ComplaintsforThe Mold Pros of South Florida, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  01/23/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Jan 12th 2023 The Mold Pros were hired to perform mold remediation services in my home. The carpet and furniture was to be enzymatically treated and the old wooden tacking removed. TMPs removed and destroyed all my carpet approx **** square feet. They are refusing to accept responsibility and reimburse me to the value of a replacement carpet throughout. When I discovered this had happened, I wrote to the owner ******************* and his office manager ******** and told them not to run the balance of payment until this was resolved. They proceeded to take payment in full. ******************* has since been threatening and insulting in his correspondence. I was diagnosed with CIRS due to mycotoxin exposure. The stress of this situation is further impacting my health whilst I am in ****** caring for a frail parent. I tried to stop payment but ***** failed to stop it going through. ******************* was a poor communicator from the start. I have sent him a copy of my correspondence which clearly shows I did not want carpet removal but wanted it treated and was keeping the carpet. I signed the contract after that email and the contract does not involve removing/destroying my carpet which is relatively new. ***** team have left carpet debris and hundreds of exposed nails that are dangerous.

  Business response

  01/28/2023

  Jan 4th, *********************** asked that we perform a whole-house treatment for her property including removal of the carpet tack strip in the 3 carpeted rooms.  Her initial request was for the carpet to be separated from the water-damaged tack strip due to suspected microbial growth.   ************************ noted she had been planning to replace the existing carpeting with hard flooring due to health concerns.   She asked if this could be done by TMP instead of the flooring company.  It was explained that we could remove it or treat it as discussed.
  
  On Jan 5th, she sent an email stating that she wanted the carpet and the tack strips removed by The Mold Pros rather than treated & removed later indicating it was Safer for us to do it.  The additional costs for moving the furniture, removing the carpet and padding and disposing of the carpet amounted to $750.00. It is often recommended to replace carpeting with hard floors for individuals with CIRs as the carpeting can become a repository for contaminates.  This was noted on her file & scheduled for ******* 12th.
  
  On Jan 7th, ************************ sent an email stating she could not afford the carpet removal. We performed the whole house treatment including the non-carpeted rooms, walls, contents, etc. on the property on ******* 12th.   Unfortunately, with the multiple back-and-forth emails & phone calls, our production crew removed the carpet from the living room, guest bedroom and the master bedroom per her Jan 5th email request.
  
  Upon receiving her email complaint after services were completed regarding the carpet removal confusion, we offered to connect via Zoom to discuss the situation, but she declined stating she was on Holiday in *****.  She requested the remaining balance of her total invoice for all services rendered be waived to cover the costs of all new flooring that she had already planned to replace.  She was informed that we would look at an additional credit and requested documentation for the carpeting invoice & date of purchase (normal procedure in a claims process)to start a claim/damage report as per the signed agreement.  She indicated that she had been advised to not provide the requested documentation for the purchase of the carpet.  As of today, we are still awaiting documentation to start the claim process.  
  
  The photos attached show the condition of the flooring after treatment. The tack strip and nails were removed, and the floors were treated and vacuumed to remove any debris in preparation for her new flooring as was discussed in previous conversations.  The statement that hundreds of nails were left exposed is simply not accurate as evidenced by the pictures ************************ attached showing a very clean underflooring.   
  
  There remains an outstanding balance on her invoice, and we are awaiting the requested documentation to process her claim prior to collecting the final payment.   We wish nothing more than to move forward, but *********************** has not been willing to fill out the claim form & required documentation to start the resolution process.  
  

  Customer response

  01/31/2023

   
  Complaint: 18882156
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  The nails were not removed, only the tacking and the tacking, black with mold stain in the closet was not removed. I have paid my contractor to do this so am including her labor charge in my claim. I am also including the destruction of my mothers maple ashes urn, a favourite handbag and the full cost of replacing the carpet. I have had the previous supplier come out to measure and am submitting their new quote. The previous carpet is no longer available so they have quoted the most similar in weight, colour, texture and quality (Brightstone 1 Gem). The quote includes the under padding as per previous installation by them. This total is $5,350.34. They also were able to go back in their records and print my old receipt for the carpet that was removed. Dated: 7/20/2019. This cost and installation including under padding was $3,049.37. 

  Since Chase and Visas legal team have determined that 'The Mold Pros' are responsible for their mistake, they are going to award $3.325.75 back to me which leaves a balance of $2,024.59 owed to me. In addition, I am claiming $134.00 for contractor to remove dangerous mold-stained tacking from closet and to remove all nails (every six inches around entire perimeter - see new photos), touch up damaged paintwork; replacement value of handbag ****** $40.00, Maple urn $100.00. Total additional amount claiming: $2,298.59

  I am not able to upload more photos so will call BBB to ask how I can submit the following documents: Original carpet receipt; New carpet measure and quotation; photos of destroyed handbag and ashes urn. 

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

  Business response

  02/09/2023

  While we appreciate Ms. *********** response with pictures of other damages, they are irrelevant to this claim.  The purse, the urn & other incidental damages are not covered as per the terms and conditions of the agreement: TMP shall not reimburse Property Owner for any claims related to incidental damages.  For this reason, homeowners are given a pre-remediation checklist advising to remove any valuable items prior to Treatment.  Our patent-pending,clinically proven process to treat mold and mycotoxins requires atomizing &wiping items with our natural, non-toxic botanical enzymes which *** leave a residue that can be safely wiped off with damp cloth and clothes and linens can be normally laundered per normal manufacturers recommendations. Our process helps salvage items that *** otherwise be required to be thrown away due to mold or mycotoxin contamination. 
  Part of our process is to take pictures of all contents of the premises both pre & post remediation. In reviewing all the pictures, the urn, the blanket, nor the purse were present on the property during our Treatment.  
  The contract provides a 72-hour time frame to report all issues.  ************************ brought up the carpet removal confusion in an email the day after treatment which was immediately replied to with an attempt to discuss. No other concerns were claimed.  As stated earlier, she could not be bothered to discuss by phone or zoom call due to being on Holiday in *****.  ************** reviewed the phone calls & the emails and removed the cost of the carpet removal from her final bill as a goodwill gesture due to the misunderstanding. 
  This should have been the end of the issue, but *********************** emailed that not only would she not discuss it, but she was also demanding a $4000 credit immediately and threatened she would go to BBB and file a credit card dispute if she did not get her demand met.  TMP understood her intention to have the carpet removed either by her **************** or TMP, which brings confusion as to how she believes TMP is obligated to purchase new carpet. She had repeatedly in emails and recorded phone calls stated she was putting in hard surface flooring for health reasons. She stated she preferred TMP perform the carpet removal since there would be commercial equipment in place to filter the potential mold and/or mycotoxins that could be released into the home during the removal of the old carpet. Due to her health condition, this was important to her.
  There were 2 scopes of work options requested by ************************  First was detaching the carpet from the tack strips and removing the tack strips.  Leaving the carpet, padding & anchors to be removed by the Flooring Company.   The 2nd included removal of the carpet, pad & tack strips.  Removal of the anchors (nails) was not included in either scope.  This portion & the floor prep for new flooring would be provided by her Floor Installers.  
  TMP has not been notified by her bank for the credit card dispute as of this date. Per the signed agreement she agreed to not file a dispute for the convenience of paying with a credit card. She will be liable for that amount, fees, interest & collection costs as defined by the terms and conditions.  Non-payment for services rendered is a separate issue from any damage claims.
  Presenting the estimate for new carpet in her BBB response that includes the cost of removal & installation is not an accurate accounting of her loss.  The removal (included in the quote) has already been performed & the remaining items of anchor removal, floor preparation, installation of new flooring, etc. would be a cost she would bear regardless of who removed the contaminated carpet.   The appropriate accounting would be to determine the fair market value of the existing carpet.  Price paid minus depreciation for age, wear,and tear.   This is the normal process for a damage claim as outlined in the terms and conditions: Property Owner must inform TMP in writing of all damage claims within five days of termination of agreement or last day onsite (whichever is sooner) and must include proof of loss and the failure to comply with this requirement shall result in denial of the claim.  Damages are limited to the fair market value or replacement cost of an item, whichever is lower. Property Owner shall make all claimed damaged item(s)available for inspection and shall comply with the reasonable requirements of any insurance policy and TMP.
  ************************ was reminded of the claim provision per the contract and asked to provide the paid invoice for the existing carpet & the insurance claim form on the date of notification.  As of today, that has not been received stating she has been advised otherwise not to provide any documentation. The cost of the original carpeting she has indicated as $3500, $4000 & now $5000. The amount seems to be a moving target. The estimates she submitted in her BBB response for the original purchase show multiple revisions with the final amount shown as $836.63 on page 2 (hidden behind page 1).  If she truly wants to resolve this fairly she would submit the final paid invoice not sheets of paper where she has manipulated the final pricing. TMP wants nothing more than a fair resolution and has conveyed that message from the start having already credited her for the full cost of the carpet removal & treatment of the subflooring.  We can move forward with the claim once the actual paid invoice & damage claim form is received.  
  

  Customer response

  02/10/2023

   
  Complaint: 18882156
  
  I am rejecting this response because: It is full of accusations that are simply untrue. The paperwork is legitimate and printed directly from *********** systems. There are many, many pages but I have provided the original final total and the new quote costs. I was on holiday for five days out of three months with an ailing parent. ******************* is clearly manipulating everything I say or have said and I am simply providing the evidence. If he refuses to recompense me for the full cost of the new carpet I will litigate adding in the full extent of TMPs failure to properly remediate my property, as per my last email to you ****. There are so many aspects of this latest response that I dispute that it is too great to add here. I have supplied what was asked of me and ******************* is trying to avoid responsibility for his mistake. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************************

• Initial Complaint

  02/09/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We paid $10,866.04for The Mold Pros to remove mold from our bathrooms and then remediate (fog with enzyme, wipe down, vacuum) our home, as my son has an immune disorder and mold spores and the mycotoxins they produce cause him to become seriously ill. They came on 1/20. On 1/27, we started moving back in and my son went to the bathroom and became ill. When I walked into his bathroom, I could smell mold. I looked under the corner of the laminate floor and there was visible mold. I evacuated the kids back to a hotel and called TMP. The next day, a tech came by to treat the mold, but didn't have the tools to fully remediate the house, so they said they'd be back in 5 days. When he came, he treated the mold, but refused to re-clean the home, despite the fact that the moldy area hd been exposed to my son's bedroom, kitchen, and basement. I called the boss, and she told me the rest of the house was fine, there was no need to remove-clean. I called corporate and spoke with Damon C. He yelled at me, told me my son couldn't be reacting to any mold in the house, and that his dr was giving me wrong information. He then hung up on me. I spoke with the VP, who I informed we'd found yet another visible 2x4 with mold that they missed. He told me that while he was sure it would put my mind at ease to re-treat our home, they would not do it. Last night, I used the link they sent me to leave a 1-star google review and write about my experience. An hour later, I received an email telling me if I don't take the review down in 72 hours, I will be fined $500 per day, as per our contract. I also went back and listened to a voicemail they left me a couple weeks ago and they offered to put me in a drawing for $100 if I left them a 5-star review. Do I have to remove my review? I chose them for my son's health based on the reviews I read. Now I know why they were all positive.

  Business response

  03/04/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 7, 2022/02/14) */ The Mold Pros was contracted to perform mold remediation at the client's residence. The mold remediation was completed on 1/20/2022. The agreed scope of work was completed and the client signed the acceptance of completion indicating the work was performed to her satisfaction. Independent laboratory analysis confirmed the mold was remediated and the home was returned to a normal fungal ecology. At that point, the project was finished. After the project was completed, the homeowner removed a laminated floor tile in a bathroom and discovered discoloration she assumed was mold. Since the tile flooring was removed after our remediation and subsequent lab clearance, this normally would have been a billable event. Despite the completion of the project, TMP went back out and treated the area of concern at no charge to the client. The client has since requested that we treat her entire home again. The is not a reasonable request. The area of concern was treated at no costs and we have gone above and beyond for this client. The laboratory data and her signed completion certificate confirm the project was completed per the scope of work. Attached please find the executed agreement / scope of work, laboratory analysis and signed acceptance of work. We are not willing to adjust the billing as the work was performed and the additional work in the area of concern was treated at no costs. Consumer Response /* (3000, 9, 2022/02/14) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) While this company leads you to believe that they rely on "third party testing," they actually send one of their own technicians to do the air sampling and the results are sent directly to them. I was NOT aware of this when I paid for their services as that is a MAJOR conflict of interest. Claims that they went "above and beyond" are baseless, as mold was visibly evident in 2 areas we specifically asked them to treat. The technician who came back out to remove what he missed acknowledged it was mold and treated it as such. Our source of disagreement only arose when we were told we would have to wait 3 weeks to re-treat the house. Finally, I question the legality and ethics of having a clause within a contract that forbids customers from leaving an honest review about the company's work. I specifically chose this company based on the many positive reviews and lack of negative reviews. If they charge you $500 per day to leave an honest negative review, but offer to put you in a drawing for $100 for a 5-star review, that keeps consumers from having any idea of what kind of work they really do or the dissatisfaction of their clients. For an almost $11,000 service, consumers deserve to A) not be left with visible mold in the exact areas being treated B) not be misled about 3rd party testing, and C) have access to honest reviews of other customers who have used their services. Business Response /* (4000, 11, 2022/02/23) */ Mrs. **** has 3 complaints: A) The area of concern she discovered after removing the floor tile after the remediation. Although this would outside the additional scope, TMP treated the area of concern at no cost to her on February 2nd, 2022. This concern is addressed and resolved. B) She indicates she was mislead on 3rd party testing. The signed agreement indicates "Post-remediation verification (post-testing) is not required but strongly recommended. Testing must be conducted by an independent, nationally accredited laboratory utilizing a TMP approved sampling protocol. Post-remediation testing must be conducted within forty-eight to seventy-two hours of project completion. If an independent company is needed for post-remediation verification, it is the clients' responsibility to make the arrangements". She initialed this section, post testing was conducted by Daane Laboratory on January 26th. She requested TMP to take the samples. The attached scope of work shows her agreement and initials in this section. This concern is addressed in the contract. C) Her posting online reviews - Mrs. **** agreed to the terms and conditions of our scope of work / agreement prior to start of the project. All parties are to abide by the legal agreement. This issue is addressed per the signed agreement. Mrs. **** categorized her complaint as a service issue. The laboratory results and the subsequent spot treatment confirm services met (and went above ) the scope of services for which she paid. We offered to perform a whole house atomization at no costs which she declined. She became abusive to our technician who was onsite February 2nd. This offer still stands as long as Mrs. **** is not present at the home at the time of the treatment. The offer will remain open until February 28th, 2022 at which time we will close her file. Consumer Response /* (3000, 13, 2022/02/23) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) A.) We found 2 areas of mold growth after treatment. One was under a lift up piece of vinyl on the floor specifically where we paid more to have the technician check. The other area was a 2x4 in plain sight on the downstairs bathroom ceiling. B) The contract leads one to believe that this testing, if chosen, will be done by a 3rd party being sent to the residence. Again, the same technician came to do the testing that came to remove (and missed) the mold. AND the results were sent to TMP, not to me. C) They are correct that I signed the contract agreeing not to leave negative reviews. My question here is the legality of such a clause within a contract under the Consumer Review Fairness Act. Again, consumers have a right to know honest reviews, as I never would have hired them if I had read the review I left. And, again, I have a recording of them offering me to be entered to win $100 for a 5 star review. Now, over a month after misrepresenting themselves, yelling at me, telling me they weren't interested in hearing my concerns and hanging up on me, and dragging my family through this ordeal they have decided that I was "abusive." I very much disagreed with the tech and called his supervisor, then when we made no progress, my husband and I told him to drive home safely as a winter storm was coming. We even offered to help him clean the house so he could leave faster. I am tired of this companies attempts to intimidate me. I am trying to get my son healthy after they caused him to be reexposed to mold abd made him ill. Other consumers have a right to know what they have put us through.

*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. ↩