Complaints

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• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/30/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On July 27th, 2023. 101 lint busters came to my home to provide a dryer vent cleaning service. I had explained to them that I have a wash-tower (dryer and washer) so that this would most likely require 2 people to move it/pull it out of the closet. The day of the service only one tech/worker shows up. The worker struggled to pull out the washtower (as expected), but he managed to pull it out. However he damaged the painting on the wall and nearby railing and also compromised the integrity of the closet's wall. This made me a bit upset, but I got over it. He cleaned the dryer vent tube behind the washtower, but couldn't find the vent exit (screen/flapper) that leads to the outside of the home, so he didn't clean it. We live in a two story townhosue, so its likely that vent exit is on the rood and he didnt want to go to the roof to clean it up. He left and gave us an invoice for $350, the cleaning fee was quoted at $200 plus a $75 travel fee for a total of $275, the extra $75 was because of "overtime" since it took him 30-40 minutes just to pull out the washtower. We werent OK with this since this was obviously a two man job and failure to bring another worker cost us $75 more, but we paid the difference online. The next day we run our dryer and we still get a notification that the vent is 80-90% clogged, so we messaged lint busters. E*** had me take a video of the back of the dryer were it was obvious that the dryer vent tube was crushed by the washtower being pushed too far back. E*** suggested that i get a new tube and replace it, as this was most likely the issue and could be a fire hazard. Although I was very surprised that he didnt send a team member to fix the issue they caused. I ordered the tube and it took be several weeks to replace it myself, mainly because i didnt have anyone to help me move the washtower. I replaced it, but this didnt solve the issue. i contacted them again and they failed to fix the issue because i took too long to replace the tube.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/23/2024

  Mr. R******** hired us in July 2023 to clean out his dryer ventilation line. During our conversation on the phone, he told us that his washer and dryer were stackable and the vent exited through the roof. At this point, I advised Mr. R******** that the service would be a little more expensive due to the difficulty of working with stackable units. I also mentioned that we were not responsible for any damage, but we would try our best not to scratch or damage the machines and walls while removing the washer and dryer. Throughout our conversation, I informed him that the ventilation line would be cleaned from behind the dryer up to the roof, as we do not clean vents from the rooftop, especially on second-story units. While the technician was cleaning the vent line, he noticed the type of transitional hose the dryer had and recommended replacing it at an additional cost. Mr. R******** declined the replacement service for the hose (recommendations are made when the hose is damaged in any way). Approximately two weeks after the service was completed, Mr. R******** called to inform me that his dryer was not functioning correctly. I asked him to please take a picture of the hose behind the machine. Upon receiving the picture, I observed that the hose was kinked, restricting airflow. I advised Mr. R******** that the vent needed to be replaced. He inquired if we could do it, and after providing him with the price, he decided to handle it himself. I reiterated to Mr. R******** the urgency of replacing the ventilation hose. Around 2 1/2 months after our last conversation, Mr. R******** contacted me again, stating that his machine still wasn't working properly. He mentioned that he had been using a laundromat for the past two months because he couldn't use his machine. I asked if he had replaced the hose, and he confirmed that he had done so three days earlier. When I inquired why he had waited so long to change the hose, he explained that he didn't have any assistance.

  He asked if we could go back and re-clean the ventilation line. Unfortunately, because it had been over 2 1/2 months since we were at his home, I advised him that we would have to charge him another service call and cleaning fee. I did offer a discount and a free camera inspection. Mr. R******** refused to pay for the additional visit. I explained to him that if the ventilation line had been replaced after our initial visit and if he still had problems and called us, he would have been covered 100%. However, since it had been over 2 1/2 months, it would not be covered under the initial visit. He mentioned that he would talk to his landlord to see if they could cover the cleaning fee. Several days later, Mr. R******** called me again, asking if I would be willing to pay for him to hire another company to come out and clean the line again. At that time, I informed him that we would not be responsible for covering the cost of another company revisiting the cleaning. I reiterated that we would not be able to clean his line again at no charge and that if he had informed us immediately after our initial visit, we would have addressed the issue. We take pride in our work and the customer service we provide to each client. After realizing that we would not be able to satisfy Mr. R********, we made the decision to refund him his money in the hopes of moving forward and not wasting any more of his time.