ComplaintsforAmerican Carpet Cleaning & Restoration

• Initial Complaint

  05/22/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  American Restoration charged me for 4/men for 3/days of work to remove insulation and siding from my manufacured home beginning on February 2, 2023. I was staying in a hotel. The work was due to flooding of my home after a Major Disaster declaration by the President and our Governor. I didn't receive the invoice for two months and when I got it, there were a lot of mistakes. He was paid $10,000 ($5,000 by check, $5,000 in cash per his request) and given a post-dated check for the balance. For example; it said Replace Insulation instead of Remove Insulation; the dates were wrong, etc. There was no back-up documentation provided and when I spoke with my insurance company, they said they would not accept it with mistakes and without the backup documentation (photographs and moisture meter readings). B** *******, the owner, had told me from the initial meeting that he had worked with insurance companies for decades. So did the contractor that referred him. When I told him that I needed these, he promised to get them to me. I have asked him several times and he never got anything to me. He stopped returning emails and phone calls. I watched my Ring Videos and found out that there were never 4 men at my house. There were 3 men on 1 day and 2 on another day for only two days work. It has been over four months and I have now had to threaten legal recourse. I am 68 years old. He took advantage of a senior during a dire situation and my home is still in disarray with no end in sight due to comments and false statements he has since made to my insurance company. I have had to contact the DA's office for help.

  Business response

  05/29/2023

  I have reviewed the complaint, I have corrected the estimate and going to give R****** ****** a credit / refund as a resolution. 

  Customer response

  06/02/2023

  
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  After 7 written requests and numerous verbal requests to B** ******* for a corrected invoice/statement AND photos to submit to my flood insurance company so that I can get reimbursed, it wasn't until he got notification from BBB that I was reqesting a refund due to fraud that he responded.  I have attached photos that he finally sent as well as one of the emails that they were attached to.  You can see in the email that he is blaming on of his employees for the lack of photos showing the actual undercarriage of my manufactured home.  There are no photos of the damaged insulation, either.  This makes me wonder if there was any damaged insulation!  Did I have to go through any of this?  I am still living in a home with no insulation under it and no siding and until I have evidence from Mr. S****** proving that all of this was necessary, I cannot get reimbursed, nor will my insurance do any of the additional repairs needed to my home.  He has left me in a terrible place financially with no means to move forward with what needs to happen with getting my life back in order prior to him tearing everything apart.

  The invoice he recently provided still has the wrong entry date and was hastily put together without referencing any of the emails that I sent with the details.  He is simply trying to keep his BBB rating.  He doesn't care about what he did to me.  

  I referenced my Ring videos and let Bob know that I caught him trying to cheat me (using different words and giving him an opportunity to still make things right).  I told him we needed to meet and that I stoped payment on a check unti we could work things out.  His response (in writing) was "That was a lot of work in a confined area."  

  I am working with the District Attorney's office and I have a list of things that I am to complete for them.  One of which is to report Mr. S****** to the California's State Contractors License Board - he does not have a contractors license.  In fact, he does not have a business license.  Shame on me for trusting the contractor that referred him to me and not doing my homework.  I do have to show myself some grace, because I was living in a declared disaster and I guess I had a pretty big target on my back.

  Mr. S****** even went so far as to act like he cared when my dog almost died from eating something that washed up in my yard and had to have major surgery while I was living at a hotel.  

  There has to be a history of problems.  The Fictious Business Name is registered to his girlfriend that he lives with and owns a home with - Bernadette Burpee.

  I owuld like to add that on March 24th he entered my home again (a prior arrangement made with my insurance company) to enter the attic space to see if there was moisture in the attic and insulation.  While in the guest room, he took it upon himself, with no prior authorization, to remove the flooring in that bedroom!  When confronted he said "you always wanted it removed."  OMG!  We had talked about the flooring being damaged in the flood but he knew that would all have to be approved by my flood insurance before anything could be done.  Now he says if I accept this deal and sign a General Release, he will replace the flooring he took out without authorization.  When I asked about it a second time, he said from his email "Rebecca,
  I am trying my best to resolve this matter, I offered to pay for the flooring and baseboard that was removed that is not our responsibility.What exactly is it you want for a Resolution.   Thank You.
  Sent from my iPhone"

  So he admits that he removed it, he's offering to replace it IF I sign a release and accept his hush money, but it's not his respnosibility?  Well, if you can make sense of that please give me a call.

  No - I do not accept his offer and I will be pursuing every legal avenue with the DA's office to prosecute him to the fullest so he can never take advantage of anyone again.

  Regards,
  
  R****** ******
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  

  Business response

  06/11/2023

  Ms R****** ****** was satisfied with the completion of work when our company finished her job. She signed the certificate of satisfaction. We are still in the process of working out a resolution with her. 

  Customer response

  06/13/2023

  
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
   - Bob was supposed to return the Certificate of Satisfaction to me when he was paid by me
   - Bob was paid $10,000, not $15,494.77 - $5,000 by check and $5,000 in cash per his request "because the IRS is after me"
   - Please explain what a "duly appointed Restoration Contractor" is.  In my more educated opinion, it is a way to fraud people that don't know to ask if it means if they have a California Contractors License.  He does not.  He further states"I hereby certify that al work performed and materials supplied by the contractor in accordance . . .". Again, he is NOT licensed as a Contractor and misrepresented himself.

  We are not working together to find a resolution.  All communications with B** ******* and any of his associates have stopped.  I am working with the District Attorneys office in San Luis Obispo County for resolution.  I ask that BBB take this matter seriously and understand the severity of what has transpired.  You only need to read the documents provided by Mr. S****** himself to see the fraud.

  Regards,
  
  R****** ******
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  

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