Hey everyone! I need some advice about a contract issue I'm facing with the roofing company that recently replaced my roof. I live in Minnesota and signed a contract for a total price of $22,128. I went for their interest-free financing option, which amounted to $21,468, and planned to pay the remaining $660.31 by check. However, I received an email on August 4th, 2025, stating there'd be an extra 6.75% merchant fee added upfront to my invoice. When I signed the contract on August 9th, 2025, there was no mention of this fee. I assumed that the total was inclusive of all costs, including any fees. Now, they want me to pay an additional $1,449 for this fee, which would bring my total to $23,617. In my view, this wasn't what I agreed to, and I should've just chosen a different contractor who quoted me $19,478. I've done some research and it seems like I shouldn't have to cover this merchant fee since it wasn't explicitly included in the contract. Can anyone weigh in on this?
3 Answers
I agree with the last commenter. It seems like the roofing company didn’t clearly communicate this fee ahead of time, which could be a huge issue for them legally. Did you get any documentation from the financing company about how it works? If they approved you for that financing, they should have accounted for fees in their terms. That might be worth looking into.
It sounds like you have a valid point. Contracts should clearly outline all fees and charges, including any potential merchant fees. If it wasn’t mentioned in the contract, they might not have a leg to stand on. It’s suspicious that this fee was not included until after you signed. Maybe check if your state has any consumer protection laws covering this situation. That might help you if you decide to dispute the fee.
Yeah, it does sound a bit unfair if you weren’t aware of this fee when signing the contract. It might be helpful to gather all your documents and maybe reach out to them for clarification. If they're not willing to negotiate, consider reaching out to a local consumer advocacy group for more advice.