ComplaintsforSeagate Inspections Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  08/12/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Complaint Against Seagate Inspections Nature of Complaint: Poor Inspection Service and lack of resolution In December 2023, I hired Seagate Inspections to perform a buyer’s inspection for a house I intended to purchase. Unfortunately, the inspection report provided by Seagate Inspections was incomplete and inaccurate. The report failed to identify several significant issues with the property, including: - Rotten sub flooring in a bathroom that was visible from the basement - Numerous dangerous electrical hazards - Rotten wood in the attic - Several other critical issues affecting the safety and integrity of the home These oversights have caused considerable inconvenience and additional financial burden, as I now face substantial repair costs that should have been identified during the inspection process. After I found these issues I contacted Seagate. The owner came to my house and walked through it with me. I showed him and the inspector all of the things I had found. The owner agreed that the things that were missed were unacceptable and that he would make it right. Once I asked Seagate for compensation after repairs were made I was offered $2500, which is a small fraction of total repair costs. Since then they have not responded to my email. I am seeking assistance from the BBB to address this matter and request that Seagate Inspections take responsibility for their negligence in providing a thorough inspection. Additionally, I am seeking compensation for the issues that were missed during the inspection. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

  

  Business response

  08/12/2024

  There was no rotten subfloor visible from the basement. There was staining beneath the toilet and it was dry at the time of the inspection after mulitiple flushes of the toilet. This appeared to be an old issue that had been repaired. It was only after the client tore up the bathroom that he found the top layers of the subfloor to be delaminated. He further decided to cut the bathtub out with a Sawzall, which was not necessary to affect repairs in this bathroom. He basically gutted the bathroom and he admitted he went farther than he needed to. The electrical issues were primarily above a suspended ceiling that was installed only 3" from the ceiling joists above and was not easily removed for inspection. Other electrical issues he found were under the insulation in the attic. Insulation is not removed during a home inspection. I told the client I would help him; I never told him I would pay to remodel his house. Contractually, all he is entitled to is a refund of the inspection fee that he paid our company to inspect this home. Our contract, and every other home inspection contract I have ever read are very clear that the home inspection is not a guarantee or a warranty and that a refund of the inspection fee is the limit of liability.

  I have returned every email and phone call he sent or made to our office. In fact, the last email that went between us came from me to him. His contention that we have not responded to his email is false. No one needs to assist my customers to get communication from me or our company.

  I offered him considerably more than he paid us to "help him out". Given his lack of reason, that offer is now off the table. 

  Customer response

  08/13/2024

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: His response is not true and very misleading.

  To begin, I attached a photo of my last email which was left unanswered. 

  The rotten bathroom floor was found by another contractor installing a hot water tank directly below the bathroom floor. The damage could also have been seen from the access panels that were on the other side of the wall. If I planned on redoing the bathroom and then found the rotten floor, a $50 piece of plywood would not make me contact him with my complaints. I had no plans on redoing that bathroom but it was necessary because the tub was improperly mounted and unable to be reused. The only way to fix the subfloor was to removed everything. I have contractors that can verify this information. He claims there was no moisture there yet there is no IR scan on that area to prove his claim. That is because that area was not properly inspected.

  The electrical issues above the drop ceiling would have been very easy to see if someone would have done a thorough inspection. There is infact is 6 inches of clearance to be able to look above the drop ceiling.

  Also what is the excuse for not seeing the rotten wood in the attic? Or the detached soil pipe? Or the electrical issues in the utility closet? Or the unsealed rear sliding door?

  He took pictures of these issues himself when he walked thorough the house, and said it was unacceptable and that he would make it right. He told me to fix what I needed to or get an estimate of what it will cost to fix and to let him know. As soon as I told him what it would cost he denied any wrongdoing. 

  Sincerely,
  ***** ********

  

  Business response

  08/13/2024

  The last email I received from the consumer was him wanting me to pay him $20,000.00. I replied with "That's not gonna happen." I have received no further communication from him. I made a reasonable offer because I thought my inspector could have found some of what he was complaining about. That offer was considerably more than refunding his inspection fee, which is all that he is contractually due. He wouldn't hear of it, that is when he sent the email wanting $20k. As I stated above, that was the last communication he sent to me. It was unreasonable so I denied it.

  Customer response

  08/14/2024

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  Again, attached is proof of his lack of response. As he stated the last thing he responded is "Not gonna happen" on June 21st. I then responded on June 22nd. 

  His company's lack of a thorough inspection has put myself and family in danger due to the extent of dangerous hazards that were missed, as well as a major financial burden. I told him I thought $20000 was fair because that is what my realtor and other contractors have said these damages would be cost to fix. I never said I wouldn't settle for less than that, but $2500 is an absolutely unreasonable offer.

• Initial Complaint

  07/01/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On Friday June 21st Seagate performed an inspection at my father home. In the process of performing the inspection they damaged the stairway leading to the attic. The inspector contacted our real estate agent ******** and advised them the spring and support structure for the stairs were damaged. I waited for seagate to reach out to us and make the necessary arrangements to repair the damage they caused. When we still had not heard from Seagate i reached out to the owner ********************* on July 1st and left a message. ***************** returned the call a few hours later. He advised me that he personally did not inspect the house but had an employee perform the task. He acknowledged there was damage to the attic stairs but insisted that somehow the damage was not his employees fault. When i advised him that the stairs were in perfect working order and used only a few days beforehand he became very defensive. He advised me his employee had worked for him for over 20yrs and refused to accept responsibility for damaging the support structure. I asked ***************** what he would do to repair the damage. He advised me that he would do nothing and said i was unreasonable for suggesting his firm pay for damages. In over 35yrs of buying and selling properties i have never encountered a home inspection company who damaged property and refused to make the necessary repairs. ***************** was very callous and seems to have no regard for customer **********************.

  

  Business response

  07/02/2024

  ****************** was not at the inspection (neither was I) and therefore ****************** has no firsthand knowledge of what may have happened. My inspector was there and gave me the firsthand report on the incident. ****************** claims his family had been in the attic in the days leading up to the inspection and the folding stairway was in good working order. Funny, that when my inspector simply pulled the string to lower them one of the steel arms came flying down and almost hit him in the face. Perhaps the truth here is that ********************** family broke these stairs and put them back up so it they could blame the inspector who would be there within a few days. However, I would like to believe that since the most stress on the arms and springs for any folding ladder are in the going up and coming down actions, perhaps the family used them without issue and when they put them back up, the arm came loose but was not known. It is possible that the simple motion of pulling them down, again one of the two most stressful operations for this hardware, caused it to fly away from the opening. In either event, the inspector did not break anything. He simply pulled the string to bring them down, as is standard for anyone wanting to use them, and the steel arm nearly hit him in the face. Fortunately, the steel arm did not hit my inspector in the face, or we might be having another conversation about medical bills and the seller's responsibility for a hazard on their property.

  With that said, I simply told ****************** that our inspector did not break anything, he even used his own ladder to get up into the attic through that opening. I was not callous; I was firm in my denial that our company had any responsibility for this issue. That remains my stance. 

  Customer response

  07/03/2024

   
  Complaint: 21926772
  
  I am rejecting this response because:    The response from Seagate inspections is unacceptable.  To imply that my family somehow sabotaged the attic stairs is paranoid and a blatant attempt to shift the blame from the damage caused by ********************* employee.  I believe that Mr ******** employee used excessive force in pulling down the stairs and damaged the hardware.  I believe he was concerned for his job and did not disclose to his boss what occurred.   The employee left the stairs hanging partially down thereby creating a very negative image for prospective buyers.  To suggest we would purposely do anything to hinder the sale is beyond ludicrous.  As you can see from the picture the stairs are partially down and stuck.  The damage could not have been done prior to the inspection because the stairs were secure and up in the attic.     I feel Seagate should be responsible for the  cost of repairing the damaged stairway.  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

  

  Business response

  07/10/2024

  The inspector in this case has been with our company for over 20 years inspecting 3-5 houses per day, 5 days per week, many of those houses with pull down stairs to an attic.  To suggest the inspector pulled the string too hard is ridiculous. There was NOT excessive force used in pulling these stairs down. To further suggest that the inspector feared for his job is offensive to the integrity of our inspector and to me in the way that I deal with our employees. Our company has inspected over ****** homes in 30+ years. We have accidently broken things and we have paid for repairs or replacement when we were responsible for that damage. NO EMPLOYEE has EVER feared for his job over anything! The fact remains that our inspector did not do anything to break the stair arm that almost hit him in the face. He simply pulled on the string to lower the stair assembly as he has in every other home he has inspected for the last 20 years without incident. ********************** unwillingness to accept the truth does not change the facts or our responsibility in this matter. We will not make repairs to their defective stair assembly, nor will we pay for repairs.

  Customer response

  07/15/2024

   
  Complaint: 21926772
  
  I am rejecting this response because:   ***************** and his company have made no effort to redress the damage i believe was caused by their employee to my fathers home.   Instead he has attempted to slander my family name by fabricating a story that they sabotaged their own home prior to the inspection.  I think it is vital that this review and complaint are posted so that anyone having their home inspected by Seagate can take proper precautions before letting this company on their property.   Having previously been a member of the BBB for many years  I am appalled  in the manner in which ***************** and his company have approached resolving this complaint.    I believe it is very important for the public to view this complaint and ********************** responses to see how they may be treated.  I have already had the stairs repaired at minimal expense.  This was never a matter of the money only accepting responsibility which ****************** and his company Seagate have steadfastly refused to do. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

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