ComplaintsforSouth Florida Water Services, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  12/19/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Date of Transaction: 11/21/19 Service: Installation of Reverse Osmosis System with a Lifetime Warranty Cost: $1,595 In less than three years, this system completely stopped working. I have tried calling the company twice, with no response. I am now skeptical that it really ever filtered our tap water, as promised. My husband and I are elderly people. We feel we were duped into this transaction, as there seems to be no customer service, although we have a copy of a letter from **** stating that "a customer care representative will be available to assist you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week."

  Business response

  12/23/2022

  The system that was installed has been discontinued and we no longer can service this particular unit. We do not manufacture the equipment. I've had to go over this same situation with other customers and all we can do is offer for them to upgrade to the newer system. This is a manufacturer defect and not our company's fault. We apologize for the inconvenience. 

  Customer response

  12/27/2022

   
  Complaint: 18598061
  
  I am rejecting this response, because the business could have reached out to me and communicated this when I contacted them about the unit malfunctioning.  I think it is a very convenient response and very clever on their part, as they're requiring you to pay for yet another unit, along with the cost of labor.  
  

  I think this company purposely went door-to-door taking advantage of elderly people, making them think their tap water was toxic, and convincing them to buy a subpar product at a ridiculous price.  
  

  If I do not receive a refund, I will be taking this story to WESH news, as they are very good at covering scams aimed at the elderly.  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************************

  Business response

  12/28/2022

  The manufacturer stopped making that particular model because it was malfunctioning and would stop working after 2-3 years. I'm sorry that this happened. We are not manufacturers of the equipment so we are at their mercy the same as the consumer. We do our best to improve people's water quality. We are a small company and cannot afford to fix mistakes by the manufacturer. They won't refund the cost of the equipment to us so there's nothing more we can do. We wish ********************* the best and we apologize for this inconvenience. 

  Customer response

  01/05/2023

   
  Complaint: 18598061
  
  I am rejecting this response.  This company uses deceptive practices to acquire business, including false claims about the quality of Florida's water, as described by several negative reviews of this company online.  
  

  This business comes to your door and sells you on their service by lying about the quality of Florida's tap water.  They proceed to install a product that they know is defective, and then overcharge you by hundreds of dollars.  
  

  They ought to be ashamed of the way they take advantage of people, especially the elderly.  
  

  I will be spreading the word via print and social media about the egregious practices of this company.  
   
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************************

• Initial Complaint

  12/08/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  South Florida Water Services was represented by a sales representative who did not set up the correct equiptment to complete the job. The technician who installed the system left the job incomplete and very sloppy as well. A water sample was never taken in the beginning and unknown to me I was set up with inadequate equiptment to handle the sulfer content in my water. I called numerous times to resolve this only to get a very unprofessional blame game...sales rep trying to bounce responsibility over to business he works under and then back again. No resolve. I was told by an independant ( from this company) water technician I need more equiptment to properly filter my well water. The owner of South Florida Water Services states I got what I paid for and will not fix the issue. I feel like I was taken advantage of due to not having any water from Hurricane *** damage. I was told at the time of my purchace my new system will be great and exactly what I needed. I paid promptly with a check and now I feel taken advantage of. I feel South Florida Water Services is utimately responcible for he is the main company I paid and who's licence I was told they (the sales rep. and the installer) worked under. The sulfer smell is very strong now and before this new equiptment we never had the odor we have now.

  Business response

  12/16/2022

  We tried our absolute best to fix ******************* well water. I sent a specialist there 3 times after installation to correct her sulfur smell problem. We explained to her that she needs an aerator on her well to deal with the extraordinary sulfur problem she has. The representative specialist told her this same thing in person that what she bought is not enough to remove the amount of sulfur coming into her home. We both explained it would be another **** dollars for the aerator system and she said she doesn't want to pay anymore. Some ***** have much more sulfur than others and it's just bad luck that she has that type of well water. We would be glad to help her add on an aerator system but we cannot do it for free. We already gave her a wonderful deal on the system we sold her which included a water softener, whole house ultraviolet, iron/sulfur breaker, pressure tank and reverse osmosis drinking water system but unfortunately it's not enough to eliminate the smell cause she has an extreme amount of sulfur in her water. We wish *************** the best and apologize for this inconvenience. 

  Customer response

  12/20/2022

   
  Complaint: 18544648
  
  I am rejecting this response because: This business owner has a great way of painting the picture to make him look ideal. Truth be told the three times he had to send someone out was to resolve unfinished and shoddy work the of the intitial installer. The times **** (the owner) did send someone out was only after I had to phone him and argue who's responcibility the "fix" was.

  The sulfer (tested now by 2 other water companies) is at the border of high. The point is ****** (the sales representative working under South Florida Water Services, never tested my water and told me the equiptment I was getting would work for me. I also paid, the amount, which I am told by a few companies is more than adequate and should have given me a larger Sulfer cleaning tank. This larger tank may have helped with the smell. More equiptment was indeed necessary and I should have never been sold on just the equiptment I received. There is a flushing system that was never properly performed and I still have draining problems due to an unfinished line that was improperly installed. I only wish I had paid with a credit card so I could dispute it there. I paid with a check to avoid that fee businesses get to be kind to **** and ******. I was also quoted a different price the day ****** initially came out and then the time of install that price was increased on **** has just gone through the hurricane, had lost a dear friend and had no running water. I admit I was taken advantage of and am angry at myself for not seeing through the smoke.
  

  There are many "would have's" and "should have'" in this letter as I review it and I realize I was taken advantage of. The way **** (the owner) responds shows he doesn't really care...he got his money. He even stated he did not care if I contacted BBB that it would not hurt him in any way. Side note is the sales rep. ****** does not work for him any longer. I am also told South Florida Water Services does not carry insurance. Perhaps if they did he could cover his workers mistakes. They did give me a Florida business licence number and I do hope at least that is correct information.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************

  Business response

  12/27/2022

  ************* is an impossible customer to please. No matter what, she is going to argue and say that everything was done wrong. Well water in Florida is always changing especially after major hurricanes. We put in 5 pieces of brand new water equipment and because the sulfur is so incredibly strong she needs an aerator. It would solve the bad smell problem but that is another ***** and she refuses to pay anymore then what she paid and that's why she's using this platform to complain. We don't install aeration systems but I know a person that does and I've explained this to ************* numerous times and so has **** who is a well water expert that I paid to go her home 3-4 times to try and fix her problem. I've tried my best to help her but she doesn't want to address this problem. I'm a small company and cannot afford to pay for her to have an aeration system.  We wish her the best. 

  Customer response

  01/03/2023

   
  Complaint: 18544648
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I can see there will be no resolve. I appreciate the BBB efforts but know this business is not run on high values and solid morals. I guess I have to accept I was sold a system that was never installed properly and was never the adequate equiptment to resolve my water issues. What goes around comes around and only **** (the owner) knows how he runs his business. I have heard from several associated with him that his practices are not always above board....reaching for the almighty buck. Hope someday he'll change his business ways. I am done here.

  Again thank you for your efforts.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************

• Initial Complaint

  09/27/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  My problem is that I am not receiving any customer service for the mediocre work that was done. I have written to the South Florida Water Services Inc. twice already (June 23, 2021 and September 10, 2021) and I have explained the problem I am having. For a long time, there was a whistling sound coming from below the kitchen sink. The corporate office, by the way, has yet to give me the courtesy of a response! This company has no customer service (or if it does, it is far less than mediocre)! At the same time, I am paying four to five hundred dollars per month (and I have about three thousand dollars yet to pay) for the mediocre work (at best) that was done. Since I am not receiving any customer service---not for the past several months---I don't see why I should be continuing to pay these ridiculously exorbitant rates! My feeling is this, either I get the customer service that I am entitled (and paying for), or I should not have to continue paying that ridiculous sum of money.

  Business response

  10/11/2021

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2021/09/30) */ Contact Name and Title: Joshua S., Presid Contact Phone: 727-348-9354 Contact Email: ***************** We apologize to Mr ****** for the delay in customer service, we were able to service his system on 9-30-21 and we will stay on top of servicing his water system from now on. Please call us for any further questions or concerns. Sincerely, Joshua S., President S FL Water Services Consumer Response /* (2000, 8, 2021/10/08) */ Please see attached additional information received by the consumer.

*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. ↩