Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  07/20/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Construction by Design EG, *** remodeled my master bathroom in November 2022. In May of 2023, a leak was discovered due to plumbing being installed incorrectly. I contacted the owner ***** because she has a warranty on her work for 1 year. ***** told me that the plumbing problem was not her issue and that we needed to pay for someone else to make the repair because she cant do it. Since it involved water, I didnt want to go back and forth with *********************** so we paid a plumber to fix the bad plumbing that her contractors installed. Her contractors installed the accordion-type tubing for the drain at a bent angle and due to the way it was bent (too much of an angle) caused the tubing to split. A professional told us this information. Now here we are in July 2023 with yet another completely different problem. The drain for the shower also has a leak. The problem this time is that the contractor she hired to do the grout didnt put grout in that area. Its a small area and we had to see it with a flashlight after we noticed yet another leak. We removed the drain cover and noticed a gap where there was no grout at all and of course now, 8 months later we are concerned on how much water has accumulated under there. I have attempted to call ***** but she has me blocked and I know this because when I call her from my phone, my call gets sent straight to voicemail, yet if I call her from another number, it will ring. I have left her text messages, voicemails, and an email to attempt to reach her and she refuses to return any of my calls. Never have any of our conversations been hostile, threatening or inappropriate. She is simply refusing to take my calls now that she knows we are having problems with the work. I feel devastated. We paid ***** over $14k for the remodel (probably closer to $16k because we added a few things after the initial estimate. And now after she has been paid, it has been impossible to reach her. I have no choice but to escalate this matter.

  Business response

  07/24/2023

  Neither the sequence of events nor the events are true in this story.
  First, on Nov 19, 2022, this client's project was finished and in the attached review you will be able to read one of the reviews she left about our service, which changed on all platforms, trying to ruin my 17-year-old business, until reaching this point of making a claim here. In March 2023, after 4 months, she contacted me to tell me that she believed that the grout was missing a bit, I immediately sent an employee to her house, who informed me that there was no such lack of grout but we re-grouted the shower, something my client forgot to mention in this story.
  The second event occurred at 6 months when I was contacted again because the bathtub drain was broken, I already explained this to the client which it seems she did not understand, in the attached file named drain, you can see that this was the drain that was installed, which came from the bathtub, obviously it was fine since it was installed and only after 6 months it appeared completely broken. I tried to explain to the client that this is really impossible, the drain is flexible, it's an accordion, it doesn't matter at what angle you install it, it's for that, flexible. In addition, this client has other contractors in her house, the plumbing is not in charge of my responsibility as I can demonstrate in my contract (see attached contract). This client contracted with another company for the plumbing and still keeps those holes open in the ceiling and other areas of the house where the pipes are visible, that is why I told the client that someone probably cut the drain. I didn't want to say it was my client or her husband, but it could have been someone working in her house.
  Finally, moving on to the last point, in which the client accuses me that on July 17, 2023, the SAME DAY THAT SHE FILLED THIS CLAIM, I BLOCKED HER, I DID NOT ANSWER HER EMAILS, PLEASE SEE THE ATTACHED EMAILS, there you can see that it is ABSOLUTELY FALSE, The client contacted me on July 17 at 11:57 and I answered her the same day at 1:14 p.m., that is, 1 hour and 18 minutes passed before I answered her, and if you can read the attachment, the first thing I told her was that my phone was not receiving calls, only text. I am not going to send the entire email here because I think it is more than evident that what she says is completely false. In addition, that same day, July 17, in our communication I told her that on Wednesday, July 19, I would be sending someone to inspect what she says that there was a leak through the drain, my staff went and again found no sign of moisture, accumulated water, possible water, nothing at all, in the same way we proceeded to seal the shower again.
  As of today, July 24, when I am answering this claim, the client has not contacted me again. If she contacts me again I will treat her as I have treated all my clients for 17 years. Finally, the client says that she had no choice but to choose, discrediting another woman in her business who has had an impeccable reputation for 17 years. There is always another option, but let everyone live with the consequences of their actions.
  
  

  Customer response

  07/25/2023

   
  Complaint: 20332447
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  the business owner only responded to my emails and calls AFTER I threatened to escalate. Also, yes it is an accordion type pipe. However, the pipe was installed against a piece of wood and then pressed too tightly against the wood causing it to split because the wood caused it to bend at an irregular angle. Yes we did contract other plumbers to FIX the leak AFTER her contractors installed it incorrectly and it split and she refused to fix it!!! She left us no choice but that particular contract job from the other plumber is immaculate. We also had other plumbers in our home working on something completely unrelated to her install so Im not sure WHY shes mentioning that because their work was also immaculate. They completed the repipe of our home after we had a major leak (unrelated to the bathroom install). ****** plumbers installed the tub work which malfunctioned 6 months later. Also, I explained to ***** that we put grout in the place that her contractor neglected to put it (which is why we called her). We couldnt leave it exposed and especially since ***** blocked me. We had water dripping into the kitchen because of the missing grout. I advised her that I knew she had blocked me and that is when she unblocked me (and only then!). Also, ***** told me the reason she was not responding to my calls was because her phone (HER BUSINESS PHONE.A BUSINESS THAT SHE HAS HAD FOR YEARS YET SHE CLAIMS HER PHONE ISNT WORKING FOR DAYS??? I DOUBT SHE WOULD ALLOW HER BUSINESS LINE TO BE OUT OF BUSINESS THAT LONG WHICH IS ALL THE MORE PROOF THAT I WAS BLOCKED). Miraculously, when I called her from a phone that wasnt my own, she answered (she didnt know it was me). Furthermore, the contractor she sent to my home called her on speaker phone AND MIRACULOUSLY SHE RECEIVED HIS CALL AS WELL (probably not realizing I was right there beside him and could see him calling her on his phone and she answered while his phone was on speaker). Thats laughable! She still told me right after that call (via text message) that her phone was still not working although I had several different instances where I had called her from another line or someone else called her and she answered with no problem, yet when I called from my own phone I was sent straight to voicemailLol!!! If she cares so much  for her beloved business, WHY DID SHE LEAVE ME HIGH AND DRY (or WET) when my accordion pipe split? We didnt install itSHE DID and it split 6 months later which she claims is impossiblewell obviously NOT because it split! Yes, I left good reviews initially because we didnt begin having issues until 6 months later and the bad reviews was due to the way ***** handles customers AFTER THE MONEY IS COLLECTED. She had a contract with a guarantee on it yet she refused to fix THEIR ISSUE 6 months later and accused us of cutting it!!! Keep in mind, its located between the upper and lower floors in the walls. Youd need a ladder to get up there. It simply SPLIT because of a faulty install PERIOD. I wasnt upset with her work, I was upset with her response to us having a problem so of course my reviews changed. Absolutely and rightfully so! 
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

  Business response

  07/26/2023

  According to the client's request on July 17, 2023, a visit was scheduled  on Wednesday 19, 2023. As a result of that visit, no water was found, nor any sign that there was accumulated water, no sign of moisture. The drain was sealed again with grout. If the client presents any other problem, she can contact me via Email or text, my work phone still does not receive calls.
  
  

  Customer response

  07/27/2023

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that FOR NOW, the response is satisfactory provided there is no water damage due to water pooling between the floor and ceiling. Hopefully, the business owner learns that when a customer complains, its a part of business and not personal. Ignoring your customers or making them pay for repairs out of pocket that should be covered under your warranty is insane and very VERY bad for business. We paid a plumber to fix a mistake your contractors made and you STILL HAVE NOT ACKNOWLEDGED THAT! 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

*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. ↩