Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. 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.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/16/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  We purchased Ready Seal July 2, 2023 to paint on our new fence. One neighbor applied Valspar Stain and Seal to his side of the fence that is not a penatrating stain and the other neighbors applied nothing to their sides. We read the can of Ready Seal in the store and could not find any where that said it was a penatrating stain. The can just says Ready Seal Stain. We appled one light coat as the directions says. The neighbors with the unpainted sides now have pretty bad bleed through from the Ready Seal. The neighbor with the Valspar Stain and Seal side does not appear to have bleed through. I appled the Ready Seal to that side of our fence very carefully with a roller being afraid I would drip onto their paint. I am afraid to apply anymore Ready Seal to my fence. I have one coat appled it looks terrible. I am afraid to do anything else to do more damage with bleed through. I called Ready Seal and someone told me that this bleed through could be avoided by misting water on the neighbors side of the fence. The person said they don't put it on the can because they don't have enough room. I have been to several paint stores in the last few days asking what to do now. No one has ever heard of spraying water on the other side of fence to avoid bleed through. My fence cost ****** and is pretty much ruined because Ready Seal does't make it clear on their cans what the product really is and should only be used if you intend on Staining both side. My neighbors Valspar Stain and Seal did not bleed through. The paint stores I have been to don't have a solution for me and I don't know what to do at this point. I am afraid my fence can't be fixed and I am out ****** and very mad neighbors.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/18/2023

  Ready Seal is an oil-based product designed to penetrate deeply into the wood, which is what people love about it.  While most other products are mere coatings that sit on top of the wood and are subject to cracking, peeling and flaking off, Ready Seal avoids that issue and absorbs into the wood pores to give optimum protection on your outdoor projects, especially in areas most susceptible to weathering, such as knotholes and the tops/bottoms of fence pickets. The density and porosity of each piece of wood is different, so Ready Seal will penetrate to different depths, depending on the wood that it is being applied to.
  
  You will not have any issue staining the rest of your fence with Ready Seal where the Valspar has been applied on your neighbors side of the fence. Valspar and Ready Seal are two different types of products.  As described above,Valspar is a surface coating. It is more like a paint. Ready Seal will not penetrate through a surface coating or paint such as Valspar. Ready Seal provides more protection by penetrating in the wood versus staying on the surface.  Since it does not crack, flake or peel, the maintenance is much easier when it comes time for reapplication. Typically, you should be able to stain both sides of your fence with your choice of stain to maximize its protection from the elements since you are the one that purchased the fence
  
  We are sorry for your dilemma, but Ready Seal is performing as it is supposed to perform by penetrating and sealing deep into the wood, providing the protection it is designed to give.  There is no product defect.However, Ready Seal values you as a customer and would like to help you with your difficult situation.  Below is Ready Seal's proposed solution:
  
  > Ready Seal would like to see photos of your project (email to ******************************** to help resolve your issue.
  > Ready Seal is happy to speak to the affected neighbor to advise them on how to correct the issue.
  > Ready Seal will supply stain to you or your neighbor to remedy the bleed-through on the neighbors side of the fence.
  Staining the neighbor's side of the fence with Ready Seal will help you protect your investment and give it the longevity you want. Please contact our office during business hours *************), or email *******************************, and confirm the length of that portion of fence as well as the fence picket height, and we will send you enough stain to take care of your neighbors side of the fence where the product penetrated through. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/13/2022

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Product is no water proof as claimed on website . Also water prrof and water resitant are not interchangeable terms As they provide different levels of protection.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/10/2023

  Business Response /* (1000, 9, 2022/11/21) */ Ready Seal is a deep penetrating stain, not a coating that sits on top of the wood, so it behaves differently than many other wood stains on the market. Ready Seal is designed to allow the pores of the wood to remain open which allows the moisture to evaporate out of the wood instead of moisture staying trapped in the wood which prevents premature rotting of the wood. The FAQs on our website specifically state, "Ready Seal will bead water initially, but is designed to disperse water over a larger area for quicker drying." After speaking with this customer last month, we advised them that we would be more than happy to provide additional product at no charge if they could send us proof of purchase and photos of their project (so we can see what the situation is and give guidance on how to rectify any issues experienced). We provided a way for them to send the photos directly to us; however, we have not received anything back as of the date of this writing. Ready Seal's website provides an abundance of resources to guide customers to a successful application of our product, including information about wood prep protocols and performance expectations. Since we do not have any control over a customer's process in wood preparation, application, or quality of materials, we can only warrant the product in the can against defect, not any labor. Ready Seal's warranty states: "Ready Seal guarantees the quality of contents of every container. Ready Seal(r) has no control over surface preparation or application techniques. No guarantee as the results are offered, expressed or implied. If the product is found to be defective, replacement material may be furnished free of charge; or a refund of the material cost may be issued at manufacturer's option. Labor costs are not covered by this warranty. Responsibility for claims of any kind is strictly limited to the purchase price of the material." As stated previously, once we receive the proof of purchase and photos of the project from the customer, we welcome the opportunity to review the situation, give specific guidance on how to rectify the issues, and provide additional product to correct those particular issues. Consumer Response /* (3000, 11, 2022/11/22) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) I have reviewed the reply from the Ready Seal company and their explanation proves my point that the product is not a sealant. However, their website advertises the product as a waterproof stain and sealant. If the product is not waterproof, as they admit, then it is false and deceptive advertising to call the product a sealant and claim on their website that it is waterproof. I spent a considerable amount of money to have the product applied to my porch and back deck. Legally, the company is responsible for the labor if I purchased a product based on their false advertising and the product performs different from what is claimed. I hired a professional and did not apply the product myself. In any case the manufacturer's trademark phrase Is "GOOF PROOF" I am not claiming that the product did not stain my porch and deck; I am claiming that after proper application the wood is not waterproof and the company's explanation proves that their advertising is misleading and the product does not actually seal the deck. I would not have purchased the product, which is called "Ready Seal" if it wasn't a sealant. The request for photos is another deflection which does not address my claim. Photos would be moot as the company offered the contradictory explanation that the product is not waterproof. They have also claimed that water resistant and waterproof are identical terms, which is an incredulous and completely false contention. False advertising is a serious matter and I am disturbed that the company is putting the onus on me. There are many excellent sealants on the market which waterproof the wood. I should be able to rely on the information provided on the website. Business Response /* (4000, 15, 2022/12/09) */ As previously stated, Ready Seal is not a coating, it is an oil-based stain and sealer that absorbs into the wood rather than sitting on top of the wood where it could peel and flake off. By virtue of it being an oil-based product, water will not penetrate through the stain, and therefore the wood is protected from moisture. The unique and proprietary Ready Seal formula is designed to disperse the water for faster evaporation, not repel the water like a coating would do. This information about how the product is expected to perform is readily available on Ready Seal's website and to anyone who calls our service representatives. Our website explicitly states: "All Ready Seal wood stain and sealers penetrate deep into wood fibers, moisturizing the wood with water-proofing oils and creating a flexible barrier that keeps moisture out. Because no rigid film is formed on the surface, our wood stains can flex with the woods' expansion and contraction and will never crack, chip, flake or peel." We are sorry that the customer is unhappy that the product is not a coating, as they had wanted, and we continue to extend the offer of additional product or a refund of the product cost incurred once we receive photos of the project in question, as well as proof of purchase. This is not a deflection, but our normal protocol and a reasonable request for any business that is offering a refund or free product for a customer service claim. As stated in our warranty, labor is not covered. Consumer Response /* (4200, 17, 2022/12/15) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) Dear Sirs, I reviewed, with thanks, the reply from the business. I note their detailed explanation of why the product is not waterproof and is not a seal. However, they have not addressed why the product is called "Ready Seal" and their website clearly indicates that the product is waterproof. When an average consumer shops after having conducted internet research, they should be able to rely upon the information provided on the company's own site, as well as on the advice provided by the vendor selling the product. I was assured that I was purchasing a waterproof seal and had every reasonable expectation to believe that. According to false advertising laws in Texas, "even advertising techniques that only have the potential to be misunderstood by a consumer may be construed as false advertising." Claiming that a product is waterproof when it is not is a serious breach of state and federal laws and is illegal. I don't need long and technical explanations nor should any consumer need to study a website to that degree. "Waterproof" and "seal" are clear terms which may be easily understood by the average consumer and layperson. The product does not perform as advertised, as clearly corroborated by the company. Sending photos will not provide any clarity nor help rectify the issue as it's not in dispute that the product is not a sealant nor waterproof. There is no photo I can take which will reveal anything pertinent and my phone camera would not even portray the colors accurately. The product did stain the wood. What it didn't do is waterproof my decks as it is not designed to do so, contrary to the company's own advertising. I look to receiving confirmation that a full refund will be issued in the circumstances. They are denying responsibility for labor, which I also disagree with as I hired someone to apply the waterproofing sealant based on false advertising claims. By commencing a lawsuit, I can be awarded a refund for the product and labor, as well as all legal costs.