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:01/13/2025

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore 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.

  On October 31st 2024, we hired Alpine Building Performance to do a home inspection at ***************************************, who in turn, sub-contracted **************** to scope the main sewer line. ABP found some leaks under the bathroom which seemed simple so we negotiated $1000 to cover plumbing costs. The seller accepted and we closed on 12/2/2024. When our plumber started work on 12/5/2024, they found a large crack in the main sewer line that was missed in the sewer scope video. We brought the crack to the attention of ABP and they seemed to concur that there was a missed crack in the video. We needed a bathroom because we were moving in on 12/7/2024 and the house only had 1 bathroom. As a result we ended up paying $6k on top of our original plumbing project to replace the entire main sewer line under the house. The plumber replaced 19' of cast iron because it had cracks up and down the length. When we talked to ABP, they told us to talk to Sewer Scope to get compensation. **************** refused to acknowledge the missed crack and claimed they were not liable for issues found after the inspection despite the video showing evidence of a crack. ***************'s report found "no issues with the sewer" despite the old cast iron pipes which could have been as old as 120-years old (our home was built in 1904). Ultimately, they only offered us $360, which refunded $180 for the inspection, and $180 because "they felt bad." When we asked if they would cover any more, they would not budge. They sent us a check on 12/24/2024 that we have not cashed yet. ******************** caught this, we could have negotiated more from the seller. *** has been willing to compensate us some because they feel bad, but have encouraged us to seek out **************** for the damages. We would like to file a complaint against **************** for refusing to take responsibility to what seemed like a simple mistake during an inspection.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/03/2025

  See attached response

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/09/2025

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  **** *********

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/14/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore 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 used Alpine Building Performance for a condo inspection prior to purchase. During the inspection, they took multiple pictures of my HVAC system but reported that the age of the system was unknown because the sticker normally providing that information was painted over. Typically, this information is critical for negotiating concessions at closing, but since I had no evidence of the unit's age, I was unable to negotiate a reduction in the purchase price.Following their recommendation to change the air filter, I discovered a sticker located near the filter that clearly displayed all the information necessary to determine the unit's age. I do not expect a general inspector to be an HVAC expert, but I do expect a thorough inspection that does not overlook something as simple as this.The HVAC unit is now intermittently failing, and I have been informed that a replacement will cost over $20,000. This is a significant expense I could have potentially negotiated with the seller had I been able to verify the unit's age during the inspection.I am disappointed with Alpine Building Performance's oversight and request that they take responsibility for the consequences of their inadequate inspection. I attempted to upload the whole report, but it is too large. Attached is both the group of 4 images from the report and a single image that I took with my phone of the sticker in question.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/18/2024

  Hi ***,
  
  Thank you for sharing your concerns. We understand your frustration and are genuinely upset that you are having to deal with this repair. As we had previously discussed over the phone, our inspection report fully documented the limitation regarding the painted-over data plate that prevented us from determining the ************ age. This limitation was clearly noted in the report with the recommendation to have a **** contractor evaluate the system to determine the age. We additionally recommended having the system cleaned and serviced by a licensed HVAC contractor. My understanding from our phone conversation was that you did not follow up on either of our professional recommendations. Your HVAC system is located above a drop ceiling and we inspected the unit from 2 different points of view. Our inspector did not clearly see the data plate that you have since identified due to the angle and perspective from which he inspected the unit. Typically HVAC equipment will have just one data plate and when he identified that the data plate was covered in paint, he wrote that up in the report and carried on with the inspection. The unit was occupied at the time of inspection and furniture limitations below the drop ceiling were present which may have further limited our vantage point. 
  We adhere to ********** guidelines and company policies, and the inspection was performed thoroughly within these standards. We included recommendations for further evaluation to ensure you had the necessary information prior to moving forward with the transaction.
  
  Based on your recent demands, we have submitted your claims to our insurance company. As such, we are no longer able to assist you directly. A representative from our insurance provider will be reaching out to you shortly to address your concerns.