Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  21/05/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Company: Outdoor Living Manufacturing Ltd. or Outdoor Living Today Date of Transaction: November 4th, 2022 We received part of the order, not all.We had a two year extended home renovation, the pieces of the order were neatly stored away until one month ago when we brought them out of our shed and their boxes to put together to find a large piece of the order was missing.I have personally called the business multiple times to say the person I need to speak with is on a lunch break. I have emailed twice the woman who we originally spoke with, who forwarded me to customer services who I have emailed another three times to receive no response.We solely would like to receive the rest of our order.

  Business response

  10/06/2024

  We appreciate the customer choosing to purchase with us here at Outdoor Living Today. The order was placed with us here on 11/04/2022 and shipped to the customer on 11/07/2022.

  
  The customer purchased three 6 x 3 Raised Garden Beds with *******. These units ship as 2 boxes per unit, meaning the customer should receive 6 boxes. ********************** customers are emailed when their product ships with information regarding the number of boxes they should receive and tracking numbers for each of the individual boxes. The customer should have received this information from us the day after their products shipped.
  After reviewing our records, on 11/07/2022 Outdoor Living Today shipped 6 boxes to the customer, the correct number expected to fulfill the customers **************************** has a written policy, which the customer agrees to upon purchasing with us that any parts, missing pieces, or defects are reported within 30 days of purchase.

  
  It is the responsibility of the customer to check both the number of packages they receive and the products inside and report to us within 30 days. Due to the amount of time that has passed we are unable to address these concerns under our warranty, however we are happy to assist the customer if they wish to repurchase the trellis lids.

• Initial Complaint

  10/04/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  Contacted Outdoor Living Today via several emails and phone calls requesting a price for replacement cedar shake and polycarbonate roof kit for cedar 8x8 sun shed that was recently damaged by storm. Rep changed price twice via phone and said she would send quote via email. This was April 3. I sent photos she requested of shed damage and description of what I wanted to buy to fix shed. She said she would get back with me next day. She has not. Ive called several times. This company seems to not care about keeping customers. It has been over a week without any promised quote so I can fix my roof.

• Initial Complaint

  13/06/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I bought this shed specifically due to is dimensions and where I need to place it due to my HOA. Upon building of the shed I found that it was not as advertised, it was several inches taller than advertised. Thus I cannot use the shed in any way and can not build it in another location due to my HOA rules.Customer service is very slow to respond back to me. When I contacted customer service they gave me no refund solutions other than to try and sell the item or ship the item back (a cost of over $1100) when the she was $1600 purchased.The site claims satisfaction guaranteed, I am not satisfied and worse yet I am out of pocket $1600 which for me is not a small amount of money.I would be happy to find an amicable compromise, donation of the shed to a charity organization, etc however me loosing $1100 so that they can in turn resell a new she is not amicable.

  Business response

  05/07/2023

  ************** purchased the product in January of 2023. Upon purchasing any product, OLMs will contact every customer for the purpose of discussing the delivery as well as going over the product suitability and assembly.  This process offers the customer the opportunity to voice any questions or concerns from purchase to final installation. If, during the conversation, the customer feels that the product purchased is not the right fit for them, OLM offers the option of changing the model or cancelling the order.  

  In this case, our team member of 16 years with the company, had the pre-shipping discussion with ************************  When ************* voiced his plans to place the unit under a wooden deck, our team member cautioned to re-measure the height because of possible uneven ground under the deck,which might affect overall height measurement.  It was made also specifically clear to ************** that placing the unit under the deck would require very accurate foundation work which would affect the overall height of the finished structure including the foundation base.

  ************** was adamant that it would fit and it would not be a problem and if it does not fit, I will not use the roof and/or cut it down.  Even after numerous attempts to dissuade the customer from the purchase and offering a different model, the customer insisted to have it shipped.

  Out of concern for ************** unique situation, our team member confirmed the specifications with the production and design team.  The unit shipped towards the end of January 2023. 

  On April 11,************** contacted the *************************** via email with the possibility of a return of the product.  This email was promptly returned with the notification that OLM typically does not accept product returns and would prefer to resolve any issues.  When ************** stated that the product was the incorrect size, he was requested to send pictures of his space and the product and show the measurements which he deemed to be incorrect.  We did not receive any pictures or measurement and he simply stated that Unfortunately the shed does not work and requested a solution where he would pay for the return shipping.  He was advised that OLM is not normally able to accept a return on a partially assembled unit as it is not in re-saleable condition.

  In an attempt to appease the customer, we proposed if ************** would cover all shipping costs incurred by OLM to and from his destination, we would accept return of the unit.  As a further courtesy we offered to not charge for the refurbishing of a partially assembled unit. 
  We also suggested to offer the unit to another customer in the same area at a discount, which would be a cheaper option for **************, but none of these options appeased him.  In the meantime, we again confirmed the published dimensions with the production team. 
  Please be aware that OLM sold this exact unit for 16 years and have never encountered complaints of incorrect dimensions. 
  ************** has also questioned the timeliness of OLMs customer service responses. Since April 11th OLM has responded multiple times in a timely manner. The bulk of conversation and solutions offered were April 11 and April 16th,none of which were acceptable to **************.

  
  In conclusion, ************** had the opportunity to cancel the order at a full refund upon our team members advice before shipping, he was reluctant and evasive and has no proof about any about details to support the claim of incorrect dimensions, he was given the option of returning the unit at OLMs carriers cost, OLM tried to assist ************** in suggesting offering his unit to a new and current OLM order in his area at a discount, therefore re-cooperating most of his cost.

  No proof was ever provided that OLM's product specs are incorrect. 

  We feel we acted appropriately and in a timely manner to resolve situation amicably from the time of purchase until request for return.
  We can only point out again, that our stated dimensions are correct, clearly advertised and we feel that ************** has simply mis-calculated his available height including the thickness of his foundation which is not the responsibility of OLM. 

  
  OLM is still open to a resolution of this situation if the customer is willing to consider any of the options we proposed above. 

  Customer response

  06/07/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  

  This email is disappointing and the most polite way to say this is that it is inaccurate. ************** was adamant that it would fit and it would not be a problem and if it does not fit, I will not use the roof and/or cut it down.  Even after numerous attempts to dissuade the customer from the purchase and offering a different model, the customer insisted to have it shipped.  This is a complete lie.  I was contacted once by OLM.  Why would I use a shed without the roof?  This doesnt make sense.
  Facts: I picked this shed because it had the dimensions that I needed.  I poured the concrete to specifically match this shed and got my HOA to approve this specific shed.  I wanted to use this shed hence why I bough this specific shed.  This shed is not the size that was advertised, also the height was measured without the shingles on the shed.

  I am still open to compromise.  If the company can deliver this item to another customer in the area.  The current resolution provided by the company of spending $1100 to ship this item back when the shed was $1600 is simply unacceptable.  It is unacceptable to pay that amount of money so that the company can turn around and re-sell this item for full price.

  
  Also if the company would like to refund me a portion of the shed I would be willing to donate the shed to an organization of OLMs choosing.
  Satisfaction was guaranteed, I am not satisfied.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************

• Initial Complaint

  11/04/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I ordered the 12 x 8 classic engineered with sliding doors. Some of the parts sent were not the correct ones for the shed that I ordered. When I brought this to their attention, they took weeks to send me the correct hardware. Even when I received the parts there were some still missing pieces. Its been difficult to get people to respond to my calls and emails. I'm still missing parts to complete my shed and the company has not resolved it. It feels like the burden has been put on me to get what should have been part of the original package. My shed is still not done nearly 4 months since I ordered it. I dont have the correct hardware pieces and customer service is non-responsive. I'm asking BBB to help resolve this issue by prompting the company to respond to me and send me the parts that should have been included in my original purchase.

  Business response

  01/05/2023

  We are sorry that the customer feels they have had such a bad experience with our product and the team.  The product was ordered on Dec 12th, received Jan 04, 2023. We ask our customers to inspect the product before installation just in case of damages or missing pieces.  **. ********** contacted ** at the end of February regarding a missing roller assembly, handle and black hasp.  Requested parts were sent on March 7, 2023 via ***** *******, delivered March 10th. As it was our error having missed including these pieces in our hardware kit,we made sure that all the requested pieces were included in the package. When replacement part package had originally delivered, Ms. ********** had to track it down amongst her staff and could not find it immediately. Our staff reacted immediately with tracking information and proof of delivery so it could be found quickly. On April 6th at 15:39 PST, nearly a month later, another email advising that the handle was still missing.  At this time of the day our shipping staff had already left for the day with April 7th being a statutory Easter holiday. 3 more emails followed on Easter holiday April 7, at 5:14, 11:06 and 12:22 with the notification that BBB has been advised.  One of our staff did happen to read the email at 11:06 and did go to the plant, packaged up a handle and sent it off at 18:48 via courier as well as informed the customer via email.  We are sorry to have missed these parts in the first place, this whole situation could have been avoided.  People do make mistakes and for that we apologize.  We do have to disagree that we have not been responsive, we are in a different time zone and have always responded immediately to right our mistakes. Our staff reacted on the Easter holiday.  There have been long time lapses between the customer responding which is why the customer stated it took 4 months, not due to lack of our communication. We are still very confident that the missing handle was in the parts package.  Again,it was our mistake having missed these parts, but we have reacted as quickly as the customer would allow us to.   
  

  Customer response

  30/05/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I am requesting the Better Business Bureau to reopen this complaint as my reply to OLT's response was not received in their portal. Consequently, the website does not reflect a fair and balanced account of what transpired. Here is my updated complaint information:
  
  
  * ** ******* ** **** * ********* ******* ******* ****** ***** ***** ********* ** ****** ********** **** ***** ******* *** ******** ** ******** *** ***** * ********* * **** **** *** *** * ***** ** ******* While I understand the importance of inspecting the product upon delivery, I would like to bring attention to several issues I encountered during the construction process.
  
  
  ******** *** **** *** ********* ** *** ***** **** ** ******* ***** ***** *********** ****** ******* ********* ** ******* *** ******* *** ****** *** ******* ****** ******** ** ** ***** ****** **** *** **** ** ******** ** ******** ** *** **** ****** *** ******** ****** **** ** ***** *** *** ******** ************* ******** *** ******** ** *** *** ********* ********** ***** ******* ********** ********* *** ******** ** **** **** ** *** ********* **** *********** ****** ** *********** ****** ** *** *********
  
  ************ *** ***** ** ****** **** ***** **** ********* **** *********** ******** ************* In my case, the shed was part of several upgrades at a worksite, and the construction process began only in the last week of January 2023, once the site was fully prepared. The time gap between my communications with OLT should not be interpreted as a lack of competence or organizational skills in carrying out the shed project. ******* ** ******** *** ********* ********** ** ******** ******** **************** *** ******** ***** ****** ** *************
  
  During the construction process, we encountered difficulties with the installation of the roof. The instructions provided by OLT did not adequately detail the best approach for installing a large metal roof. Specifically, the instructions depicted a floating hand drilling screws into the roof, but it was physically impossible to reach those areas safely from the ladders. The slippery nature of the roof material exacerbated the issue, and the instructions failed to provide any guidance on this matter.
  
  
  After conducting further research, we devised our own method to complete the roof installation and proceeded to work on the doors, windows, and final trim. However, it became evident during this process that we did not possess the correct hardware to finish installing the doors. I promptly contacted OLT via phone, speaking with *****************, who directed me to send an email detailing the missing parts. On February 24, 2023, at 12:23 pm EST, I emailed OLT with a comprehensive list of all the missing parts required to complete the shed. It is important to note that the missing parts were a mistake made by OLT during the initial shipment. They included an incorrect hardware package, resulting in unnecessary parts and the absence of crucial components.
  
  
  On February 27, 2023, I received an email from *****************, stating that the missing parts would be shipped out the next day. However, it was not until March 7, 2023, at 4:34 pm, that I received another email from *********************** informing me of the shipment. Expressing my surprise at the delayed response, I replied at 5:40 pm, emphasizing my dissatisfaction with the ten-day delay in rectifying their mistake. Additionally, I notified OLT that the product they shipped me was infested with ********* ants. Unfortunately, I received no response from OLT regarding either matter. It is perplexing that a company claiming to prioritize customer responsiveness took ten days to ship the necessary parts to correct their own mistake.
  
  
  On March 16th, I still had not received the missing hardware for the shed. Therefore, I contacted OLT via email at 12:13 pm to inquire about the delivery status. ***************** replied at 12:25 pm, stating that the package had been delivered on March 10. After checking with our partner organization, who signed for the package, I finally received it shortly thereafter. The duration between my initial report of missing parts (February 24) and their eventual arrival (March 10) amounted to a total of 14 days.
  
  
  On April 6, 2023, I scheduled another workday to install the doors and complete the shed's trim. However, during this process, it became apparent that OLT had again failed to include all the parts I had requested in writing on February 24th. Another mistake had been made during the shipment of the missing parts. I can confidently assert that the missing handle was not included in the original package or the second package with the missing parts. The original package included one handle and the hardware for a shed that only needed one handle. The second package with the missing parts included only the roller assembly and no handles. ***'s claim of being "very confident" in including both handles is contrary to the reality of the situation. At 6:29 pm, I emailed OLT to inform them of this second shipping error. Unfortunately, I did not receive a reply or an out-of-office message indicating a ******** holiday.
  
  
  Continuing my attempts to reach OLT, I followed up on April 7, 2023, at 8:13 am and 2:06 pm, urging them to respond. I also attempted to contact them by phone, but there was no outgoing message informing me of office closure. In the absence of any response to my messages or calls, I decided to file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. As noted, there was no indication from the company that they were closed for a Holiday. I notified OLT of the filed complaints in an email at 3:21 pm. Subsequently, I received a response from ********************* at 9:48 pm, stating that the facility was closed for the holiday.
  
  
  Finally, on April 8, ********************* sent the missing part via ***** and provided the tracking information via email at 3:20 pm. I received the package on April 14, and it did contain the missing parts necessary to complete the shed.
  
  
  It is essential for potential customers to be aware that this DIY project took longer than estimated in the product information. Even with skilled individuals assisting, the installation proved challenging and complicated due to unlabeled parts, missing components, and inadequate instructions. It is difficult to understand how a company claiming to prioritize customer service took ten days to ship the necessary parts to correct their own mistake. Despite providing a written list, they failed to include all the necessary parts when making the correction, and I had to contact them again to address a second mistake. Furthermore, OLT did not proactively contact me to fully understand the extent of the challenges I faced with their product and service. Instead, their reply to my complaint included many assumptions that contributed further to my disappointment.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  08/06/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I placed order for a garden planter *********) on May 16, 2022. I received and order confirmation and my credit card was charged. After hearing nothing for 2 weeks I followed up with a phone call. At first the customer service representative couldn’t find my order. Another representative did manage to find my order and said that she would respond within an hour. 4 days later, Thursday June 2, I followed up again and was told that this employee was in a meeting but would call me back. I received no call that day. The next day I did receive a call at 7:05 pm Ottawa time (according to my phone records) but was out for dinner. There was no message left. It is now June 7th and no one has followed up. Initially I was told that there had been changes in the online ordering system that may have caused the initial problem. I fully understand that these issues happen and can delay things but the utter lack of communication is unacceptable. I’m a patient person but this has really tested my patience. Also, as I mentioned my credit card was charged but the amount was for $736 U.S. which my bank converted to $984.72 CA. The item that I purchased was on the website for $868 CA therefore I was charged $116.72 CA more than the website price. This company is Canadian with a Canadian presence and if the website specifies a price in Canadian dollars that is what I should have been charged. I emailed the company on June 7, 2022. They apologized and said I had 2 options. To complete the purchase at the price of $984 CA + GST. I had already paid the $984 CA in spite of their listed price of $868 CA. I opted for a refund but instead of being refunded $984.72 CA I was given $736 US which my bank converted to $899.30 CA which is $85.42 less than what I paid, after the currency conversion. Note that banks charge more for "selling" foreign currency than when "buying". This would not have happened if I had been charged the advertised price of $868 CA.

  Business response

  20/06/2022

  We appreciate the customer’s concern and appreciate that it took a longer than usual time to communicate, but this was not a lack of communication on our part but due to the unusual situation with this order.  We did explain to the customer upon notifying us that our company was just migrating the original website to an alternate website platform.  The website should NOT have been accessible to Canadian customers for a period of time while the basic product, pricing and tax structure was being transferred from a US $ dollar site to a Canadian $ site.  It was during this time that the customer somehow was able to access the new site which was only a framework and showed partial information in US Dollars values.  Because of the site being in mid-transfer, the order did not properly transmit nor did it notify our POS System, therefore it was not visible to our staff. It should also be noted that there is a three hour time difference so our staff stayed late on June 3 to try and contact the customer.
  The customer was advised that the dollar value of the order was in US Dollars and the provincial sales tax did not get charged.  The price of $868 CA that the customer mentions is before the sales tax would be charged which would bring the total to $980.84 which is what is what the conversion by his bank was. The listed price of the product is CAD $1040.00 plus tax, but he was offered $984.00 plus tax which he refused and opted for refund.  This was a very unusual situation and our reason for migrating the site was to avoid currency conversion issues, and we were not made aware that the customer’s bank did charge him an extra CDN$85.42.  Since filing this complaint, the customer has been contacted by the owner of Outdoor Living and we have agreed to issue an additional refund to the customer for the $85.42 via cheque. 

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩