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:24/01/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  UnresolvedMore 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.

  I brought my vehicle in on December 14th for an undercarriage clean and rust treatment after having been given an initial verbal quote of $4900 incl tax by Peter M******* based on the same type of work on the same type of vehicle (2007 ****** ** *******) he has worked on before (It was video of said vehicle I found on ********* that made me reach out to them in the first place). After weeks of monosyllabic replies I received an update in the form of an in-progress video which was sent to me on January 15 on ********. Yesterday I was contacted by the business telling me that the work was complete and the vehicle was ready for pickup. The invoice I received was for $10,613.69. His reasoning for this VAST price difference was not convincing and he even sent me ********** pictures, which I caught were NOT OF MY TRUCK, implying rust damage was heavier than anticipated but was obviously a ****. Upon being called out he said it was just for “reference”. He then took out some charges reducing the invoice by about $1200 to $9359.29. After the stressful night I decided to just pay and get it over with. I deposited the $9359.29 into his **** account this morning. After which I sent him an image of the deposit receipt, to which he replied “What about the other invoice?” I was not sent an other invoice which he contested, saying that he had sent a breakdown on ********, but not an official email invoice with the other one. This NEW invoice was for $3651.58 which he forced me to pay because he would not release my vehicle. I paid and have just returned home with my vehicle. I want to make it clear that at NO POINT was I INFORMED or asked for CONSENT for the additional charges during the process. I was expecting to pay about $4900 incl. tax as per his verbal agreement but was blindsided with this ridiculous amount. I have now ended up paying $12920.87. This can not be legal and as per my understanding he can only charge 10% more than his quote.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/02/2024

  We understand and regret the frustration and inconvenience you have experienced. However, there are several key points and misunderstandings that need to be clarified regarding the service provided to your 2007 ****** ** *******.
  Initial Estimate vs. Actual Work: The initial verbal estimate of $5900  was based on a standard undercarriage clean and rust treatment for vehicles of this type and age. This estimate was provided in good faith, based on our prior experiences with similar vehicles. However, it's important to note that such estimates can only be preliminary until the actual condition of the vehicle is assessed in detail.
  Condition of the Vehicle: Upon thorough inspection of your vehicle, it became evident that the extent of rust and corrosion was significantly more severe than typical for a 2007 ****** ** *******, even considering its age. Such deterioration is often not visible until the cleaning process begins and may vary greatly from one vehicle to another, particularly for vehicles from regions with harsher climates or different maintenance histories.
  Communication of Additional Work: We acknowledge that there may have been shortcomings in the communication process. The in-progress video sent on January 15 was intended to show the extent of the rust damage discovered, which necessitated additional work beyond the initial estimate. The use of reference pictures, although not of your vehicle, was meant to illustrate the type of damage encountered and the required treatments, not to mislead. We apologize if this was not made clear at the time.
  Adjustment of Charges: When the discrepancy in the final invoice was brought to our attention, we took immediate steps to review the charges and removed approximately $1200 in recognition of the communication oversight. This adjustment was made in an effort to address your concerns and demonstrate our commitment to fair and transparent billing.
  Additional Invoice: The subsequent invoice for $3651.58 covered work that was urgently required but not anticipated in the initial quote. This included parts and labor that were essential to halt the progression of corrosion and ensure the vehicle's safety and longevity. We regret any oversight in ensuring you received this invoice in a timely and clear manner.
  Policy on Estimates: It is our policy to inform customers when actual costs are expected to exceed initial estimates by a significant margin. However, in this case, the rapid escalation of required work due to the vehicle's condition may have outpaced our standard communication processes.

  Next Steps: We are committed to resolving this matter to your satisfaction. We propose a meeting to discuss the situation in detail, review the work performed, and explore potential avenues for resolution. Our goal is to ensure transparency and customer satisfaction, and we are prepared to take further corrective actions as necessary.
  We appreciate your business and are keen to address your concerns. Our priority is to maintain trust and deliver quality service, and we regret any instance where we fall short of these objectives.

  Emily M. Customer Service @ vdib

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/02/2024

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  As per their own admission there was no communication about the discovery and  requirement of more rust/work than initially anticipated. There was no notification that I would be incurring a vastly larger bill of almost $13,000 (Estimate quoted was $4900 not $5900). There was no chance offered to me to cut my losses and stop work after the initial cleanup and discovery of “more rust”. It was my vehicle and it would have been my choice on whether I wanted to proceed with such expensive work on an old truck. All this work cannot be done without my consent.
  

  Lack of communication on their end amongst themselves and with me regarding the extra work is NOT my fault or my problem. If this was a one time mistake on their end then they need to own up to it and not make me pay for it. Fix your internal protocols for analyzing work needed and fix your communication. 

  With a baby on the way this dramatically increased bill has taken a major hit to our savings.

  The only solution here is a billing adjustment. I am willing to pay 10% over the initial quote of $4900. 
  

  I am not comfortable communicating directly with Vancouver Dry Ice  and would want all matters handled through BBB. 

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

  Business Response

  Date: 23/02/2024

  Like stated before every vehicle is different and requires different paint, rust repair and preparation before the vehicle is full covered up to avoid overspray on the additional components. The vehicle in question was very hard to mask off ..remove all the rust off of every component and apply very strong primer and premium paint protection

  We also reduced the bill by thousands compared to the hours we spent. It's a large truck that took almost 3 complete weeks with 1 to 2 employees on each day x 8 hours 

  Plus the high cost of materials and dry ice.

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 23/02/2024

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  I repeat, I was not informed of the additional work and hence I never gave consent to the additional work. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** ***********

  Business Response

  Date: 08/03/2024

  According to the work that was provided and the reduction in the bill shaving off over a 1000 dollars off the bill I can't do anything further. The truck was worse then the pictures supplied in the estimate. Estimates are exactly that. Ever car and truck is different. No two cars are the same.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/03/2024

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  I understand what the initial estimate means but I REPEAT : Upon discovering something that would change that estimate I should have been NOTIFIED before continuing work that would rack up my bill significantly. Even with a reduction of a $1000 I still paid $13,000 instead of the quoted/expected bill of $4900. 
  

  I demand a refund of $8000 otherwise I intend to escalate this matter to the small claims court. 

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