Complaintsfor911-Dry LLC

• Initial Complaint

  07/30/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Fraudulent Billing Practices: 911-Dry, led by ***************, engaged in fraudulent billing practices by submitting grossly inflated quotes for water damage mitigation at our home. They charged unjustified fees for equipment rentals and labor, including a $5,974.30 negotiation fee for work never performed. The original amount billed was $7,427.51, containing numerous fraudulent charges.Lack of Signed Contract: We never signed any contract or agreement with 911-Dry for their services. They undertook work without transparent communication regarding costs, highlighting deceptive practices.Harassment: Following our dispute over inflated charges, 911-Dry resorted to harassment. *************** repeatedly visited our home, made persistent calls, texts, and even contacted my workplace without permission. This aggressive behavior continued for months, including threats to place a lien on our property.Financial Impact: Due to 911-Dry's unjustified charges, we were forced to hire an insurance appraiser, incurring an additional $5,437.50 expense to secure any insurance payout for necessary repairs.Emotional Distress: Their actions left us living in our living room for over a year, with our master bedroom in disrepair. This significantly impacted our quality of life and caused immense stress.Pattern of Misconduct: Reviews from other customers suggest a pattern of similar fraudulent practices and harassment by 911-Dry.Call to Action: Immediate investigation into 911-Dry's business practices is warranted. We seek a full refund of costs incurred, cessation of all contact, removal of all charges, a formal apology, and assurance of corrective measures to prevent future misconduct.

  Business response

  07/30/2024

  Called by client  to perform remediation services from water damage caused by exterior hose faucet. Faucet caused damage to master bedroom, master bedroom closet, into master bathroom, entryway and crawlspace.

  911-DRY followed IICRC guidelines and used Xactimate pricing to perform work, Insurance carrier fought with us to come to a negotiable deal for the mitigation and restoration part of the project. Since we could not come a agreed scope we suggested the the case be moved up to the appraisal level. The appraisal is allowed to discuss the case with insurance and insured in a more legal capacity to get the client the correct funds to pay and do the project. We made a recommendation to an appraiser that we use. Client was put in touch and agreed to the appraisal. The appraiser, insurance and myself with the client met on several occasions at the home. Thru our estimates and paperwork provided the appraiser was able to get the insurance to p[ay the bill in full.

  We then tried several times to reach out and collect the money that the insurance aggreged that our scope should be paid for. Client refused to return calls, emails, letters. Client still refuses to pay his bill. Client then post discriminating and misleading facts and the calls police on me for trying to collect.

  All we have wanted was communication from the client and have not gotten anything. We would like to get paid for the work we performed that was paid out from the insurance for the exact work we did. We have now had to escalate this to legal actions for payment.

  We can provide the BBB and the Client with all of the correspondences from us and the client from day 1 to today, along with signed authorization and verbal(email approvals) plus the documentation from the insurance carriers that we provided and that they provided with us.

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

  Owner

  Customer response

  07/30/2024

   
  Complaint: 22040090
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  I strongly reject the response provided by *************** of 911-Dry LLC. His response contains several inaccuracies and fails to address the core issues of fraudulent billing practices, lack of transparency, and harassment.
  Detailed Response to Points:
  
  1. Claimed Scope of Work:
  
  911-Dry Statement: "Called by client to perform remediation services from water damage caused by exterior hose faucet. Faucet caused damage to master bedroom, master bedroom closet, into master bathroom, entryway, and crawlspace."
  
  My Response: The scope of work was agreed to be limited to water damage mitigation in the master bedroom and master bedroom closet. At no point was there damage extending into the master bathroom, entryway, or crawlspace that required remediation services by 911-Dry. The initial scope was exaggerated to inflate charges.
  
  2. Guidelines and Pricing:
  
  911-Dry Statement: "911-DRY followed IICRC guidelines and used Xactimate pricing to perform work..."
  
  My Response: While 911-Dry may claim to have followed IICRC guidelines and used Xactimate pricing, the actual charges presented were grossly inflated and unjustified. For instance, they charged $1,156.00 for a dehumidifier rental, whereas I was renting the same equipment for $120 per week. This represents a 396% markup.
  
  3. Lack of Agreement on Scope:
  
  911-Dry Statement: "Since we could not come to an agreed scope we suggested the case be moved up to the appraisal level..."
  
  My Response: The escalation to appraisal was due to 911-Dry's refusal to provide a reasonable and justified estimate. They consistently avoided addressing legitimate concerns raised by my insurance about the inflated charges.
  
  4. Appraisal and Communication:
  
  911-Dry Statement: "Client was put in touch and agreed to the appraisal... the appraiser was able to get the insurance to pay the bill in full."
  
  My Response: The insurance appraisal process was initiated due to 911-Dry's inflated and unjustified charges. The appraiser did not get the insurance to pay the bill in full. Instead, the appraiser's role was to assess the legitimate costs, which 911-Dry continuously exaggerated. Furthermore, it is a violation of the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) for the appraiser to share confidential information with 911-Dry without my authorization. Therefore, 911-Dry has no basis to claim that they know the outcome of the appraisal or the amount paid by the insurance.
  
  5. Attempts to Collect Payment:
  
  911-Dry Statement: "We then tried several times to reach out and collect the money... Client refused to return calls, emails, letters."
  
  My Response: There was no communication from 911-Dry between March 27th, 2023, and July 9th, 2024. The sudden attempt to collect payment began with *************** coming to my house on July 9th, 2024. From that date to July 26th, 2024, he contacted me over 20 times across 7 out of the 17 days, averaging three times per day. This included calls, texts, emails, and even a visit to my home. His text at 4:03 am on July 26th, 2024, and subsequent violation of the cease and desist letter by stating he would not stop contacting me, led to the harassment claim and police involvement.
  
  6. Posting Discriminating and Misleading Facts:
  
  911-Dry Statement: "Client then posts discriminating and misleading facts and calls police on me for trying to collect."
  
  My Response: The information posted was factual and supported by documentation. The police were contacted due to the harassment and threats made by ***************, not for legitimate attempts to collect payment. The excessive and aggressive contact, particularly the 4:03 am text and violation of the cease and desist letter, exemplifies unprofessional and bullying behavior.
  
  7. Desire for Communication and Documentation:
  
  911-Dry Statement: "All we have wanted was communication from the client and have not gotten anything... We can provide the BBB and the Client with all of the correspondences from us and the client from day 1 to today."
  
  My Response: The contact from ***** was strictly via text message, with some emails exchanged between them and my insurance around the summer of 2023. However, direct communication from ***** ceased as soon as insurance began questioning his absurd charges. The last text from ***** was on March 27th, 2023, and there was no contact until July 9th, 2024. The sudden and frequent attempts to collect payment coincided suspiciously with the L&I penalty for severe violations. The so-called "negotiation charge" was added over a year later, which was never agreed upon and seemed intended to intimidate and harass. His final texts and email, where he refused to adhere to the cease and desist letter and continued harassment, led to the police being called.
  
  Conclusion:
  
  Based on the above points, I firmly reject ***************'s response. The practices of 911-Dry LLC have been predatory, their charges unjustified, and their methods of collection harassing. I urge the BBB to investigate these practices thoroughly and support my request for a resolution that acknowledges the unethical and fraudulent behavior of 911-Dry LLC.
  Thank you for your attention to this matter.

  Business response

  08/08/2024

  We have submitted everything to a collection agency.

  Customer response

  08/08/2024

   
  Complaint: 22040090
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  I would like to address several critical issues regarding 911-Dry LLC's business practices:
  
  1: Violation of RCW 18.27.114:
  
  - Failure to Provide an Upfront Estimate: According to RCW 18.27.114, any contractor engaging in work exceeding $1,000 must provide a written estimate before commencing work. 911-Dry LLC did not provide any such estimate upfront. Instead, they provided an estimate only after completing the initial work, which is not in compliance with the law. An estimate presented after the work is completed does not constitute a contract, especially when no written agreement was signed beforehand.
  
  - Misleading Advertising: 911-Dry LLC's website prominently advertises "FREE Estimates." I have screenshots to support this claim. However, contrary to this advertisement, they did not provide any estimate until after the work was done, which adds to the misleading nature of their practices.
  
  2: False Claim of IICRC Certification:
  
  - 911-Dry LLC claimed to have followed IICRC guidelines and used Xactimate pricing to perform their work. However, according to documentation I have received directly from the ****** "911-Dry LLC is not currently IICRC certified."  Their certification expired last year and they are continuing to operate without it. This is a clear case of fraudulent representation, as they are using a certification they no longer hold to justify their practices.
  
  3: Manipulation of Xactimate Pricing:
  
  - Xactimate is a tool that relies heavily on the data inputted by the user, making it susceptible to manipulation. 911-Dry LLC excessively inflated the costs in their estimate, which raises concerns about the integrity of their pricing. The potential for contractors to manipulate such software to inflate estimates is well-documented, and this case seems to follow that pattern.
  
  4: Fraudulent Billing for Negotiation Fee:
  
  - On April 19, 2023, 911-Dry LLC provided an estimate for $54,810.08. Over a year later, on July 9, 2024, they attempted to bill us a negotiation fee of $5,974.30 for this estimate, even though no work was done, and we never agreed to this fee. This is a clear attempt at fraudulent billing, designed to pressure us into paying for services that were neither requested nor rendered.
  
  5: Harassment Leading to Police Involvement:
  
  - Following a series of harassing communications from *************** of 911-Dry LLC, which included multiple texts and emails over a seven-day period, I was forced to issue two cease and desist letters. Despite this, the harassment continued, leading me to file a police report. This behavior is unacceptable and further demonstrates the predatory nature of 911-Dry LLC's business practices.
  
  6: Threat of Collections Without Basis:
  
  - 911-Dry LLC has threatened to send us to collections, despite having no signed contract or valid basis for the debt they claim. Collections agencies typically require detailed information, such as a signed contract, date of birth, or social security number, none of which 911-Dry LLC possesses. This threat appears to be another tactic of intimidation, lacking legal merit.
  
  Given these points, it is clear that 911-Dry LLC's practices are not only unethical but also illegal in several respects. They have violated consumer protection laws, engaged in deceptive advertising, and have shown a blatant disregard for legal and professional standards.
  
  I urge the BBB to take these points seriously and consider the broader implications of allowing such a business to continue operating without accountability. I am more than willing to provide any additional documentation necessary to support these claims.
  
  Thank you for your attention to this matter.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************

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