Complaints

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• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/28/2024

  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.

  Date of transaction: 02/2023
  Amount: $6,652.00
  
  Our local Raleigh/Apex Superior franchise installed our fence in February of 2023. We sealed our fence in April of 2023. Since then our fence has come apart in many locations where the 6x6 posts connect with the fence panels. We have sent pictures and requested Superior honor their warranty, however they are claiming it is wood warping that is causing it and sending us to their wood supplier. There are clear quality of build issues in the photographs, displaying shallowly hammered nails that are protruding through the wood. Furthermore, the wood supplier is their vendor not mine. I purchased the fence through Superior and if they feel the issue is with the wood they purchased from their vendor, they should file any necessary warranty related issues with their supplier. It is not the responsibility of the customer to report issues to Superior's vendors. We have asked Superior to send someone from management out and have received absolutely no response, even after also reporting the issue to their corporate franchising office. When calling their office and speaking to ****** I was told the owner has been too busy to reach out to customers. When I asked for the owners contact information, I was told that she is not allowed to give that out. We purchased from Superior based on comfort of knowing we were getting a superior product and that they would stand behind their work and warranty. They have not done either. I am seeking my failing fence installation to be corrected at Superior or the Superior franchises time and expense.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/28/2024

  The customer called in regarding a material warranty claim. All material warranty claims go through the manufacturer. The craftsmanship warranty and the material warranty are two separate warranties.
  
  Unfortunately, warping, twisting, bending, bowing, wicking, expanding and contraction are all properties of wood as a natural resource and are not covered under the craftsmanship warranty. Furthermore, staining the fence is a requirement to maintain wood as a natural resource and the customer failed to do this to protect their fence. We offered to help the customer with their material warranty claim, and they denied assistance. (See attached wood warranty documents the customer received in their contract outlining the difference).

  Furthermore, SFR even offered to perform the work free of charge if their claim was approved by the material warranty. We will continue to back this offer in the future, should the customer wish to go through the proper and appropriate channels. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/28/2024

  
  
  Complaint: ********
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  1. We did seal the wood per recommendation.

  2. The pictures clearly show poor craftsmanship. Shallow nails easily pulled away from fence. When providing a professional service, you should know this poor placement of nails would cause this with normal wood aging/shrinkage. Superior replaced portions of my neighbor's fence for the same issue, but is denying it to me. 

  3. Again, we did seal the fence per recommendation, so the argument that we didn't goes out the window. Even if we didn't seal it and this issue was caused by that, we were not made aware of the material warranty policy until after the build. That was kept back pocket by your salesman. We were not even provided warranty docs for several weeks until the build was completed. I, the customer, should not have to chase down your vendor for warranty. That is unethical. Much like me having to go through BBB to get any sort of response from who I can only assume was the owner, which we were told can't be bothered by his customers. 

  4. I am still looking for Superior to replace the wood at their time and cost. If the owner's time ever frees up, he can call me directly at *************

  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  ******* *****

  Business Response

  Date: 02/29/2024

  Thank you for your response. Our manufacturer stands behind the material warranty and we have provided all information to make a claim to the appropriate parties. Please find the below details directly from the contract signed:

  Q) LIMITED WARRANTY. ......SUPERIOR’S
  WORKMANSHIP WARRANTY IS ONLY
  RELATED TO FAULTY WORKMANSHIP AND
  DOES NOT COVER PRODUCT DEFECTS OR
  DAMAGE CAUSED BY ACTS OF GOD,
  INSTALLATION OR REPAIRS MADE BY
  OTHERS, ABUSE, MISUSE, NEGLECT, OR
  NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. MERCHANDISE
  AND MATERIALS ARE COVERED
  EXCLUSIVELY BY THE MANUFACTURER'S
  WARRANTY, IF ANY. THIS LIMITED
  WARRANTY GIVES CUSTOMER SPECIFIC
  LEGAL RIGHTS AND CUSTOMER MAY ALSO
  HAVE OTHER RIGHTS THAT MAY VARY FROM
  STATE TO STATE. CUSTOMER
  ACKNOWLEDGES THAT WOOD FENCES
  HAVE A TENDENCY TO SHRINK, WARP,
  CRACK, AND CHIP AND THAT THESE
  FEATURES OF WOOD ARE NORMAL AND
  ACCEPTED OCCURRENCES AND ARE NOT
  WARRANTED.

   

  This proves the customer was advised of product warranty at the time of signing the contract.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/01/2024

  
  
  Complaint: ********
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because this issue, as clearly visible in the pictures I provided, is caused by **Faulty Workmanship.** Superior stated in their own verbiage they provided below, faulty workmanship is covered by Superior. Again, if the owner would like to actually be professional and accountable and reach out to me directly, I'm always available and they have my number. I work from home so I'm always here if they'd like to drop by and take a look.
  

  Q) LIMITED WARRANTY. ......SUPERIOR’S
  WORKMANSHIP WARRANTY IS ONLY
  RELATED TO FAULTY WORKMANSHIP
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  ******* *****

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/30/2022

  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.

  When we originally got a quote for a fence, the salesman who came out told us to add dirt to the back corner of our yard in order to step our fence down. We paid to have this done. The day of fence installation, the crew told us they could not put in a fence with that dirt in the way. Another salesman, ****, came out and told us we would have to remove the dirt that we brought in. The salesperson we worked with no longer works at the company. We explained that we never would have had the dirt there if they had not asked us to - we had already paid to grade our lawn and remove all of the dirt earlier in the year. We would never have added dirt to an already cleared area if we were not told to. We asked to speak the owner and were told he was too busy as he runs 4 locations. We asked for compensation to have the dirt removed (just our cost - $600) and were refused. I am seeking a $600 compensation for the expense we occurred to remove the dirt again. I feel this is very fair, as we already had to pay to have the dirt added after being told to do so by Superior Fence and ****** sales manager.