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:02/11/2022

  Type:Product 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 am a senior ** ***** *** ****** ****** *****, I have retained the service of Jason W****, Homestead Services in Delta to remove the concrete patio due to an area that was cracking and lifting. First quote on Oct 7 and request of a $250 deposit to begin the work. Within the first day, Oct. 19, once the jackhammered had started on the patio, Jason came to me and claimed it needed more work, still without visible proof that it did and provided me with a third estimate to determine what the worst scenario could be, such as replacing damaged drain tiles. I became concerned. He needed a $4825 deposit added to the $250 given to continue the work. I specified that “some of the work will need to get done next year”, as my budget was limited. I became more worried when he rented a huge excavator damaging my yard and potentially my sprinklers system, to avoid doing the manual work as described on the first line of his quote . The next day, Oct 20, he tried to operate the machine and could not. He and his worker resumed the work manually as first quoted. On his advice, an added camera cost got incurred by me and I became suspicious. I decided to get a second opinion the next day, Oct. 21. Three reputable contractors confirmed that no heavy machinery was needed and one new estimate showed that Jason’s costs had been highly inflated. I cancelled Jason’s contract that day. Total deposit was $5,075 - $1,680: (as per the quote and market estimates). Refund due: $3,395. Jason W****** suggested a refund of $19l0.60, a discrepancy of $1,484.40. Duplicate and extra costs seems unfairly added to retain as much of the deposit as he can. I need BBB to assist me so we can resume the work with a reputable and experienced local contractor before the rain and colder weather resumes. Seeking help,I may need to forward further documents and photographs by email as I am technically challenged to download all supporting documents, texts, videos and photos on your web application.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/11/2022

  Hello,

  
  Please see responses outlined below as responses to her message
  topics. Attached are various supporting documents as indicated in the response
  below.

  You will see that throughout the process of quoting and
  while work was being done, there were numerous change requests and updates to
  the quote. In the end, after lawyer involvement, I charged the customer for
  half of the labour costs quoted and direct costs incurred. I have tried to
  rectify this situation fairly.
  

  Complaint: “First quote on Oct 7 and request of a $250
  deposit to begin the work.”
  The original quote (Quote #1) dated October 7, 2022 was
  written based on removing one layer of concrete, trying to identify the source
  of the yard drainage issues, prepare site for concrete pour. Various options
  were given for concrete.
  There were various emails back and forth regarding the type
  of concrete she should use, colour and design options, how deep it should be
  poured (4” vs 6”), as well as the addition of completing concrete stairs.
  Monday, October 17 I sent a revised quote (Quote #2) with
  the note, “Hello, here is the updated quote, its obviously hard to predict
  what is going on under the slab but this is what I came up with based on
  materials and labour for pipe, cloth and fittings as well as labour to remove
  and dispose and re install it all.
  I also added the extra concrete cost addition for 6”  Let me know how you wish to proceed.”
  The customer responded that she was “good for the overall
  price but I want to use my cc to be able to go visit friends with my points.
  Considering there is already a mark-up overall on the contract, and more work
  in the driveway will need to be done. Can you drop the recent 3.5% surcharge on
  the cc. I am already above my budget and need the points to travel right now. “
  I agreed to deduct the 3.5% based on the completion of the
  contract.
  On Tuesday, October 18, as per the agreement, the customer
  sent $250 e-transfer to get her in the schedule. She also requested that the
  work start right away and be finished before the rain started on the weekend.
  

  Complaint: “Within the first day, Oct. 19, once the
  jackhammered had started on the patio, Jason came to me and claimed it needed
  more work, still without visible proof that it did and provided me with a third
  estimate to determine what the worst scenario could be, such as replacing
  damaged drain tiles.”
  On Wednesday, October 19, company employee started
  jackhammering. There was a discovery of a second layer of concrete. Discussion were
  had with the customer about increased length of time and labour costs to remove
  all the concrete.
  The first 4” layer of concrete was jackhammered and loaded
  onto plywood sheets, placed on the concrete boulevard, so as not to damage the
  lawn.
  I updated the quote due to unexpected layer of concrete to
  be removed and discussions that were had about digging a full 12” down to allow
  enough room for site prep and gravel as there was hard-pack clay that was not something
  that concrete could be poured on.  An
  extra $1600 in labour costs were added to the quote for this purpose, as well
  as $700 for the excavator rental, trucking and disposal of clay to assist with
  drainage $500, and supply and install of gravel, $1300 ($800 labour and $400
  materials).
  The customer and I reviewed the updated quote (Quote #3) on
  her front porch. We both agreed on a $4825 deposit and I wrote down the
  customer’s credit card number.  $4825 was
  based on the increased cost of removing and disposing all the concrete and digging
  out the hard-pack clay and site prep.
  Deposit of $4825.00 was entered into “******” credit card
  terminal and approved that evening.
  On Thursday, October 20, employees arrive
  at 9am. The second 4” layer of concrete was removed. Excavator arrives in
  afternoon to move concrete pieces from boulevard into dump truck, as planned.
  Dump truck left to dispose of concrete. Discussion about drainage due to wet
  spots in the yard. Discussions about me going to City Hall to obtain drawings
  of catch basin location.
  The customer
  then sent me a message stating that she was going to City Hall Friday morning.
  Heavy rains were forecast for Friday & it was discussed that further work
  would be completed the following week when the rain let up.
  
  Complaint: “I became concerned. He needed a $4825 deposit
  added to the $250 given to continue the work.”
  At the bottom of each quote, the following terms are noted:
  “To secure a spot on our schedule please reply by email
  and send a $250.00 deposit to ************************* for direct deposit, or
  a cheque to the above address.
  Scheduling is done based on deposit received. We can also
  accept credit cards with a 3.5% fee.
  50% deposit required at the start of the job.”
  This is standard practice and based on the conversation we
  had, there was no indication of her being concerned.
  

  Complaint: “I specified that “some of the work will need
  to get done next year”, as my budget was limited. “
  This was not the understanding I had at the beginning of the
  project. Based on emails and conversations had.  Her emailed dated October 18 stated, “As
  discussed, I want to make sure we go ahead with the cement pouring in the next
  two weeks. If we cannot get it done before the rain and temperature goes below
  10c at night, I’ll do that part of the work next Spring. For the time being,
  let’s tackle the jack hammering, soil digging, investigating any potential
  damage first.”
  After the discovery of the second layer of concrete and
  hard-pack clay, it was discussed on Wednesday October 19 when the deposit was
  agreed to, that she wasn’t sure if she was going to do the concrete this year
  or next. In order to be flexible, I agreed to leave that portion out of the
  deposit.
  
  Complaint: “I became more worried when he rented a huge
  excavator damaging my yard and potentially my sprinklers system, to avoid doing
  the manual work as described on the first line of his quote. “
  It was discussed with
  the customer that in order to ensure this work was done immediately, I needed
  to secure some equipment to assist with the removal of the concrete. Within
  this tight timeframe, I was unable to secure a disposal bin, but was able to have
  a dump truck and excavator brought on site load up the waste.
  I purchased four low-cost *** plywood sheets ($103.57) and
  brought other lawn-protecting materials free of charge to the site so the
  demotion could start immediately and waste be staged for removal.
  
  
  Complaint: “On his advice, an added camera cost got
  incurred by me and I became suspicious.”
  The discussion surrounding the drainage included the option
  of hiring a plumber with a camera to inspect drains for blockages. I did not
  have any indication that she had arranged for someone to come do this. When on
  site, the plumber found a blockage and told the homeowner. This really had
  nothing to do with me or my company.
  In an email, the customer wrote, “I have also incurred an
  additional cost ($383.20) based on your suggestion to bring in a plumber to do
  a camera inspection of the drain tiles.  I arranged for someone to come to do the work
  for you; however, when he came, you did not give him direction on what you
  needed and he left after 10 minutes, which was a waste of money. Out of
  personal integrity, I am not asking you to credit this cost.  I will bear it.”.
  This is not an accurate account of what happened, but I was
  glad to see that the customer took some ownership for the cost she incurred.
  I decided to get a second opinion the next day, Oct. 21. Three
  reputable contractors confirmed that no heavy machinery was needed and one new
  estimate showed that Jason’s costs had been highly inflated. I cancelled
  Jason’s contract that day.
  October 21, 2022. 11:02am the customer sent me an email indicating
  that she wanted the contract cancelled and to refund her the remaining deposit.
  I have no further information on this and suggest that as a good practice that
  quotes be obtained before contracts are put in place. Arguing about quotes
  after the fact is not practicable.
  Total deposit was $5,075 - $1,680: (as per the quote and
  market estimates). Refund due: $3,395. Jason ******s suggested a refund of $1910.60,
  a discrepancy of $1,484.40.
  The customer’s email requesting the refund of $1680 is in
  reference to the original quote (Quote # 1).
  Her email stated “Please refund the deposit as soon as
  possible. I have contacted the credit card department and I will review the new
  invoice to pay fairly for the work concrete digging and removal as per our
  original agreement of $1600.”
  The reality is there was twice as much removal and disposal
  labour, and extra costs did occur due to the request of a rush job.
  In order to be flexible and hopefully
  end things cordially with the customer, I did not charge her for the labour
  costs for the second layer of concrete removal, instead looked to cover labour
  and materials costs incurred.  
  Initial non-refundable
  deposit $250.00
  50% of agreed-to
  work of $9650 $4825.00*
  
  What was completed from Quote #3:
  Remove slab
  #1 $1600.00
  Remove slab
  #2 $1600.00
  Excavator $700.00
  Trucking and
  disposal $500.00
  Total
  value of work completed $4400.00
  
  What was invoiced:
  Remove slab
  #1 $1600.00
  Jack hammer
  rental $194.88
  Excavator $771.75
  Plywood sheet $103.57
  GST $80.00
  Total
  invoiced $2750.20
  
  Refund calculation:
  Deposit
  received $4660.80
  Invoice
  2022-068 $2750.20
  Total
  Refund $1910.60
  
  When I sent the customer the final invoice of $2750.20, I
  asked if she wanted the refund via cheque, so she could keep her credit card points
  for travel. There was no response to this question. 
  The response I received from the customer on October 27 indicated
  she was only willing to pay $1600 plus tax for the work completed, based on
  someone else’s assessment. In this same email, she described her plans for
  further action against my company, “I appreciate that ( … ) is a small town and
  a good reputation is important for future business. I would urge you to please
  correct the invoice and refund the difference to me. If you keep the balance,
  then I will have to inform the Better Business Bureau and share my experience
  (and pictures and videos) on social media.”
  On October 28, 2022, I contacted my lawyer out of concern of
  these threats. He prepared a letter outlining the legal ramifications of her
  threatening behaviour and giving out false information  (attached). This letter was emailed to her on
  the same day.
  Refund of $1910.60 was processed via ****** terminal on
  October 28, 2022 and credited to the customers’ credit card on November 3,
  2022.
  

  Complaint: “Duplicate and extra costs seems unfairly
  added to retain as much of the deposit as he can.”
  I disagree that this is the situation.  I invoiced enough to cover labour and material
  costs, and immediately refunded the difference.
  Complaint: “I need BBB to assist me so we can resume the
  work with a reputable and experienced local contractor before the rain and colder
  weather resumes.”
  To clarify this point, I have successfully completed dozens
  of concrete jobs in the last 15 yeas, many that needed repairs to drainage.  
  Most of my work is done through word of mouth through our
  small community or through repeat customers. This is the first time someone has
  gone to the Better Business Bureau with a complaint.
  

  Complaint: “Seeking help, I may need to forward further
  documents and photographs by email as I am technically challenged to download
  all supporting documents, texts, videos and photos on your web application.”
  For clarity, I am of the opinion that the customer is able
  to navigate technical requirements. Attachment #16 that was provided clearly
  shows a photo attachment of the first quote that has been cropped to show only
  the portion she would like to pay.
  
  We are hopeful that this can be resolved at this stage and
  that the customer can finish her project with another company.
  
  
  Thank you.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/12/2022

  You will see that throughout the process of quoting and while work was being done, there were numerous change requests and updates to the quote………The numerous quoted changes occurred while the work of two concrete layers and clay surface  had been clearly defined ahead of time.  We also suspected that the concrete laid on clay as it has been discussed with Jason as well. The many quotes subsequently provided were unfounded to creating seemingly scary tactics and justify a more costly workload way higher that what we had discussed.
  
  Jason: In the end, after lawyer involvement, I charged the customer for half of the labour costs quoted and direct costs incurred. I have tried to rectify this situation fairly. Also explained previously, I was not threatening him but simply trying to gain clarity on whether the bill was a case of poor accounting or intentional over billing.  If it was intentional, then I had a responsibility to inform the BBB and other unsuspecting seniors.  My attachments are all backing up my assertions.  I believe that the lawyer’s letter was an intimidation tactic intended to discourage me and possibly other complainers from honestly sharing their experiences with others or reporting like me over billing practices and holding back most of the deposit.
  
  Jason: The original quote (Quote #1) dated October 7, 2022 was written based on removing one layer of concrete, trying to identify the source of the yard drainage issues, and preparing the site for concrete pour. On Wednesday, October 19, company employees started jackhammering. There was a discovery of a second layer of concrete. Discussion were had with the customer about increased length of time and labour costs to remove all the concrete….. The first 4” layer of concrete was jackhammered and loaded onto plywood sheets, placed on the concrete boulevard, so as not to damage the lawn.
  I updated the quote due to an unexpected layer of concrete to be removed and discussions that were had about digging a full 12” down to allow enough room for site prep and gravel as there was hard-pack clay that was not something that concrete could be poured on.   On Thursday, October 20, employees arrive at 9am. The second 4” layer of concrete was removed. Excavator arrives in the afternoon to move concrete pieces from the boulevard into a dump truck, as planned.  
  Prior to getting the bid, Jason is the one who discovered and showed me the two cement pads viewed from the herb garden view.  Photos included. Please note also, that none of the concrete layers exceeded 2” each, so again his assertions of a first and second 4” layers are blatantly false. There were 4” high totals and he already knew we had lots of clay under, as it is typical for Tsawwassen and ** ***** ** ********** ** ***** See the watermarked space in between the two 2” layer pads.  They were laid against the 4” aggregated blocks.  The measuring tape shows where the two, 2” layers each were located. There were no surprises….all was very clear before the work began and his first quote reflected it. image0.jpeg Upon referring to the view from the herb garden, it was evident (Photo sent) that the 8” thickness Jason affirms never existed. .. it also negates his requirement for overtime but rather confirms that it was never discussed nor agreed with me as he claims.  As mentioned before, Jason insisted for me to expect higher costs when dramatizing the worst potential scenario and as a result scaring and stressing me with a second additional and unjustified increased quote.  That is when I panicked and asked for the very worst possible scenario so I could determine what I could afford to proceed with.  He came in person on October 19 with the third quote and demanded a greater deposit. The concrete was not even removed by the only worker on site.  I felt I did not have much of a choice but to give in the deposit if I wanted the dismantling cement pad work to continue.   Although I had requested to only uncover the cracked area, Jason insisted on doing it all at once because he rented the jackhammer for “the day.” I made the deposit in good faith but it was never 50% of what was to be completed.  Several emails sent to him confirms that removing the concrete layer was all that was required.
  
  Jason: Various options were given for concrete.  Options were his suggestions but not firmed confirmation nor full authorization to go beyond the first phase quoted and neither an agreement to go ahead and rent an excavator for the latter part of the work. Kindly refer to the emails with the repeated instructions to just remove the concrete and determine if there were roots, pipe or broken drain tiles causing the cracking.  It never endorsed him for the full scope of work nor agreed to giving Jason full reign on the project until I knew the source of the damages.  Finally, we could see that no underground suggested damages turned out to be the cause for the existing damages, a bare clay patio area on the photo is confirming this…As first suspected, the concrete pads were only sitting on a minimum amount of sand and clay without having proper rebars installed. As a contractor, knowing the age of the house Jason knew it was a possibility and at least wait to confirm that further serious damages existed prior to demanding a higher deposit. He took advantage of my fear and abused my trust.
  
  Jason: I want to use my cc to be able to go visit friends with my points. Considering there is already a mark-up overall on the contract…. Can you drop the recent 3.5% surcharge on the cc…Jason knew I was not going to use his service with a 3.5% surcharge on my cc.  I was prepared for the average 10% mark-up contractor fee dictated by the Consumer Protection Office.  As you will see, the mark-up ballooned to almost double for the concrete portion alone.  John, from ***** ****** Concrete was Jason’s chosen contractor and his actual fee is inserted on the ******** ****** submission, almost half his price.  Furthermore, Jason invoiced twice as much for the labour including two people working both days when actually he only used one worker for the majority of the work. See pictures of video clips witnessed by BBB Vancouver branch. Jason only joined in for a couple of hours to remove the concrete and place it on the boulevard instead of placing it directly in a trailer to haul it away as first agreed.  Duplicate billings are inserted in his three different invoices for the tools, supply and plywood sheets.  As all contractors know the recurring costs from past experiences prior to bid on any new job, they include them separately with costs on their quote if it is meant to be separate otherwise, I am told by other contractors that all is included in the description next to the cost.. His $1600 quote is consistent with the two other contractors' submitted costs. I still believe Jason is attempting to justify duplicated costs to retain as much of the deposit as he could.
  
  Jason:…the customer sent $250 e-transfer to get her in the schedule. She also requested that the work start right away and be finished before the rain started on the weekend.  On October 17, I e-transferred the $250 deposit, not as a non-refundable booking fee as he is suggesting but as any deposit made towards the invoice.  As Jason ***** assured me that the removal of the concrete work was absolutely going to be done in a day, before the forecasted rain on the following Friday, it left three days to complete the one day task. There was no rush job as he claims. He had only one person to do the jackhammering and then later he and his worker waited around, instead of advancing the jackhammering work, for the owner of a rental heavy excavator to arrive.  Valuable time was wasted.  AS witnessed by your local BBB branch, on his second day Jason could not operate the machinery.  When I asked to return the excavator he could not operate, Jason insisted on keeping it, maintaining that he was only paying an hourly fee for the time used. I grew more suspicious. I kept insisting to get this removed from my yard. It was a white elephant that had caused nothing more than unexpected damages on the lawn…. This is the professionally maintained lawn prior to the damaged done.  ***************************************** 
  After Jason’s work
  ************ ************
  
  
  ************
  Clay on the flower gardens and marks from the tractor
  
  I believe  the real purpose for the excavator rental was to avoid doing the necessary manual work he originally agreed upon and billing instead for his poor decision.  Videos show after 1.26 minutes of usage that he subsequently did in a couple of hours the manual work he had quoted me for. Short of a second worker, he had to do it himself.  These videos proved that I am being overcharged on both counts, labour and excavator rental.
  
  Jason: I have successfully completed dozens of concrete jobs in the last 15 years, many that needed repairs to drainage.  Most of my work is done through word of mouth through our small community or through repeat customers. This is the first time someone has gone to the Better Business Bureau with a complaint. When I first met Jason ***** on September 27, it was for the simple removal of concrete and potential addition of 2’x2’ concrete blocks to lay on top of mix sands and  gravels.  He said he had not been laying cement blocks for a long time as it was too hard on his back and he was doing concrete pads instead.  He was recommending it as a benefit to lower maintenance.  He further stated that costs to lay concrete blocks were comparable to concrete pads.  That’s when I openly discussed my limited $8,000 budget and shared Jeff’s, the previous contractor’s quote of $1800 to jackhammer the concrete, haul it away, investigate the cause of the damage and fill the hole with pea gravel.  Jeff’s quote is in my attachments.
  
  I am now made aware that Jason's first insinuation of 15 years experience with concrete is in fact, mostly limited to erecting residential yard fences. Based on his above statement of having done no more than a dozen concrete jobs in the last 15 years, it represents less than one per year.  Jason also points out that only some of the concrete works required repairs to drainage.  I would not call him an expert in cement work, let alone drain tile repairs..  It does, however, confirm my suspicions about his lack of expertise and I am relieved that I have cancelled the contract.  His own admission does not reflect now what I was led to believe.  
  
  Jason states that it is the first complaint reported from an unsatisfied customer. Maybe it is because he is in the practice of hiring a lawyer as he tried to intimidate me with threat of diffamation when all my claims are documented and supported by pictures and videos authenticated by your Better Business Bureau Dispute Resolution Counsellor. I can see other dissatisfied customers simply giving up as time, stress and challenges have been enormous for me to carry through.
  
  I will exclude further rebuttals as the false statements carried throughout his correspondence have sufficiently been proven unfounded.  I think by now, my forwarded documents, photographs and videos witnessed by your office have shown that I have been truthful filing my complaint.  Your dispute department can easily see that each of the three contractors’ submitted invoices are consistent with my claim.  By adding various unspecified charges, Jason ***** seemingly intended to justify retaining as much of both given deposits as he possibly could.
  
  As such, I need to also submit my expenses for the unused plumber Jason wanted me to call and told him when he was here, that it did not matter if it was plugged, he was replacing the drain tiles anyway.  In fact, I told him that if I was to replace it, I would use someone who specialize in doing so….With the additional work forced upon the broken drain tile caused by Jason’s shovel, is offering no alternative for me but to replacing part of the drain tiles. Lastly, I will add also the gardener’s cost to repair the lawn and garden damages from the excavator misused.
  
  Disputed costs:
  Jason:1)  Initial non-refundable deposit $250.00: Not indicated as non-refundable
              2) 50% of agreed-to work of $9650 $4825.00*:  I specifically instructed on three separate occasions on October 18, that no additional work was approved until the source of the damages were determined.  No further email mentioned otherwise, nor a contractual agreement was agreed and signed on.  The last quote only intended for budget purposes to determine the worst case scenario “to have to change the drain tiles”. On his October 28 email, (Attachment 14b) there was never an agreed-to-work aside removing the concrete. Jason also fails to explain here, a newer processing fee of $164.20 against my second deposit in the amount of $4825??? which was never discussed or explained.  Just another addon.
  
   What was actually completed from Quote #3: Removal of the two 2”slabs (not two 4” slabs as he claims) which were visible and disclosed before the work began - (photos attached) the scope of this part of the work never changed, no overtime needed and is as included on his original quote again prior to the work began.
  Jason: Remove slab #1 $1600.00 Total concrete removal costs as per market price confirmed by three estimates including his own. Labours, Jackhammer, materials and removal are highlighted on Attachment 16 for further clarity. It was never defined as individual costs to be billed separately. There is no mention of detailed labour breakdown and separate costs introduced only on his three submitted invoices. Hourly rate still not outlined because separate labour fees were never applicable.  The description of the job included everything.
  Jason: Remove slab #2 $1600.00: N/A there were never two 4” slabs to add additional overtime….
  Jason:- Excavator $700.00: Unable to operate after 1.26 minutes as video and photographs confirms and left it here for three days as both.
  Jason:Trucking and disposal $500.00: He was supposed to load a trailer manually to dispose of the material.  My understanding was that it would be similar to the one used by a contractor building a 4,000 sq. Ft. House on the street.  ***********  He never brought such trailer on site.  The method and cost of disposal were included in his price as stated above.  An excavator plus a dump truck were never planned for, submitted or agreed by me to substitute for the basic trailer and two wheel barrels to fill it and take the trailer to haul the concrete away with his truck.  He is now trying to make-up a surplus cost by claiming he only charges me for the excavator full day cost.  Hauling away the disposal was not even considered by the other experienced contractors who themselves uses their truck to take all the material away.  As a point of reference, a  construction company is using the above trailer to dispose of material for a 4,000 sq ft new home being built three houses from mine.  My patio was less than 380 sq ft..the excavator and dump truck are not even remotely close to justify the cost for such a small backyard patio.image3.jpeg
  Jason: Total value of work completed $2750.00:  Inaccurate and overinflated amount as described earlier especially with the duplicated costs for the limited work done.
  
  Summary:  
  What was invoiced by Delta Homestead Services: Deposit: $250 + $4825= $5075.00
  Remove slab #1 $1600.00 - Agreed as a full and final cost.
  Jackhammer rental $194.88-N/A Was already Included in the $1600 cost outlined as such in all 3 quotes.
  Excavator $771.75.             -   N/A
  Plywood sheet $103.57 -  The plywood sheets would have been included in the quote as materials too.  It came, however, from his home and all plywood sheets were later picked up by Jason undamaged for his next    job.  Most likely the only newer one was the one covered with my    tarp. This charge is therefore not applicable either.  
  GST $80.00 - Agreed to apply on the only work done.
  $2750.20 - N/A as outlined earlier.
  
  Jason: Refund calculation:
  Deposit received $4660.80: (Excluding the first deposit and further charge an administration fee for the visa deposit???)
  Invoice 2022-068: $2750.20
  Total Refund $1910.60 - Insufficient refund as outlined in the above breakdown explanation provided.
  
  This is what the invoice should look like:
  
   Deposits:  $   250.00 initial deposit which never indicated that it was non refundable
   4,825.00 which never represented 50% of agreed to work.  His administration fee reducing the deposit to $4660.80 is again an add-on that was neither discussed or approved.  My attached emails  clearly stated the scope to be done by removing the concrete (picture) layers to determine the cause of the damage
   Total:     $5,075.00
  
  Minus   1,680.00 as per original agreement and two further contractors (attached)              market assessments, which includes jackhammer, trailer and material disposal. No excavator was needed as confirmed in all contractors’ documentation.  A trailer disposing of the material such as the aforementioned picture showed in his cost was never on site, therefore, a further deduction should be reflected or makes up for the 20 minutes use of the dump truck.
  
  Therefore, my claim is as follows:
  
  Two Deposits:          $5,075.00
  Work done:                           1,680.00
  Sub Total:    $3,395.00
  Minus Partial Refund: $1910.60  
  Overpayment:    $1484.40
  
  Plus
  
  Yard Damages    $ 727.13
  Plumber cost:              $383.20 
  Drain Tiles    $1,000.00 estimate 
  
  Sub total:                    ***  $2,110.33
  
  Net amount owed:         $3,594.73         .
  
  ***All damages to be applied towards the balance owing for the first completed phase and consistent with market price costed by two other contractors and Jason’s original $1680.00 all inclusive labour, rentals, supplies, etc… costs.

  Business Response

  Date: 28/12/2022

  There are no new facts for us to provide to you, it was all
  provided on the November 6 submission. The facts are that I was hired to complete a job and once she
  cancelled abruptly, I billed her only for work completed.

  
  To clarify, we have never been in a situation where we have
  been blackmailed or extorted via social media defamation (or otherwise). I have
  never consulted a lawyer before regarding someone breaching a contract and for
  the client to insinuate this is what I do to keep people from complaining is a
  lie. I appreciate that this venue is to identify if a company is behaving in a
  fair and honest manner.  I can honestly say
  that our family company is honest, fair and integral in all of it’s business
  dealings, including with the one in question with this complaint.
  It is very unfortunate that the customer continues to come
  up with excuses as to why she was not satisfied. I did not want this to be the
  case.

  
  In the meantime, we are also now dealing with a claim through
  the credit card company via ****** that needs to be dealt with. To be honest, I
  am not sure that the Better Business Bureau or the bank complaint resolution centre
  are the appropriate venues for this dispute. I would suggest to the client that
  this matter be brought before the small claims court where we all have equal
  access to evidence, cross examination and the final decision of a judge who can
  rule on this case based on facts.

  The cost of the time spent dealing with this complaint and the cancelled job is now worth more than what was originally charged to the client.