Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  07/07/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unresolved

  More info

  In early 2015, my wife and I purchased a deck from Deckmasters, a company owned by George O*****. The deck came with a "Foreverdeck Workmanship Warranty" that ensured its quality for its entire lifespan. However, we have encountered recurring issues over the years that have put our family's safety at risk. Specifically, the steps have fallen off multiple times, posing a danger to our two children. It took months of persistent calls to finally get George to address and fix the problem the first time it occurred. Unfortunately, after that, he stopped responding to our requests, forcing us to seek repairs elsewhere. Fast forward to this year, when we discovered that one of the railing posts had started rotting (due to not using properly dried and treated wood), making the entire railing extremely hazardous. Despite reaching out to Deckmasters once again, we received no response. Frustrated and worried, we sought quotes from four other deck builders to address the issue. During their inspections, they all raised concerns about the deck's permitting status with the township. They pointed out various safety issues in the construction that would never have passed inspection. Some even advised against using the deck altogether. Trying to figure out next steps, I went to the township office and discovered that the deck was never permitted. I remember asking about permits after the construction was completed, and I was assured that all the necessary paperwork had been taken care of. Regrettably, I trusted those words without requesting written confirmation. It was a mistake on my part, and now I find myself in this unfortunate situation. In an effort to resolve this matter without resorting to legal action, I have reached out to Patrick Henry Nicholson the CEO of Deckmasters. I sincerely hope that they will take responsibility for their work and help rectify the situation promptly and effectively.

  Business response

  07/17/2023

  Bbb

  i have alerted George to the problem 

  of his customer 

  he said he was not aware that the customer had a problem 

  he was not contacted 

  he since has made two phone calls to the customer 

  there was no answer 

  so he left messages both times offering to come out and see what the customer’s needs are 

  so far no return calls 

  he will continue to call till he gets 

  A hold of the customer to schedule a time to check out the problem 

  Thanks
  Pat

   

  Customer response

  07/17/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  No one has reached out to me.  I have no missed calls or voice mails. Please call me at ###-###-####
  
  Regards,
  ***** **********

• Initial Complaint

  04/24/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  There is a bow in the top railing of one section in our 'new' deck (purchased summer of 2021). The company was made aware of the issue last fall, and promised to stop by and fix it. However, to date, no fix has been applied. We only seek for the top railing to be straight and level.

  Business response

  04/24/2023

  This service call is already completed 

  Customer response

  04/24/2023

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  
  Regards,
  *** ***********

• Initial Complaint

  05/31/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have called Deckmasters at least 8times. They installed our deck 4/2012. The top of the railing is rotted. There is a floor board that is also rotted. I understand they are taking care of new construction. However, I would like someone to please call me back. I reached out to the man who originally installed my deck. This is no longer his area to service. May I please get some assistance? Thank you

  Business response

  07/07/2022

  This is the same problem that has been showing for many customers
  for all deck and remodeling builders for several years now,
  though-out the industry nationwide. We have answered this type of complaint many many times.
  The Government mandated ACQ Lumber, of approximately 10 years ago is the problem.
  This was when the fake scare that CCA lumber, with the tiny bit of arsenic in the treatment formula,
  would be a problem to the general health of consumers. Not True, In fact CCA is still being used in parts of the industry.
  This mandate was another government over board and over reach reaction.
  There was not proper testing as to ACQ being adequate for the wood preservation.
  

  This 10 Years ago was not known or published., and not know to us.
  DECKMASTERS paid full price for what was marked #1 Pressure treated materials.
  Now some or many wood lumbers are rotting with no rime or reason.
  The Lumber companies that produced these products, are now out of business.
  
  Many consumers contact us regarding this problem.
  Some were our customers, and some were not.
  They want to believe that, since DECKMASTERS has a
  Lifetime guarantee on our workmanship, that is to say,
  we build the decks properly and stand behind our construction method.
  Which we do, they want to also include the rotted material in our guarantee,
  Many expect us to drop what we are doing, and guarantee a product we did not produce.
  

  Many customers with this rot problem, choose the take that stance,
  that we are also responsible for the material guarantee of a 10 year old product.
  This material guarantee was to be covered by the manufacturer,
  and we clearly state this within our contract.
  
  Many consumers call repeatedly, Easy for them to do, as to think we are sitting in the office waiting for such calls.
  We are as short handed, as all companies are nationwide,
  and are working overtime try to keep on-top of our present job schedule.
  Phone calls keep coming into the answering machine non-stop.
  We have a friendly message on our machine regarding this total overload,
  making the point that we are trying to get back to as many as reasonably possible as soon as we can.
  This message is of course ignored. Each customer is of course #1 in their eyes.
  
  I will try to get to this customer, soon, We can only offer a Time and Material solution,
  with which many customers believe we are trying to take advantage of them.
  I have serviced many past customers with T+M project proposals,
  only to receive non-payment after our work completion.
  
  No more T+M payment after completion. Payment must be made up-front.
  
  Best,
  Pat N******** CEO
  DECKMASTERS Technologies Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  04/12/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have been trying to get a response since fall of 2021 from this company. I have called several times leaving messages for call back or to set up an appointment onsite to also discuss. Went to the location but no one available. We are a prior customer and started having issues with our decking. Looking to setup an appointment to have someone come and look at our issues or even discuss at their onsite location. Provide direction on repair. We do have a warranty with our project from original installation to repair issues that occur. Thank you for any direction you can provide.

  Business response

  04/13/2022

  We are disappointed to learn that *** ****** *s having difficulty contacting us and reaching resolution for this issue, and would like to help.
  
  By our available records, our office received two calls in mid/late October of 2021 from this client.
  Our notes show attempted return calls to ************ on 10/14 and 10/21 requesting more information with a note that a voice mail was left on 10/21. It sounds like this message didn’t reach the intended recipient.
  
  Our reference database does not have an entry for this client (nor their address), which is unfortunate but does happen occasionally with several years of paperwork being processed and archived. Our office was closed over December/January and no calls were returned at that time, and we haven’t found any more recent messages from *** ******* 

  It sounds like we're just not communicating effectively, and we would welcome the chance to do so about her deck and to gather more information about this project in order to assist them. As our office is not currently staffed full-time, a voice message to ************ or an email to sales@deckmasters.info are the most sure ways to reach us, and we assure every attempt will be made to respond and resolve in a timely manner.

*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. ↩