ComplaintsforMidwest Storm Shelters

• Initial Complaint

  11/02/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  April 10 2024 I paid in full by check for storm shelter. The install date changed 3 times. After many unanswered phone calls. I canceled the contract which I signed. After waiting for my refund minus ****** fee for 2 months I got nervous about not getting my refund. I called to see if they would just install. They said yes. Currently I have no shelter or my refund. I am having to sell my property & move in with my children due to unforseen circumstances. I explained this to him in August and that the contract is void. He refuses to give me refund until he sells the unit. I informed him I am 61 & live on a fixed income and I need my refund. I can no longer communicate with Mr ****** because he is very aggressive and it causes me to become distressed. Please help me. Email is *************************** Thank you so much

  

  Business response

  11/04/2024

  If the customer contacted us, we missed their call and they did not leave a message.  We have not had any downtime or communication difficulties.  We returned the customer's voice mail, the first day we received it.  The customer is also local and could have stopped by the office to voice concern.

  The install schedule is outlined in the agreement.  The customer was notified that the date given was a "target date" and could change.  They signed the agreement stating they understood that.  

  The customer did cancel the week before we were to install and was made aware of that.  The contract was not cancelled at that time.  The contract is complete when the shelter they purchased is sold to another party.  That was also agreed upon in the contract.

  Customer called back later and decided that they wanted to continue with their purchase.  The contract was never cancelled nor fulfilled. 

  She is correct, we will not give a refund until the shelter sells.  She was notified last week that we had a potential buyer this week.

  As far as communicating with Mr. ******* he has been very cordial in his emails.  Especially considering the disrespect put forth by Ms. *************** He has not been aggressive.  

   

  The company's stance and decision has not changed and will not change.  The contract will be honored on our end, and we will refund the customer when the shelter sells as early as this week if the potential buyer signs up.

  We are sorry for the customer's lack of understanding, unwillingness to honor the agreement, hatred toward *****, and the fact that they are feeble and have to move in with their children but that doesn't change the agreement that was agreed on by both parties.

  If Ms. ******** has a power of attorney, I would suggest that they reach out to us.  Due to her hatred and unprofessionalism, ***** will not be fielding any more communication directly with Ms. ******** until her refund has processed.

  Customer response

  11/05/2024

  Complaint: 22504846
  
  I have reviewed the business' response and am rejecting it because:
  
  I am waiting to see if Mr. ****** (owner) does as he stated & refunds my money this week. He always replies with "if" they can sell unit or not. I have a email from Mr ****** stated it only took 2 wks until first unit sold. He still has my money. Look at contract. It is void at this point. His personal attacks in his response to this complaint should speak volumes of his lack of ethics. I am not feeble. There is no "they". I can send BBB the emails from Mr. ****** to show you how disrespectful he has been. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** ********

  

  Business response

  11/15/2024

  As referenced in our response, our other party did indeed signup which will relieve the ********************** of their obligation to the purchase agreement.

  We will be issuing a refund minus the site visit fees as per contract.

• Initial Complaint

  05/10/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We purchased our Storm Shelter from Midwest Storm Shelters. We purchased it in the fall of 2022. We used it for the first time in March 2023. At that time we discovered it leaked and contained mold. I called Midwest Storm Shelter’s and talked to ******. She then gave me a number and had me text pictures and a video of our shelter. She informed me the guys were working in Fulton on that day and she would have them stop by my house on the way home. No one came. I called Midwest Storm Shelter’s again the next day ****** told me she had talked to ***** and will get the matter taken care of. I have later texted again and then I sent another text at which point Aaron had replied did I send pictures I told him yes I sent pictures to this number. He was texting me back on. He then told me that there is a warranty. They no longer respond to any of my text or email. I have attached the conversations via text and email. I would like for them to either fix or replace the Storm Shelter. I explain to them I have asthmatic children.

  

  Business response

  05/11/2023

  This appears to be a situation where the customer hasn't read the purchase agreement set forth at the beginning.  For the last twenty years we have dealt with warranty problems and scheduling problems.  We have installed thousands of shelters and seldom have problems.  It seems when problems arise, it is because the customer hasn't read the documentation.  We have gone to great lengths to be clear.  We even include a location for their signature stating they have read the document.  It appears that Ms. ****** did not read the documentation at all.  The whole last page is the care and warranty for the shelter, this is rather obvious as it states "Storm Shelter Limited Warranty".  On the purchase agreement itself, there is a particular place to initial that they understand we have six months to repair or replace a shelter.  The customer stated, they didn't know the shelter had a warranty until she talked to me.  On the day that we told her we would stop by, the crew ran short on hours set forth by the Federal Motor Carrier Association.  When Ms. ****** called the next day, we informed her of that and told her that when we were in the area we would stop by.  We do not recognize text messaging as a reliable source of communication.  It is not monitored.  We use phone and email for reliable communication.  When a customer calls and is rude on the phone as Ms. ****** was to my secretary, we tell them we will respond by email to avoid the situation getting worse.  Our intentions are to assess the problem when we are in the area within the time frame agreed on in the agreement.  It also appears that the shelter has not been cared for as it should have been.  The shelter was installed October 19, 2022.  This problem would have been noticed far before March 2023 when she said she used it for the first time.  Some shelters condensate, some shelters don't.  Mold problems could have been addressed and halted by the customer much earlier.  An in-ground concrete storm shelter wasn't the best choice of our products with asthmatic children and the possibility of mold.  We were not informed of this problem. We put things on paper for our customers benefit and understanding.  We do this before the shelter is purchased.  We want our customers educated and know what to expect.  We can't make our customers read the documentation.  The customer has been emailed a copy of the purchase agreement so they can read what they signed.

  Customer response

  05/18/2023

  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  We have not "misused" the shelter. We have added items for a storm kit over the winter. We had not seen evidence of mold during the winter. 

   

  I am basing the timeline on what I was told when I called the office to report the problem when we noticed the leak. I was told someone would come that day, then I was told the next day. I do understand the timeframe on the contract. I was told a different time frame when I called to report the problem.

   

  I am just as concerned that you could not take the time to call your customer and explain. I received I will let you know when I know. After I filed the complaint, I was sent an email of the contract that stated paragraph and line number. 

   

  A simple phone call or response when asked for an update would have been helpful. 

   

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

   

   

   

  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Lawana Miller

  

  Business response

  05/19/2023

  Customer: We have not "misused" the shelter. We have added items for a storm kit over the winter. We had not seen evidence of mold during the winter. 
  
  Response: That's typical.  As stated in the previous response to the customer's complaint, the install date was October 19, 2022.  The air temperatures and humidity typically do not support condensation in the fall and winter.
  
  
  
  Customer: I am basing the timeline on what I was told when I called the office to report the problem when we noticed the leak. I was told someone would come that day, then I was told the next day. I do understand the timeframe on the contract. I was told a different time frame when I called to report the problem.
  
  Response:  As stated in the previous response, the truck could not stop that day due to DOT regulations and time in service.  The customer was notified of this the following day when the called.  We did NOT tell the customer at ANY time that we would be back the following day.  That is simply not true.  We did not tell the customer when we would be back when they called us on the phone.
  
  
  
  Customer: I am just as concerned that you could not take the time to call your customer and explain. I received I will let you know when I know. After I filed the complaint, I was sent an email of the contract that stated paragraph and line number. 
  A simple phone call or response when asked for an update would have been helpful. 
  
  Response: We have not had good verbal communication with this customer.  Email is the preferred mean of communication for a history of the discussion.  Email can be returned at any hour.  We are busy taking phone calls for orders and answering other questions during the day for people who do not have a storm shelter to protect them from storms, unlike our customer.  Our warranty response is laid out in the contract that the customer obviously didn't read, yet sign stating they did and that they understood.  The customer had the contract BEFORE they filed the complaint, they initialed the contract.  We have told the customer and responded previously that we will respond to this warranty claim within the bounds of the contract.

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