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:11/28/2022

  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.

  On November 10, 2022 I paid the second installment for a fireplace repair to Lord's Chimney. I agreed to pay $1835 for repair, but when I requested an itemized invoice they've stated they do not provide those. I was quoted $199 for the assessment and $1634 for the repair.
  The technician provided the part number via email and I've found that part (by model number) online for approximately $130. Lords worked on the fireplace for a total of approximately 2 hours total over two visits.
  Several requests over the phone and via email for an invoice have been denied. I've also asked about the warranty and the response what that Lords holds those on my behalf. No further information supplied.
  I would very much like Lords to provide the information for the services for which I've paid.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/29/2022

  Dear Ms. *****,
  Thank you for your feedback. We are sorry that your experience with Lord’s Chimney didn’t quite match your expectations. As you can see on other reviews, we are known for our great customer service and fair pricing, and are disappointed when we don’t meet expectations.
  
  
  Once we began the repair on your chimney and realized that all of the parts had been changed out and did not match, we completed what we came to do and let you know that the current setup was not safe due to the aftermarket parts that were used by someone prior to our inspection. 
  
  
  Please know that when we discovered issues with your chimney system that our concern was solely based on the safety of your family and home.  This is another reason why we highly encourage yearly inspections and cleanings because things can change year to year. Also, with regard to the fees, we charge a flat rate for a specific service and in this case it was to replace your pilot. 
  Thank you again for your feedback, we will use this to better ourselves for our customers in the future.
  
  
  Sincerely,
  Lee
  Owner and CEO

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/30/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  
  
  
  
  My request was for an itemized invoice, which Lords did not provide.  I spoke with the owner yesterday and he advised that their services are 'proprietary' and that itemizing a bill would leave them open to intellectual property theft.  He also stated that their service charges are indeed high and attributable to training, transport, insurance and inflation so parsing out an hourly rate would be impossible. 

  This company is not unique in what they provide.  They are, however, somewhat unique in the way they deceive consumers with 'flat rate' pricing.  A one hour fireplace cleaning cost $199, but a $100 part installation for an hour cost $1634.  How does a company justify that?  They can't, which is why they don't itemize billing or provide part numbers on invoices.

  I have left reviews online so that others are aware of these predatory pricing practices and seek other providers.  Any additional support BBB can provide to help advise the public would be most appreciated.
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  
  
   

  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 12/13/2022

  Once again I apologize that you were unhappy with your experience with our company.  Your estimate was presented to you long before we started your job.  The Price quoted to you was exactly what you were charged.  This price was approved by you before we started the job.  We completed the job exactly as the estimate says.  I'm unsure how our pricing would be considered "predatory" when we did the job we were contracted to do for the quoted and approved price.  The complete job was more than 1 hour.  We spent a total of 3 hours and 15 minutes assessing and completing your repairs. 
  

  Thanks for bringing this to our attention.  We have used this to improve our processes to make sure every customer is a raving fan.  While we were extremely clear with our pricing, in the future we will make sure all customers know how our estimates work.
  
  Thank you for making us a better company.