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:12/09/2023

  Type:Service or Repair 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 hired A1 Waterproofing in Feb /22 after discovering water in the back porch of my recently purchased home. The owner/operator, ****, was initially responsive, but I quickly began to see signs of unreliability (eg. not showing up at agreed-upon times, with no advance notification). Nevertheless, the job proceeded and was completed in April /22. My complaint pertains to the subsequent commitment made by **** in early /23 after I discovered that the waterproofing his company completed hadn't fixed my water issue as guaranteed. When I called **** about this on 9 Feb /23 he said he stands behind his work and would resolve the problem. In the weeks that followed, he didn't show up at several agreed-upon times and stopped answering my communications. I called his cell and company numbers repeatedly and left many voicemails. On 5 occasions, I couldn’t leave a voicemail because his mailbox was full. I left messages with his admin staff on at least 5 other occasions. After a month of unsuccessful calls, I sent a text message on 27 March /23. It went unanswered. I kept calling for another 2 weeks before receiving a text from him on 14 April /23 (his first communication with me since 21 Feb /23). He apologized and committed to handling my concern promptly. We agreed that he'd complete the work on 21 April /23. He didn’t show up. I kept calling for another 3 months. My calls weren’t answered and my voicemails weren’t returned. I sent **** another text on 20 July /23 but again didn’t get an answer. My last effort to reach him was on 31 July /23. My call was answered by his admin assistant, who reached him on another line. She said he couldn’t talk because he was on a job but that he promised to call me back in 1 hour. I didn’t receive a call. Screenshots of text messages I exchanged with **** between 28 Feb /23 and 20 July /23 to are attached. I have lost faith in A1 Waterproofing and am requesting a partial refund for the ineffective waterproofing work around my back porch.

  Business Response

  Date: 28/09/2023

  ****** hired us to complete waterproofing repairs in the spring of last year. Our intital observation found no obvious signs of water protrusion but ****** explained were the water was pooling and how often. We both agreed that a specific cause could not be determined based on what could be seen visually.

  I wrote an estimate for $1,200 that included removing the patio stones, excavating the dirt required to access the area around the addition, apply waterproofing membrane to corners, all joints and seams within 6" of grade sealed and/or caulked, waterproof threshold to door, replace the patio stones and extended the downspout further away from home.

  In terms of finding possible water entry points, we looked and sealed everything we could. To date from the information we have there seems to be no signs of water protruding from these areas. There is no guarantee on the type of repair listed above.

  ****** contacted me approx 6+ months after our repairs were completed and told me of her problem and I explained I was still going to help so I made an appt. to meet ******, which happened soon after that conversation. When I met with ****** she constantly reinterated that she paid for a service and didnt get the result she was expecting and I agreed with her. Due to ******'s refusal to accept that the work we had done half a year ago was her only option based on the information she had provided, it was difficult to work with her. I explained this wasn't a warranty issue and that I still wanted to help her and within reason do the work for free if we could locate the issue. Warranty issues need to be reported within 14 days of finding the issue or its void.

  I was trying to do ****** a favor because in my opinion we had done necessary repairs. Each repair was agreed upon specifically, the work was done properly, and who is to say what we fixed wasn't contributing to the problem? Despite my attempts to help, ****** seemed to make it her main goal (it seemed) to prove we didn't know what we were doing and that we owed her a waterproofed addition. Since we are not obligated to take someone's belittling rants, I stopped doing so. 

  Our business is never to leave someone upset or felt taken advantage of so I will agree to refund a partial amount to ******. If ****** has a suggested figure then I can discuss that between myself and management and have the payment sent shortly afterwards.

  Sincerely,

  **** ******

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/10/2023

  
  
  Complaint: ********
  
  
  
  I
  want to genuinely thank **** for agreeing to provide a partial refund and I look
  forward to a quick resolution now that this commitment has been made. However,
  in order to reach this outcome, I feel that it is necessary to first clarify a few points and correct some inaccuracies in ****'s response and to provide some additional details and supporting documentation to ensure fairness and full transparency. It is to allow for the sharing of this additional information before landing on an appropriate partial refund amount that I am rejecting the initial response.

  (1) Regarding the 6-month delay – I hired A1
  Waterproofing in Feb ’22, at which time I explained that my water issue occurred
  only in the winter, not during other seasons (e.g. from rain, even at time when rainfall was heavy and other houses in my area were experiencing flooding). **** and his
  team completed the work later that spring. When winter came around again in 6
  months, the exact issue recurred (same location/pattern/volume). As a seasonal
  issue, it would have been impossible for me to identify any flaws in
  workmanship/materials within 14 days of work completion. Alternatively, if the information I provided to **** regarding the seasonality of my issue might have suggested that it was not, in fact, a foundation waterproofing problem, I feel that it would have been incumbent on A1 Waterproofing to be transparent about that possibility. Any communication that my issue might not be effectively solved by exterior waterproofing was not suggested by ****. Also, I was never informed
  of a 14-day warranty, either verbally or in writing.

  (2) **** stated “from the
  information we have there seems to be no signs of water protruding from these
  areas.” That isn’t true. I’ve attached text messages showing that I sent him photos
  of water pooling inside the surface where the exterior waterproofing occurred. Also,
  during our follow-up discussions, **** said that he would plan to try and force water into
  the back addition with a hose in order to identify the water’s points of entry.
  He never performed this diagnostic at any point (either when A1 Waterproofing was initially hired or as he promised he would do during follow up). If this was suggested by **** himself as a test that could have been fruitful, it seems that perhaps it was warranted and may have allowed for a better determination of the work that may have been needed. 

  (3) Both the estimate and the invoice show a
  line for “Door threshold waterproofed.” A1 Waterproofing did not waterproof the door threshold.
  In fact, during ****’s follow-up, he identified the door as a possible reason for
  the recurring water issues, yet didn’t follow through on the commitment to
  waterproof the threshold, per the attached texts. While I may have failed to
  initially notice that this wasn't done, from my perspective that doesn't negate A1’s accountability
  to perform the work listed in the estimate and invoice or at the very least to communicate changes in the work that may have occurred and to explain why they occurred.

  To
  close this complaint, I respectfully request a refund of $850 to be paid by 31 Oct 2023.
  Thank you.

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