ComplaintsforEveryone's Handyman

• Initial Complaint

  10/02/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  7/27/23 $475 deposit paid. Repair masonry retaining wall, prime/paint ********************** walls. $955 @ job completion. They chose Behr Elastomeric paint. Specialized paint very specific instructions. I mentioned this many times before, during, after job. ****** says only recommendations they have many years elastomeric experience & know what theyre doing. Project start, worked ************** of 9/20. 9/22 3:30PM ****** returns, apologizes for lateness. Washed retaining wall, started painting 4:30/5:00. 7:15PM He's painting in dark, zero work lights. He said, Its [his] fault for coming to the job so late & [he] wanted to make sure [he] got 2 coats of paint on walls before it rained. Promised fine, said it was sticky when he applied 2nd coat, but wall was taking the paint. In approx. 3 hours he applied primer & 2 coats of specialized paint & started trim. ****** knew it was due to rain within 10 hrs. Not a single manufacturer direction was followed! Paint failed. 8:00AM 9/23 Paint running off walls onto ************* Took photos texted ******. Restated manufact. instructions. She replied, contacting ******, he has a lot of experience, knows when he is able to deviate from the recommended instructions. Assured would be fixed & mess cleaned. Immediately pitched more jobs. Paint/concrete all over patio. She felt no responsibility for damage to my patio since it's cracked. She asked me to hire them to install new patio! Then told me the bill was due. They accept no responsibility for this failure. They have done nothing but ask for ********************* over & over, **** at us in threatening emails. Excuses & broken promises. Zero efforts to fix their mistakes or even to come look at this mess. Left behind debris, paint ****************** & concrete spills in yard which must be dug out. Claimed they bought paint from *********** They purchased it from a re-seller on ***** And still we paid them another $500 on 9/27. They defaulted on their contract.

  Business response

  10/20/2023

  RESPONDED DIRECT EMAIL TO **************************************************** AS THIS APPLICATION CONTINUES TO STATE FILE IS TO BIG.

   

  Thank you,

  ******

  Everyone's Handyman LLC

   

  Business response

  10/20/2023

   

  Everyones Handyman was contacted by ******************************* to come and give an estimate to remove an existing unfinished porch and flagstone patio addition that was being done one there home by another contractor.  The contractor had left the job unfinished or may have been fired, we do know the roof system was improperly tied into the existing structure and the flagstone patio had not begun to be laid however there were no plans for a drainage system underneath.  ****** visited the site and looked at the project.   He spoke with the ****** and explained what he felt was needed and was asked to provide 4 different quotes.  While there he was also asked if he could install an interior door when it arrived as they had ordered it from Lowes.  He also let them know that there was water getting into their roofing system where the new structure had been tied to the existing structure improperly and was asked if there was a band-aid he could do to keep rain from getting in.  He agreed that he would need supplies and he would come back later and put roofing paper over the existing shingles to keep the water out.  While there he learned the ****** had serious drainage issues as their house sits on the side of a mountain and all the water rushed downhill into their home.  They had previously had a problem with black mold in their basement due to the area around their home holding water.  They had hired another contractor previously to come in a dig up their foundation on three sides and put a skirting around the dug-up area as well as a French drain.   Keep in mind I state three side, because on the back right corner of the home is a retaining was about 5 high with a patio below and both were crumbling to pieces where a proper swale had not been created in there yard from the water coming off the mountain and the water diverts to this area and the retaining wall is backed by dirt with no proper drainage system installed.  The ****** was referred to us from a very respected multiple-time repeat customer who we enjoy working with very much.  Over the next 2 weeks quotes were given, ****** was asked to go an hour out of his way to pick up an interior door they had ordered from Lowes and did not have delivered.  During this time ****** attempted to reach out to them regarding covering their roof and they did not return his call.  Until a Sunday afternoon with rain looming soon.  ****** was with his disabled chronically ill wife and mowing his mothers grass because his father has passed away and these are things, he handles to help take care of his elderly mother.  When ***************** contacted him, he quit what he was doing and drove an hour and 20 plus minutes to their home to paper the roof for them, so they did not continue to get water damage.  During this time his wife ****** sat in the truck as she had been the point of contact over the last weeks via email and continually talked about how horrible their home was, the work it needed and how they wanted ****** to complete this work, they just kept saying they had all this work for him.  During this visit ****** was shown the crumbling retaining wall and asked to fill it in, patch (band-aid) it with masonry and paint.  He took measurements of the wall, was also shown the crumbling, cracking patio and told how that would be replaced soon as well.  Everyones Handyman did their normal operating procedure went home/to the office and worked up a quote based on what he had been asked to do, with his normal recommended products for such work and sent it to the ****** with Everyones Handyman LLC standard terms and conditions, the ****** immediately made their deposit and accept the quote and standard terms and conditions.  A week or so later ******************************* later asked for the house was adjacent to the retaining wall to be patched and painted as well, as part of the terms and conditions work can be added to a contract, it will be added to the end of the final bill unless a new contract is written.  ****** and ****** agreed he would do the house wall while doing the retaining wall.  Since the ****** accepted the terms and conditions, they would have known this would be billed to them at the end of the job completion.  We recommend and have used it on other masonry products, Drylock products, as we have found great results, the downfall being it comes in Dover grey with no other options.  ********* again emailed asking for a color change as she wasted darker, would like black but thought people would think she was weird.  At the customers request for a darker product, we had to adjust the products we had planned to use.  Changing to Berr Elastomeric paint as ****** has worked with this paint on numerous other occasions and this would get the job done and allow ***************** her choice of colors, which she chose Graphic Charcoal.  Our contract which is attached clearly states we dont supply receipts to customers.  We do this because of the many we use some dont allow homeowners to purchase from them.  We do not and did not in this case supply the ****** with the vendors we would be obtaining supplies from.  We did ask ***************** to choose her color from the ********** website as the product we changed to is made by **** (**********) and they would have the color palette for the product we had chosen.  We never in any emails or conversations told ***************** we would be purchasing any of the supplies for her job directly from **********.  **** elastomeric paint was the chosen paint since our preferred choice was not suitable for ***************** paint color choice.  All products have specific (well somewhat specific 5 to 8 hours to 24 hours) is a leap for specific instructions.  However, this product does have specific **** sheets and paperwork that states the products reaction to certain things as well as the amount (thickness) needed to obtain the product to take and hold properly.  There is a process in which this product must be put on so think and start to cure, and things that cannot happen during this products use.  One being touching wet paint as it breaks the barrier the paint has started to form and will allow water to penetrate and break the bond the paint has formed with the masonry product.  It is also required to be put on at a certain thickness in a certain time frame to allow this process to even begin.  During our email correspondence ***************** stated the air conditioning unit sticking out of the wall of the house (which has been added to the list of to-dos would be moved and not in the way.  Again, stating all the problems with their home.  She also relayed how she would not be home till the 2nd day of the project beginning but to go ahead as scheduled.  We arrived on the set day and began setup for our project.  One the initial first day of the project special care was taken to wrap its to pergola stone pillars and the pergola as well as cover the patio in plastic (show in pictures.  Between the patio and the was is about a 3 gap of concrete and ****** offered to paint that when speaking with **************** so it would match the wall once completed.  **************** stated that was unnecessary that the potion was junk, and they should be replaced.  That comment didnt keep Everyones Handyman from prep the direct and surrounding area for protection from dripping mortar or paint.  ****** also noted the a/c had not been removed from the window and there was trim around the window they would also like painted.  Again, ****** was told how they had all this work for him including repairing the foundation the rest of the way with patches for broken mortar and painting so the house would match.  Over the next few days ****** and his helper reapplied mortar.  Never do we state when we will show up to a job or when we will leave, especially pertaining to outside work and the fact that each project has different stages, and those stages may take different time frames.  We supply the customer with a start date and a finish date, should we get held up we let the customer know of the end date being moved for us to complete the project.  (You can see in the attached pictures of the work area during the project that we took care to cover everything, and we cleaned up as we go.  When painting we always carry a wet rag.  Also please note on the attached terms and conditions, which the ****** agreed and accepted it is clearly stated UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCE SHOULD THE CUSTOMER OR ANYONE OTHER THAN ******************************************* LLC, THERE EMPLOYEES OR SUBCONTRACTORS BE IN THE WORK DURING THE COURSE OF THE PROJECT.)  The last day of the project ****** was painting and had already painted the retaining wall itself with two coats, to follow the **** instructions for the *** that the product needed to be at for the correct bonding, the product was drying good and he had moved on to the wall of the home because he was running late having to stop and get trim paint for this wall since it had been added to the project after the materials were ordered.  During his painting he saw ***************** approaching the patio, coming into the work area, he was busy concentrating on the painting he was doing and was now distracted, he asked ***************** nicely not to touch the paint but it was to late she had already touched the wall, stating, ewww its wet.  ****** was trying to get ***************** from the work area and continue with the painting of the house was as the paint must be put on in a time from to the correct *** (no mater how many coats you are applying) ***************** was distracting and causing a pause in the process.  She finally left the area.  ****** trying to make sure he stayed on task for his work to be completed properly went back to work, he thought he had touched up the drips he had gotten while ***************** was in breech of contract by entering the work area, however we later found our he did not, there were runs, small ones in a few areas and we assured the ****** that ****** would fix them, not a problem.  ****** finished painting, got on his hands and knees, and made sure all mortar pieces were picked up, cleaned up all trash and removed all plastic.  Gathered all his items and trash and loaded his truck as the job was completed.  He took the remaining five-gallon bucket of paint to the ****** and let them know the project was complete.  (Per the contract payment is due immediately upon completion.  Everyones Handyman LLC takes payment by electronic payment link that is sent to the customer as a multi-use link for the deposit and they can use again for final payment, or we also send another link the day we know the project will be completed.  Any work that is added to the end of the bill will not be sent until the next working day as ****** normally finishes up each night after office hours, so that was a Friday, they would not receive the additional invoicing and payment link until Monday for the wall of the house and it would be due immediately.  All of this is clearly explained in the terms and conditions of our contract.)****** left their home after 9 pm according to our tracking application we use and did not return home until after 11 pm that Friday night letting ****** know the job was completed she could bill the additional work on Monday and gave her the receipt for the additional supplies he purchased, the white trim paint he had to pick up, since the wall of the house was added to the project.  The next morning on Saturday around 9:30 am ****** received a text message from ******************************* stating that the rain was washing the paint off.  A band of rain had moved into the area and was expected to stay for the next 48 to 72 hours.  ****** assured ******************************* numerous times that Everyones Handyman LLC would fix the work, clean up any mess on the patio, she had stated there was mortar on the patio however the mortar had been dry and there was no mortar broken off when ****** had left the job the night before.  She had to assure her over and over.  ****** had ****** ask for pictures as they were having some personal medical issues with *************  ********* sent the pictures, and it was not raining at the current time by the look of the pictures or nearby.  One of the pictures sent includes ********** finger covered in the paint.  Mind you she had placed her fingers in numerous spots the night before while the job was underway.  Research and the **** sheets of the product show that when ********* broke the contract the previous night and entered the work area and placed her fingers in the paint in numerous places on the retaining wall, not the wall of the house (as you can see from the included pictures the only damage to the wall of the house is the few paint drips and a few minor spots that had been missed by ****** being distracted by ********* being in the work area, which we would have gone and fixed no problem) ********* broke the barrier the paint had formed by ****** bringing the paint on the wall to the correct ***.  To *************** to the correct *** he had to add both coats so the paint would activate correctly.  Once ********* broke the barrier this broke the curing process and allowed water to penetrate the paint causing it to wash away, bubble, run and everything you see in the pictures.  Note all of this was caused by the client being on the work order, which is a strict breach of contract.  Regardless of the ****** were assured over and over that ****** would fix the work.  At the current time and for the next few days there was nothing that could be done with the rain and moisture in the air.  However, the ****** continued to email and text which became to the point of harassing.  ****** did request that they fulfill a 50 percent payment of the invoice that should have already been paid the night before.  There is a clause for payment immediately when the job is completed, the ****** did not follow.  There is also a clause in the contract that if there is a problem or the customer is unsatisfied with the work it will be fixed and brought to satisfaction within reason, instructions are listed to text or email the customers concern or complaint to Everyones Handyman LLC and they will work with the customer to fix the problem within reason of course.  Even though ********* was the reason for the paint failure, which became even clearer when 34 emails were sent back-to-back after midnight from **************** to ****** and the wall of the house had no damage like the wall that had been touched.  No matter what was offered to the ****** in ways of assurances they continued to email and harass, and nothing was acceptable for them.  Moreover, ********* was very rude to ****** and ********************* degraded her for a spelling error in an email she had written him in response to his email stating he had paid $500.00, and Everyones Handyman LLC was not to come back to there property to fix the problem they would fix it themselves.  Everyones Handyman was relieved of the contract obligation, this decision was made by Mr. and ******************  Still ****** and ****** offered to go and fix the problem over and over, with the ****** continuing to be rude and degrading to ******, who is chronically ill with numerous medical conditions, certain problems being neurological deficits and cognitive abilities, stated to the ****** via the emails attached, so they were aware that ****** is disabled from blood clots that had formed on her brain.  Finally, after all the degrading, harassing and rudeness ****** email and made it clear to the ****** he would fix the problem and repaint the wall in the correct weather, but do to their behavior and unprofessionalism he did not want contact with them and his conditions for returning.  Again, he offered to fix the paint.  **************** emailed back that they would not pay unless he fixed the paint, this is after **************** had told him not to come back, he was completed with there contract, **************** sent 34 individuals emails of pictures after midnight to ****** back-to-back.  ****** that responded back that payment was still due, we would still fix the work under Everyones Handyman LLC terms and conditions, but the harassment and childish, demeaning behavior was over.  If they would like him to come and fix the work he certainly would, otherwise please do not contact us again.  Everyones Handyman LLC has not been contacted anymore by the ****** who still have an open balance for both the originally contracted work and the additional work that was added.  (Everything stated in the above summary is back by the attachments provided by Everyones Handyman LLC).  Everyones Handyman LLC takes great pride in their work and most importantly we always want to make sure our customers are happy.  We enjoy helping people and seeing the smile on there face when Everyones Handyman makes the dream project a reality.  The ****** were not solicited for work, they had offered more than enough and then didnt follow up with the quotes.  They did do one job which as they stated when they approached us about the job was a band-aid because it looks horrible, so they were simply do the work for aesthetic purposes.   They unknowingly (or claim that it was unknowingly) bought a flip house and were stuff with a mess, tons work that needed done and ********* had offered if over and over about ****** doing this or that project.   The ****** are currently band aiding all their household repairs that need to be done a little at a time as they have lived there six years.  Just as they band-aiding this retaining wall, which is unsafe and breaks their county code in more than one way.  Everyones Handymen has sent their invoices that are due (it is our fault the wall was not fixed by us, it was offered over and over.)  There is a total due of $1055.00 we would like paid as so as possible.   We have left the ****** alone even after their harassment and still owing for the project.  The ****** will continue to have problems with contractors (see email were ********* states they are unable to get contractors) if how they have treated us is any way that they treat other contractors they will continue to make reports to the BBB when they actually fire the contractor, harass and demean them, and not allow them to either complete the job or fix minor errors/mishaps that can happen when remodeling and repairing a home.  These mishaps will especially happen in a home like theres as they are fixed for aesthetic purposes and not functional purposes.  The ****** have filed their complaint based on there own lies and manipulation, they should focus all that energy on fixing the problems with their home for functional purposes and safety issues and bring the house to code per the State Uniform Building Code and the Code for the county in which they live.  We have spent the last year and a couple of months to build and honest, Trustworthy, reputable business with great reviews and just want to see their customers, who are almost always returning customers, who continue to return.  It is unfair and unprofessional for the ****** to act the way they have especially when Everyones Handyman LLC stands behind their work and would have fixed the paint.  However, it is evident the ****** will not be happy with any contractor because they hire contractors to only band aid whatever the current problem is.  Everything state with in this response is matched to the five attachments of pictures, text messages and screenshots.  Also shown is a previos retaining wall completed by Everyone's Handyman LLC using Drylok products, but most importantly notice the grade difference on the back side of the wall.

  Customer response

  10/25/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  Website character space forces brevity. I can mail a complete detailed record directly to the BBB office, including the complete specifications product sheets. Please see PDF for screenshots & notes. Adding photos of more trash left inside & outside of the "work area." Rebuttal from Everymans Handyman (EH) was nothing but lies meant to disparage my home & attempt to discredit a valid complaint. The rest was nonsense fluff that had nothing to do with my complaint. I am attaching a pdf of screenshots (Figures A-Z) of text and email communications as proof of some of their many lies.
  
  First & most serious, ****** says in her rebuttal, just as they band-aiding [sic] this retaining wall, which is unsafe and breaks their county code in more than one way. Is she is actually admitting here that EH willfully committed fraud? This is an issue that I will now have to consider if it is worth my energy pursuing with my county & an attorney in court! EH advertises on its website that they fix retaining walls. I am not a stone ****** but I knew our wall needed repair. I looked to ****** as the professional, he assured me he could fix it & I contracted him for just that. To FIX it, not apply some kind of band-aid. If they willfully committed fraud by knowingly repairing the wall in an unsafe manner this is a much bigger issue!
  
  ****** lied about any previous water drainage plan for our portico project, lied about how many quotes were asked for, she was misleading when she spoke about the closet doors, she lied that we asked for band-aids, she lied about us demanding ****** come out to put sheeting on our portico- he no showed/no called 4 times before that job was done, and they chose every single day, not us. See FIG. A-F The sheeting was always meant as a temporary protection until a contractor could begin work on reconstruction.  
  None of the above has anything to do with the actual complaint, but the screenshots are proof of continued & compounded lies.
  
  ****** is purposefully trying to mislead & make us appear to be negligent home owners, trying to discredit a valid complaint by stating we have serious drainage issues and all we are doing is band-aiding our home. We have never done anything strictly for cosmetic purposes. Quiet the opposite, all repairs to date have been for structural integrity, proper upkeep, & energy efficiency. We always do our very best to hire qualified professionals.
  One month after purchasing a home with unknown issues we paid $50,000 to have extensive foundation & waterproofing done. The entire foundation was dug up. Exterior AND interior French drains were installed. Band-aid? I dont think so. There is no French drain on one side of the house because there is no place to put one-it is a walk-out basement AND the area is ABOVE GRADE. However, the French drain system on the back of the house goes the entire length of the home, and extends the entire length of the retaining wall continuing out past the yard. Every and all available systems of proper water mitigations were installed immediately after we purchased this home. This was explained to ****** at length on more than one occasion. Either they do not understand water mitigation or ****** is lying in a convoluted attempt to blame us for their failure.
  
  The retaining wall was in need of repair. However, our patio is not crumbling to pieces due to water issues as ****** claims. Tile flooring was improperly installed on top of the cement slab by previous owner. There are some areas of tile cracking where heavy furniture had been dropped on it.  Its absolutely not a water or structural issue, but purely cosmetic; previously verified by 2 separate patio/foundation contractors. While evaluating retaining ********************* solicited to also replace that patio. I informed him we already had it evaluated and while Id like to replace it, cosmetic jobs are way down on our list. I specifically informed him our focus is to fix all important maintenance or structural projects first and foremost. A crumbling to pieces patio is ****** trying to excuse the fact the fact that they cause additional damage to the patio & then tried to sell me on a new install from them.
  
  I only asked ****** to fix the retaining wall, I planned to paint it myself. ****** said he would prime & paint it as well, I agreed. ****** said he should also paint the whole side of the house (the foundation wall on the walk-out basement side) so that the paint matched and it would all be done at once. I agreed pending his quote. There was never any discussion of painting any trim work. ****** said he would use something that sounded to me like elastic paint. I asked if he could do it in gray, but we didnt discuss shade specifics.
  
  8/9 ****** emails to inform me they finally have us on their schedule & ****** will begin retaining wall project on 9/18.
  8/9 FIG. G I emailed ****** as soon as I realized that I did not see the house wall specifically mentioned on the quote. I asked her specifics about paint color.
  8/10 FIG. ************** confirms ****** will be painting the house wall. She confirms the paint is **** Elastomeric in Slate Gray. ****** is lying now when she says they had to change their paint choice from Dry-lock to Behr Elastomeric as this email proves. This exchange was *************************** any paint was purchased. Plenty of time to do a contract addendum, or even send an email stating any contract or additional charges if that was applicable.
  
  There was never any mention of other charges until on 9/29, 7 days after job completion and failure when ****** demanded an additional $200 dollars to fix the job FIG. Z After I filed a BBB complaint ****** created this story about us owing $1055 for painting the house wall. To date we have never received any bill for some additional after contract bill in this newly imagined amount.  
  
  During the job, ****** had no problems with either my husband, or myself, entering the work site to chit chat. ****** also took time out of working, while I was in said work site to solicit more work from me. Suggesting he repair flaking paint on the remaining foundation walls around house and repaint them so that the whole house matched.  I replied, Id planned to do that myself, but told him he could send me a quote. ****** had zero problems with me entering the work site on his last day when I found him painting in the dark. I asked him what he was doing, and why he was painting trim-that wasnt part of the job. He had zero problems when I returned to the work site to bring him a light because he was too lazy to get his work lights out of the truck.
  I expressed concern about the paint drying, too many coats of paint too fast, and ****** painting in darkness. He said he wanted to get it finished because the rain was coming. He said the wall was sticky when he started the 2nd coat but that it was taking the paint. He said the paint was already dry. I lightly touched it & said yikes, its wet. ****** laughed. There was no sense of urgency, there was no emergency of some seal breaking. If this had really been an issue, it could have been re-rolled right then.
  
  
  Bottom line is, ****** did not follow ANY manufacturers instructions when applying this paint. The paint failed, they demanded payment before any attempt at fixing the problem or even looking at it themselves.
  I have spoken with Behr paint manufacturer representative (****) twice about the proper application of this elastomeric paint and this is what I was advised (This is also written in the spec sheets for this product);
  1. New concrete must cure 30 days, minimum standards are 7 days
  ****** allowed the concrete to dry for only 1 day
  
  2. Substrate must be dry before any primer or paint application- not following this can cause the substrate to mold or rot underneath the paint & it causes adhesion failure
  ****** hosed down the cement wall immediately before applying primer & paint
  
  3. There must be 24 hours dry time between 1st & 2nd coats of paint
  ****** did not even wait an hour between coats of paint, he applied 2nd coat immediately on top of 1st coat while it was still wet.
  
  4. If rain is expected with 24 hours of painting you must not paint
  ****** knew rain was coming within 8 hours, he admitted that is why he was ******* the job- we all knew the tropical storm was hitting us!
  
  Per the Behr manufacturers rep the idea of breaking a seal is ridiculous. He advised that in theory if you touch wet elastomeric paint, it could allow the elements into the substrate -the whole point of this paint is to create a waterproof surface. But he specifically advised touching wet elastomeric would likely only amount to a fingerprint in the paint and it definitely would never cause the rest of the paint to wash off the walls when the rain hit it.
  
  ****** admits See FIG. ************** knows when he can deviate from the recommended instructions and while the recommended instructions are 24 hr. dry timemany other apps and professionals ideal is typically 2 hours. ****** did not even wait 2 hours. In less than 5 hours he played around with his equipment, washed a porous concrete wall, immediately primed it, then applied 2 coats of paint to the retaining wall- and maybe 1 or 2 coats to the house wall, plus painted the trim work & then supposedly cleaned up after himself.  Thats fantastical fabrication.
  Paint was never going to adhere to a wet cement wall. That is why when rain came less than 8 hours later the majority of the paint failure happened there. Not because I touched it. I didnt touch the house wall and the paint still came off there, just not as bad. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Customer response

  11/16/2023

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  At this time, I have not been contacted by Everyone's Handyman regarding complaint ID ********. However, immediately after I sent a rebuttal (including more documentation) to their BBB response to my initial complaint they emailed an another invoice to me, which included an additional amount of $600 that they now claim I owe (this $600 amount was invented by them AFTER I filed my BBB complaint). Im not surprised they didnt respond to the BBB after they admitted they committed fraud & I supplied documented proof of their lies. Can the BBB just tell me how to post a review of this business on the BBB site? When I try to do it I get an error response that this business is not listed with you so I cant create a review. I just want to warn others. 
  
  Regards,
  
  *******************************
  

*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. ↩