ComplaintsforPete's Absolute Asphalt Sealing

• Initial Complaint

  10/05/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unresolved

  More info

  We contracted Peter on May 3, 2021 to pave and seal a 230 SF portion of our driveway. He assured me it was a one-day job, yet never even started it. The previous complaint filed against him appears to describe a similar scenario: Peter taking the deposit money, never starting the job, and, upon the customer asking for the deposit back, either refusing or deducting several hundred for "administrative fees," "time," etc. My deposit on 5/3/21 was $1,500.00, and Peter proposed to return $840 but keep $660. None of the work outlined in the contract and for which the deposit was placed has been even started. No administrative, accounting, time, etc. fees are part of the contract I have. When confronted, Peter blamed me for not letting him do the work. I explained that, as we approach now the end of the second season when nothing has been done, I do not wish or trust him to do the work. He then blamed me that I wouldn't let him do the work when he tried to, referring to his 8/17/22 text when he wanted to schedule for the day when my first day of classes started. I politely asked to schedule for a different day that week so I could be there - which now he describes as me not letting him do the work. He also claims that he tried it several times. Note that, as a teacher, I have flexible summers, when I am home almost all the time, yet for two summers the one-day job never happened. Starting 7/13/22, my communication with Peter has been by text only, and I have eight texts since then asking him to schedule the job. All prior communication was by phone calls. After I refused Peter's idea (by text) to come do the job NEXT summer, his last several texts became full of gaslighting and triggered my anxiety; therefore, my husband started reasoning with Peter, to no avail. At this point, we'd like our deposit to be refunded in full. Based on the other complaint, it looks like we are not the first clients whom Peter has treated this way - this needs to stop.

  Business response

  10/07/2022

  BBB spoke to the business and the following was relayed:  We have time in on this job.  We killed the grass in the gravel portion and did the prep work to install the driveway.  I am willing to refund $1100, retaining 400 for my labor and materials.

  Customer response

  10/10/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  The business's claims are completely false. NO work has been started on the project at any time. NO materials have appeared on the site. My husband and I have all the texts from Peter, and nowhere any work that has been done is even mentioned there. His own texts contradict his current claims. We and the neighbors, with whom we share the driveway, can attest to the fact that no work has been done.

  Peter has already tried to retain $660 out of our $1,500.00 deposit claiming that this should cover his administrative costs and taxes that he paid on the deposit (although customer deposits are not considered taxable income). Now he is making false claims trying to retain money for something that was never done. We'd like our deposit of $1,500.00 to be refunded in full.

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

  Business response

  10/21/2022

  Response taken by phone: 

  I did initially go out and kill the grass in preparation to start the job in September of last year.  She told me it was not convenient for us to do the work at that time.  As I previously stated, I am willing to refund $1100, retaining 400 for my labor and materials.

  I am also willing to honor the contract and complete the job for the same price next season. We do have another job scheduled in that area that is expected to be done in July. I would also be willing to sealcoat the driveway at no cost.

  Customer response

  10/23/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  Once again, Peter’s claims prove that he is not being truthful. It was literally impossible for him to be killing any grass in September 2021, as there wasn’t any. The gravel portion of the driveway that is under the dispute is part of the garage front that was a new built in 2021, with the Certificate of Occupancy #2020-0481 issued on August 2, 2021. If Peter had even visited the site that summer or fall, he would have seen that there was no grass growing yet in any gravel portion or on any surrounding area after the excavation and construction.
  Furthermore, my mother was living with us at that time; she was at home almost all the time and gardened outside every day when weather permitted. She can confirm that, at no time, there was anyone on our property doing any spraying.
  Finally, there is no chance that Peter would be allowed to spray anything on our property without our consent. No grass killing was ever discussed or included in our contract. In fact, we never spray any chemicals on our property, including on grass. We never have and never will allow any contractor to spray any chemicals, especially without our consent.
  Peter is making false claims trying to retain money for something that was never done. We have no trust in Peter at this point and don’t want him on our property – we have already made this clear to Peter. We'd like our deposit of $1,500.00 to be refunded in full.
  Regards,
  ***** *****
  
  
  
  
  

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