Asking for feedback from professionals

[PSPR_Premier]

wow. just wow...... that's all ive got.

[Stone Dude]

I have been involved with this for a while, since before they came back to make their "repairs". I posted some of the pics on the SFA facebook page and I should have directed her here sooner.

I have come to the personal conclusion that this is not recoverable to be a presentable job, at least not within any amount of reasonable cost. The stun marks are the #1 reason, which were not there before they made their repair attempts. Their machiens chattered across the surface and created the stun marks. There are also spiderweb fractures in the stone, which are white, which you all know how that goes.

I saw the same areas before and after they came to repair their own work, so I can confirm that they were created after the fact.

Also, my partner Ted, who a lot of you know, is in her area and went to physically look at this job.

I have advised to make a complaint against his contractors license and hire an attorney. Not only because of the poor workmanship, their multiple failed attempts at making it right, which is now impossible due to the damage caused by them, but because of their behavior in the home and their borderline harassment of insisting the homeowner sign off on the work.

This is one for the books guys.

[Stone Dude]

They might not have the skill to fix it. Installing and fabricating marble is not like quartz, you need to know what you are doing.

Remove, refund, start over with http://www.millestonemarble.com/
[

Thanks for the referral.

[Curtis R. Marburger]

Sledge hammer Mary Can Fix That

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[steven nenzel]

just looking at the pictures I would come to the same conclusion... beyond repair.

If they do not refund the fabrication and material costs then they need to call the State Contractor's Licensing Board.

Cam, is this a big box fabricator or a smaller local?

[1Mayven]

just looking at the pictures I would come to the same conclusion... beyond repair.

If they do not refund the fabrication and material costs then they need to call the State Contractor's Licensing Board.

Cam, is this a big box fabricator or a smaller local?
[

Hi Steven,
We have called the Contractor's board and started the process of a claim against this contractor's bond but we may not have ability to collect from the bond because there was a claim filed by another customer before us and this customer is also suing the contractor and the bond company in court. The Surety bond e-mailed us that they would be filing an interpleader lawsuit that we have to be part of (as defendants) or we have to withdraw our claim. We didn't want to withdraw the claim so we had to fill out the paperwork so they can serve us with the lawsuit and are told that this is normal, even though it does feel intimidating for us. The bond covers all the pending claims against the contractor so it sounds like we could end up with little to none after the court decides who gets what. We have never done this before so learning as we go.

Regarding the contractor, this was a small local contractor with all 5 star reviews in Houzz and Angieslist, which is what we are shocked by. Ironically, we did do a countertop with a big box store (Lowes) in our laundry room and they did a fantastic job. They put in a seam that is, I kid you not, invisible - you can't see it at all. We have a granite countertop in our bathroom from 15 years ago that is also nearly invisible. We thought, for the kitchen, we would splurge and get the best people, even if it cost a lot more, which it did. Yet......

[1Mayven]

we also figured out that this contractor sub-contracted the work to another company even though the owner specifically told us only their workers did all the fabricating at their shop and installed. The first day a guy showed up unannounced to inspect and looked at the seam in front of the sink and turned to me and declared, "it looks great!" I asked him who he was and he seemed caught off guard and then said he was a supervisor. Before he left, I asked him for his phone number so I could be in touch when the workers were returning. I finally thought to google his number and it led me to discover he is the owner of another company that does countertops. There was very little info on his company and no reviews. I would not have hired a company that had no reviews, much less paid another company/middleman to hire them for me.

[steven nenzel]

You also have the option of small claims court. The maximum is $10k. It is an easy process.

Sorry you are going thru this. You should post some reviews so that others do not go thru the same.

[1Mayven]

I thought about small claims and years ago I won a small claims case but was never able to collect a dime even though it cost me money to file and serve them and time and trouble. Just added to what I was already out. My goal in life has always been to try and avoid the stress. Especially the older we get.

[1Mayven]

and we are going to post reviews. I am waiting until we get a little farther along in the process so I can include everything. I am not happy with Angie and her list either. Have learned a lot of lessons from this.

[steven nenzel]

I'm on Angie's list and from my experience only legitimate customers can post reviews. I have a lot of them and all are legit. So I don't think the company has anything to do with it. I can't see them ever removing a bad review.

The one thing that it sounds like you did not do is to visit their place of business. This would have revealed that the contractor had no shop and that he was subcontracting. A shop visit also tells you a lot about how they conduct business. A messy and disorganized shop can reveal a lot.

A license search would have also shown any pending litigation and complaints against the company.

[1Mayven]

I did check their license and couldn't find anything. ? It never occurred to us to do something like see their shop because we never had an issue before and wouldn't have known what to look for anyway. The only things I thought could go wrong would be damage to my new stove (I wrapped in bubble wrap) and how to care for the stone after the install, which is how I first came into contact with Cameron weeks prior. I was researching all the products that would be safe. Anyway, we have since learned a lot and will do things much differently moving forward.
Regarding Angieslist, I was told there is a way for companies to pay a membership fee that allows them to filter out bad reviews. this makes sense because I find it hard to believe this contractor could have pending litigation, see the job they did here and not even a 4 star review, all 5 stars. We were expecting a spectacular job because of this and feel duped. I won't ever trust a review from Angieslist again. Never.

[steven nenzel]

I don't think that is true. Angies List has been mostly funded by the reviewers membership dues. I can't see them even entertaining such an idea. Anyone can say anything online so I would be skeptical of such a statement. If they did and word got out it would be the end of Angies List. Makes no sense.

That statement has been made against Yelp and law suits, I believe long ago, were filed against them. I believe nothing came of it or the claims could not be proven.

[Dave.Scott]

I am sorry, the only reviews that are valid are from your friends who you trust, and your's, after meeting the fabricator and AFTER seeing their operation.

Howzz and Angie's list are manipulated, or can be.

Follow the money.

This is a problem with the internet.
It's all true, right? It is on the internet...... They wouldn't lie, would they?

Caveat emptor.....................

[1Mayven]

I don't think that is true. Angies List has been mostly funded by the reviewers membership dues. I can't see them even entertaining such an idea. Anyone can say anything online so I would be skeptical of such a statement. If they did and word got out it would be the end of Angies List. Makes no sense.

That statement has been made against Yelp and law suits, I believe long ago, were filed against them. I believe nothing came of it or the claims could not be proven.
[

You could be right but I just don't understand how this company could rate so high. It's mind boggling.
I had found this article on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/maggiemcgr ... 71de881bfa
The first comment in the comment section (pasted below) mentions what another person told me and since I have had this experience, you can imagine why I don't doubt it. Perhaps I need to contact Angieslist to find out if there are other reviews on this company that I need to find via the process described below.
"Angie’s list does not show all negative reviews. I posted a very negative review, with over 3,000 characters of detail as to why the contractor had received such a negative review from me. It is impossible to find that review unless you call to Angie’s list support and have them guide you through how to find it; it is a multi-step process, with none of the steps intuitive. I explained to customer support that i wanted to help others avoid what i had experienced and asked why the review was not easily accessible, but did not receive a consistent response; the best explanation that i got was that it was the only review for this contractor and as such there was not a sufficient basis for an evaluation. But this means that the contractor could well take advantage of others as was done with respect to me. Bottom line: no news is not necessarily good news on Angie’s List."

[Dan R.]

Review sites generate revenue by selling upgraded packages to the vendor/contractor.
The Better Business Bureau does it also. Want to filter reviews? Upgrade your package.
How does Home Advisor generate revenue, when users are not charged?

[Kowboy]

Anyone who believes that www.homeadvisor reviews are fake haven't read some of mine. Contractors are powerless to prevent poor reviews. I wouldn't remove a single one of mine; the credibility they engender is invaluable. Homeadvisor even broke its own rule requiring a reviewer to be a customer to allow a non-customer of mine to review me:

Review by Dan L. in Apollo Beach, FL
Project: Repair Stone Slab Countertops
Comments: OVERBILLED!! He did a great job on the install. But when he gave the bill to my mother in law, he billed an extra hour and half. She didn't know any better and paid him. When my wife found out she called him and he agreed to not cash the check and would send a bill. I called him and he didn't return call. I sent emails and didn't return those. He cashed the check for the OVERBILLED amount then finally told me he was done. I confronted him and he said make him an offer which I told him I'd pay what I agreed. He said send him another check. For even more money. DO NOT USE THIS GUY.

Your Comments:
Against their own rules, homeadvisor has inappropriately allowed a non-customer to review. He does not own the home upon which he attempted to contract me for work. Under Florida law, only licensed general, building, and residential contractors like me may contract for work on homes they do not own. There is no legal mother-in-law exception. Before I knew he was not the homeowner, he told me he had a bid of $270.00 to install the cooktop after the cutout alterations were made by others. I told him I would alter the cutout with my state-of-the art dust collecting tools and install the cooktop at my usual rates with drive and administrative time included which came to $360.00. This is $90.00 more than his other bid, but included the alterations and is clearly the better value. His mother-in-law, the homeowner, was delighted with the work and issued me a check in full on the spot. In a subsequent telephone call, I agreed to invoice Dan L. When he tried renegotiating our agreement after the fact, I cashed her check unapologetically. She has not threatened to complain all over the internet. She has not threatened to stop payment on the check. She has not made spurious allegations of theft. She has not complained to homeadvisor or given me a poor review. She is another silent satisfied customer. Homeadvisor has investigated his complaint and dismissed it. Readers should do the same.

Review by a Homeowner in Tampa, FL
Project: Repair Stone Slab Countertops
Comments: He left a leaking sink huge mess and his price came in 38% over his top estimate! Wife felt uncomfortable with him in our home.

Your Comments:
I have pictures of the improper and leaking plumbing and the damage it caused taken before I began working. When I left the adjustable style trap no longer needed adjusting and there were no leaks; I checked twice. My state-of-the-art dust collection is as good as it gets, but this is still fabrication work that should happen wet in a shop that's happening dry in a kitchen. $700.00 is 77% of $900.00, which means my final bill was 23%, not 38%, higher than estimated. I do not lower my standards to meet an estimate. When you're working in a canal front 5,000 square foot home with a Maseriti in the garage and a pool, you aren't expecting price complaints especially after the client has told you that he "isn't concerned about the money." I am only licensed in the state of Florida to do contracting, not psychotherapy, so I can't address his wife's feelings. I can say that the repairs are spectacular, I have pictures to prove it, and the customer doesn't disagree.

More here: https://pro.homeadvisor.com/ratings/?pa ... ageSize=25