ComplaintsforTubKote Bathtub Refinishing

• Initial Complaint

  01/10/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  TubKote.com Pristine Bathtub Refinishing did a tub "reglaze" on Tuesday, November 23, 2021. We paid them with a personal check, the requested amount of $800 upon completion of their work before they left the house. For that $800, they committed to reglaze the bathtub and surrounding tile in the master bathroom. Upon payment, we were given a receipt which included a warranty as well as "warranty care and maintenance guidelines". The warranty states that "TubKote will warranty the surface.....providing customer has maintained surface as recommended". One of the recommendations is to not use the the surface for a minimum of 24 hours. On approximately December 17th, we lined the tub with heavy moving blankets in order to protect the surface, in case a tool or part dropped during our re-installation of the faucet and shower head. Nothing dropped during re-installation. We ran water to ensure all parts were properly installed. We dabbed water up with soft cloth. Upon doing so, 3 pieces of reglaze material came off. We have not touched the tub or shower since that day. Upon explaining by voice mail that there is flaking in the tub and requesting a phone call back to discuss issue, the company has not called back. I have received text messages stating that the problem is "impact chipping", which is not covered under warranty. Several more phone calls by me have not been returned. Text messages have been sent by the company stating that either I will have to buy porcelain touch up paint myself, or pay them $140 + $50 trip charge + $90 per hour for them to do the repair. I have called and texted, requesting he come and look in person to see that these are not "impact chips", as opposed to making his determination based on a photo which doesn't clearly show the problem. They have neither answered nor returned my calls, nor have they responded to my last text on January 6, in which I suggested that a phone conversation would be most prudent in this situation.

  Business response

  03/07/2022

  I am responding to complaint # ********.

  
  

  
  

  We did the job for the customer at the amount quoted, and was paid.

  
  

  The warranty was reviewed with customer prior to leaving their home.

  
  

  A few weeks later customer calls and leaves a voice message stating the glaze has gotten "chipped" (her words).

  I asked her to send a picture of the chipping, which she did.

  In her text message that accompanied the picture, she again stated it was chipped (not peeling / flaking).

  Upon receipt of the pictures, I responded that, indeed, it looks like it has gotten chipped, and that chipping / impact chips were not an item covered under our warranty. She then proceeded to say it was peeling or flaking, not chipped. She said it was "semantics" and I should honor the warranty.

  I told her it is NOT semantics - there is a **** difference between impact chips and peeling or flaking.

  I will most certainly honor our warranty, however what she has is not covered by our warranty.

   

  I offered her a couple options- buy a touch up kit for $20 and fix it herself, or pay me a NON-WARRANTY SERVICE CALL and I would come fix the chips for her. I directed her to review the Warranty Information she was provided.

  
  

  She seemed to be insistent that I come look in person at the chips, but she didn't want to pay for any repairs.

  Why should I go look at the chips in person when:

  1. she already described them as chips multiple times,

  2. the picture she sent clearly shows it is damaged from an impact - NOT spontaneous peeling / flaking,

  3. I told her I agreed with her assessment - that it somehow got chipped,

  4. Also, I showed the picture to 9 different bathtub reglazers across the country that I network with, and asked them for their assessment. All of the 9 bathtub reglazing professionals had the same conclusion as I (and she) did - the damage was caused by impact (NOT covered by the warranty). It is not an example of peeling or flaking, which would be covered by our warranty.

  
  

  She stated that the tub was lined with "heavy moving blankets" in case something was dropped during installation of hardware. 

  Was there something on the blankets that caused the damage?

  Was she in the room the entire time?

  Could the person installing the hardware have damaged the tub / dropped something and not owned up to it / forgot to tell her?

  Twenty-four (24) days elapsed from the time it was glazed to the time it was damaged. Does she know everyone who came in and out of that room for those 24 days, and what may or may not have happened? 

  I do know it was not like that when I left, and something happened to cause the chipping. 

  Lots of unanswered questions.

  
  

  I am happy to reach out by phone to this customer.

  I will tell her exactly what I have written here as my response to this complaint.

  
  

  I do stand by our warranty.

  In this case, and by her own admission, this is NOT a warranty item.

  
  

  
  

  TubKote, LLC

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