ComplaintsforKennedy Tile and Flooring

• Initial Complaint

  11/28/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  They were rippling of carpet. I checked with **** Carpets and was told that this carpet should have been installed with a power stretcher. I have had several problems after this carpet was installed in 2019 with rippling, and it was repaired by Kennedy Tile. Furthermore, I stopped by the company over 1 week ago and asked if someone could check out more problems with this carpet. Besides, I have called, and there have been no return calls.

  

  Business response

  12/04/2023

  We worked on Mr ******** home in  April 2019 and returned on a multiple occasions to perform warranty work. After our most recent repair June 13th of 2020 we informed ***************** in writing that his warranty through us would expire in April of 2021. We offer a 2 year warranty on labor and we honored our warranty and addressed every complaint during the warranty period. The warranty on the carpet itself is through the manufacturer **** Floors and ***************** was informed that after April 2021 he would need to contact them directly.

  Regarding the claims that the carpet was not installed with a power stretcher , that is correct . The carpet was installed with a power stretcher and a power stretcher was also used when we returned for the repair and trimmed the 2-3" of carpet as ***************** acknowledged to us upon completion of the repair. There is no way that a phone rep could have determined accurately that the carpet was installed incorrectly without an in person inspection. In fact after 4.5 years there is no way that an in person inspection could accurately determine what went wrong.  We have had several bubbling/rippling issues with the **** Bellera carpet and apparently **** has as well because they discontinued the entire Bellera product line a few years ago, not long after we completed the repair.

  Regarding the claims that no one helped him when he came in or called , that is incorrect. When ***************** came into our store my office manager ***** told him that his warranty through us had expired and that he would need to contact the manufacturer going forward. She also spoke with him on the phone after the in person visit and provided the same answer. We have completely honored our original contract with ***************** and have honored our warranty obligations as well. We will not be returning to Mr ******** home and have no further business with him. ***************** will need to pursue **** Floors for any warranty claims going forward.

  Customer response

  12/05/2023

  We called Kennedy on three different occasions right after the carpet was installed, found 5 different locations with bubbling in each room that this carpet was installed. We had carpet install in the master bedroom, and two other bedrooms, and living room and rec room. Bubbling in all rooms except the living room, it took 4 years for that to happen. Each time that Kennedy came out, they sent a carpet guy, and he pulled the carpet tight with a kick plate and cut 34 inches off the carpet and reattached it to carpet tack. The two guys that installed the carpet in 2019 in our house told us that they worked for ********** as independent installers. There was some stretching of the carpet, but probably not enough. Since every room that this carpet was installed, we have had problems.
  

  **** sent an inspector out to check the bubbling with the carpet. Found
  as many as 5 locations that it bubbled up. The information from ****
  said if this carpet had been stretched properly that this would never have happened.
  

  The inspection report was reported.
  

  I checked the *** recently, and no where does it state that Kennedy Tile has a *** to install carpet. Very disappointed in Kennedy Tile with the response. We purchase this product it was highly recommended by them, if they knew that something was wrong, it should have been reported to us, since we are holding a 20-year warranty.
  

  

  Business response

  12/06/2023

  Considering **** is unwilling to cover the cost of repair, I am willing to concede that the licensed installation company that we partnered with on your project (Finishing Touches Flooring LLC) may have done a subpar installation. Despite the fact that your installation warranty expired 2.5 years ago I am willing to send out the company we currently partner with Bentley Carpet to restretch the areas that are bubbling. I am willing to cover the expense of this repair through Bentley Carpet. That being said if you have future problems, they will be at your expense going forward. Regarding the report, the inspector did not say your carpet was defective, the conclusion was that your problems are installation related and a simple $200-$300 restretch would resolve the issue.As you have acknowledged, we have returned on multiple occasions to address the issue and the areas that we addressed seem to be holding up. After all the areas have been restretched the carpet should not give you any more issues. Regarding your comment that if we knew something was wrong with the carpet, we should have notified you. We did not knowingly sell you a bad product When you purchased carpet from us in 2019 the Bellerra product line was a relatively new product that we did not have any issues with and received good customer feedback. All of the bubbling problems we had occurred ***** months after installation. **** become aware of the issues and initially modified the installation procedures, then shortly after the new procedures did not fix the problem, they stopped making the product. The issue is with the blue plastic waterproof backing. The blue plastic backing does not hold a stretch as well as traditional carpet backing. We were initially convinced by our **** sales rep that the carpet would perform the same as traditional carpet with a waterproof backing. The fibers are the same as traditional carpet, the backing is the only difference. Unfortunately the backing holds the stretch.

  Customer response

  12/07/2023

   I read Kennedy's response that he has completely honored our original contract and have honored the warranty obligations as well. We will not be returning to Mr. ******** home and have no further business with him.

  I understood that having the carpet re-stretched and the bubbling fixed was my responsibility. I had *********************** re-stretch my dinning room and living room also add extra row of tack strip on 3 walls cost $400.00. Furthermore, I can provide a copy of bill #****** $400.00 for carpet repair. We had 4 rooms of carpet re-stretched in 2019 and 2020 and nothing has reoccurred. My hope that this fix to my living and dining room will also work. The living and dining rooms were the only rooms in my house that were not re-stretched until December 2023. I would like to get my cost covered.
  

*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. ↩