ComplaintsforKing Home Improvement

• Initial Complaint

  03/29/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Signed a contract to partially remodel bathroom 12/17/21 for a total amount of $17,000. Gave deposit of $4595.86. Contractor, **** ****, was working in house across road from me. Starting time for my work was supposed to be end of Dec/1st of Jan. 2022. He was having all kinds of trouble with my neighbor's job so was unable to start on time. Discovered his previous job which he started last fall was and still is not completed. Since I knew he hadn't purchased any materials for my job or had any other expense connected with it, I spoke with Mr. **** 1/7 and said I would like to cancel. Mr. **** said he was sorry but since he had several jobs backed up he understood and would refund my money. When I saw him at my neighbor's on 1/11 he handed me a check for $3595.86 which I would not accept. After a brief exchange of words he gave me another check for $4095.86. His associate, Mike Johnson, said he would see that I received the final $500 but since then he has been stringing me along with one excuse after another until finally last week he didn't return my call. When I saw the contract was not really specific and was corrected in writing and Mike said they didn't need a copy of the corrected one - as long as I had one that was all that was necessary- I should have known better. He was a good talker. As far as I can tell there isn't any cancellation clause in the contract. Is this the same outfit as J&K Home Improvement, Centerville, TN that you have listed? Their names are **** **** & **** ********

  Business response

  05/13/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 7, 2022/04/18) */ In Response, I did provide a free estimate/with different options. Mrs. *** took forever to decide and would travel across the street to my other job and interrupt the workers with questions and take someone back to her house. After finally deciding, a contract was written on XX-XX-XX and signed. Mrs. *** was informed that we would be shut down over Christmas and New Year's. We would start first of January. Before the end of the year, she wanted to make changes again. Those involved researching materials and re-designing the project. After resolving those changes, she then wanted to change and do a sunroom. Another trip out. After getting her to go back to the ADA compliant bathroom because it was in her best interest, she approached me and asked that I hire her adult son to work on her project. I had to explain why I couldn't just take on another worker and as temporary help at that. Back on track we scheduled the start date for mon. 01-10-22. I scheduled 3 workers to start demo on mon. Also had others moving in a trash trailer and tool trailer that day. Saturday XX-XX-XX apx 1:PM Mrs. *** called and said she wanted to cancel all together. She couldn't give a very clear answer why but that at her age she didn't think she could handle it. That was the first time she said anything about her age. She also said she had 3 days to cancel. I explained that was from when she signed contract. All the work we had been doing since that day was charged to her job. And deposits were not usually refunded as she was buying my time. She said we hadn't started yet, and I explained we started after the contact was signed and we were basically working every time she had me do something. I finally agreed to refund her deposit less 1000.00. When I arrived at her home she came out with her son, and I gave her the check. She got upset and spoke harsh to me. I reminded her that was the amount we agreed upon when we spoke Saturday. After she spoke to her son she came back and said the most I will pay you is 500.00. At this point the project was a total loss so I accepted the offer. She gave me the original check and I wrote another with 500.00 added to it. I handed it to her, and we parted ways. A week or so after the check cleared, she called and said she changed her mind and wanted the other 500.00. At this point I stood firm and refused; I then ended the call. My Job supervisor told me she had contacted him wanting him to give her the 500.00. He told her he had nothing to do with it and she would have to call me. Mrs. *** called him a couple more times and he stopped answering. Consumer Response /* (3000, 14, 2022/04/28) */ Mr King never supplied me with any written estimate. In fact he wanted my downpayment before he gave me the contract which he changed to add more to the scope of work. I can't believe he has lied so much. I never went across the street to talk to any of his workers. I found them, **** and ***** wandering around my back lawn. When asked what they were doing - "seeing how they could make a sunroom out of my deckl". Neither **** or **** ever made a trip to my house without going across the street first. As far as my son is concerned, he is very knowledgeable concerning construction and I simply wanted him to keep an eye on things because they were having problems across the street. The 2 young men that were working were not that experienced and neither Mike nor **** were around all the time. They had met my son. He is retired and certainly not looking for a job. As for his trailers -they were across the street. The only time they spent specifically on my job was what was necessary for an estimate and then it was only verbal at that. When I told him I would like to cancel he said nothing about keeping a thousand dollars. The only reason I agreed to the five hundred was because I was concerned if I didn't,he wouldn't give any of it back and I would have to fight for all of it. I never said anything about my age-just the economy being the way it is, I wasn't comfortable spending the money. Business Response /* (4000, 23, 2022/05/09) */ My response to this person was as factual as could be. She was very indecisive and hard to work with. At this point I am glad we did not perform any construction work for her as I have never in my 35 years of carpentry work been called a Liar so many times. I was being Generous giving any of her deposit back. A Deposit is money down securing our time to come and work. Once a customer starts you doing taskes for them I am on the clock. As for a contract, she has a copy of her signed contract. She made changes and I hand wrote them on the contract and initialed it. We both agreed that would suffice. If she needs a break down on cost that can be provided and I can assure you My company lost several hundred dollars due to her last minute cancelation. She can give any number of excuses but the way I see it she was never going to do the project. For that in its self she should compensat myself and the workers whom I paid for doing no work that monday. I have closed this account with her and written off the loss. I am not giving her any money back nor am I waisting any more time.

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