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:08/19/2024

  Type:Service or Repair 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.

  Dear BBB,
  
  I had my chimney rebuilt last year in December 2023. I took out a Home Equity Loan to have the chimney rebuilt at my residence:
  
  ** ******** ****,
  **** ********, *********** 06119
  
  
  The company I hired is Safeside Chimney located at:
  
  *** ******* ******* ********, ***********
  
  I continue to have water issues from the ash pits in my basement under the chimney. I contacted Safeside Chimney in March 2024, and eventually they came out to repair the floor of my chimney by clearing out debris in one ash pit in the basement under the chimney that hadn't been cleared out, and the technicians found a hole in the floor of my chimney after it had been rebuilt. I have two ash pits under the chimney in my home. The technician only cleared out one ash pit.
  
  In order to rebuild the chimney, I was quoted a price of $24,500. It is evident through quotes submitted that there was an issue of water coming through the ash pits of my chimney prior to the rebuild. However, I continue to experience water filling up and leaking out of the ash pit doors in the basement under my chimney, whenever there is a heavy rain.
  
  I took recent pictures today, August 18th, 2024 and videos on my smart phone as evidence of further water issues persisting after my chimney has been rebuilt. I am at a loss of what to do next. I pay $330 a month on my home equity loan with a ten year term. When, I contacted Safeside Chimney to have them to do the job to rebuild my chimney. I had mentioned water issues. It took the men from Safeside Chimney who rebuilt my chimney two and half weeks to rebuild it. I had hoped that they would not only rebuild the chimney, but solve any water issues coming from that part of my house under the chimney.
  
  Safeside Chimney advertises how it resolves water issues with chimneys. And yet, I am still experiencing these issues after Safeside Chimney rebuilt my chimney.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/20/2024

  Yesterday was flooding conditions throughout the state.  We rebuilt the chimney from the raised foundation up , if there is water in the firebox , we would completely agree that this a chimney related saturation issue and is under warranty.  The water is coming in below grade. We did come out , more than once- this spring , after the previous flooding occassion that happened in the state.   The chimney looks beautiful   -Our crews had conflcting opinons -  because unfortunately if its a groundwater issue , or grading issue , or gutter dumping water issue which one crew thought - there isn't a clear cut 'chimney' related product that can be installed or performed.  There also isn't a sure fire test.  We can come out again , one of the thoughts was to fill the cleanout with cement since its not in use - as that is the sole 'chimney' solution,  but it doesn't solve the excessive water issue if its what I described above.  Its likely water will need to be diverted , area regraded , drainage ...something along those lines.  Basement waterproofing is not my personal expertise, nor our industry - but we do have crew that is very familiar , and can relook at the situation with those eyes.  I can be contacted directly via email at ************************ - we can come out and see if this scenario provides any new evidence to go on.  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/20/2024

  
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  ****** ******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/05/2024

  Type:Service or Repair 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 June 1, 2023, Safeside Chimney rebuilt the chimney at my house and added a liner at a cost of $9,314. The invoice number is ******. The work was done by “Tony” (no last name provided). The work failed almost immediately. When it rains, water pours in through the chimney, runs down the walls and rains into the fireplace, and floods the basement. When we contacted the company to address the failed work, they told us that they would come to the house to inspect, but they will charge us $125 for the assessment “if they deem that the issues were not caused by their work.” Mere months after nearly $10,000 was spent on my chimney, it has completely failed. Any claim that the issues were not caused by their work is absurd, and we will not be threatened that we will be charged in the very likely event that they decide not to take responsibility for their work. They obviously do not stand by their work.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/22/2024

  We agree that there should be no charge to revisit this chimney to determine cause of leak , it was just done recently , and it was actually a full rebuild including flashing.  Operations will follow up to schedule a visit - sometimes a water test is required.  

  Our business does service calls and chimnney inspections as a matter of course.  This particular year generated a lot of such visits and work - our lowest priced visit is $125

  Its tricky to have a one size fits all plan to deal with inspections/leaks/smoking back issues - there are many cases a company did a minor repair , such as install a chimney cap - a decade prior - and they may be called and expected to perform service at no charge or take liability of an unrelated problem - there also is a possibilty the cap is at fault - in such a case we would fix the cap and waive the fee - as was stated by our office crew.  
  
  Again , this particular case, due to the extent and recency of the work , should have been waived prior to the visit - it required going 'off-script' per se , and making that decision. Apparently that wasn't done- We will make it right and solve the problem
  Kevin Beary 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/30/2024

  Work was done on our chimney by Safeside on Friday, March 29. We will not know if this corrected the issue until we have a heavy rainstorm and can assess whether or not our chimney is still leaking. At that point, we will know if the issue is resolved and the complaint can be closed.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/02/2024

  Most Recent Message

  Date Sent: 3/30/2024 1:22:17 PM
  Work was done on our chimney by Safeside on Friday, March 29. We will not know if this corrected the issue until we have a heavy rainstorm and can assess whether or not our chimney is still leaking. At that point, we will know if the issue is resolved and the complaint can be closed.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/24/2024

  Job has been completed - as of 4/17 customer did not see any evidence of water issues 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/26/2024

  
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. I will be in touch with the company again if we see evidence of water/other issues related to the chimney. 
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  ***** ******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/05/2024

  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 had two chimney rebuilt in 2017. They started to leak again one year later. I made several calls to Safeside and someone came out twice but did nothing to solve the problem. Both chimneys continue to leak affecting ceiling sheetrock. I have had several companies out to examine chimneys and independent of one another they all concluded that the chimney were not built properly. The flashing was done improperly causing the water issues. I continue to call Safeside and they continue to tell me they will call me back but never do.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/15/2024

  Safeside has scheduled with ***** ********** to redo the chimney flashing.  To clarify , the chimneys were built properly , the masonry came out great.  It is agreed , the issue is with the flashing. When we built the chimney , we communicated with the roofer that we were intentionally leaving the counter flashing long , so they can lift it ,  perform their roof rip up , perform their step flashing underneath the shingles at the plywood level , and then cut the counter flashing we installed above the shingles.  Somewhere along the lines , there was miscommunication - the roofer tucked the counter flashing underneath the shingles which can allow water in , as well as not allowing any saturation water held in the chimney to weep between the flashing , but over the shingles. Its the step flashing , as well as the counter flashing that creates a leak proof system. 
  
  We are taking over to correct the issue , at our expense - as the customer paid two contractors to upgrade their home , and resolve an ongong stubborn leak situation - and that has not occured as of yet.  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/06/2022

  Type:Service or Repair 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.

  Had our annual cleaning in Oct and afterwards our wood stove was blowing smoke and burning ash out of the pipe seams inside our home. Customer service from both the girl answering the phone and Dale was extremely rude and unhelpful. Finally got someone to come back out to check it and we were told it was our fault that we didn't have a proper draft going. We were given the run around for days and told that we were not a priority since we had heat. Took 19 days for them to respond only after a complaint email which they said they had been looking into it (for 19 days). We have been loyal customers for years and are now being treated horribly. Safeside never corrected the issue. I had another company come out to take a look and they found the problem in five minutes. When Safeside was cleaning the chimney, they knocked the end cap off at the bend where the pipe comes in and makes a 90 degree angle into the home. There is an access door in our garage that Safeside never checked-he opened that door and the cap was just laying there so of course there was no suction to keep a draft. Everything from the stove was just blowing out there. All he had to do was pop the cap back on and now it works great. Safeside failed to see this when they were here to check things over. I let them know about what was found and received no response back from them. I had to pay someone $200 to fix THEIR error.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 12/06/2022

  We did already cut a check prior to recieving this as a BBB complaint.  We dropped the ball here and should have found the issue when we came back out.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/06/2022

  
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  ***** ******