mfg process will have impact. They may not see it again this year. Maybe a few new tools/bits, stopping and resetting the fabrication and assembly line for this, restarting for any adds (always). Many shops would just say "no" or "I can't" as you are certainly weeding out the common skills, tools and capabilities. The more I think about these the more labor I see by several trades, installers, painters, etc. This is similar to how government specified products or projects get expensive... they up specify, often at the suggestion of a manufacturer or special interest, until competition falls away and bids get expensive. Happens all the time in the defense industry, school & public housing, all govt construction.