ComplaintsforChampion Companies

• Initial Complaint

  06/17/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I emailed the Security Deposit Team at The Champion Companies about my deposit check. They informed me that it had been sent, but I never received it. They advised me to check with USPS and let them know if it didn't arrive. After informing them that I checked with USPS and couldn't locate the check, they stopped responding to my emails. I sent multiple follow-up emails, but no one has replied. I'm concerned that the check might have been stolen.

  

  Business response

  06/19/2024

  Hi ********. We apologize for any frustration you have experienced since moving out of ******* House. As a part of the move out process we gather the resident's forwarding address so that we can send all security deposit information in a timely manner. It appears that the the initial forwarding address you provided was not your current address when we mailed your security deposit check. We mailed your security deposit check to the forwarding address you provided on May 2, 2024. The check has not been cashed, and has also not been returned to our office.

  You spoke with a member of our security deposit team on Monday, June 17. We confirmed your new address, voided the original security deposit refund check and mailed you a new check on the same day. You should receive your refund in the coming days. If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to our security deposit team at ###-###-####). Thank you.

  Customer response

  06/20/2024

  [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 accept the business's response to resolve this complaint.
  
  Regards,
  
  ******** ********

• Initial Complaint

  01/17/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Myself and my girlfriend, ******, live in a Champion Property called Worthington Ridge in Columbus, OH. Last night (1/16/24) we noticed our lock on our front door wasn’t properly locking. We noticed around 9 PM and called the emergency maintenance line shortly after. Two gentleman responded and were very professional. They fixed the door and put in a further work order and verbally asked us if maintenance had permission to enter without our permission. We said “no” and I took it a step further and requested a phone call before entering since I work right down the road and can be home quickly. Today 1/17/24 ****** was home alone around 3:30 and called me frantically panicking staying someone was entering the apartment. I heard her verbally say “no you’re not allowed in here.” To which the maintenance person replied “well I have a work order and proceeded to open the door.” I am running to my car and can hear her verbally distraught telling this worker he is not allowed to enter and this man was semi argumentative and combative stating multiple times he “had a work order.” Once she stated he is not allowed, as a 26 year old young female home alone this man should have instantly backed off and left. He did not. I got home within 1-2 minutes and he’s still there and I had to tell him to leave. He went to the leasing office. After cooling down for a few minutes I went to the leasing office and he’s there with a leasing agent. His attitude was atrocious and he was looking away from me, avoiding eye contact and even scoffing at me as I stated he was wrong for not immediately leaving. This man’s attitude was alarming and we are concerned he now knows where we live and that she may be home alone at certain times.

  

  Business response

  01/24/2024

  Hello ****, we sincerely apologize for the experience you've described, and we take your concerns very seriously. Your comfort and peace of mind are of utmost importance to us, and we can assure you that this will not happen again. Unfortunately, there was a miscommunication between the emergency maintenance team to the onsite team for the permission to enter. Therefore, your work order was accidentally marked with a "yes" for permission to enter rather than the no that you verbally told the emergency maintenance technician. Since this was incorrectly marked our technician did not call prior to visiting the home. As per our protocol, with permission to enter or not, our tech knocked on the door to announce himself as maintenance. When he did not hear a response, he unlocked the door but upon opening the door he was met with a resident and was immediately asked to stay outside and wait for you to arrive. Our tech remained outside in the breezeway in an attempt to clear up any confusion. While we regret any discomfort you or your girlfriend may have experienced, our technician was only trying to complete a work order given the information provided to him at the time. Our team has recently been in touch with you about this, but if there's anything more you'd like to share or discuss, please feel free to contact our office directly.

• Initial Complaint

  08/23/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  There was a problem with the AC unit in my apartment causing it to run continuously. Once I realized that it was not turning off at the programmed temperature, I put in a maintenance request. They came the same day, as always. They left a note saying that the unit was frozen/out of freon and they would have to bring in an HVAC company. They came the next day, and, although they left a mess, the problem was fixed. When I got my bill from Pioneer Energy Management it was significantly higher than it had ever been in over a year in the same apartment. I knew this was due to the faulty unit, so I called down to the management team who gave me multiple excuses of why this was not their responsibility. They claimed that the summer months the bills go up. They also claimed that AEP had recently purchased a lot of the energy companies, etc. etc. At that point I did some more research I looked at these months from last year and I looked at my usage for every month that I had been here and saw that it was significantly more. I also researched the problem with the unit and it said you could be Incurring expense before you even know there was a problem. I inquired on site, many times, and was given the phone number to champion home office on Polaris. I spoke with the receptionist who never called me back. I called her again and she said she would check with the powers that be and call me back. Never happened! I am not looking for a handout. I am looking for fairness! I have had nothing but a positive experience here at Berkeley House, but the fact that they are blowing me off on this situation, and not even responding to me is infuriating! Fair is fair. I have been a loyal tenant for over a year, have a garage and a closet. I rent as well, and have always been on time with my payments. Their lack of attention to this matter is beyond disappointing. These are luxury apartments, and we pay a prime to live here, the customer service should be prime.

  

  Business response

  09/01/2023

  Hello ******, we are sorry to hear that you feel as though you are having a negative experience. Our records indicate that our team responded to and corrected the HVAC unit within 24 hours of learning about the issue. Our team has recently been in contact with you about this. Please reach out should you have any additional questions or concerns.
  
  
  

  Customer response

  09/11/2023

  BBB called the consumer using an automated calling system.  The consumer replied with a text message  with the number 1 indicating that their complaint was resolved and could be closed - see below for details:

  ###-###-####

  *****, ****** 20512761

  Champion Real Estate Services, Inc.

  Sep 11, 2023 11:35 AM

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  06/30/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I’ve had several issues with the air conditioning in my apartment. I’ve requested maintenance twice in regards to my thermostat being set on cool yet the temperature increasing past 80 degrees. Most recently maintenance has entered my apartment after hours to accommodate a tenant below me as they stated my AC unit is leaking into their ceiling. A man who claimed to be maintenance, entered my home while I was in the shower to turn off my AC instead of reaching me by my phone which turned into a big ordeal. There seems to be a lack of structure & organization within the company. There are no clear answers or communication from anyone. I have an autistic child who is prone to seizures that are aggravated my uncontrolled temperatures & have resided in this apartment with unreliable cooling. I have been told since Monday that the companies “HVAC” team will be out. I was provided an AC unit that circulates hot air on Monday. This AC unit was removed on Tuesday after maintenance entered my home yet again to accommodate the tenant below. I am extremely alarmed that my concerns for the uncontrolled temperature have yet to be fixed. It is interesting that the tenant below issues are being promptly addressed. I’ve had staff enter my home past 7:30PM to resolve this tenants issue yet I’m sitting in an 80 degree home in the summer with a disabled child. My thermostat does not work reliably and I am being asked to remain with my air off to prevent further leaking into another tenants home. I will be pursuing this further. Unbelievable.

  

  Business response

  07/14/2023

  Hello *******, we are sorry to hear that you had a negative experience. We understand how frustrating it can be to be without AC for even a limited time which is why our technicians work diligently to correct these issues as soon as we are made aware of them. If there is an after-hours maintenance emergency we have an onsite Resident Services Coordinator that can initially inspect the HVAC unit to try to find a solution. If they are unable to find a solution then they will leave a portable AC unit to provide some temporary comfort until one of our specialized HVAC technicians can come to the home. In addition to providing maintenance support, if there is an after-hours emergency including a leak or something of that caliber, then the RSC may enter a neighbor's home to inspect and try to locate the source of the leak. Entering someone's home who is not expecting them is only done on an emergency basis and is something they try to avoid if at all possible. According to our work order history, we have resolved all past AC work orders for you. There have been subsequent work orders placed, but those work orders have been canceled by you with denial of permission to enter. If you are continuing to have issues with your AC, we would be happy to troubleshoot those for you, please just place a new work order and give our team permission to enter. Please contact our office if you have any further questions or if there is anything else we can do for you.

  Customer response

  07/14/2023

  [If you do not say why you are rejecting the company's response, BBB must close your complaint.] 
  
  Complaint: 20257957
  
  I am rejecting this response because: Champion properties has spoken false narratives in their response. The issue is that  Champion Properties continues to send technicians who are not resolving the issue with the AC unit. A work order that has not resolved the request is not COMPLETE as I have stated numerous times. I’ve attached numerous photos of my thermostat that convey the issue that your HVAC technicians cannot seem to troubleshoot. I’ve rejected maintenance entering my home when I am away as the issue remains unresolved with every work order. Champion has provided one AC unit that circulated hot air and removed that unit on June 27th in which I have the ring footage to prove. I have pictures that prove the temperature being 80 degrees for the reminder of that week within the home. The work order was marked complete and it wasn’t. Champion is aware of my autistic toddler occupying the space and myself being 13 weeks pregnant and instead they do not outsource to connect with other entities who can resolve the issue. I reject this response.
  
  Regards,
  
  ******* ***

  

  Business response

  07/18/2023

  Hello *******, we are sorry to hear that you had a negative experience. To our knowledge, we have resolved all past AC work orders for you. There have been subsequent work orders placed, but those work orders have been canceled by you with denial of permission to enter. If you are continuing to have issues with your AC, we would be happy to troubleshoot those for you, please just place a new work order and give our team permission to enter. Please contact our office if you have any further questions or if there is anything else we can do for you.

• Initial Complaint

  06/06/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We are scheduled to move out the 10th. Rent is due by the 5th. We have a prorated amount of 399.99 to pay for the remaining time before we move out. As I went to pay for the Balance the website asked me to pay full months rent (1198.00) instead of the prorated amount. When I went to the office today (June 6th) to turn in our keys as we have finished moving out and wanted to ask them to change to the correct price then then proceeded to tell me they would be charging me an additional $75 late fee even though their system was incorrect.

  

  Business response

  06/15/2023

  Hello *******, we are sorry to hear that you feel you are having a negative experience with our move-out process. We understand that moving can be a confusing and overwhelming time. This is why we provide a detailed move-out packet which describes at length what a resident needs to do prior to moving out. On the first page of this document, there is a line item that details how much the prorated rent will be if a resident is to move out prior to the last day of the month. If a resident would like to make this payment online, they are more than welcome to do so, but as explained in the move-out packet, they would need to adjust the final payment to reflect the amount listed in their move-out packet, not what is listed on the online portal. Rent is due on the first of each month with a grace period to give our residents time to make their payments in full or ask for any additional help that they may need. If the rent payment is not completed by the end of the grace period a late fee will be added to the account. If you have any further questions or concerns, please reach out to our office directly.

  Customer response

  06/15/2023

  [If you do not say why you are rejecting the company's response, BBB must close your complaint.] 
  
  Complaint: 20152647
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I never once received a move out packet to my email. The front office promises they sent it but even after contacting Google to review if the message with move out info was sent to any folder in my email it could not be located. This is why I am frustrated and do not feel responsible for the late fee. I am well aware of the move out process and how it should have worked. It simply did not occur via your processes. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ******* ****

  

  Business response

  06/21/2023

  Hello *******, while we understand your frustrations, our team is able to confirm that the move-out packet was sent on May 9th, 2023. We have been in email communication before so the packet should not have gone to spam. Unfortunately, the fact remains that rent was paid after the grace period therefore it would be considered late, even if it were only a prorated amount of rent. If you have any further questions or if there is anything else we can do to help, please reach out to our office.

  Customer response

  06/22/2023

  [If you do not say why you are rejecting the company's response, BBB must close your complaint.] 
  
  Complaint: 20152647
  
  I am rejecting this response because: 
  I have contacted Google gmail support services to in fact confirm that I did not receive it on my end. Regardless of you guys saying you can confirm it was sent it never reached my email. Me being unable to pay via your grace period is purely because I was being asked to pay a full months rent. When brought to attention I was met with exact responses you are giving me now. It’s not fair or professional in the slightest that I would have to pay $800 more than the correct prorated amount because you guys did not correctly send either tenant in the building the information. I have confirmation from Google gmail support that the email was never received on my end. Now not only have you guys charged me a late fee but I am out a multitude of hours of my valuable time in order to rectify a situation your company could easily have solved. It’s not even as much about the money but about you guys doing the right thing.  
  Regards,
  
  ******* ****

• Initial Complaint

  03/22/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  In May 2021, I moved from WI. A friend had moved to Oak Creek Apts and said that she was satisfied with their service (she had only lived there for a month). I signed the lease on good faith and her testimony, but when I arrived from WI to move in, I wished I hadn't. The apartment, while I later found out had sat empty for quite some time, was NOT move-in ready. There were screws and nails on the floors (I have a pet and she has paws), food embedded in the hole strewn carpet, broken blinds, intermittent hot water capping at five minutes tops before turning to ice, a leaking toilet, and a missing pipe fitting on the kitchen sink which resulted in a flooded kitchen the very first hour. While the above could have been resolved, the largest problem was the omission of the extremely active smoking community. The entire apartment was like walking into a lit cigarette itself. It permeated every single surface. I have a severe reaction to cigarette smoke through medical conditions and the two months in that building were worse than anything I've had to stay in before. The website for Champion had their communities listed as non-smoking. While I moved out as quickly as I was able, it took numerous washes to get the smell of smoke out of my belongings. The emotional distress caused by the sheer lack of professionalism and inadequate change over / cleaning of the apartment is something that cannot be remedied. I lost my father just before moving to Ohio. Since having to wash every single item I own to try and rid the cigarette smell, I no longer have a single item that smells like my dad. He is forever gone in all but one sense, because of Champion. I paid over 2k in rent / damages, and I lost more than I can ever recover.

  

  Business response

  03/25/2022

  Hello ****, we are sorry to hear that you feel as though you are having a negative experience. We can certainly understand how it can be frustrating to need to submit a work order after just moving in. However, it appears from our work order history that our team was able to correct these issues within 24 hours. Our records also indicated that our team scheduled two different professional cleaning crews to address the smoke smell and general dissatisfaction with the overall appearance of the apartment home, in hopes to meet or exceed expectations. Both professional third party cleaning crews were requested to be cancelled by yourself before they could complete their scheduled work. We do apologize if there was any confusion about the non-smoking status of this community. The Champion Companies does have one non-smoking community that is promoted online, but that is The Residences of Powell Crossing, not Oak Creek at Polaris. It does appear that you have moved out and are no longer a resident, so we wish you all the best in your future endeavors. Should there be anything our team can help with in the future please let us know.

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩