Complaints

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• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/27/2023

  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.

  In October 2022, I hired Handyman Connection to construct 2 columns for my dining room. Within a month cracks and knotholes appeared. I called Handyman Connection and asked them to send out the person who made them. They ignored my request and sent me someone else on December 22, 2022. He told me that they only put 2 coats on and wouldn't repaint them. He did a bad caulk job on them and left. The issues continued to get worse, so I hired a painting company in March 2023. They were unable to cover the defects and told me that the columns were not constructed with the right material or mitered correctly. I reached out to Handyman Connection and after my calls being ignored for 3 days had a very unpleasant talk with Taylor the owner on March 24, 2023. The minute he showed up to look at them he was rude and combative. He said that he saw nothing wrong with them and they were good enough for my home. He said that my warranty was voided because they were painted. The contract does not state that. After 20 minutes of being harassed and lied to, I was getting an uncomfortable vibe from him. I asked him to leave. He ignored me and continued to take pictures on his phone. I had to raise my voice and use strong language to get him out. I don't want Taylor or any of his workers in my house again. My money should be refunded to me in the amount of $1,345 so I can hire a reputable company to fix the columns with the correct materials and workmanship. My advice to anyone looking to hire this company for anything is buyer beware. They will take your money, blame the homeowner for any issues that arise in order not to honor their so-called warranty.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/29/2023

  We installed two wrap around pillars for the customer.  A photo of the work when we finished the job site is attached.   We used real wood for the pillars and after about a month the customer called us and said there were some cracks which had developed as the caulk dried.   We went out and touched up the caulk and the customer seemed happy.  She called us three months later and said the columns had been ruined and we needed to replace them.  We went out to see it and they did look pretty bad.   We asked what happened and she said the hired a painter and they tried to smooth our the column by filling in any knots with Bondo and then sanded down the column and repainted it.  The bondo spots were obvious through the paint.  She told us the painter told her it was our fault and we should have built the columns out of MDF and not actual wood.   We told her we disagreed as bondo is basically cardboard made out of wood dust and glue.  It is much softer and can be dented very easily and these were high traffic corners.   In addition MDF swells when it gets wet and is ruined.   We told her we could not give her a refund for the columns the painters had ruined and they were in fact wrong, real wood was the proper and a far superior product to use in this instance.  I am sorry her columns were damaged by the painter but it does not make sense why she is seeking us to refund her for the work another contractor after us did.  We were never rude or intimidating we just stated the facts that in our opinion the painter is attempting to deflect blame for the very poor work they did.  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/31/2023

  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:  The job site photo was taken right after the November 2022 installation.  As I stated previously, the cracks and knots appeared approximately 1 month later.  So, they obviously would not appear in this photo.  In regard to his comment about the columns being in a high traffic area, not true.  They are in a formal dining room/foyer area that is rarely used.  I never told anyone that I was happy with the awful December caulk job.  Now he admits that the columns look "pretty bad"?  That is not what he told me on March 24, 2023.  As I previously stated, he told me they were good enough for my house.  He changed up his story to fit the painter ruined them excuse.  Absolutely none of this is the painter's fault.  The issues were there when Handyman Connection came out on December 2, 2022, and would not fix them.  This is a reputable painting company who has been in business for many years in Northern Colorado who has completed other painting jobs for me.  They didn't paint the columns until March 20, 2023.  They didn't ruin them as Taylor claimed.  Taylor didn't mention at all to me that Bondo and MDF were bad and that the knotty wood they used was a superior product.  The conversation NEVER happened, and he knows it.  Bondo is made with resin, talc, and plastic, not sawdust and glue.  MDF is made from wood fiber and synthetic resin bonded together.  It is used when a smooth painted surface is desired such as trim, baseboards, doors and even furniture.  Most all homebuilders use that product.  Taylor clearly doesn't have a clue about these products.  No surprise he is deflecting the blame to someone else for his company's shoddy work.  He will never admit to any of it.  He continues to play games and make up lies.  My resolution remains the same.  Return my money.  He refuses to do it so I don't see a resolution to this.  I hope that others will see this complaint and avoid the mistake that I made by hiring Handyman Connection.  Taylor's payback will come when, not if, his company goes out of business.  Word has and continues to get around.  Eventually all of the lies, warranties not honored, rudeness to homeowners, and shoddy work, will catch up to him.  I and countless other Handyman Connection customers certainly deserve better.  
  
  Regards,
  
  ****** *****

  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/03/2023

  We really do not disagree on most of the details.  The client feels we should have built the columns out MDF instead of solid wood.  We disagree.   I attached an image of the two materials just in case someone does not know the terms.  Solid wood is a far superior product especially for the application which was a floor to ceiling column.   I called it high traffic because corners are defined that way, they are far more likely to bit hit as people walk by or furniture when it is moved.   While MDF is used in many construction applications it is because of it's cost and ease of use to work with, not because of it's durability.   The client said MDF disagreed that MDF was made from saw dust and glue and said it was made from wood fiber and resin which is the same thing.  This site is a manufacturer of MDF and they have a very good diagram which shows the process.  ***************************************************

  The real weakness of MDF is it not durable.  It is very soft.   I have had a client drop a cell phone and it took a huge chunk out of their MDF baseboards.   If they were wood at the most it would have dented it.   MDF is also next to impossible to repair.   This is an excerpt from the site ******************************

  1. Engineered wood is easy to damage. One of the main differences between solid and engineered wood is the surface. The external surface of MDF is practically the same as it’s core, but it over-compressed so it can serve as a sealant. If you try to sand it you will reach the fibre-waxed core and thus hurt the overall integrity of the board. Repainting flat pack units requires a gentle and delicate approach. Contrary to solid wood, where a bit of sanding can hide dents and scratches, damage on MDF is permanent.

  MDF's main advantage is it is easy to work with and it less expensive.  However nearly every mention says it's downside is it is not as durable, and is prone or breaking and chipping over time.   **********************************************************

  We are comfortable with the choice of solid wood being the far superior choice for columns which are on the corner between rooms and we believe most people that read the review will agree.   I am not saying your painting company is a bad company but they are painters and not carpenters.   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/04/2023

  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:  I reject the response from Handyman Connection.  The painters did not construct or install the columns, Handyman Connection constructed and installed them.  The painters did not use wood with knots or incorrect miters that formed the cracks, Handyman Connection did.  The painters did not touch those columns until five months after they were installed by Handyman Connection.  The painters are not responsible for ruining the columns, Handman Connection is.  Please just stop the lies and blaming the painters.  Taylor needs to tell the truth and do the right thing for me and his business.  He needs to own up to his company's mistake and negotiate the return of my money.  There cannot be an acceptable resolution until that happens.  This back-and-forth nonsense needs to end.  I stand 100% behind my complaint.  It is the truth and he knows it.  This has been extremely stressful.  I need a resolution so I can have these columns rebuilt.  
  
  Regards,
  
  ****** *****