Rant: How stingy is too stingy when it comes to repairmen?

[Kah M.]

I occasionally get referrals for repairmen. An informal REI network I'm a member of used to be very good about giving referrals however they've been tightfisted lately in mentioning who works for them. Understandable that good contractors are hard to find and some of the REI investors started acting as middlemen.

One of these "middlemen" REI is difficult to deal with. From a couple of repairmen I work with, I've heard he promises he'll pay them $X but then after the work is done, tries to negotiate a lower price. Of course, these repairmen refuse to work with him again.

Recently, he recommended an awesome handyman who was prompt, reasonably priced, and got the work done. The tenants were happy with him because he worked around their schedule and he also got everything done ahead of schedule with pictures. However, the middleman refuses to give me his name or contact info because he wants him "exclusively." Although the final price was reasonable, the estimate was a bit lower. I didn't mind paying but the middleman made a big deal about it. 

I fear he's going to mess up with this repairman and he'll be impossible for me to find. 

Has anyone else had an experience like this?