Complaints

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• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/18/2022

  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 HomeTeam North Boston (**********, **) Owner ********************************* inspect a home that I ended up buying. I was told by the owner, Massimo, after he completed the inspection that there were no safety concerns that should stop us from buying the house. We moved in a few weeks ago and when we first went up into the attic, that Massimo had inspected and taken multiple photos of, we found Vermiculite (Asbestos contaminated) insulation. We have had it looked at and tested by a certified abatement company and its above the safe limit; its also going to cost us $9000 to have the hazardous material removed from our home. When I called HomeTeam back to discuss what happened and ask for the money I spent on the inspection back, I was met with Massimo mansplaining about the intention of an inspection and the lack of hazard that this potentially lethal contaminant could pose to me and my family. The lack of quality of customer service was astounding. After I hung up they called back multiple times harassing me insisting that they couldnt have seen the issue and that it wasnt a hazard for my home.I am incredibly displeased and unsatisfied with HomeTeam. I would like my $350 inspection fee back as I now have to spend thousands on mitigation or hazard that the inspection should have caught and alerted me about I have added photos of the vermiculite, as well as proof of charge of the $350 to my credit card, as well as a screenshot of the inspection report saying a totally different type of insulation was there; not ever mentioning the other insulation.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/21/2022

  To Whom It May ****************** are in receipt of the complaint filed by Mrs. ********************* on 8/18/22.  First of all, we welcome the opportunity to share the specifics of the home inspection that occurred on 5/22/22 at 5PM at ********************************************** as it relates to the discovery of vermiculite insulation.  Additionally, we are grateful to be able to continue here, in this forum, our conversation with *************** since our telephone call was cut short on 8/17 when she abruptly hung ** in the midst of our discussion.   
  
  In reviewing the specifics of the allegations in the claim,please note:
  
  Customer Service: we are a company that proudly puts our clients first and it is known for its impeccable customer service.  We perform several hundreds of inspections a year and have never had any complaints, or claims regarding lack of customer service.  The following timeline of interactions with *************** provides insight on our commitment to responsiveness and quality:
  
  The home inspection was booked at 1:15PM on 5/22/22 and performed at 5PM the very same day.  The full 62 page report, which included 181 pictures was also delivered the evening of the same day.
  *************** called our office on Wednesday 8/17/22 at 9AM (almost 3 months later).   She was extremely upset, verbally abusive toward our office manager and demanded a full refund of the cost of the inspection claiming we missed to report Vermiculite in the Attic during the inspection.  ********** manager, who is not a Home Inspector and did not perform the inspection, appropriately referred the complaint to the Owner.
  The Owner (undersigned) was actually the Home Inspector that performed the inspection and called back *************** at around 11AM after completing another inspection and listened to *************** complaints and demand for full refund.
  As nearly all clients are unfamiliar with the legal obligations and regulations that dictate home inspection processes, the Owner professionally and compassionately attempted to provide an explanation of why the vermiculite was not discovered during the inspection in the same way he explains the rules to all customers (all genders, all ages, all experiences).  This in no way can or should be construed as mansplaining, rather explaining.
  Multiple times during the call, *************** interrupted the Home Inspector asking for full refund.  The Home Inspector, clearly and politely, declined the request on the basis that the inspection was done properly.   In the middle of the conversation, in discussing options to address her concerns, *************** abruptly hung up the phone.
  Immediately after hanging up, *************** called our office again.   One of the Co-Owners answered the phone, but she decided again to hung ** before engaging in conversation (we knew it was *************** from the Caller ID).  The same Co-Owner called her back from his cell phone, thinking perhaps the connection was inadvertently dropped.  She answered, but as soon as she heard his voice she hung up again.
  No additional calls or other attempts to communicate with *************** were made by our owners or office staff.
  
  Home Inspection and Issue at Hand (Vermiculite):
  
  The Home inspection for *************** was performed in strict observance of the ************* ******** of ******** and Code of Ethics for Home Inspectors (https://www.********/policies-regulations-and-statutes-home-inspectors).  As such, the Home Inspector is prohibited to provide advice and/or directions to the customer on whether or not to they should buy the house. We never do that and the Allegation that we stated that there were no safety concerns that should stop us from buying the house is simply false and untrue.
  Additionally, the contract (attached) states that THE INSPECTION AND RESULTING REPORT ARE NOT INTENDED AS A GUARANTY, WARRANTY, OR INSURANCE POLICY. HOMETEAM MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED GUARANTIES OR WARRANTIES REGARDING THE CONTINUED ADEQUACY, PERFORMANCE, OR CONDITION OF ANY STRUCTURE, ITEM, COMPONENT OR SYSTEM AFTER THE INSPECTION, AND HEREBY DISCLAIMS ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES.
  The Contract, undersigned by *************** also states that:
  The inspection and Report will be limited to visible, readily and safely accessible areas and components of the Property. The inspection is limited to the apparent condition of the Property at the time of the inspection
  The inspection and Report WILL NOT INCLUDE the following: (a) latent or concealed defects
  The presence of or danger from environmental hazards including, but not limited to, allergens, toxins, carcinogens, asbestos, electromagnetic radiation, noise, radioactive substances, and water and air, or water or airborne related virus bacteria or other infectious agents
  Inspectors are not required to move debris, personal property, furniture, equipment, carpeting, walls, wall coverings, ceiling tiles, window coverings, floors, ceilings..
  Please note, these conditions are typical and are the standard for every home inspection. 
  With specific attention to the attic, the report states that attic and roof inspections are limited in scope to the visible and readily accessible areas. Due to configuration, parts of the attic were not accessible.  In fact, at the time of the inspection, the attic was extremely cluttered (pg ***** pics *****) and we reported only what was visually and readily accessible, which was the batted insulation. 
  During our telephone conversation, *************** stated that the Vermiculite was discovered under the attic floor after they moved into the home.  Comparing the pictures provided in the claim vis--vis those in the report, it is clear that the vermiculite was concealed and not visibly accessible at the time of the inspection.  Rather, it was visible only after all furniture has been cleared out and the batted insulation was removed. 
  In closing, we respectfully and firmly believe we are not at fault, that we completed a very detailed inspection in full compliance with the Home Inspector SOP and Code of Ethics and that there is no ground whatsoever for the customer to ask for any refund.  Additionally, our reputation is of the utmost importance to us and with regard to the allegations of harassment, mansplaining and poor customer service brought upon our Company by ***************, we regard them as disparagement and libel that could hurt our business irreparably.  As such, should this behavior and disparagement continue on social media, in the real estate community and through any other venues, we will pursue legal action and seek damages.
  
  
  Final Considerations:
  
  We feel very sympathetic with Mr. and *************** situation.  It is not uncommon in this market for buyers to acquire properties significantly above asking price and often without any knowledge of what they are buying when a home inspection is waived.  In Mr. and ************** situation, they benefitted from a home inspection that highlighted several issues before deciding to buy the property.  Nevertheless, they moved forward with the purchase of the property at a price much higher than asking (almost 100k according to public records).  Consequently, we understand that they may feel overwhelmed and concerned about the amount of work to be done in the home and the amount of money to be spent toward repairs.   In light of this,before our conversation ended abruptly, we were just trying to offer our experience and advice to a more rational approach to the problem that would not just take a contractors face-value recommendation and shift the blame to the home inspector. Below are the recommendations we were going to share:
  
  Vermiculite should be left undisturbed and tested to assess the level of asbestos (when we spoke to *************** she was hesitant and said she was sure her contractor would do that)
  Mass Save provides no-cost *********** Assessment and can test Vermiculite.  Various benefits are available to home-owners for removal (if needed).  This avoids any conflict of interest in hiring a remediation contractor
  If the radon tested is above the *** Threshold, options should be considered whether to leave the insulation in place undisturbed, or to encapsulate it or remove it.  At the very least, option 2 (encapsulation) may be an appropriate option (according to the pictures provided by **************) and possibly considerably less expensive than full removal.  We do not know if this option was discussed with the contractor
  $9k seems an excessive price for this type of removal.  Were multiple bids collected to validate the scope and the cost of any options available?
  
  These are not Home Inspector recommendations, but rather good practice suggestions in order to have a full understanding of the issue at hand and be able to evaluate what solutions are available at what costs. 
  
  Respectfully,
  
  
  HOMETEAM
  
  *********************************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/21/2022

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  [You must provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.  If you do not enter a reason for your rejection, your complaint will be closed as Answered.]
  
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  *****