Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  09/26/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  I had scheduled a chimney cleaning on Sept, 17, 22. I know the chimney is leaking water and also asked for an estimate for repair. They cleaned and quoted me 17k for a new liner and a complete exterior tear down. I had a roofer over the next day who told me the chimney was solid and likely didn't need to come down and he said it had not been cleaned. I had masonry repair company out next. He told me that the only reason to take it down completely was if he couldn't find bricks that matched in color. I did not have him look inside. I had another chimney cleaning/repair company out and he also agreed that there was no reason to tear it down and he too commented on how dirty the chimney was. He estimates 33 bricks needs replace and the roof flashing which will be handled by our roofer. I emailed Chicagoland that I wanted it cleaned correctly or refunded 234. They told me that their chimney cleaning only covers the liner which needs replaced and they claim to have pictures and they did as was asked of them. A power cleaning they would do for an additional charge. I was unable to find a straight forward description on their site about their cleaning only covering the liner, not the smoke box or fire box. Even if they did clean it, it wasn't done completely and I was told that was because they knew the liner needed to be replaced. So why clean it knowing it needed replaced? I was told they do the inspections after cleaning. Had they done the inspection first I would opted to not have it cleaned at all. To me a chimney cleaning is the whole thing. I brought up the replacement vs. repair. They claim it is in my best interest to tear it out. But I had 2 other chimney professionals out that felt that was extreme. The also claimed they would price match and told me that I wasn't using licensed and bonded contractors. I assure you, they are. One of them I have used in the past. I want my money back.

• Initial Complaint

  05/03/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  This is an issue of not receiving services for which I have already paid for, and I am seeking a refund. I contacted the company, originally interested in getting some work done on my fireplace. They told me that they needed to do an inspection at a cost of $149 before they could provide an estimate. They didn't show up to the scheduled inspection with no explanation and then did not show up to the inspection when I called to reschedule the inspection. Finally on the third try, they actually made that appointment. Two very unprofessional and disheveled men showed up, spent no more than 5 minutes at my home and only took a couple of measurements and photos, collected their $149 "inspection" fee from me, and promised they would get a quote back to me later that day or the next morning. I asked them if they needed to take any additional measurements or photos before they left and they insisted that was all they needed. A week went by, and no word back from them so I called to inquire. They seemed very unorganized and said they would need to look into it and get back to me. Finally a few days later I get a call, and they said they needed to get more measurements and photos, so I sent them the information myself. Another week went by, I called, and finally received a quote on their letterhead with just the total estimated cost on it. There was no other information, no conditions, no timeline, no itemization, no insurance information, or guarantees. The scope of work indicated was also very unclear and inaccurate. I asked for more detail and to make the corrections. They refused. I exchanged a few emails with the owner, *****, who was very unhelpful. I had never received a proper estimate for the work, and therefore am entitled to a refund for services not provided. I had paid for the inspection on 1/18/2021 and have been trying to get refunded since then.

  Business response

  05/04/2022

  Inspections are done in order to determine the safety of a fireplace. A level 1 inspection is a service provided by a certified technician.  It is recommended that inspections are done yearly to prevent unnecessary fire hazards.  ************* as with most in-home service company visits, is provided with a fee.  ************** was at *************, Chicago, ** on January 15th and then our ******* returned to the same address on January 19th.   An estimate was sent Friday January 22nd.  Attached photos from the technician inspection, invoice, and estimate. 

  Customer response

  05/19/2022

   
  Complaint: 17137351
  
  I am rejecting this response because:Their response did not address any of my grievances.  The business did not provide anywhere near the level of service that it promised that it would provide.  And it did not provide me with a proper estimate as it had promised.  I expect a refund for services that were not recieved.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************************

  Business response

  05/19/2022

  Unfortunately we have no answers for this customer. We were hired to perform an inspection that the customer scheduled had gotten a reminder and signed off on on completion. He is not happy with the results of the inspection and expects us to provide a free service. This is not grounds for a complaint. He was provided with an estimate and a full inspection report. Over a year and a half from the service he decided to harass our office for a refund. This is ridicules. 

*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. ↩