ComplaintsforCOIT Cleaning & Restoration

• Initial Complaint

  02/13/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Hired **** to clean and disinfect the ***** Technician arrived & stated he was using Squeaky Clean to wipe outside of **** unit, MEP **** Coil Cleaner, and Vital Oxide to fog the ***** Tech visually inspected coils and stated there was mold on the coils. Tech then sprayed MEP Coil Cleaner which is NOT an EPA-registered disinfectant labeled for **** use nor per IICRC standards. The technician then used a high pressure air hose that blew debris from the coils, including mold and mold spores, into the entire **** system, the basement, and ultimately into the house via the **** system as well as airborne. The tech then fogged with what he stated was Vital Oxide. The next day, a bad musty smell engulfed the basement. I have emailed ************** who offered to come back out and fog. When he first arrived, he came in with his fogger and then stated he didn't have product in the fogger and would return in the evening. ************** did return in the evening with his fogger and a clear product inside the fogger. ************** fogged the basement but did NOT fog my **** ducts or system. The product ************** was using had no odor at all so I asked him what product he was using & he stated Shockwave. I told ************** that was NOT Shockwave as Shockwave is a blue color with a distinct fresh smell. I then retrieved a bottle of Shockwave I had and showed ************** that is was NOT the same. ************** has insisted that he did use Shockwave. However, per Fiberlock Shockwave concentrate mixing instructions, it is 2 oz Shockwave per gallon of water which is the required dilution for mold. Plus, the product when mixed at 2 oz per gallon is a blue color. After ************** fogged, it did not help the smell caused by the technician & was worse. I demanded ************** fix the issue **** caused or provide me with a full refund which ************** of **** has refused to do.

  Business response

  02/22/2023

  To whom it may concern,

  I responded with phone calls to ***************************. She accused me of cleaning  her HVAC A/C coils with squeaky which we never do. Then she said we didn't use Shockwave. We mix our concentrated Shockwave with water and keep it in a 55 gallon drum. We use Shockwave every day in our work. Her home was/is contaminated with mold. I came out several months ago and gave her an estimate. She went elsewhere. I am not sure if it was completed by an IICRC certified company like ours. IICRC is the standard in the cleaning and restoration industry. You must abide by certain guidelines while performing restoration work and have adequate IICRC training. 

  I, personally, came to her house as a courtesy and electro-statically applied Shockwave. When she called, I responded promptly. This was done a few weeks after our initial Air Duct cleaning. She said we used some other chemical. I 100% used Shockwave. She accused me of lying which I take great offense too!

  Kind regards,

   

  *****************

   

  Customer response

  02/23/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined the response would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below. 
  
  ****: I came out several months ago and gave her an estimate. She went elsewhere. 
  My Response: The reason for the quote was give estimate on duct cleaning and disinfection. While ************** was here we did discuss what his price might be to re-encapsulate a 5 x 18 crawl space where crawlspace is and has been encapsulated but was done very ugly. **** verbally quoted me price that was 200% above other competitors prices for an crawlspace area that size. Furthermore, the crawlspace discussion has no bearing on the **** work or my complaint.

  
  

  ****: My home has mold.

  My Response:  **** **** cleaning technician stated to me and my son that he visually saw mold on the **** coils while he was cleaning my ductwork and **** system.

  Fact: **** **** cleaning technician stated to me and my son that the products he was using were the following: Squeaky Clean, MEP Coil Cleaner, and Vital Oxide.

  Fact: **** **** cleaning technician at the time of cleaning my **** ductwork and when the **** **** technician observed the coils had some visible mold growth did not use ShockWave or any other approved IICRC mold antimicrobial products to clean the furnace coils.

  Fact: The **** **** technician then sprayed the coils with a can of MEP coil cleaner and then used a high pressure air hose to spray the mold on the furnace coils which blew mold spores into the basement and ductwork.

  Fact: The **** **** technician did not use an approved IICRC product and did not follow proper IICRC procedures when identifying mold on the furnace coils. Containment was also not used which is standard IICRC procedure.

  Fact: I did call **** and spoke to ************** expressing my concerns. (I can provide phone records, if required) and ************** scheduled an appointment 1 week out to 'Fog the basement'. Fact: Mold takes 24-48hours to grow and since the products **** used was not IICRC approved for mold nor an antimicrobial approved to be used on furnace coils and inside an ****, the potential for growth was exasperated not to mention the growth potential in the basement, **** ductwork, and house via transmission by **** ducts from the technician using a high-pressure air hose to blow mold spores everywhere. 

  Fact: ************** arrived with a fogging machine and proceeded to the basement. ************** then immediately exited the basement and stated he did not have any product in his fogger and would have to return in the evening. ************** arrived in the evening with a fogger containing a completely clear liquid. When ************** began to fog the basement, I asked him what product he was using. ************* stated he was using ShockWave. ************** proceeded to fog for approx. 8 to 10 minutes.

  Fact: As I've said in my previous statement, FiberLock ShockWave when mixed properly for the use of mold remediation according to FiberLock ShockWave mixing instructions, the product has a blue tint and a distinct clean smell that dissipates only after several hours when used in an unventilated area. e.g.;Basement

  Fact: ************** did NOT fog nor treat the furnace coils or **** system during his scheduled appointment.

  Fact: I then retrieved a gallon of FiberLock ShockWave that I keep on hand and showed **************. I then asked him to smell my ShockWave product. I then told ************** that the product he was using compared to my recently purchased ShockWave Concentrate is not the same. That Mr. ****** product did not have any odor whatsoever and that ShockWave has a specific clean scent. ************* got upset and left. 

  Fact: My home had been completely gutted with new drywall, subfloor,attic insulation, etc. After construction and additional work inside the home,the time came to clean the ****. Any and all mold suspected was identified and remediated by a licensed mold remediation company and the mold testing by a licensed mold expert with a PhD in microbiology.  All receipts and test results can be provided, if required and will demonstrate my house was free and clear of contaminates. 

   Summary:

  1. Fact: ************** cannot deny or argue that his technician did NOT use an approved IICRC cleaner on the furnace coils. 

  2. Fact: ************** cannot deny or argue that his technician did not follow proper IICRC procedures when mold has been identified on the furnace coils.

  3. Fact: After calling ************** to complain, ************** scheduled an appointment to fog. If in fact the proper procedures HAD been followed by his technician, ************** would not have so quick to schedule an appointment to fog the basement.  Therefore, ************** knew and is aware that the proper procedures were NOT used and that an approved IICRC was not used to clean the furnace coils. 

  4. Fact: The basement and house did NOT smell any musty prior to **** cleaning my ****.

  5. Fact: ****** website clearly states: "**** backs the quality of our work with the industrys best guarantee. If youre not 100% satisfied with the results of our specialty cleaning services, we do whatever it takes to fix it. And if we cant, well refund your money."

   

  I am requesting and demanding a full refund from **** in the amount of $475.00.

  
  

  
  Regards,
  
  ***************************
  

  Business response

  02/24/2023

  To whom this may concern,

  After every job before we leave, we ask the customer if they were satisfied, collect payment, and have them sign the invoice. She said she was satisfied, we collected payment and she signed the invoice which I attached in my last correspondence. I do agree with her FACT(S). She has basically called me a liar. We use Shockwave as a disinfectant which we sprayed on the coils but also used a coil cleaner to remove grime. We follow the strictest of IICRC guidelines. If we were at fault, we would own up to it. I am sorry but we did nothing wrong and she unfortunately is the one who is fabricating a story.

  Kind regards,

  *****************

   

  Customer response

  02/27/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined the response would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below. 
  
  [COITS statement: "We use Shockwave as a disinfectant which we sprayed on the coils." Shockwave was not used on the coils. That is not the truth. I have not fabricated anything in any of my statements. My son who was also home is a witness and we are both familiar with the color and smell of Shockwave. The **** technician stated to us (as we sat on the basement steps watching the technician clean my coils) that he did NOT use Shockwave on the coils and sprayed a coil cleaner out of a can (not ***** approved for mold) on the coils and after doing so used an high pressure air hose to spray the coils. Even if **** had sprayed the coils with Shockwave, all the coils would have had to have been sprayed with Shockwave, but the thing is Shockwave does NOT prevent mold spores from flying when using a high pressure air hose. (High pressure air hose that is similar to the pressure you find at a self-serve car wash). I did say something to the technician that what he was using was NOT approved and that an industrial hygienist had mentioned that the only approved ***** mold product for **** was BBJ. 

  The technician that told me he used a product call squeaky clean to clean the outside of **** systems to make them shine. 

  ************** is the one fabricating his story as ************** knows the ***** mold remediation standards and ************** knows for a fact his technician did not follow those standards. The fact alone that if his technician identified mold on the coils of my ****, then ***** standards require containment for any mold. 

  The fact that when I did complain to ************** and he agreed to come out and fog, and then ************** first came with an empty fogger, then ************** returned that same evening he did NOT re-fog the **** coils or re-fog the **** system. Fiberlock Shockwave when mixed properly to disinfect is blue, not clear in color and has a scent/odor that last for sometime. There for ************** is not being honest.

  ************** should refund my full amount of $475.00 based on facts. 
  Regards,
  
  ***************************

  
  

  Customer response

  03/06/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined the response would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below. 
  
  [Provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.]

  Please find attached proof by receipt that **** was not forthcoming. 

  The receipt shows the product used was "Vital Oxide". 

   

  Thank you, 

  ***************************

  
  

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