ComplaintsforService Master Fire and Water Recovery by ARTI

• Initial Complaint

  01/12/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Hired - and fired - on Day 1 (9-5-2022)Picked up equipment on Day 2 (9-6-2022)Invoiced for 3 days of monitoring and checks for $198.15. I'm contesting this amount from the total of $1,120.51. I paid $922.36. Attached is the only itemized invoice I received. Also, it was a scam. ********************* (owner, I believe) used a FLIR, an infrared camera that does NOT indicate moisture, to the presence of water. His plans called for extensive wall removal (sheetrock, natural wood paneling, built-in library shelves). Walls under an A/C vent 'needed replacing'. A reputable company used a proper hydrometer. They dried everything over about 5 days, and charged the same amount as *********************. No wall removal was needed What should I do about the scam?

  

  Business response

  02/08/2023

  I am writing to address the complaint filed by *******. After reading the complaint there is a lot of disinformation in these statements which I will address one by one.

   

  Starting off with statement one; hired and fired the same day is false. Equipment was set on 9-5-22. ******* called me around **** on 9-6-22 and asked us to come get the equipment, which I said we would be there as soon as possible to get it. We arrived on 9-6-22 picked up equipment.

   

  Second statement about being charged 3 days of monitoring is not accurate. The line item in the program Xactimate which we are required to use on state farm claims as one of the vendors, is what is confusing *******. Even after multiple explanations the bill was still argued over. The line item that is used states equipment set up monitoring and take down. That is what  line item we are required to use. 3 hours we charged. 2 hours were charged on the initial set up because of the excessive amount of contents in the affected areas. These contents had to be manipulated to do any work in the home. The last hour was charged on the equipment pick up. All of these charges were presented to State Farm along with photo documentation to support. State Farm approved our bill and agreed to pay us directly pending ******* met her deductible. Claim didn't meet her deductible and State Farm instructed us to ***********************. Once ******* had to pay out of pocket that's when the argument about the bill started.

   

  The third statement about the meters used and the scam, is just a way for ******* to steal $198.15 in services. 3 pieces of moisture detection equipment were used on ******* job, the Flir camera one of them. The home was so hoarded with contents getting to all the wet walls to probe with the Protimeter MMS2 was impossible. Every area within 15 yards of the source was hoarded with contents.(Photo documentation is available) The Flir that ******* mentioned helps show us temperature differences in the wall and in water damage situations we can visually see the color changes and then go probe with our MMS2 meter to determine what the moisture content of that material is. It was vital it helping determine where the water had migrated to in the home. During our inspection ******* complained of fatigue and an issue of contagious insomnia and her daughter would have to take over for her. ******* went to her office and sat at desk while daughter followed us on the rest of the inspection. This could be some of the confusion ******* has about the equipment used on her home. During our inspection of the master closet and master bath, the daughter stayed at the door of the bedroom and master bath. Her view of some of our probing of the walls could've been blocked by the mounds of knee high f**** covered toilet paper that was on the master bath floor. The piles of saturated clothing and other piles of contents in the master closet could've also blocked her field of vision during our wall probe of the master bath and closet. The master closet backed up to water heater closet (the source) and was saturated. All of this had to be navigated just to try and get moisture readings from the walls. Contents had be manipulated on every wall to set equipment the hoard so extensive. (photo documentation available) I informed ******* that in order to dry this house properly and detect where the water has migrated to completely these hoarded contents would need to be addressed. I told ******* I wasn't going to guess if walls were dry if I couldn't get to the walls or cabinets contents would have to be removed. Any suggestions about moving the hoarded contents was met with immediate resistance and ******* became argumentative  about it. As for the hyrdometer being used, I would question the company using one on a water damage since a hydrometer measures specific gravity in liquids , such as battery acid or alcohol. Sounds like ******* using big words to try to discredit and confuse readers about our work. If another company wants to come to ******* and not have access to the walls and set equipment and hope it dries that's up to them to take on that liability. I am not going to question if the house is dry when I pull equipment we will know its dry.

   

  In conclusion we see this complaint for what it is, a lot of disinformation and omissions of facts to twist the story for ******* to try and steal $198.15 in services. At ServiceMaster our mission is to provide legendary customer **********************. Our reputation as A+ member of the BBB for our long history speaks to the kind of company we are and the quality of work we provide. We are willing to let *********************** be paid in full with what she has paid. I don't appreciate the disinformation and the false statements made about myself and the company but am willing to let it go in effort to resolve the situation.

   

  *********************

  Master Restorer

  Master Water Restorer

  Master Fire and Smoke Restorer

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