Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  10/30/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We hired EnviroGo Asbestos Solutions, Lansing MI chapter, to remove asbestos floor tiles and mastic adhesive in our basement. They contracted Go Green Contracting out of ******* to do the work. The result was horrible and unprofessional. The workers tracked hazardous material into our upstairs, smeared hazardous mastic on our walls and doors, and ruined flooring that was not slated to be removed. They disposed of mastic in our sump pit, breaking our primary sump, back-up sump, and clogging the pipes. When I called and sent pictures to the owner, ********, he was belittling and condescending, and called me combative. I then had my husband talk to him, and suddenly he was very apologetic and accommodating. He sent the original crew and supervisor back out the next morning, with an additional third party supervisor. That new supervisor was astounded by the condition the crew left our home in. They then spent an entire day attempting to clean up the mess. While they improved, they did not ***** the problem, and we are now having to pay for another asbestos removal company to fix their work and remove additional flooring that they tracked asbestos containing mastic onto. We have to paint our basement walls to encapsulate the mastic they smeared all over, and we have to replace wood paneling and doors that they ruined. They covered the cost of our plumbing repairs, calling it a discount. Fixing what they broke is not a discount.

  Business response

  11/05/2024

  **********, EnviroGo Asbestos Solutions, was contracted to complete the following scope of work:

  Remove all accessible asbestos tile + mastic from basement (2 rooms totaling 450 SF and a *********************** the laundry room). Any irremovable mastic will be encapsulated. Final air clearance will be provided.

  This job presented major and unforseen complications that we did everything in our power to remedy.  ********** is fully licensed to conduct asbestos removal in the state of Michican and carries all of the required insurances.  Our contracts are thorough and comprehensive.  ********** is reputable and highly rated both on ****** and AngiLeads.

  After a long and difficult 1st day on the job, and after receving the homeowners complaints (that I felt we more than fair), I had a crew sent back to the property the following day to address the issues.  The scope of work was completed.  All accessible/removable tile + mastic was removed from the designated areas, and all accessible/irremovable mastic was sealed.  Final air clearance was provided and the homeowners air came back clear and safe as expected.  We offered the client a $735 dollar discount on the project to cover the cost of damage that came as a direct result of the asbestos remediation and I was happy to do so (this was a curteousy and an offering that based on our agreement I did not need to provide).

  The hiring of an additional abestos company was not disclosed.  The need to paint the basement, replace the wood panelling and doors was not disclosed.  The client made no effort to resolve these issues directly with my business and I have been completely blindsided by this complaint with the BBB.

  Our contract with the client speaks in detail to the damages that can result from asbestos removal and the client signed that contract.

  Again, my company is licensed, insured, and followed all regulations required by both state and federal to complete our scope of work.  The air is clean and the space is safe.  These unforseen complications are understandly frustrating for the client and if I had known they would arise I would have never taken on this project.  If the client came directly to me with these issues, and compensation requests, I would have been more than happy to work through it with them.  But they did not.  **********'s obligation to this client has been fulfilled and they client has paid their balance.

  Please advise on any next steps.

  Customer response

  11/06/2024

  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.
  
  Im am unclear on how this was a difficult job with unforeseen challenges, as the owner states. I was upfront about the scope of work ahead of time, sending pictures of the areas to the owner prior to scheduling and signing the contract. At no point was I told there were concerns about the difficulty of the task at hand. I was told there was a chance that some black mastic could be left behind, and that it could be encapsulated. To be clear, we have not complained about any mastic they were not able to remove. The owner later told my husband after the day of remediation work that he never should have quoted the job, and that is 100% correct. As to us not raising our concerns or dissatisfaction with the company, at the conclusion of day 2, the second ******* on the job, ****, told us that the damage to the walls and furnace was as good as it was going to get, and there was nothing else they could do to remove the hazardous materials they had splashed on numerous walls and our furnace.
  
  Regards,
  
  ****** ******

  Business response

  11/07/2024

  To address the lack of clarity surrounding how this was a difficult job with unforseen challenges: Yes, you were upfront about the scope of work, and yes, you did send pictures per our request.  You were not informed of any concerns regarding the project's difficulty, because we did not anticipate any difficulites.  As I have metioned, this was an unusual circumstance, and the issues that your basement presented were unforseen, and were only discovered on the day of the project.  The mastic in your basement was in a condition that made it extremely difficult to remove using ordinary and standard chemical methods.  This is complex and nuanced, not black and white.  And because of the method of communication that you have chosen here, you have not given me the opportunity to explain these elements to you in a more productive and clear way, on a phone call.

  If I was a business owner that was ignoring your calls, and disregarding your requests and feelings, I would totally understand you taking your frustrations to an organization like the BBB to get my attention.  But on the contrary, I have been beyond reachable and responsive.  Not only that, I have been the party trying to contact you!  Additonally, after we completed your project, you asked that my company cover the cost of your sump pump replacement.  I responded with an immediate yes, no questions asked!  Again, I would understand you taking your case to a organization like the BBB if you were dealing with a business owner rejecting your compensation requests and concerns.  But I have done nothing but show complete willingness to work with you.  You were the one to decide to cut off communication and operate this way.  You are the one who has decided to attack my business, both via the BBB and via a disparaging review on Google.  You, ******, have been combative.

   

  I point you to section 3.2 of our agreement which speaks to property damage.

  I point you to section 9 of our agreement which speaks to indemnity.

  I point you to section 15 of our agreement which speaks to subcontractors.

  I also point you, and the BBB, back to ******, and ***** leads, to look at my organizations countless 5 star reviews, with your 0 star review embedded as the total outlier.

   

  Amidst this all, I still extend to you the opportunity to reach out to me with a phone call anytime, to discuss anything you want to cover, as I do to all my current and former clients.

*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. ↩