ComplaintsforModern Image By Design

• Initial Complaint

  26/10/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We paid **** cross of modern image 20,000 to install custom cabinets to be installed in July after 4 months we still can’t open any cupboards or drawers. There are multiple damaged items that were delivered. I don’t believe this to be an actual business. Since dealing with modern image they have lied about coming to our house for months and have even sent us fake order receipts to solicit more money out of us. I took theses receipts that he emailed me to the suppliers that told me they were not real. I have over 50 emails from **** and emails forward from my designer proving every word. The business address also does not belong to this company. I’m in contact with several other clients that have been defrauded as well. I just want other people to know what this company is all about. They say they have been open for 10 years but have literally no reviews.

  Business response

  06/11/2022

  The project started out a nightmare, the "designer" hired did not offer the correct information and drawings, cabinets had to be altered, wasted material and labour.

  Modern Image was established in 2010, and until 2022, we were working as subtrades on other contractors sites, we had no reason to have a web presence which explains the lack of reviews online, we had our website built in late 2021, as the pandemic had slowed down our work, and started dealing with homeowners directly.

  The *******s have been more than compensated financially in regards to this project. Modern Image considers it closed.

   

  The start date was pushed off twice.

  On 2022-07-13 8:19 am, ***** ******* wrote:

  Hi **** & *****,
  
  I'm sending this on behalf of ****.
  Unfortunately ****'s team is a man short today and so we think it would be best to push the cabinet installation to Monday if possible.
  *****, I understand this might impact the counter measuring as well.
  
  Please confirm you've received this message.
  
  Thank you,
  
  ***** *******

   

  The email below is to show, the inexperienced "Designer" they hired did not provide the correct drawing for manufacturing, which led to altering cabinets, loss of materials and labour

  To ***** ******* on 2022-07-18 11:17 am

  Good Morning ****** and ***,
  

  Just spoke with *****, and she informs me there were a couple of hicups this morning in some sizes, unfortunately in the custom cabinet industry, these things do happen as there are quite a few revisions in the design along the way. But nothing so serious we can not revise on the fly, which is why we produce everything in-house.
  I have inquired with ***** a few times in regards to the white oak slat wall budget, my cost would be $2000.00 supplied and installed, we have all the material and received the final revision last Friday.
  Let me know if this pricing makes sense with your budget.
  Thank you
  **** ** *****

   

  To *** ******* on 2022-07-26 1:49 pm
  Details Plain text
  a112a927.png(~11 KB)
  
  Hey ***,
  My apologies, I answered your wife's email and did not notice yours.
  Yes, we have fallen far behind, as production had an older version of the plans that they cut from, after reviewing the "final" drawings, there are revisions forcing us to alter some cabinets.
  My production manager *** has left a message with ***** to clarify some details.
  Once we have a clear picture, then I will give a return date.
  Unfortunately, sometimes ultra custom kitchen revisions have to be made on the fly.
  On my end, it means lost time and materials, and to the client delays.
  I will give you a return date when I have a firm date for you.

   

  Below is an email from ***** with revisions dated July 07th.
  I am not sure where you come up with us being a month behind, I was receiving revised plans up until July 07th, making these revisions without any question, eating the material costs, and not complaining, as I do with any client, in order to give them the best experience possible.
  We did not get in to start until July 18th as your contractor needed more time, we start the installation and found out there were more revisions, so I bought more high gloss sheets at $200.00 each and remade some of the cabinetry. So let's not talk about my mismanaging this project when we are making revisions on the fly, which sometimes does happen, this is a renovation, not new construction.
  For the record, the office I rent on New****et is only used for Design meetings, which by the way, is where I met your wife for the first time with *****.
  So at the end of the day, only Modern Image has lost time and money, not your contractor, not you. If you are not willing to pay the balance of the second payment then I will move on to our next install, the payment terms were very clear on the invoice.
  If I ship your product to you, once it is in the house, I have no recourse if you decide not to pay.
  You are the first client in my 12 years that I have had any issues with, I have countless happy customers. And I am very confident you will be happy with the end result, but you can not dictate my policies.
  Let me know how you would like to proceed.

   

  To ***** ******r on 2022-08-30 6:54 am
  Details Plain text
  
  
  *****,
  I understand your wanting to have your kitchen completed, Unfortunately, there was some debate during the time of your installation, mostly in regard to payments, which caused the products not to be ordered and available when we needed them. We managed to get past that and ordered and paid for the materials and accessories to complete your project, and faced more time waiting for them to arrive.
  The interruption during the installation caused a mess in our schedule, and now we are trying to get back on track, many of our clients are having new homes built, and have booked their trades around dates made in some cases up to a year ago. If we miss those dates, it may result in those clients rebooking some trades and not being able to move into their homes. In your case, the kitchen is functional and 90% complete.
  We now need to book time around our other projects to get back to yours. We have done countless projects and had delays and issues on projects, but in the end, the clients are thrilled with the end result as the message below, from a client we completed last week.
  We are committed to completing your project and are confident you will be satisfied with the end result.
  To confirm, *** will not be there this morning, he gave me Friday as the return date last night on the phone

   

  To ***** ******* on 2022-09-23 8:46 pm
  Details Plain text
  ******* ******* Pricing (1).xlsx(~17 KB)
  
  *** arrived yesterday close to 11.  He was not able to install the remaining shelves in the pantry as he did not bring the wood brackets. 
  He did not bring or install the division for the cookbook shelf.
  He did not bring the last missing shelf for the upper cupboard.
  He did however install the garbage pull that I ordered and purchased myself (as you never did as promised in our contract).
  He secured the pan dividers. 
  He was gone shortly after lunch.
  
  I have not spoken to *** since Wednesday, I will get an update from him on these items
  
  We have done our own research on the push/close mechanisms and ********* has stated that it can easily be converted to what I originally requested/agreed upon for roughly $1000.  This is the route we would like to take since we've already paid for this in our original contract.  We're really unsure as to why these weren't purchased in the first place as per the original agreement.  This step is more cost and time effective than building new boxes as we understand that time is running out.
  
  The push-out hardware was never part of your contract, nor were you charged for it, not the doors or drawers, the ********* accessories were never charged on your estimate or your invoice, attached is the pricing spreadsheet sent to *****, I price every part on a separate line so there is no confusion just for disputes like this, so I would ask you to stop stating these are items on your contract and paid for it, as you have not.
  
  To note we are missing push/close mechanisms for 16 cabinets/drawers - our kitchen is still not fully functional. We are approaching 3 months since original install.
  Again never included in the invoice or the estimate. 
  
  I am still looking to get your response on the stain - as mentioned, I am not satisfied with your response.
  I have given you the same response over and over again, it has not changed.
  
  Your invoice has been ****ed as paid in full, which means you were refunded the full amount of the ********* parts that you were never charged for on the invoice. At the time I was feeling generous and eager to give you a dream kitchen, but I am not feeling generous anymore.
  You were refunded the full cost of the floating shelves that we made and delivered to you.
  
  Your "refund" of $2,316.89 was not a refund it was a discount as you never were charged for the ********* items, and we delivered your floating shelves.
  
  It is my suggestion, to take the $2316.89 and have your "contractor" take care of it. I am done with this.
  I am by nature a very very generous contractor when I feel the clients appreciate the work we do.
  
  Below is received from ****** finishing up a complete kitchen and wine bar, and mudroom today, the difference between you and my other clients, is they pay the installment payments on time, not 1/2 of it, then put up a fight to get the other 1/2, they let us do what we do, and I will break my back for those clients, and they love us for it.
  It is too bad it went this way, it did not have to.

   

   

  Customer response

  07/11/2022

  
  Complaint: 18319153
  
  I am rejecting this response because:if you read the emails that we’re just posted it just goes to show how crazy this individual is. I’ve included his response to my lawyer were he apologized and took full responsibility. He had a contract he didn’t compute work. I have have over fifty emails that he wrote canceling and lying about fake receipts and contracts. The bottom line is you e taken money from work you didn’t do and my kitchen is still not finished and your address is still not real.  If you would like to discuss payment we were worried about paying 90% of the bill when you canceled multiple crimes for unprofessional reasons at this point we new that something was wrong so we agreed on an 65% and i thought that was too much because you had no work done at this point and the work you had done was very shabby . Once I made this payment you didn’t show up again for weeks then when you did finally show up you did a minimal amount of work left didn’t show up for weeks again and then demanded more money at this point we knew that you were not a contractor to be trusted so we said we were out and we wanted our money back as soon as we did that you called my wife and cried on the phone to get another payment and once you got that payment we never ever saw you again you are a criminal.  The worst part this whole situation is how terrible the work damaged everywhere still shims sticking out just garbage work.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *** ****

  Business response

  07/11/2022

  Again Mr *******,

  You recieved everything you paid for, and items you did not pay for.

  If I am a criminal then I guess the definition is fulfilling  a contract and giving discounts when they are not justified.

  As I have mentioned recently, clients love receiving extra work or products they did not pay for, but do they ever get upset when there is a price attached.

  Clients like you are Predators.

   

  This matter is closed from my end. 

  Customer response

  07/11/2022

  
  Complaint: 18319153
  
  I am rejecting this response because: you’ve not fulfilled the contract you have not delivered what was promised.

  you made fake orders to Solicit more money from us which is fraud and the store where you pretend to make the order agrees.  Shameless!  We did a full floor Reno and everyone did a great job and we have no complaints except for your so called custom Cubards.  Your employees and wife both have apologized for your mental issues and have told me that your filling for bankruptcy because you’ve screwed up so many jobs that you’ll never recover.  So I know you’ll never finish my kitchen. You can dispute these claims as much as you want but the others will be posting soon and you’ll have no way to defend yourself from this fraud.  It’s also absolutely disgraceful to throw  the designer under the bus she was the only one that stuck up for.  I wanted to fire you guys after your first visit once I saw you bring all your cupboards in 3 tiny cars and all of them were wrong!  She has now changed her tune and said she would never work with you again and has apologized to me for falling for the lies. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *** *******.  

• Initial Complaint

  20/07/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We signed a contract for a kitchen renovation on April 15, 2022. The contract included among other things new floor tiles, backsplash, countertop and additional cupboards /hardware. The kitchen was completely dismantled May 9, rendering it unusable, by which point we had paid $18 500 plus approximately $1200 for items not covered by the contract. The company seemed honest and sincere, is local and had no bad reviews. It was very obvious my husband is disabled and severely mobility challenged from our first meeting with Modern Image by Design. Making the kitchen safer for him was our primary motivation for renovation. Since dismantling our kitchen in early May, the work has progressed by 15% ( that is generous), in addition to not having a functioning kitchen, our entire house (garage, dining room and basement) are very difficult for my husband to navigate. Furthermore, much it worksite has been has been left in an unacceptable condition for close to 2 1/2 months. Modern Image by Design has made numerous promises in writing regarding the scheduling of the work. None have materialized. While we are prepared to go to court and are very confident we would win. We understand the time and additional cost this would take and have no desire to harm the business. We would appreciate the ***’s assistance to encourage Modern Image by Design honour their contract immediately, professionally and in reasonable timeframe. I realize they are not accredited but your help would still be appreciated. I will attach as many photos as possible to support the compliant.

  Business response

  21/07/2022

  As the owner of Modern Image, I agree 100% that this project has gone on much longer than it should have, the beginning of the project started out quite normally, we dismantled the kitchen in preparation of taking up the old floor and replacing it with a new tile chosen by the client from a local supplier. We installed the ditra floor membrane, and laid the tile and grouted, the day after the tile was grouted, the client discovered some chips in the corners of I believe 13 tile, immediately I addressed their concern, and told them we would replace the chipped tiles no problem. The client then informed me that they did not want the new tile, and they wanted to pick a new tile as the tile that was just put down must be defective, I checked with the supplier and they have never had any complaints or concerns in relation to the tile they choose. When I informed the client that taking the new tile out and replacing it with another tile, there would be additional costs associated, product, labor, materials. I was informed by the client that I was responsible for all the expense. Because I try to make all clients happy, I offered the labor at no cost and they purchase the tile. Because we are a small family business and can not afford to have bad reviews, I agreed to pay for everything. They picked new tile, and a week later it arrived, I approached 2 independent tlie contractors and both made promises to show up on a certain date, both failed to show. I informed the client myself and my son will be there Monday July 25th to install the new tile. I have asked many contractors what they would do in this situation, and they all agreed that my company had no legal obligation to replace the original tile with new tile because the client claimed it was defective. Again being a small business I wanted to try and make the client happy. I truly believe I had no legal reason to replace the tile as there was nothing wrong with it. And this is completely unfair.

  Customer response

  15/08/2022

  
  ********** ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  The response provided by **** ***** sr does not resolve the issue in the slightest.
  
  The narrative supplied by **** does not reflect our understanding.  Rather than note every detail, we will highlight some of the salient points.
  
  1. We choose tile from a retailer recommended by Modern Image by Design and with the assistance of the retailer.  Modern Image by Design ordered, delivered and installed the tile.  It is hard to imagine the problem was somehow our fault.
  2. We did not choose “new” tile. We rejected Modern Image by Design’s solution to replacing the damaged tile. **** jr spent three hours to replace one tile creating a huge mess and unbelievable noise. The idea of him doing that for 13 more tiles was not a good solution.  In hindsight, this was a good decision.  We didn’t pay attention to the ditra the first time it was laid.  The second laying of ditra was very poorly done.  We have had two written estimates ranging from $3600 to $5000 to fix the problem.  We don’t know for certain why the tile chipped but we are confident the problem was not our choice of tile.
  3.  **** sr stated he would assume all costs related to the floor long before we ever spoke of going to court or posting pictures showing the progress of our project. **** makes allegations that we bullied and threatened him with absolutely no proof because it never happened.  If he does have proof, we would like to see it.
  4.  Modern Image by Design tries its best to make clients happy by leaving a disabled person without a kitchen for 3 months, accusing them of causing problems and poorly installing ditra to the point that it will take another $3600 to $5000 to remedy the problems caused either intentionally or by incompetence.
  5.  We paid Modern Image by Design almost $20 000 to complete our project not his colleagues.  We have also had numerous contractors view the work completed by Modern Image by Design (**** has never visited our house since the sales call) and 75% are truly shocked by poorly completed work.
  
  In terms of outstanding issues.
  1. We have lost confidence Modern Image by Design can complete this project professionally, never mind in a reasonable timeframe.  We would like the entire amount of the contract and accessories refunded immediately.  **** will argue he has spent resources but will not mention damages to our hardwood floors (which are significant and visible to the naked eye), the $3600-$5000 to redo faulty work and the fact we are nowhere near completion after three months.
  2. ****s reply does not speak to solutions or timeframes.  We realize **** is very adept at delaying solutions indefinitely.  We would simply like our money back as **** sr has made numerous commitments in writing and lived up few of them.
  
  As **** is severely handicapped, a pensioner and home bound, this situation is causing us immeasurable financial and emotional stress. Any assistance you can provide would be very appreciated.

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

  Business response

  16/08/2022

  This is the last email exchange between Mrs **** and myself had, which I agreed with, so I am confused, I asked Mrs **** to let me know when the flooring was completed and were ready for cabinets.

  ****,
  
  
  We've talked things over with various professionals and agree escalating the situation is in nobody's best interest.   I know we are all struggling with health problems and stress negatively affects us all.  It is safe to say we disagree but that doesn't mean we can't move forward.  Ultimately we want a great kitchen and believe you are trying your best to deliver that.
  
  
  We propose writing and signing an amendment to the contract with the following changes,
  
  
  -Modern Image pays $750 for the installation and $800.00 for tile.  We will pay the rest.  We have a professional tile installer coming to give us an estimate Tuesday.
  -We have a firm completion date in the amendment.  We can't set the date until we know the tile installation date but we have firm commitments in August.
  -Maintain the existing contract for everything except the tile.
  -We work together to negotiate a better deal for the countertop.
  
  
  The price remains the same.  We can both argue additional costs but this will only lead to more conflict.
  
  
  If you agree, we will draft and sign the amendment.
  
  
  ******* and **** 

  Customer response

  31/08/2022

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

  We reject the response provided by Modern Image by Design.  

   

  The email **** ***** copied was based on the ditra being professionally laid. In fact, the ditra was so poorly laid that 5 of 6 contractors refused to lay tile on the ditra and all six would not guarantee their work.  Three of the contractors suggested legal action against the company who installed the ditra.

   

  As **** insists that his staff are qualified, one can only assume the ditra was installed with the intention of causing problems with our kitchen. For this reason we have lost confidence in the ability of Modern Image by Design to competently fulfil the contract.

   

  We have extended Modern Image by Design every possible opportunity to fulfill its contractual obligation but after almost four months of emotional, financial and physical chaos we have reached the end of our patience.

   

  We demand a refund of all funds ($19 680) paid to Modern Image by Design immediately or by September 5, 2022 or we will commence legal action to recover the funds and funds to cover the damages caused by employees of the company. This is by no means intended as a threat but simply an expression of a remaining option to bring an end to this nightmare.

   

  We have received no benefit for the poor work completed to date.  In fact, we face a $10 000 bill just to make our kitchen functional again.

   

  The cost of repairing the damage to our property, caused by Modern Image by Design either through incompetence or malice, is easily equal to or greater than the funds they expended in total.

   

  We thank the ****** ******** ****** for attempting to assist in resolving this matter.  

  Business response

  06/09/2022

  It is unfortunate this has come to this point, Modern Image was committed to completing this project, however our point of view on how this has gone, and ******* and **** **** point of view are so far apart that it will take a mediator to sort this out.

  In regard to the ditra not being installed correctly, it is quite easy as the contractor coming in to look at the work performed and refuse to lay the tile on a surface not installed by them, as how could they warranty a install they did not perform, it does not necessarily mean it was not installed properly.

  Modern Image has completed hundreds of projects over the years and has never had a client complain, if there was issues when were able to come to a agreement to solve the problem. The loss on this project has been extensive to Modern Image, and will pass it off to a lawyer.

  Modern Image hopes that the ****'s get the final result they are looking for in their kitchen.

*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. ↩