ComplaintsforFurko Construction

• Initial Complaint

  05/09/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On 5/6/22 I hired Doug F**** (AKA Furko Construction) to remodel my bathroom. Fee $6775.00 which
  was only for labor. I purchased the materials. During the job there were many problems. Doug was to be
  an experienced contractor working for many years in the business. His work was substandard and not
  equal to currents standards in the industry for bathroom remodeling. I have spoken to several contractors
  that have seen the work and agreed that the work was not up to acceptable standards. They were to
  make sure the tub was secured to the studs, The shower head was to be adjusted to make is parallel to
  the wall. Doug initially wanted me to buy mastic to use as mortar to hold the tile. When I was purchasing
  it, I was told Mastic was not to be used in a shower area.
  The men did not take any measures to protect my tub and my home to the construction, there was mortar
  on the brand new tub and they scratched it.. Also, they had no idea on how to install an niche, they ended
  up doing it incorrectly, They did not put the Schluter up first before the tile, which was not making the
  edge correct. Also, they did not put the window sill up before tiling (Sill needed to go on first to protect
  from water damage). The tile work sub stander. The tile work was way below and acceptable
  craftmanship for someone in business as long as he has been. The tile extended past the tub making a
  double wide grout line around the tub. The tile underneath the window was extremally uneven some tile
  was higher than the window. Tiles were not flushed. Some were so far out there was a ledge, The joint in
  the corner were uneven, some wide and some had no space for expansion. The niche was improperly
  installed and not secured properly. When they cut out the cement board to adjust the showerhead they
  did not secure properly, they used copper wire. Many tiles were not flush which would have caused water
  sitting on edges, corners had areas with no room for expansion or for grout to go into. The tile under the
  window was not inline, leaving one area having a large space for grout and the other none.
  I contacted Doug F****, the owner about the tile work and how the tile work was bad and requested he
  come out to the job. He refused and sent out a new tile person who was worse. During the time they
  were here he was always switching the workers. He had no idea how to install the niche, I had to find a
  you tube video. When I called Doug again, he refused to come out. I stopped the work until we could
  resolve the issue which never happened. 5/23/22 Mr F****'s employees came & picked up their tools.
  I did reach out to his liability insurance company who denied my claim saying that him
  ruining the tile and the substandard work that is not up to industry standards is not
  something that is covered. I was also told they contacted Mr F**** and he informed them
  that he did not want to open the claim.
  I have attached a copy of the docket showing other complaints against Mr F**** company
  Furko Construction
  80 Sycamore St. Etna, PA 15223-2237
  More pictures will come in a second email.
  Thank you for the work you do,

  Business response

  06/06/2023

  TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN. 

  
  I WAS GIVEN ***** ****'S PHONE # BY A 
  MUTUAL FRIEND(WHO COINCIDENTLY HAS BEEN GIVING HER PSYCHIATRIC CARE FOR SOME TIME NOW) WHEN I FIRST MET WITH MS ****, SHE HAD TOLD ME THAT SHE "COULDN'T GET ANYBODY TO WORK ON HER BATHROOM”?! & WHEN I FIRST ARRIVED, I DISCOVERED THAT WORK HAD ALREADY BEEN STARTED IN NUMEROUS AREAS OF BATHROOM(BY OTHER CONTRACTORS OBVIOUSLY)DURING THE ENTIRE TIME THAT WE WERE OUT THERE, MS **** NOT ONLY CHANGED HER MIND ON COUNTLESS ITEMS(& HAD US DO THEM A DIFFERENT WAY).BUT SHE ALSO HOVERED OVER THE SHOULDERS OF ALL THREE OF MY WORKERS/ALL DAY LONG!!)AS A RESULT OF THIS CONSTANT DURESS.MY GUYS MEN COULD NOT PERFORM THEIR DUTIES IN THAT ENVIRONMENT/WOULD NOT RETURN TO HER HOUSE!!SHE WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT BUYING PIZZA FOR LUNCH WOULD ABSOLVE HER OF ANY WRONGDOING,& GIVE HER CARTE BLANCHE TO CREATE AN EXTEREMELY STRESSFUL ENVIRONMENT AT ALL TIMES. 
  RESPECTFULLY, 
  

  
  

  Customer response

  07/05/2023

  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.
  
  In response to Mr F****’s letter dated May 29, 2023 I would like to bring to your attention for the second time that the work was substandard as stated in my initial complaint. 
  I am confused by Mr F****’s response and not certain if it is necessary to defend some of these allegations. Reading his response, it appears he is admitting the work was substandard as noted in his response  “MY GUYS MEN COULD NOT PERFORM THEIR DUTIES.” 

  
  To clarify a few of his comments I would like to correct some of his misleading statements. Please refer his attached letter. 

  
  I needed my bathroom completed by June 15th due to an upcoming shoulder surgery. Several contractors I contacted were booked out passed the time frame I was working in.
  Mr F****, was well aware that my bathroom project had been started and I needed someone to come in and complete it due to the fact that the person doing the work would not have been able to complete it before surgery. 

  
  The only work that had been completed was the plumbing work of the installation of the tub and a couple pieces drywall. Mr F**** came to my home and assessed the work that need to be done and gave me a quote. 

  
  The insinuation of me having a long-standing psychiatric care is offensive and no regard to the issue at hand. In fact, it is more disturbing to me, if in fact this was true, that he would attempt to pass off this work to someone having issues, being a senior citizen, and a woman living alone. Many of Mr F****’s responses to me could be considered gaslighting and emotional.

  
  Please see the attached page of screen shots of conversations with Mr F**** addressing
  His own anxiety problems, his stress, and not being able to address the issues with the workmanship. 

  
  Mr F**** suggested I need to buy Mastic for the shower area and his own workers response that the suggested material was not appropriate for the shower. 

  
  One of his employees came to my home smelling like alcohol. 

  
  Mr F**** had verbalized he would like to come to finish the job. 

  
  The only visit Mr F**** made to my home was to get the contract signed and collect money. He never showed up to assess the job when I notified him of the problems. 
  another contractor who describes the problem of lippage and uneven tile and solution needed.

  
  If I was hoovering all day long as stated, I would have been able to see the problems and not have noticed after the work was done. 

  
  I have no idea of what he means about changing my mind countless times and having them do things different ways. 

  
  See the copy of the docket of other suits against F**** construction. Also see screen prints of reviews that were posted on facebook. 

  
  The atmosphere at my home was not of one of distress. I enjoyed the guys that were here with the exception of one that smelled of alcohol. His workers had voiced how nice it was here, that some places are difficult. I made sure they were comfortable, offered to feed them, and have even had to do running to get items that they needed to do their job that they did not have. 

  
  I have always offered to buy lunch for any workers that are at my house. It has always been my intention to make any visitors welcome in my home. Paid contractors are no exception.
  He was constantly sending different men, one crew did not know what the previous one did. There was Brian 1, Brian 2, Doug, Mike, Rob, and Moe. Moe was only here for 1 day, smelt like alcohol. 

  
  The fact is the work was not of industry standards by a professional contractor as shown in my initial complaint and pictures. Mr F**** refused to come out and inspect the job. His approach is to divert responsibility away from himself. I am asking for a refund of money to demo and redo the bathroom to the point where he finished the work. 

  
  Regards,
  
  ***** ****

  Business response

  08/28/2023

  IN RESPONSE TO THIS COMPLAINT(AGAIN),I JUST WANT TO
  REITERATE THAT THIS CUSTOMER(***** ****)IS COMPLETELY ALTERING THE
  ACTUAL EVENTS THAT TOOK PLACE OUT AT HER PROPERTY! SHE WAS
  EXTREMELY INTRUSIVE AND HARASSING TOWARDS ALL OF MY WORKERS(ALL
  OF WHICH,THREATENED TO STOP WORKING FOR ME IF I SENT THEM BACK OUT
  THERE!).

  SHE WAS CONSTANTLY HOVERING OVER THEIR SHOULDERS IN THAT
  SMALL BATHROOM,MAKING MY MEN CHANGE THINGS(AFTER THEY WERE
  ALREADY DONE THE EXACT WAY THAT SHE INITIALLY WANTED).SHE
  CHANGED HER MIND COUNTLESS TIMES WHILE WE WERE THERE,& WE HAD TO
  DO THINGS AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT WAY.

  MY MEN COULD NOT PERFORM
  THEIR JOBS PROPERLY UNDER THOSE VOLATILE/STRESS FILLED CONDITIONS!
  SHE HAD OTHER CONTRACTORS WORKING IN THAT BATHROOM(*I HAVE
  PICTURES PRIOR TO ANY WORK WE DID),AND THEY OBVIOUSLY COULDN’T
  FINISH WORK THERE EITHER,OR SHE WOULDN’T HAVE CONTACTED ME!I
  WOULD BE GLAD TO BRING WITNESSES/STATEMENTS IN FRONT OF A
  MAGISTRATE,BUT(SURPRISINGLY ENOUGH) MS. **** DID ‘EVERYTHING BUT’
  INITIATE COURT PROCEEDINGS??

  INSTEAD, SHE OPTED TO DO THINGS LIKE
  CONTACT MY INSURANCE CARRIER (TO COERCE MONEY)WHICH THEY FOUND
  NO MERIT TO HER CLAIMS! I TRULY BELIEVE MS **** IS UPSET BECAUSE SHE
  CAN’T GET ANYONE TO WORK/COMPLETE WORK IN HER HOUSE?! I FURTHER
  BELIEVE, BEING THAT I WAS THE MOST RECENT CONTRACTOR IN THERE, ALL
  HER ANGER IS BEING TAKEN OUT ON ME .
  
  

  RESPECTFULLY,
  
  DOUG F****

  Customer response

  08/28/2023

  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.
  

  None of his response is irrelevant to the bad work he has done at my home and needs to be redone. Mr. F**** has has other complaints at the majistrate. The men at my home enjoyed working here and in fact complained many times about working for Mr F****. My pictures speak for themselves. 

  The reason the claim from his insurance company dening the claim is that there is no coverage for shabby and poor workmanship. 

  I just want to add that my home was not a hostel stressful work enviroment. It is always my intention to make this a nice place to work and would not create a hostil enviroment in my house. The men had commented on how nice it was to work here. When they finished up early and they advised me they were not aloud to leave early, we would sit on my front porch and enjoy chatting together. 
  
  Also, I am aware that if I file at a majistrates office first, I would have not been able to file my complaint with the BBB and the Attorney General's office. 
  
  
  Mr F**** remarks are only to divert the blame for his faulty work off of himself onto me. 
  
  Thank you,
  
  ***** ****

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