Complaints

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• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/10/2023

  Type:Billing 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.

  Elapton Construction recently put an Armstrong ceiling in our family room on **** **** *** ** **********. It looks like the large (heavy) sofa was moved by someone grabbing the cushions which are stationery, instead of the frame of the couch and there is a large 6" tear in the back of the cushion. It will need repairing. On the invoice...the name on the top left is ***** ******** and we are not **** ********. Biggest issue? Looking over the invoice, we were confused. We realize that the guys were here 6 hours on Thursday, 7 hours on Friday and 4 hours on Saturday for a total of 17 hours. At the beginning, Eric Clapton told my husband in person, $80.00 an hour with 2-3 guys. Clapton also told me, on the phone, after I asked do we need a contract, that the price was $80.00 an hour, 2-3 guys and we only pay when the guys are working. The bill ended up being 17 hours at $120.00 an hour instead of $80.00 an hour. Never once did Clapton tell either of us it would be $40.00 an hour for each guy, never. We would have gotten other quotes if that was the case. 17 hours at $120.00 an hour is $2040.00 and yet Clapton wrote it at $2652.00 with a discount of $612.00. What discount? It actually looks like we paid $680.00 too much. Clapton continues to deny we were overcharged. But we know better.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/31/2023

  Good evening Kevin, Attached you will find Mr and Mrs ****** Invoice/estimate the one I originally gave them back in May before the work was completed and the invoice when the job was completed with the mistake of putting ***** ******** on the final invoice. You will also see emails that were back and forth between Mr and Mrs ******.  In May I met with Mr and Mrs ****** at that time I told them my price would be $40 an hour for 2-3 guys and stated in the contract with the homeowners supplying the materials, also in that contract I asked them to make sure the room would be cleared for ceiling prep. Which they both agreed would happen. Upon completion of the job on 06-03-22,  the final bill was $2,193.54 at that time no questions were asked about the final price. On 06-13-22 the ****** contacted me via email asking me how to turn the gas fireplace back on which we did turn off due to equipment running and my crew trying to be safe,they complained there was a rip in the sofa, and also complained about the final bill. I explained to them the bill in the email and broke it down for them. I offered to pay for the sofa and asked them to send me the bill. They at one point agreed to send me a bill back in June but I never heard back from them.  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/07/2023

  First off, I have no idea where the "estimate" attached came from. Clapton NEVER gave us an initial estimate. So, the estimate Clapton attached is bogus. If you can lie and make up something like that, you are pretty much gonna lie about everything.  He verbally said, to each of us, it would be 2-3 guys at $80.00 an hour and they would not charge during lunches and breaks. He also said verbally, there was no need for a contract.  He also told me not to bother moving anything out of the way, that he would take care of it all. (I am 75 years old and handicapped) So Clapton's whining about having to move furniture out of the way is ridiculous.  When we were presented with the bill, it made no sense to us and we questioned him about it. His explanation made no sense but we were between a rock and a hard place. We had already given him a down payment of $500.00 which he "forgot about" until we reminded him. At the risk of muddying the waters, we really don't think that there was a 3rd man working with Clapton and Casey the first two days. Clapton reiterated that the other guy was "shy". I guess he was too shy to be here for 8 hours without using the bathroom? Never once did we even see a 3rd man until the last day when they went to Lowes to get trim.  Three guys to go shopping to the store? Interesting.  Bottom line, while the work performed was fine, Clapton's practices are totally unethical, totally. He says one price, $80.00 an hour with 2-3 guys, and charges another; $40.00 an hour for 3 guys, phantom or not.