Complaints

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• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/03/2025

  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.

  On the 9/14/2024 we had an accident due to water damage from the second floor toilet which got clogged and spilled overnight down to the first floor. I immediately notified my home insurance company (PROGRESSIVE ***), then I found PROMASTER CLEANING RESOTORATION. They came and after a brief conversation and inspection of the work at hand & damages, they started the water extraction process (everything is on video). They asked if this project was going to be an insurance claim and I said yes, they said that they worked closely with (PROGESSIVE) and that it would go smoothly. On 9/18/2024 the PROGRESSIVE agent came and completed her inspection of the damages along with PROMASTER DUTY MANAGER ****, and I asked her the process, she said that she would file her report and I asked who did she recommend as a contractor for the repairs. She said that PROMASTER was part of her company ********. Great I replied and she mentioned that I would give them the $1000.00 deductible and they (both) PROGRESSIVE & PROMASTER would take care of the rest. Two weeks later the owner came to collect his fee and he gave me the bill for $26K. Now the story changed and they said that I had to pay for half upfront cost or the job would stop. I felt this was some type of Dishonest transaction and last moment change and NOT what was agreed between the ************* and them. He has billed many Items that were Not bought by his company and attempted to claim for service or repairs that were not done. I have proof of his deception and over charges, and because of his Dishonest billing, PROGRESSIVE Ins has refused to pay some of his billing. So now he is attempting to ******* and THRETEN me with a LIEN on my house. Is this LEAGAL? I have proof that he has included items in his bill that I supplied as part of the repairs. If we go thru the bill item per item, I can prove that his company has been attempting to cheat me and over charge. This needs to be resolved between the *** and Them, Not me.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/20/2025

  Good evening,

  This is ****** ******* with Pro Master Cleaning Restoration.This past Monday, February 17th, 2025, I spoke with ***** in the ********************* to request an extension for our response to this complaint.

  I expressed to Ms. ***** that it was my birthday and I needed extra time to have all the facts organized and detailed in our response. I was under the impression that I had until 11:59 PM,today, 2/20/25 to submit our response. I was never informed that there was an exact time in which our response needed to be submitted. May someone kindly please assist us by allowing us to submit our response? I have taken a screenshot of the Word document where our response resides and it is date/time stamped as proof that it was completed this evening (please see attached screenshots).

   

   

   Sincerely,

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/24/2025

  Good day, Mr. ******* and all who may be reading this
  

  
  Pro Master Cleaning Restoration has been in business for 13 years, working with multiple insurance companies, including Mr. ******** homeowners insurance carrier. During this time, we have never encountered issues with that carrier, until now.
  On September 14th,2024, you, Mr. ***** *******, contacted our company for **************************** (EMS) at 7:20 AM regarding a toilet overflow from the 2nd level of his home that resulted in extensive water damage. We arrived as soon as possible. We assessed the damage and explained the process clearly to you. You authorized us and signed our contract. We resolved your ********** problem satisfactorily and then proceeded to Rebuild.
  
  The home insurance company adjuster made her initial contact with us via phone on September 16th, 2024, around 4:57 PM, and verbally authorized us to proceed with ********** services. We called you that day at 5:06 PM to inform you about this and you explained that she required a plumbers report to review and establish/decline coverage of the claim. In the insurance claims process, this is something typical that is used as an origin/cause of loss report for insurance carriers to validate a claim, this was explained to ******* responded to us via text message at 5:56 PM that you found a plumbing company to assist. The adjuster arrived on-site the next day at 9:00 AM, she spoke with you, and you confirmed that we are the company you hired. She told you it was fine, and we could continue the project.
  
  The first Rebuild estimate provided to you and your insurance carrier was a preliminary draft submitted while we actively worked on the project. All necessary documentation was sent to your insurance company. A third-party company that the home insurance carrier uses for the Water ********** phase was the only party that reached out with some questions regarding the ********** estimate. The representative we worked with was very communicative and efficient and the process went smoothly, ultimately leading to an agreement on this portion of the project. The total for the mitigation/drying was $15,501.81 for which your home insurance company sent a check in the name of you, your wife,and our company.
  
  When we met with you at the bank where you frequent, on November 1st, 2024, to have the checks endorsed and turned in to us, we were fully exposed to the level of confusion/misunderstanding that you had/have. You assumed that the check for $15,501.81 was to pay for both the ********** and Rebuild invoices. We showed you physical copies of the 2 different invoices. We elaborated that the $15,501.81 only pertained to the Water ********** portion as it reflected the exact amount of our invoice for that service. Once you understood this you released that check to us. The other check for $12,696.79 was the balance of our Rebuild invoice,however, you were under the impression that it was a partial amount of the $13,000.00 advance you paid us to continue working. You insisted that there was some mistake/misunderstanding, and we agreed to both reach out to your homeowner's insurance adjuster so that she could explain what was being paid and what is still owed. On September 5th, 2024, we emailed her stating, A mistake has transpired regarding the payment amount for our Rebuild/Reconstruction/Repair invoice. The ********** invoice ($15,501.81) has been paid in full, but the insured only received $12,696.79 for the Rebuild. Please advise at your earliest convenience. That same day you sent us a text message saying, "I also emailed [home insurance company] and her [the adjuster] for the upfront money I paid at the beginning to your company. I thought it was going to be sent through your invoice. But I guess I had to send in my own. Just a misunderstanding on my part."
  
  The Rebuild/Reconstruction portion of the project has been a different story compared to the Water ********** to say the absolute least. When we submitted our Reconstruction estimate, your desk adjuster did not communicateno calls,emails, or texts. This lack of response ultimately led to the understanding that no questions or additional information was needed. After an extended silence, various calls to the home insurance carriers corporate office, and involving other higher-up adjusters, your desk adjuster finally responded on December 5th, 2024, stating that she had sent her Rebuild estimate to the insureds (you all) and that they (yall) needed to share it with us. Unfortunately,and according to you, that never happened. She eventually emailed us her estimate. Although we disagreed with it, we revised our estimate and explained the reasoning behind the pricing. We revised the estimate multiple times to accommodate the situation. The Rebuild totals $25,246.77 for which we explained to you that if you wanted us to continue the Reconstruction process you had the option of making an advance payment or waiting for your home insurance company to send funds for us to continue. You did not agree to wait for your home insurance company to send funds because you wanted the project completed as soon as possible. Because of this, you paid us $13,000 in advance plus the $1,000 deductible (something else that you were confused about and thought that it didnt need to be paid directly to us, but rather to your insurance carrier or that they would pay it on your behalf) for a total advance payment of $14,000.This payment was reimbursed to you by your home insurance company, leaving an outstanding balance of $11,246.77. Please be mindful/considerate that even during 2 back-to-back Hurricanes late last year we never abandoned your project. We were patient throughout this process and tried to work with your insurance company; 4 months of back-and-forth.
  On January 21st,2025, we sent you an email with a breakdown of the amount owed for the Reconstruction phase. Of the $11,246.77, your home insurance company paid us $4,821.34, leaving a balance of $6,425.43. Your home insurance company did not pay that total for the following reasons. They only authorized resetting the baseboards (something you did not accept and authorized us to install new ones). The damage to the ceiling on the second level of your property, which you authorized us to repair and include in the Reconstruction invoice for your home insurance company, was not paid because they considered it not part of the claim. We installed new drywall in all areas of the house, where it was removed due to water damage, and where 1 coat of primer and 2 coats of paint were required. Your home insurance company only paid for 1 coat of primer and 1 coat of paint, which was not enough to get the job done correctly, it required 1 more coat of paint that they did not pay for. This made up the total outstanding balance that your home insurance company did not pay because they explained that it was your responsibility to pay. We sent you a copy of the check with their estimate report explaining why they were paying the amount of $4,821.34 and why the balance of $6,425.43 had to be paid by you.
  For further clarification, our work on Water Damage Restoration projects involves two main phases: ********** and Rebuilding. The total for ********** was $15,501.81, and the total for Rebuild was $25,246.77. We do not understand where the $15,468.21 disputed amount you're claiming originates from.
  It is neither a threat nor "illegal" to place a lien on a property when a contractor has not been fully paid for services rendered (as per Section 713.001-713.37,Florida Statutes). When you signed our Work Authorization documents, this was clearly outlined in bold, capitalized letters. Our company never threatened to place a Construction Lien on your property, however, it is peculiar that you bring this up, because if someone paid us in full, they would never question or be worried if it is legal or illegal for a contractor to place a Lien on their property.
  We have not overcharged you, "swindled" or "cheated" you or your insurance carrier. In the 13 years that we've been blessed to be in business,this is the first time that we have come across a situation in this manner. If given the opportunity, we are happy to review our revised Rebuild estimate line by line to clarify all services rendered, what weve been paid, and what we are owed. We are open to discussing the matter face-to-face to reach a fair resolution.
  We will end with this, question, what transpired within 12 days that led you to falsely accuse our company of cheating and swindling you and your home insurance carrier?January 22, 2025, you sent us an email stating, Good Evening, As of today, No check has been received from ___________ Insurance. Once it is received, we will promptly endorse it and send it to you. Thank you. Yet on February ******, the BBB of *************** notified us about your complaintwhat happened? You made it sound as if you were waiting on a check for the balance of the Rebuild invoice to be sent to you by your insurance carrier, then instead of reaching out to update us of any developments or even discuss your confusion with us, you chose to defame the family owned and operated business that **** worked so hard to position it where it is today. We are sorry for your confusion. We did and still do hold you on a high pedestal, Mr. ************ make this right.
  
  
  
  
  Cordially,