Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  12/01/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  This past monday 11/14 *** came over with his son to do a job for me. My tenant left 135+ nails in the wall and I asked him to remove them and paint them. I left him with the multiple paint cans they. had left me and asked if he would be able to match them and he said he would and I didn't need to stay while he did the job. I came back and multiple walls - almost all the house had the wrong color pain.When I said "You ruined my house" He said you provided the paint and it's your fault. He said the paint was old and it was my fault. He said he should be paid for the nail work when I said he should be compensating me. I not knowing better gave him that money but didn't pay him for the paint work.I had contractors come to see how much it would cost to repair his work and it will be in the thousands. He offered to return the nail money when I asked for it. However wrote a text messaging me saying I gave the wrong paint - saying he used the paint as labeled and it hadn't been dated so he isn't responsible for the old paint used. So today I went looked through all the paint i had given him and it was dated (and his son himself pointed that out when I was upset so I knew to look for the date - which is right on top of the can lid) and I found all the correct colors easily - and I don't know anything about this stuff. He not only painted a white wall gray in places, but painted ************* light, the yellow wall dark, the white with blue tint wall gray and darker blue, the blue wall the wrong color again. I'ts ridiculous! The entire house is done wrong. I have taken bids and want him to pay for the repair and he just wants to spot fix - which still leaves my walls looking bad now - it needs a full wall done in each area to look right. Also why would I want someone who messed up so bad to come and "fix" my wall when he is still saying it's my fault. He needs to pay for fixing his mistake since it's clearly his. i can provide pictures as needed.

  Business response

  12/13/2022

  Dear BBB Resolution Specialist,
  I was hired by ******************* on November 14, 2022, ********************************************************. The client hired my company, Ronco Drywall, to remove 135 nails from her walls and spot paint them. I was accompanied by my stepson. As part of our preparation for the project, ************ supplied us with numerous cans of paint that was left by the previous owners/tenants. There were dabs of paint on the lids of the cans that indicated the color in the can, dates of purchase (2017), and some of the cans were labeled with specific locations in the home, including two that were labeled rec room. As I explained to her and to all my customers, if you wish to have something painted, it is the customer's responsibility to supply me with the paint, which she did. Upon pointing out that these colors look off, she said, "it doesn't matter, I'm planning to paint them all white." ************ then asked me for an estimate to paint her walls white, I told her it would be around $1,000 a room. In her opinion, that was too much and she'd get her painter to do it instead. When we started the touch up work, my son and I noticed the colors weren't right, as we were matching per paint dabbed on the lid compared to the wall.  I've done several jobs where the paint dries differently than when wet. Once the job had been completed, we examined the areas that had completely dried, and it quickly became apparent that the colors did not match, although the lids had been labeled. Upon her return, ************ inspected the job and expressed her dissatisfaction. I was also not satisfied with the way the paint dried. According to me, we completed what she requested, the paint was supplied by her, per labeled lids. There is no way this could have been my fault entirely; I informed her that she did not have to pay me the $350, or she could pay me what she considered a fair amount.  ************ wrote me a check for $350 and we parted ways. We conversed back and forth a few more times during the week regarding a faucet that wasnt installed in a bathroom, which I installed for no charge and she requested an invoice for the nail repair work.. She contacted me on Saturday, November 19, 2022 requesting a refund. I informed her that I would refund the $350. I wrote the check on 11/21 and mailed it on 11/22 to the address listed above. In our text communication, I offered to return and paint her walls if she purchased the paint. It is my preference to resolve conflicts between my customers if they should arise, however these occurrences are very rare, as is evidenced by my customer reviews. Despite my attempts to resolve the conflict with ************, she became defensive and said she did not want me in her home. As a small business owner, I take pride in my work, I have received excellent reviews, and I am highly recommended by repeat customers. 
  I want to emphasize that, as I reflect on the conversation I had with ************ before she left on November 14, I explained that the colors did not seem to match. It is something that I think about a lot, as well as the fact that she does not wish me to enter her house and the statement she made regarding painting everything white. It makes me wonder if she hired her painter to paint the walls she had already planned to repaint and is trying to get me to reimburse her. In the past, I have encountered customers who have purchased the incorrect color, disliked the color they purchased, or changed their minds after purchasing, but I have never come across a customer such as ************. It is my goal to ensure that my customers are satisfied with my services and that warranty work is provided, as a good business would never deliberately cause their customers to be dissatisfied. Please feel free to request copies of all correspondence between ************ and me. 
  Please let me know how I can further assist in the investigation.
   
  Thank you,
  *****************
  ************
  ***************************
  Ronco Drywall, LLC
   
  

  
  

  Customer response

  12/13/2022

   
  Complaint: 18443463
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  1) he did not tell me the colors didnt match. In fact told me not to worry, he would match the colors with the multiple paint cans I left him. 
  2) he called midway to say one room didnt have a matching color and I said dont paint it. 
  3) he told me since I provided the wrong paint I should pay him the 350 for the nail removal. 
  4)I have not received the check to date 

  5) there is no rec room in the house. so the paint labeled that was possibly for an older version of the house but there were no labels on any of the other paint and I can provide the paint cans as proof. So he just matched wrong - used dark yellow for the light yellow room, gray for the white, blue and gray for the white with blue tinged room, light gray for the dark gray room and aqua and gray for the white with blue mixed in room. Later I was able to match every one to perfection but the damage he did cant be repaired without repainting all the walls- now spot paint wont work. So I have a 10k bill. 
  6) I am getting bids in backsplash, kitchen counters, flooring to see what I need to budget in the future. Just cause I asked for a bid doesnt mean that its ok to ruin my house and then tell me I can get it fixed for **** each room. And he gave the bid after the damage not before. As for the faucet repair - yes ge attached a shower faucet and didnt not charge me for the two minutes it took him to do that. I appreciate that but it doesnt counter the 10k he is costing me. 
  6) I need to be compensated for the damage - since it actually has caused me to spend money. 
  7) he said he would repair some but didnt guarantee the work and offers to spot paint and not paint all the walls but all the contractors say at this point spot paint wont work. So his proposed  fix isnt a fix at all. 

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

  Business response

  01/07/2023

  I reject *********************** response.

  
  1, ************ own words she states "In fact told me not to worry, he would match the colors with the multiple paint cans I left him". As a result, I matched the paint with the cans she left me. I would like to emphasize the phrase "she left me".

  
  2. The colors appear to be off to me, as I explained to her.

  
  3. She was informed that she did not need to pay me the $350.00, or she could pay me whatever she thought was fair since I had removed the 135 nails from her walls. The check was written by her.

  
  4. I have written two checks so far, but neither have cleared the bank. The first check was mailed through **** regular mail, but it is not tracked. As for the second check, it was mailed certified and is waiting for her to pick it up from ****. Please find attached the tracking information.

  
  5. It would be impossible for me to determine the previous layout of the home; I only know what was labeled on the paint can. I reject her claim that this could not have been repaired by spot repairs, and that all the cans were perfectly matched. To match the colors, I used the paint cans she brought to me. I was not provided the opportunity to return and repaint the room. In text message/conversations, I offered to return to the house and perform the repair if she provided me with the correct paint. As a result, she elected to have a $10K paint job.

  
  6. Regardless of whether she has made any other requests for bids, which I am unaware of, I can only speak to the conversation between ************ and myself. I have already shared this information in my previous statement. In advance of touching up the paint, I informed her that these colors did not appear to be a perfect match. She responded, "it doesn't matter, I'm planning to paint them all white" and then requested a quotation. Performing a job and intentionally damaging someone's walls would not be in my best interest. With regard to the faucet, it was a nice gesture on my part, and not intended to counter the unknown $10k she claims is mine.

  
  7. My messages indicate that I am willing to return and paint. As a result, she did not provide me with the opportunity and pursued another avenue for the walls. The assumption I have is that she has white walls throughout her home, since this is what she intended to do based on her comment before my nail removal and repair. Contractors are biased, they want work, and they will tell customers what they want to hear or what they should do to gain work by exploiting the ignorance of uninformed homeowners.

  
  I have refunded the $350.00 to her not once, but twice, using the addresses she provided. Aside from that, I was willing to return and paint the walls if she supplied me with new paint.

   

  Best Regards,

  *****************
  Ronco Drywall, Inc.
  ***************************

  Customer response

  01/14/2023

   
  Complaint: 18443463
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  
  

  The fact is he damaged my walls. I provided him with about 20 cans of paint. I asked it I needed to pick out the color or if he could match them. He said he could match them. There were two yellow. He used the wrong one and said the right one wasn't present but a few days later I went to confirm if what he was saying what true, found the correct colors and showed him via email that I was able to correctly. match every one of the colors.  He left on some walls two different colored paints. He offered to touch up the areas that he had ruined but there was so much damage the entire walls needed to be repainted.  Even the white he did, he did gray in areas and he used the wrong white so it flashed everywhere and those walls needed to be redone as well.  

  
  

  I have now received the 2nd check and will be cashing shortly.  I never got the first one but at least he sent the second.  

  
  

  An honest person would have offered to repaint the entire wall of every wall he ruined, but since this meant the entire house of course he wasn't willing to do it. 

  Is the house now white, yes, but the same white it was before - so I had to repaint all the white walls white again because of the flashing and gray paint and why in the world would I pay for paint to paint every wall in every room the matching color (remember every wall needed a retouch up) and then later pay for white paint. The right thing would have been for him to pay for the paint for the walls he ruined since why should I have to pay for. the paint when I didn't ruin the walls he did and I didn't have enough paint present to repaint the walls.  

  
  

  Gettting a bid does not equate to saying you can ruin my walls.  I never told him to use the wrong paint, again, I asked him if he couild match them.  He messed up. If he would have just admitted it and offered to repaint all the walls he ruined properly instead of saying I gave him the wrong paint I wouldn't be so upset.  But first he yelled at me when I said I needecd compensation for what he did and said it was my fault because I didn't provide the paint. But the truth was it was his fault, he didn't look through all the paint I provided. If he had, he would have like me found it.  

  
  

  And he kepts forgetting to mention he told me that he should get paid for the nails removed since the paint was my fault.  I am glad he paid back the 350 but that doesn't compensate for the destruction to my house.  Some thing needs to be done about that.  He needs to offer something for that.  

  
  

  Ive attached what he did. I think anyone looking at it sees that nonprofessional should leave your walls looking like that. When I asked why did you paint so many blobs without spot checking he had no valid response. Also he painted darker colors on my walls for the most part (all except the gray) and what I saw is that the paint darkens when I matched it correctly not lighten so he should have known from each initial mistake that he had the wrong color. I just cant fathom a professional doing this and not offering any compensation for the immense damage he did. Its ridiculous and sad that there is no accountability. I chose him because he seemed on his reviews to want to make things right whenever he messed up so I thought I could trust him to be honest.
  

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

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