Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. 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.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/22/2025

  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.

  We had Top Shelf come out to look at a couple of problems. I will explain each issue separately. The furnace kept going off. We could reset it by turning the thermostat on and off. The company said there was a Nov. special no cost to look and make a diagnosis. The technician looked at the furnace said we needed a new one, 8,000. When my husband was not interested the tech became noticeably annoyed and said well we can do a repair, I believe he said replace the blower for 1600. We said no to that as well. We called a second company that advertised no cost second opinions. They came and said it was just our thermostat, that is why we could turn it back on using the thermostat. They charged us 0$ and we bought a new thermostat and all is fine now! So much for honesty on that issue. The second half of the problem was a drain in the basement that yearly backs up due to the garbage disposal. We get it snaked and then do not have difficulty for about a year. The same technician snaked the drain and charged $187.00. Within a couple weeks it was backing up again. I called and they would not stand behind their work. They said we will send someone and they can tell you the repairs needed. I called ****** Drain Cleaners. ****** later and have not had issue again. I have been told many times it is the age of the house. Drains were made narrower.I feel I am owed that money back. They were dishonest from the beginning and got upset when we would not accept their offer of replacement at 8k. Then they "snaked" the drain without taking it far enough to be successful and then want us to spend more money on a repair that was not necessary. Disheartening that this company would take advantage of people like they attempted to do with us.I would like a full refund especially since I had to pay another company ****** to fix what they claimed they fixed.Thank you for reviewing this claim and please reach out if you need more info.****

  

  Business Response

  Date: 01/22/2025

  Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We are sorry to hear that you were not satisfied with the service and options you were provided. We strive to deliver high quality service to each and every customer.  We completely understand how this situation might feel frustrating. While we typically don't offer refunds for services that were rendered, we'd be happy to discuss other ways to ensure you're satisfied. Being that your home is older and needs future plumbing work on the pipes, we cannot guarantee a drain clean. We recommend that a camera inspection be performed by another company to confirm any underlying issues and to prevent future issues. Unfortunately, our service takes time and money to get a tech out to your home to provide any service. With that being said, we are unable to accept this complaint or be at fault. We gave the customer different options, including replacing their old furnace, which they declined. We were never contacted about this matter regarding a service that was performed two months ago. Had the customer came to us directly, we would have reviewed their complaint. Our goal is always to ensure our clients feel valued and satisfied. Again, we apologize that you didn't have a great experience.

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/24/2025

   
  Complaint: 22844595
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  There was absolutely no response to what I said.  They are being disingenuous, I did call and tell them that the drain was not snaked properly.  They said they would only come back and tell us what we "needed to repair."  They did not even entertain that it could be their issue or the possibility of their incompetence that the drain was not cleared.  They already wanted to sell me a furnace and the tech was visibly perturbed when we said no. We later found out it was just the thermostat.  I simply could not trust that their goal was to ***** us for more money. After speaking with them I called a company that only does drains.  They snaked it properly for ****** and no issues since. I will reiterate what the drain company told me: it is a 45 year old house and the drains were made narrower so our garbage disposal tends to back up the drain and it takes about a year. They said they see this a lot in the older houses.  He explained it is not sewage and this is not abnormal. This drain issue we do yearly and EVERYTIME it lasts about a year. When is it time for Top Shelf to admit they did not do something properly. THEN They bring up the furnace again like we were unreasonable not to buy a new furnace. They did not acknowledge the fact that it worked fine once another company told us it was the thermostat which we replaced. If we listened to them we would be out THOUSANDS of dollars.  

  I think Top Shelf's integrity is like the emperors new clothes...it is not existent.

  Why not just take responsibility and refund my money.  

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

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/20/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore 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.

  Date of transaction: 9/20/23 Amount financed: $20,000 Business committed: new furnace, ac and water heater with humidifier, install customer provided bidet and bathroom faucets Dispute: business wants to charge extra for faucet installation Business stopped answering my calls Also found out today 11/20/2023 that business didn't pull permits for work

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/21/2023

  To Whom It May ******************** you for forwarding our customer's complaint, as we try to resolve any complaint that *** be received. It's unfortunate that ********************* is upset and not happy about her experience, we strive to make each and every customer happy and satisfied.

  We charged the customer for exactly what was done and installed per invoice. We installed her furnace, AC, water heater, and steam humidifier with a discount of $3,640 for her project. Our tech also installed her bidet free of charge, per their agreement. Please see the attached invoice of the work charged and performed. The customer wants her faucets installed free of charge, because she did a job with us. Our tech never agreed to install the faucets and said he would take a look at them and see what he can do regarding a discount on the price. The tech has no decision making discretion for installing the faucets for free. We believe the customer received more than a great deal, considering she received $3,640 off her job, along with a free bidet toilet installation. If the customer would like any add-ons to the job, we will have to charge accordingly, so that we don't lose money on the job and so we can stay in business.

  If you have any questions, please let us know.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/21/2023

   
  Complaint: 20896996
  
  I am rejecting this response because: 1. First of all, stressing that I received a discount does not make it more right for the business not to complete the agreement. There is no dispute on the discount. The business is confused about two things - what was on the invoice and what was agreed on to get me sign the contract. 2. The business contradicts itself when on the one hand it acknowledges that 'Our tech also installed her bidet free of charge, per their agreement' while also saying that 'The tech has no decision making discretion for installing the faucets for free'. It was the tech and me standing there in my living room when I was offered the plumbing work. I was saying that the $20,000 quote was high and he was saying 'I don't want you to have buyer's remorse. Let me throw in some plumbing work. Everyone needs plumbing work done.' We checked out the bathroom. My bidet had a button that didn't work. The faucets are a little loose. We also went to the kitchen. He specifically pointed out the disposal. It works fine. So it was decided that he would take care of the bidet and faucets. He instructed me to get the hardware. And he specifically instructed me to pull everything out from under the sink to make it easier to work there. 

  Please understand that the agreement between the tech and me was that the plumbing work that was thrown in for Top Shelf to get my business includes both the bidet and faucets. Think about it this way - if the plumbing work thrown in only include the bidet, why didn't the tech say so and give me a quote while we were standing in my living room on Sept. 20 trying to get the contract signed? I probably wouldn't have gone with them as I was thinking that $20,000 was too much for me to afford. I signed the contract because 1. he said they offer financing. 2. he would throw in the plumbing. Also when the tech showed up to do the plumbing work on Oct. 21, he installed the bidet and then said that he was running out of time and would have to come back next Wednesday (Oct. 25) or Friday (Oct. 27). Why did he say that he would be back to install the faucets instead of saying that the faucets would cost me an extra amount of money? In fact, when I mentioned that I was concerned that the faucets may be a tiny bit too big he reassured me that they would fit. He even wondered at the fact that I was able to find a matching color of the faucets. No time and nowhere did he mention that the faucets would cost me extra. 

  When the tech didn't come back on Oct 25 or Oct 27, I called Top Shelf and an appointment was made for Nov. 6 between 8 to 10. When nobody showed up, I called Top Shelf. The office lady said 'Oh, your appointment was cancelled'. That was when I first learned that they wanted to charge me for the installation of the faucets. When I mentioned that the faucets was part of plumbing was thrown in, she said that the owner said 'absolutely no free work' and that she would contact the tech and the tech would call me. The tech didn't call me. I called Top Shelf the next day Nov. 7 to find out what was going on. The office lady said that she would give me the tech's number for me to call him myself. I did. The person who answered wasn't the tech and said that he didn't know such a person. I called office back. The office lady gave me another number. I called. I got the answering machine. The number belongs to someone that wasn't the tech. I called Top Shelf on Nov. 8, Nov.9, Nov. 10, Nov. 13, Nov. 14, Nov. 15 and Nov. 16 and left messages for them to call me back. They didn't call back. 

  I don't know what is going on with Top Shelf. I only know that I agreed to the tech's offer to throw in the plumbing on Sept. 20 to give Top Shelf my business. No estimate was mentioned or given on the faucets that day. The owner wasn't there so he can't say that 'absolutely no free work'. Top Shelf also can't say that the tech 'has no decision making discretion' concerning free plumbing work when he obviously did because he did the bidet. Top Shelf can't have it both ways. I also know that the tech didn't mention or give an estimate on the faucets on Oct. 21 when he installed the bidet. They only emailed me an estimate on Nov. 1 which I didn't learn about until nobody showed up for the Nov. 6 appointment and I called and was informed of such an email. Something happened at Top Shelf and that email estimate on the faucets looked like an after thought of some kind. 

  So no estimate on Sept. 20 the day of the contract, no estimate on Oct. 21 the day of the bidet installation, no estimate until Nov. 1 - 11 days after the bidet installation. And I am not a crazy person who for no reason at all went and bought two faucets. 

  I want Top Shelf to deduct $976 the estimate they gave for the faucet installation and the permit fees if it's true that they failed to pull permits on what they did install from the total bill of $20,000. I am still looking into the permit situation.

  Sincerely,
  
  Baoqin Su

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/22/2023

  Hi,

  After reviewing the information with management, we have determined that we will install the faucets for the customer as a courtesy and to make things right with the customer if she withdrawals her complaints from the BBB and ***** Fargo.

   

  Please let me know how she would like to proceed.

   

   

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/27/2023

  Hello,

  We spoke with the customer on November 22, 2023 regarding her complaint with the company. We offered to install her faucets as a courtesy at no additional charge. She refused to have the faucets installed by us, so we agreed that we will send her a check for $976 as a courtesy and have someone else install them. The check was mailed out today, so she should receive it in the next couple days. We also agreed that we will pull permits and have inspections done at no additional charge as well. The customer is supposed to call us today, Monday, November 27th to receive an update on everything.

   

  If you have any questions, please let us know.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/06/2023

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Baoqin Su