Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  05/09/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On August 3rd 2023 I was referred to B-dry by a highly respected water company to help to find out why I was getting water in a small area of my basement when it rained. A gentleman by the name of **** from the company contacted me and asked if I would send him a picture of the area. I sent a picture of the area of the closet where I thought the water was coming from. He looked at the photo and said thats an easy fix and we will have someone out soon to inject the walls. He said the warranty was 5-7 yrs and sometimes longer. They did as promised and sent someone out, They injected the walls as well as put a clay **** substance over the visible cracks. I then proceeded to remodel my basement because I assumed it was fixed. The very next time we got rain there was water in my basement in the same exact area. I contacted **** and he said I will place a service call. They came out again and I have no idea what they did but the worker said you should be all set. Since Aug 2023 I have had to have b-dry out 4-45 times for the same problem. On Monday April 30, I contacted the office again because it rained heavy on the 29th and water was in my basement and destroying my new floor. I called and spoke with *** and requested to speak with a manager and was told ***** would return my call. ***** never returned the call. I reached out to **** again also who said sorry for the inconvenience and if ***** said he would call he will. The problem I have is Im not the expert here. I wasnt for sure why the water was coming in. I sent pictures as requested but it Im continuing to call every time it rain. No one from this company never came out to do a investigation to assess the problem. Instead the last time the guy was out he said I dont know where the water is coming from. Maybe you have a bad window or knock down your drywall and if you see anything call us back. No resolution or apology or anything. I now have a ruined floor and possibly mold. Still no call from *****.

  

  Business response

  05/10/2024

  As requested, I am responding to this complaint. Some of the things stated in the complaint are accurate however, a lot of the statements made are simply not true. On August 10, 2023, our company was hired to repair a wall crack in her basement using a method called Urethane Injection. The price quoted by **** (our consultant) was to repair 1 wall crack near the corner of the basement. ****, who has been with our company for close to 20 years, would never tell any customer that "the warranty for this repair is 5 - 7 years and sometimes longer." As it clearly states on the contract this customer signed, the warranty for this repair is 5 years. I also spoke with **** in regard to this and he confirmed, "she was told 5 years." ******************** that she is referring to is a patch that is placed over the crack before the injection process. This material is called Hydraulic Cement. It is a fast drying cement that helps seal the crack so the urethane that is injected doesn't run out on to the floor before activating. 

  On August 15, *********************************************************** the same area after a heavy rain. We scheduled an appointment for August 22, 2023 to see what the issue was. Upon inspection, ****** (service technician) noticed a small leak in the crack that was injected previously. There was also water coming from another small crack that branched off of the original crack. ****** re-injected the area that was leaking under the warranty, and also injected the additional crack at no charge. To say "They came out again and I have no idea what they did but the worker said you should be all set" is unbelievable. ****** (service technician) contaced the customer who was at work at the time of the repair, and explained what he found, what he did to correct it, and then told her "you should be all set".

  On August, 11, *********************************************************************************** the same area. On August 12, 2024, ****** returned to the home and could not see initially where the water was coming from. In an attempt to find the leak, he ran water using a garden hose outside in the area near the crack. He found that water was coming in through the 2nd crack, but further down. He re-injected this area of the crack even though we were not hired to repair this area. Upon completion, he explained to the customer what he had done, what the issue was, and also suggested that she correct the outside landscaping so any water will run away from the house. The soil level on the outside of the basement wall is actuall higher than the wall itself. This can cause potential issues with water leaking in over top of the basement wall. 

  On April 30, 2024 we received a voicemail on our office phone line stating that she was "super upset with our work and still has water in the same area". The customer also states in her complaint "No one from this company never came out to do a investigation to assess the problem." This is simply not true. ****** returned to the home on May 1, 2024 and was let in by a gentleman to see the issue. ****** found that the cracks repaired were not leaking. There was signs of water leakage coming from further down the wall behind the drywall. ****** explained to the gentleman that in order to see where the water is coming from the drywall would need to be removed along with a large TV that is mounted on the wall. He also explained that since we can't see through the drywall it is possible there is another wall crack, rod hole, window leaking due to grading issues, etc. Once the drywall is removed we will be able to assess the problem. When leaving the home, ****** met the homeowner in the driveway and explained to her the same thing.

  The resolution is, the water leaking in is in a new/different area and is not covered by the warranty because we haven't worked in that area. The drywall needs to be removed in order to assess where the leak is coming from. Once its determined where the water is coming from, estimates can be provided for further repairs.

  Our company has nothing to apoligize for. We have stood behind our work and responded right away everytime there has been an issue. We have completed additional work by injecting the second crack at no cost to the customer. The last time we were out the water was coming in from an area that we did not work in therefore, it is a non warranty related service call and there is normally a fee of $200 for this which we did not charge the customer for. I understand she isn't happy about water in her basement but I feel that our company has gone above and beyond to help this customer. If water comes in through the areas injected we will continue to service it under the warranty as we should.     

  Customer response

  05/13/2024

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your rejection of the business's response. 
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of why I am rejecting this response appear below:
  
  Their response is untrue nor unfair. This is the same area that water has been coming into. Nothing has changed. Its the same area of the basement which is in the closet.  They wouldnt know where the water was coming in at as they never did an assessment of the problem. I never not got water in after the first time they came out. I only sent a picture of the area I thought it was coming from but it was never that area I assume. As a foundation company isnt it their job to figure it out. If I continue to call after your injections that mean that it was never fixed. So now its not a new area. They just continued to throw plaster over a non leaking area until we got tired and demanded they fix it and now this is their response in saying its a new area? Come on B-dry.  How would they know where the water was coming from because they never came out to investigate the issue. Also if its a different area, why did the worker ask me to mark the areas where I see water. Its the same reason I called them out before. Maybe court is more appropriate and this is poor business in regards to asking to speak with a manager and still no return call. But they have no reason to apologize. 
  
  Regards,
  
  *******************************

  

  Business response

  07/15/2024

  The rejection response is hard to understand. In the first sentence she claims that my response is "untrue nor unfair." This would mean that my response is fair unless I am reading this wrong. This is NOT the same area water has been coming in. It may be the same area on the floor that water is puddling but it is not the same area where water is entering the basement.

   

  Next, she states "They wouldn't know where the water is coming in at as we never did an assessment of the problem." We have assessed the problem numerous times, made a repair, and now there is a different area that is a problem, simple as that.

   

  "I never not got water in after the first time they came out." I apologize but I can't even understand this. As a foundation company it is our job to figure it out, which we have done and explained to ******************* numerous times what the next steps are in order to fix the new area. Just because you continue to call our office because you have water does not mean it was never fixed. Each and every time she has called, we have responded in a timely manner and repaired the area leaking.

   

  In conclusion, ******************* simply doesn't like the fact that a new/different area is leaking and there will be additional work needed to fix it which is not covered by the warranty. The areas repaired previously are not leaking and she has been instructed on how to proceed (remove drywall) so we can fix the new area. It is obvious that ******************* is not happy with our services, so as a final resolution, I will refund the money paid for the repair ($650). This will conclude our business and she is welcome to find another company to work with for any future waterproofing needs. This also means that all warranties associated with the repair are void. A check will be sent out in the next 3-5 business days to the address on the original work order.      

   

  Sincerely,

   

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

  CEO

  B-Dry System of Michigan, Inc.

  Customer response

  07/22/2024

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.

  Better Business Bureau:

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.  I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.

  Regards,

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

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