Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  02/10/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I am from Canada and I have a home in ******** Beach which I enjoy in the winter. I approached Ocean Breeze Exterior Remodeling in early November, 2021, after friends recommended them. I wanted to renovate my Carolina Room. Materials were not ordered until January 2022 and did not arrive by the end of March. I left them with a post dated cheque for $4500, which they were happy to accept. They were to call me at the end August, but I finally had to call them. They had lost all of my paperwork including the cheque. I went to their office with a new cheque on November 2, 2022. Work started on November 7th. They were here for a total of 5 hours. The friend who had recommended them came over to look at what they had done. She apologized profusely. Cocking was missing from the top 5 inches of the windows. Exterior/interior trim was not done and windows had cocking all over them, which I am still cleaning. My front storm door had never been ordered. Two different men arrived that week to install sliding doors and paint the floor. I noticed damage to the glass, which I called about with no response. ***** ******, the owner and an employee returned November 16 to complete cocking, trim and install a fan. The work was poor at best. The trim was still not done and the fan rattled. I showed ***** the damage to the glass, and he said it wasn't right. They left without telling me or offering a solution to the problem. After not hearing from them for a month I left a message that I no longer required their services. I had 3 calls from ***** and a visit to my door the next day. I ignored them. I asked for an itemized invoice which I still have not received after 7 weeks. They sent one without prices, other than the total amount. I do not plan to pay for a door that I did not receive or the damaged sliding doors. I hired someone to repair the fan and finish the trim. I spent hours cleaning up their mess. There is more information that should be shared but words are limited.

  Business response

  02/10/2023

  Thank you BBB for trying to help us resolve this issue.

  This is ***** ****** ** answering. I am an independant contractor and also the son of the owner. I am not employed by Ocean Breeze Exterior Remodeling (OBER) as a W2 employee. I have full authorization from the owner of OBER to negotiate and settle this issue.

  When Ms ****** brought in a third party friend to help her with this issue (see further explanation below), I was asked by OBER to do the same on their part. I've tried my best to resolve this issue with the customer, but without any success.

  As OBER was nearing completion on this project, the customer asked them to stop work, cease all communications, and not to visit the jobsite.

  They complied and opened up communications via phone and email. Then she asked them to not communicate with her any further, but to communicate through her friend Ms Samson. OBER complied with this as well. This was when I was asked to take over for OBER and hopefully mediate an amicable solution.

  Since taking over, I have attempted to comply with every request for information, but each time, another request was sent back to me. Some of them were a little bizarre, but I still tried to do what she asked. At one point I was asked to supply a breakdown of materials and labor, and I sent over a computerized breakdown of such. Ms ****** then responded back with a rough handwritten list of materials as an example, and said that's what she expected. My breakdown was completed with our company software where we track such things and actually had quite a lot more detail than the example she said she wanted. When I asked for more clarification on this, she refused to follow up with me any further.

  I also asked via email for clarification on what she was unhappy about, what work she had other contractors perform, and any other information she could supply toward the claims she has made. My intention with that request was to hopefully mediate the remainder of the balance and settle peacefully. I'm perfectly fine taking a lesser amount, and I told her so, but I need to know what to base that on, but she refuses to supply that information.

  I also need to see what materials we installed that have not been modified or changed by another contractor so I can register those warranties. Until I do so, the products cannot be warrantied as properly installed by the manufacturer. 

  My only goal here is to find a common middle ground where we can part ways, and I won't be a bother to her any longer. I hope you at the BBB can help in this regard. At the moment, we have already contracted an attorney, and if this issue persists longer, we will be forced to pursue collections in court. I would much rather mediate or arbitrate this matter and avoid all that hassle for both of us.

  I am at your service in this matter BBB. If you have any questions or need anything from me, please don't hesitate to ask.

  Thank you.

  ***** ** ******

  Customer response

  03/06/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: It is not  honest. I have been waiting for an itemized invoice for over 2 months. I received a copy of the quote and the downpayment, only. I sent a handwritten list of invoice I wanted as ***** jr. claimed not to know what I wanted. I have not received the front door. Sliding doors are damaged. Quality of work is poor. Please read my original complaint. It is now 15 months since I first contacted Ocean Breeze.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****a ******

  Business response

  03/06/2023

  This is ***** ** ******, speaking on behalf of Ocean Breeze Exterior Remodeling. I've been asked by the owner (my father) to mediate this matter.

  I've attempted several times to negotiate this matter with Ms ******, without any success. 

  I would also like to point out that I've already responded as quickly as possible to several BBB compaints on the same matter. Each time Ms ****** sees that the case has been closed by the BBB, she sends off another complaint. I feel that at this point she is using the BBB as a public complaint forum and that the BBB has been remiss in their duties of assisting with the issue and is complicit in providing a public forum to air grievances more than anything else.

  As to the most recent complaint from Ms ******:

  I provided an itemized invoice upon request.

  I also provided a contract signed by Ms ******.

  I asked Ms ****** for further documentation regarding any damages or unfinished work so that I could fairly negotiate a lesser amount, but she has yet to provide that for me.

  I am still waiting on a counter-response to my settlement offer, but Ms ****** chose rather to address this again in the public BBB ofrum rather than respond to my offer.

  Customer response

  03/07/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I have not received an itemized invoice and do not know prices. I did not receive the storm door. The sliding doors are damaged. I paid to have someone else complete the job. The "invoice" sent to me shows no deductions for the above. It is an estimate. I have offered a further $2000 which is more than generous for the work done.

  Any business is required to provide an itemized invoice. I have never had to ask for one before

   

   

   

   
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****a ******

*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. ↩