ComplaintsforTruBlue of South Sound #25464

• Initial Complaint

  11/06/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I hired Nathan ******** for staining and sealing my deck. After accepting Nathan's quote, I asked him to use the product I already had on my deck by sending a picture of the product over SMS and giving Nathan a can of the stain. Nathan wrote me back that he had in mind a better product for me. I answered that I was open to a different product if we could match the color I had and the quality of the previous stain. After several color tries, Nathan started to sanding and staining my deck and a balcony on which I have the same deck. The outcome was a match from a color standpoint, but the deck immediately showed a problem. As soon you move a chair or touch the wood with your nails, it scratches. Also, any furniture you leave on the deck (and I am talking about the furniture always been there) the deck gets stained and no matter what you wash it, the stain stays. When I called Nathan to describe the problem, he came and the first thing he said was: "It's not a product problem or an application problem". I told Nathan that I doubted but that in any case, the result was a deck that cannot be utilized. I move pots and vases regularly on my hardwood floors inside and I never had a scratch. Nathan left promising to come back with a specialist from the product manufacturers, but he never returned or answered messages and phone calls. I mentioned the balcony because, on that, Nathan created another issue. The balcony has an isolation cover underneath to don't let the rain in the lower deck. At the first heavy rain, the water was pouring on the deck and Nathan neither answered to my message to get this fixed.

  Business response

  11/08/2022

  We thank this customer for their kindness over the weeks we spent on their project this past summer. We truly enjoyed the project. As a gesture of our appreciation, we did fix two exterior doors that were not functioning properly (misaligned, not locking and opening with the breeze) for free. A $500 value!

  That said, we are sorry to hear about this customers dissatisfaction for the job completed this last summer. This customer's decision to air my personal information on a public platform instead of our business name is not only alarming but intended to attack on a personal level. Our customer service is exemplary based on our many satisfied customers.

  With respect to the product chosen, this customer was adamant that the old product not be used due to performance issues. We painted a sample board with three different colors of the new product. Each sample was nearly $100 (totaling $300 that we did not charge for) because sample colors had to come in gallons. Pictures of the customer pointing to the chosen sample product and its color are documented.

  Our recommendations were precise. We cannot keep a cedar deck from scratching. As explained, cedar decking is not interior hardwood flooring. We recommended applying felt pads on the bottoms of all the deck furniture. We also recommended not dragging potted plants or furniture without protection, across the deck surface as it will scratch. Furthermore, we recommended plastic planter plates be placed on the bottoms of the plant pots to protect the newly stained cedar surface. In addition, we cannot keep the deck from getting dirty and did recommend regular cleaning. The customer choosing to have the windows above the deck washed while the deck was still curing, was also not recommended. We are also unable to keep the cedar deck from scuffing. Roller skating on a cedar deck for example is not recommended or considered normal use. The scuffs that were shown to us shortly after job completion, were easily wiped away with a cloth.

  The result of our meeting resulted in an understanding of the recommendations listed above. It appears from the pictures shown, the recommendations given were not followed.  It is obvious this customer did not want to follow those instruction/recommendations and now claims our company is responsible for their carelessness.
  

  The balcony issue explained is a new issue and unrelated. Sounds as if the torrential downpour the area experienced overwhelmed the drainage design that existed before our involvement staining the deck.

  Thank you.

  Customer response

  11/14/2022

  
  Complaint: 18366303
  
  I am rejecting this response because: the message of the business is misleading and untrue.

  
  The contractor got paid for every extra work and expense (see attached check) and nothing was done for free. Also, my claim is about the deck and not fix for the exterior doors.

  
  I own this house since more than 2 years and I used the deck without any problem until now. For this reason I have clear expectations on how it should resit to scratches.

  
  On top of getting a different product because the contractor mentioned as a best fit for my needs (see the attached message exchange), the contractor decided to apply 2 coats instead of 1 as recommended by the product manufacture. The extra coat is clearly creating issues because the deck scratches if you touch it with your nails or if you move a pot on wheels (see attached videos) while the same was not happening  the previously applied product.
  

  The contractor stopped to answer over the phone and text messages, that's why I am using an online platform reporting the lack of customer service and the debatable competence in picking and applying stain for a deck.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

  Business response

  11/22/2022

  We have communicated directly with this customer on a number of occasions to include face to face visits. We outlined very specific recommendations/Instructions for them to follow upon the completion of this job. It is obvious from pictures provided by the customer that this customer did not want to follow those instructions/recommendations. This customer now claims our company is responsible for their carelessness over a near three month period.

  Our terms and conditions are clear. (attached) Payment section B: INVOICES: Payment in full will be made upon presentment of an invoice or by the invoice due date. Client hereby acknowledges by paying this invoice in full that all requested Service items have been performed and have been tested showing satisfactory completion,unless otherwise stated on the invoice.

  
  This customer acknowledged these terms indicating all service items were performed and were tested showing satisfactory completion with their full payment on 8-22-22. (Invoice paid in full attached).

  We thank this customer for their kindness over the weeks we spent on their project this past summer. We truly enjoyed the project. As a gesture of our appreciation, we did fix two exterior doors that were not functioning properly (misaligned, not locking and opening with the breeze) for free. A $500 value!

  That said, we are sorry to hear about this customer's dissatisfaction for the job completed this last summer. Our customer service is exemplary based on our many satisfied customers

  With respect to the product chosen, this customer was adamant that the old product not be used due to performance issues. We painted a sample board with three different colors of the new product. Each sample was nearly $100 (totaling $300 that we did not charge for) because sample colors had to come in gallons. Pictures of the customer pointing to the chosen sample/product and its color are documented. (Photos provided) 

  Our recommendations/Instructions to the customer were precise. "We cannot keep a cedar deck from scratching". As explained to the customer, cedar decking is not interior hardwood flooring. We recommended applying felt pads on the bottoms of all the deck furniture. We also recommended not dragging potted plants or furniture without protection,across the deck surface as it will scratch. Furthermore, we recommended plastic planter plates be placed on the bottoms of the plant pots to protect the newly stained cedar surface. In addition it was explained, we cannot keep the deck from getting dirty and did recommend regular cleaning. The customer choosing to have the windows above the deck washed while the deck was still curing, was also not recommended. We are also unable to keep the cedar deck from scuffing.Roller skating on a cedar deck for example is not recommended or considered normal use. The scuffs that were shown to us shortly after job completion, were easily wiped away with a cloth. The result of our meetings/conversations resulted in an understanding of the recommendations listed above. It appears from the pictures shown, the recommendations given were not followed. 

  Our company is not responsible for this customers lack of care and their choice to ignore recommendations.

• Initial Complaint

  08/05/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unresolved

  More info

  One of the two workers from TruBlue who were inside my home stole a blank check from my checkbook and forged my husbands signature for $1496. He was even so bold as to intimidate me into giving him and his partner extra money for working late while I was home alone and my husband was deployed! Then they got the owner to pay them overtime on top of it. The owner said he did background checks but never even got references for these so-called employees. The work was incomplete and poorly done. **** (the owner) said he would take care of me but all I got was a headache and having to file a police report and change my bank account numbers. On top of the horrible work they never finished the job per the contract. When I told the owner, he told me that since he had to fire his employees for taking money on the side he didnt have anyone to finish the work even though I paid him the full $6463.

  Business response

  08/05/2022

  To better understand this unfortunate client interaction, let us deal with fact. 

  1.Full payment was received on Monday the 25th. Payment in full is acknowledgment that all requested Service items have been performed and have been tested showing satisfactory completion. See terms and conditions. Full payment included a nearly $700.00 tip and was received two days after our work was completed. Upon asking the client, "why they would pay us in full with a tip if the work was not completed correctly? The client responded. "I'm not sure".  

  2. Breach of contract. The client, without our knowledge, hired our employees to do extra work. I was made aware of this by the client on the Monday the 25th around 7pm. The client wrote both workers a check for that work totaling $480.00. Consequently, this action went against our contracted terms and conditions (attached) which was also outside our originally agreed upon scope of work. Unfortunately, the employee's choice to except money from the client for extra work, resulted in their immediate dismissal from employment at TruBlue. In addition, the extra work completed was work the client was unable to afford and was not added to our initial estimate. The additional work outside our scope was agreed to between the employees and the client at 5pm on Saturday 23rd. It is at this point our contract was violated. The client text (attached) indicates satisfaction at 6:23pm. The photos provided were outside of the scope of work not on our original estimate. Upon asking the client what the employees tasks consisted of until 11pm? The client responded, "I don't even know".

  3.Reimbursements/Refund. Two days after the conclusion of the job and upon learning of the extra work performed, we immediately reimbursed the client the money paid to the employees. Reimbursement of the entire tip was also issued. During the discussion about potential reimbursements or desired adjustments, which our company initiated, we queried about the quality of work received. The client responded, "there are no issues".

  4. Unfounded accusation. This client, who was seldom home during work hours, was also aware her home was visited by dozens of company employees other than TruBlue, friends and neighbors. This client has now chosen to single out our former African American employee for stealing a check, forging a different signature, taking on a different identity and driving to ******* on their workday to cash it. That said, the client has shared with us an individual's name that endorsed the check and who lives nearby. This is not our former employee. That individual, according to the client, endorsed and cashed the check for flooring work rendered. The client has stated this matter is currently under investigation at the bank. The client still has not provided any proof of fraud and has only leveled an egregious accusation. Both of our employees have denied taking any property or checks from the client. Upon asking the client how our employee could be at a different job site in ****** and in ******* cashing a forged check at the same time? the client responded, "I don't know". 
  

  5. We have offered our complete cooperation to this client for any investigation necessary. 

  The photos provided by the customer areas of work in the home that were outside the scope of work originally under our terms and conditions agreed upon. 
  

  Integrity, professional workmanship and honest upfront communication are and always will be paramount at TruBlue. We perform extensive background checks for all our employees before they are hired as well.

  Customer response

  08/21/2022

   
  Complaint: 17645587
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I did not hire TrueBlue employees to do extra work. The TruBlue employees stayed later
  than their employers scheduled time to complete the work; then, late at night and while I was alone
  with the two male employees in my home, they approached me and asked for additional money
  because it would easier than going through TruBlue to compensate them for their additional time. I
  was tired and frightened. If nothing else, this is an initial indication of the immoral nature of the
  TruBlue employees.

  
  There were several issues with the work performed. I am a mother, nurse, and wife of a
  military service member who was out of state performing training. I have no experience with home
  improvements and was only being nice and offered a tip because I didnt know what was customary
  and didnt want to be rude. I was only made aware of the poor workmanship after my husband came
  home and pointed the issues out. Drawer pulls were attached more than two inches off center; a
  cabinet door for a pull-out garbage was attached using only wood glue, which fell off two days later
  during normal operation; bi-fold door pulls were loosely attached using drywall screws on the
  backside; a barn-style door was hung not flush or level which caused improper operation; painting on
  the barn door and trim surrounding opening had several imperfections. Nearly all the work that was
  done required my husband to redo on the day of his arrival home, well passed midnight because we
  had a house showing the next day.
  TruBlue employed the only workers who stepped foot inside our home. TruBlue employed the
  only workers who utilized our families tools to complete their work. TruBlue employees were the only
  workers with access to our tools and our checkbook. BECU refunded the amount of the forged check.
  The forged check was fraudulently written by a TruBlue employee and cashed by another criminal or
  unwitting accomplice. **** is throwing out hearsay to distract from his companys connection to the
  violation of privacy and illegal acts of the employees he hired and sent to our home.
  The ********************************** is currently investigating the incident (Case #:
  2221509013). Its a fraudulent check for $1,496 and some stolen tools. Law enforcement officers are
  overworked as it is. The legal system will handle all of that as their time and personnel allow. Even
  with all the distress, fear of reprisal, fear for our familys safety, and the inconvenience of closing our
  checking account and transferring dozens of direct deposit and payment accounts the only thing we
  asked of TruBlue was $390.00 to replace the tools that were stolen:
  
  Milwaukee M12 Sawzall
  4 x Milwaukee M12 batteries
  1 x Milwaukee M18 battery
  4 x Ryobi 6.0 Ah batteries
  4 Empire Level

  
  While my husband was out of state with the military, I had to stay awake and armed because
  men TruBlue sent to my home had stolen from us and were reportedly fired. They knew my address,
  the layout of my home, and access information. TruBlue states they do extensive background checks
  but would provide no proof of this and admittedly do not conduct reference checks of their employees.
  I am not writing this Better Business Bureau report to solve a crime or for a business owner to throw
  accusations of racism or to prove his case with lies and hearsay. I am writing this report because
  other families need to know that there is a history of poor business practices, and so they do a better
  job protecting themselves than I did. Please do something about this.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************

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