ComplaintsforLee Castro Concrete, LLC

• Initial Complaint

  06/29/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I hired Lee Castro Concrete in April 2022 for a foundation crack on my driveway. At first, ********* (the owner) came out to my house to assess the damage. I then communicated with his daughter ****** Castro (the account manager), via both phone call and email, and we agreed and finalized on the price, which is $5400. The service included destroying old slabs (cracked) and replaced with new slab (a total of 448 sqft). They started the work on April 6 and finished and April 8. On April 8 after they left, I have a friend who is in construction business came over and looked at the work they did. My friend said they did not pour enough concrete on my driveway and the thickness of the concrete is supposed to be 3 inches high, which it was not. I then contacted ****** via email and let her know about this problem. This time, she only communicated back via email and stated that she is "busy". In my email, I told her that the slab was supposed to be divided into 4 portions (just like my original slab), but they only did 2 big slabs ( I guess to save them time and not doing the work right). They came out to my house the following week and used a saw to draw a line cut divide the slabs into 4 pieces. However, they did not address the issue that the concrete was supposed to be 3 inches thick. Fast forward to June 2022. Last week, I noticed there is a crack running though one of the slabs that they fixed. I then took photos and emailed to ******. She responded back, saying their team will come out to do a patch work. During this communication, I asked her to give me a call so we can discuss it over the phone. She refused to call me stating she is busy and texting is better for "clearer communications". I told her patching sounds like a quick fix. The problem is the concrete is not thick enough to withstand the weight, that's why it cracks just barely 2 months after the work. I am very disappointed in the way I was treated and the way they took advantage of me being a woman.

  Business response

  07/05/2022

  We have continued working with ************* throughout the process before, during, and after completing the job. We provided a discount she did not qualify for because she requested a price cut before we started. ************* has asked for and been given multiple in-person supervisor visits. We followed through with our cosmetic warranty. Currently, we are in the process with *************, and we are waiting for the concrete distributor to test the structure of the concrete on July 6th.
  

  Price Concern (Sent supervisor, gave multiple discounts, and the customer was satisfied): *************** initial concern was that the quote was too much. Even though ************* did not qualify for one of our discounts, such as the **************** Veterans, and First Responders discount, we wanted to try and help financially. We gave her a Military discount because we wanted to work with her and understood she was on a fixed income.
  

  Apron Approach Concern (Sent supervisor, the customer was satisfied because they did not want to wait and go through the permit process): We had given rebates when she was concerned with misunderstanding the job scope so that she wouldnt have to pay the original quoted amount. When we quoted the job, we stated it would go to the property line, not the street. The apron approach (the part of the driveway that touches the actual road) would require a permit from the city to ensure there are no infrastructure pipes or cables under the driveway. ************* agreed after our communication and sent a supervisor to show her what the apron was physically on the driveway.
  

  Four Section Concern (Sent supervisor, gave rebate, and the customer was satisfied): The original quote did not include her later requested red wood joints that would be placed between each section of the driveway. Had we known this was a desire, we would have included it in the quote to ensure it was added to the proposal. Since *************** home has unstable ground and every other house in the neighborhood has cracked driveways in four sections, we believed it would be more structurally sound to create two large areas to allow for consistent movement. The assumptions of both parties lead to multiple miscommunications. Hence, we have tried communicating with ************* as clearly as possible through texts and emails to ensure both parties are on the same page. We attempted to remedy all of ***************** concerns with three separate price reductions from the original quote, which led to the project being done at cost. We provided ************* with a one-year warranty covering the cosmetic finish, labor, and materials needed to complete her driveway project. The structural integrity of the concrete is guaranteed through the concrete distributor. ********** came to cut dummy joints into the two large sections to help *************** original vision become a reality. ************* was satisfied because we did not charge for this cosmetic change.
  

  Three Inches Thick Concern (Sent supervisor, verified the concrete thickness was appropriate, and the customer did not agree you could see the proper depth): We started *************** driveway project on April 6th and completed the project on April 8th. Over the weekend, ************* voiced her concerns, and we sent out one of our supervisors to evaluate the next weeks situation. During that visit, ************* showed her concern for the edge of the driveway, which measured 2.5 of concrete. *******, one of our supervisors, cleared the dirt around the edge and showed ************* that beyond the edge, the driveway was poured to the correct depth of 4. During that same visit, ************* directed ******* to her neighbors driveway that another company poured to show what her original envision was. ******* pointed out to ************* the neighbors new driveway was showing cracks which is why we went with two sections instead of four.
  

  Cracks on Driveway (Offered patchwork and offered to test concrete, the customer declined and patches until the ********************** test has taken place): On Wednesday, June 22nd, ************* emailed pictures of hairline cracks on her driveway. Due to the extreme heat that ***** has been experiencing this year, the ground under structures has been shifting. We offered to come out and add a specialty concrete binder that would cover the hairline cracks since it is cosmetic and covered under the warranty we offered *************. At this point, ************* did not want to have the patches completed and requested the concrete be demolished and repour at no cost to her. We informed ************* that there is a process that we can go through if she is requesting a complete demolition of the concrete. The first step of the process that we informed ************* of is to have the structural strength of the concrete tested by the distributor. ************* and the concrete distributor agreed to an appointment with the customer on June 28th. The night before the distributor appointment, a storm damaged his home, and he had to take the remainder of the week off to ensure his family had a place to live. The distributor still called ************* to explain his professional opinion so that ************* would still be contacted even though he could not keep their appointment. During the call, ************* became irate and refused to move forward with the process needed to take the next steps to resolve her concerns. We wanted to resolve this issue, so ********** called ************* on June 29th to talk to her again about the process and how important it was to have the concrete distributor, so we could proceed with her request to demo and repour her driveway. ************* agreed via the phone call with ********** to allow the concrete distributor to come on July 6th. Once the concrete is tested, then we will proceed accordingly.
  

  As a small minority-owned family business, when one of the companys members is unavailable, the rest try their best to help pick up any slack to ensure all customer needs are met. As we have explained to *************, there is a process we must follow. We have to wait for the concrete distributor to test the concrete before any demolition occurs because the concrete has to be structurally compromised for the distributors warranty to go into effect. If the concrete is structurally compromised, we can demolish it and repour it with new concrete at that point. We continue working with ************* because every customer is important to our business and family.
  

  
  

  Customer response

  07/06/2022

  Complaint: 17492887
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  
  

  As of today 7/6, I still haven't been able to call ****** or her dad to speak with me on the phone. I spoke with her this morning only because the distributor guy came and called ****** on his cell phone. 
  

  
  

  According to ******** solution, the distributor **** is going to come to my house today 7/6/22 to test the concrete as per the text attached. The guy showed up 20 minutes late and told me "there is nothing for me to do". He didn't even do anything. He didn't do anything except told me your area is a bad area. I told him to get ****** on the phone for me and to put her on speakerphone so she could hear what **** said. He said again "there is nothing for me to do". Again, ****** had lied to me. They didn't do anything. Both of them wasted my time. She then said the next step is for them to come out to patch the crack. She was lying the whole time. As soon as they got their money and after my first complaint, she refused to speak to me over the phone. Today she said she has not been working due to personal reasons. Every time I asked to speak with either her or her dad, she said they don't have time. And *******, he is her brother and he does not have any authority whatsoever. Every time I speak with him, he said he will need to talk to his dad or ****** first. Another lie that ****** had told. 

  And just for your record, I am a family member of a service man who serves in the military, so please don't insult me and tell me I'm not eligible for the discount. I should have gone with the other company as the price that they quoted me with no discount was even cheaper than what this business had quoted. This is a ****** that I had to learn for not doing my homework. WORST BUSINESS EVER. I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND IN A THOUSAND YEARS THIS BUSINESS TO ANYONE. TRUST ME WHEN I SAY THIS. 

  They basically refuse to redo their work. All they wanted is to patch the crack. 

  
  

  Attached is a photo showing the concrete is barely reaching 3 inches thick and does not even meet the minimum standard of 4 inches. Also attached is the information that I googled stating the minimum standard for driveway thickness is at least 4 inches. The 3rd attachment is the text from ******, lying that the distributor is going to come out to "test" the concrete, while in reality, he did not do anything. He said "there is nothing for me to do". 
  
  Regards,
  
  *******************

  Business response

  07/15/2022

  To all readers of this response to the BBB posting: Please know that our Small-Minority Owned-Family business is doing everything to satisfy this customer. We care about our customers because we are locally owned and operated. Hopefully, soon we will request that our other satisfied customers rate us at the high level we are as a company. You can see our efforts in the response below.
  

  On 7/6/22, the concrete distributor met with the customer to discuss the ********************** used on her driveway. The concrete distributor explained from his previous experience that the ground is very unstable in the neighborhood and the surrounding area where the customers home is located. The concrete distributor has previously seen ground shifting problems in this area due to the soil used by developers at the time of build. We have explained to the customer that there is a process to test **********************. The process requires multiple tiers of support from different companies. When the concrete distributor met with the customer, they explained there was nothing they could do as the concrete was in good standing. After the concrete distributor met with the customer, they informed our company that they recommended moving forward with the previously offered cosmetic patches with a specialized concrete binder. 
  

  On 7/6/22, our company informed the customer of this recommendation, and they told us they would deny this previously recommended solution again because they rejected the concrete distributor's professional opinion. Our next tier of support for the customer was to ask the ********************** distributor to proceed with getting a core sample extracted and tested. The concrete distributor contacted the concrete manufacturer, who suggested a third-party company to extract the core sample. 
  

  On 7/7/22 , we coordinated with the third-party concrete testing company, who confirmed they would immediately send out a technician the following day on July 8th, around 7:30 am. We contacted the customer, and they agreed for the company to come out. The customer also requested the third-party ********************** testing companys information, which we provided. 
  

  On 7/8/22, one of our company supervisors and the technician from the third-party concrete testing company met with the customer to extract the core sample of the concrete. When the sample was taken out, the piece measured about 5 in depth; please reference the attached picture, which contradicts the customers claim that the concrete our company poured is less than 2.5. 
  The test is important because it comes up with a true answer to the structural integrity of the concrete. These tests are expensive and have to be paid out of pocket, so our company covered the cost in hopes that the customer would see our good faith effort trying to resolve the issue and determine the facts. The test results are gathered by engineers who apply increasing pressure to measure the strength of the concrete to see at which level of PSI the concrete breaks.
  

  On 7/15/22, we received the attached report from the third-party concrete testing company, which states the average length of the sample was **** and the concrete consisted of **** psi concrete. This means that the concrete our company poured for the customers driveway was twice the strength of what we quoted, **** psi, and was an average of ****. According to the American Concrete Institute, concrete with a compressive strength greater than **** psi is high-strength concrete. Meaning that the concrete we poured is considered structurally sound and is not compromised. Due to the extreme heat across *****, the ground underneath structures is shrinking and shifting. The unstable environment does create hairline cracks that are cosmetic and not considered part of the structural integrity of the driveway. As we have stated before, we are more than happy to come out and patch these cosmetic hairline cracks with a specialized concrete binder. 
  

  As we stated previously and continue to offer *************, we are more than happy to come and apply to the specialized concrete binder to cover the cosmetic hairline cracks that have occurred due to the extreme weather conditions across the state. 
  

  
  

  Customer response

  07/29/2022

  Complaint: 17492887
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

   After I found 2 cracks on my driveway, on 7/8, Lees Castro finally (after trying to send me a bogus person who did not take the sample as they should and only to tell me my area is bad) sent *********************** (sales/estimator)  from ************** and his team to take a sample of the concrete to test. **** initially told me they will send the sample to TerraCon to test. Later on that day, I received a text from ******* at Lees Castro telling me there has been a change in the company that will be testing the sample. He said it will be Beyond Engineering and Testing, LLC instead. When I asked why they change the company, I was told that TerraCon only does commercial properties testing while the other one does residential properties. On 7/15, I received the test result from ***********************. According to the result, it shows a pass test. On the same day, I communicated with ****** Castro via text messages (at this point, they still refused to give me a call and talk in person). I texted her several times asking for someone to call me back because I had several questions regarding the test result on the report, but of course, they did not call me back (screenshot text attached).

  I then agreed for *** Castros company to come out the following week to fix the cracks on my driveway by them patching it, and also fill in the hole that **** and his team had taken a sample out the week prior. On 7/21, ******* and another worker came out to perform the patching. I noticed when they patch it, the color of that material doesnt blend in with the color on my driveway. ******* assured me that eventually it will blend in. Well, it didnt. You can clearly see the patch work and it now has ruined the look of my driveway. I have attached photos of that here as well.
  

  On 7/27, less than a week after they did the patch work, I found a crack appears on the same spot that they did the patch work. I then took photos and sent to Lees Castro via text. I did not get a response from them on that same day. The next day 7/28, I sent them a text to demand for the owner (**********) to give me a call back. I also called them and left a voicemail as well. They texted me back and said ********* is in the field today and is unavailable to speak until this afternoon. This text was sent at 7:48am on 7/28. I waited until 4pm the same afternoon and still received no call. I then texted them at 4:23pm stating I have not received a call from ********** but I got no response back.
  

  As of this morning 7/29, I sent another text follow up (also called and left another voicemail) but got no response.
  

  At this point, I do not want Lees Castro Company to fix or touch anything on my property anymore. They have been nothing but my worst nightmare. As a customer, I have never been treated like this. Unlike what ****** Castro has been saying theyre trying to provide the best customer service, they have shown me, over and over and over and over again, they ignored my request to give me a call back. Every time I request for a call back, they always have an excuse that theyre busy and unavailable at that moment.  I am requesting Lees Castro to give me a FULL REFUND on what I paid them. They have ruined my property and I cannot let them damage it and devalue my property any longer.
  

  Like I said, this whole experience has been a nightmare for me. It has drained me financially and emotionally. No one should ever be treated like this. Please make this known to everyone because I do not want anybody to have to go through this experience like I did.

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

  Business response

  08/07/2022

  We appreciate the BBB for contacting us about the customers rejection of our previous response. We have followed through on all of this customers requests except for a full refund. The concrete has been tested and shown to have been structurally sound above the quoted **** psi. Per the customers request, we sent a crew to use a specialized concrete binder for the cosmetic cracking the customer was referring to and filled in the whole required for a concrete test performed by licensed engineers. The customer does not want our company to come back on site for any reason. We will not give a refund to this customer because the driveway was proven to be structurally sound by a reputable engineering company. Unfortunately, our business will have this posted on the BBB, but this is a reminder to our business and future customers that we will always go above and beyond the scope of most companies. We have provided a fully operational driveway that is being used daily and stronger than originally quoted, so there will not be a refund.

  Customer response

  08/08/2022

  Complaint: 17492887
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  This company's solution is for them to come out and patch my cracked drive way, AGAIN FOR THE SECOND TIME. The crack appeared days after they patched it the first time. Like I stated in my previous complaint, they already messed up the look on my drive way. I now have a long ugly line running across my drive way, and may I remind you this is only after several months of the original work. How many more patching they will need to do? I can guarantee that it's going to crack again, no matter what. I paid over $5K for this crappy work? I don't think so. 

  I have called them, left several messages on their voicemails for the owner to call me back to discuss this over the phone, but they have continued to ignore that request. All I can do is communicate with them via text messages. What kind of customer service is this? And they call it "going above and beyond"? I need future customers to be aware of this company. They will talk to you in the beginning when they try to get your business. The minute they have your money, they will treat you far less than they claim they do. A few of my neighbors also had this work done with other companies, and I know one of them has done it at least over 2 years and they had no problem with their driveway/foundation. I am appalled on *** Castro's work done at my house. Less than 2 months after their initial work, it already cracked, and less than a week after the "patching", it cracked again. 

  I am requesting for them to give me back my money. I don't care how many tests they have performed to prove that the foundation is structurally good, I just don't want this company to do any further work to damage my home again. They have proved to me in all ways that they cannot be trusted. 

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

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