ComplaintsforChimney and Wildlife Specialist

• Initial Complaint

  03/29/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  The Chimney and Wildlife Specialists project on 3/10/2023, was to replace 3 whirlybirds with new ones and rebuild the chimney stack.The crews lack of English and training impacted the project.1)They did not remove the old whirlybird bases. Their manager told me on the phone that it was customary, and he did not put it on his bid for the job. He relented. Attempted deceit!He promised to bring the new whirlybirds to the house and check their work, but he did not, and I lost my only chance to communicate my issues.Because of their time mismanagement, the whirlybirds were installed in pitch dark conditions between 7-7:45 p.m. They used cellular screen light to see their work. 2)Per the agreement the boards were going to be painted twice. One coat while on the ground and a 2nd after the chimney was rebuilt. During the 1st coat of paint the wind was blowing leaves on the fresh paint but they made no attempt to remove them. I started picking up the stuck leaves from the boards to show what they needed to do.During the rebuild I summoned the leader of the crew to talk about the corner trims having uneven width. He nodded but took no action. When the owner came at my request 5 days later, he was disrespectful, rude, and belligerent. He mentioned to me that he yelled at his crew but did not elaborate. At the end he agreed on the correction free of charge.His task was to reposition the trims of 2 corners, and I emailed him a diagram.2 hours later he sent me an email that now he wanted me to pay an extra $575 for the redo.Chimney details were never provided, but he accused me of not giving him the chimney details prior to start.Once I saw the work, I knew he needed to correct the corners.A video of *********************** Chimney professional Installation on ******* agrees with me.BBB shows ****** ************ as the owner but he presented himself as ************ to me. My resolution is to be refunded the $575 needed for the repair which was not done correctly in the first place.

  

  Business response

  04/12/2023

  This customer complaint is filled with inaccuracies.

  If there was a way to file a complaint against this customer we would like to officially do so. This customer sat over the shoulder of our workers, questioned every inch of work they did, micro managed everything to a point that was beyond ridiculous and to absolutely nobodies surprise voiced his dissatisfaction with the work after the fact.

  I would like to point out a few things. First that this customer canceled our initial appointment to come take measurements because he was not satisfied with the gutter guard we use and was concerned we would damage his gutters. He sent our guys away and forced ** to purchase a different gutter guard and re-schedule with him. Between our roofing company, fabrication company and chimney company we have accumulated exactly 1 complaint of gutter damage over the last 14 years. and that instance couldn't be avoided. This is  because our techs know how not damage gutters. Time is money. a canceled appointment cost a company money. This customer however did not mind because he read online somewhere that there is better ladder guard for protecting gutters...

  Now to point out the straight up lies and inaccuracies from the customers complaint.

  1. At no point was it discussed or agreed upon that the boards would be painted twice. This was not discussed or agreed upon prior to the crew showing up. This is something the customer just insisted on and pushed for while he was hovering over our work crew. Again this made the install take longer and was not something our crew was anticipating. We also did charge for the additional time or labor cost our, guys did to appease the customer.

  2. At no point was trim board orientation discussed prior to the install work. If he wanted the trim boards to overlap in any direction or pattern all he would have to have done was request it. We pointed out to the customer that way we did the replacement is congruent with the houses in his neighborhood. The job is functionally perfect and meets all of the terms of our estimate, our invoice and all agreed upon work. His request for us to change the boards to his liking is an aesthetic request and cannot be done free of charge. It is not as simple a request as the customer assumes it is. changing the trim board overlap will cause the siding boards on the inside to be too short or too long by a quarter inch on all sides affected by the switch and they will also have to be replaced.

  3. The customer is also straight up lying that we agreed to agreed to do this at no charge. We did agree to this at cost with no profit calculated in.

  4. I did go back to inspect the whirly birds. They were installed correctly and functioning exactly the way are designed to. They were the exact agreed upon ones that we estimated. 

  Attached is an email correspondence prior to the job that informs the customer of the exact model we intended to use and pictures of the rebuilt chimney showing it was rebuilt correctly. 

  Customer response

  04/15/2023

  *********** disrespect for the customer and their property is in plain sight. Since my roof has gutters throughout, I wanted to protect them from damage with ladder bumpers which is why I requested them from the very beginning. He should have respected my request. Instead, I received absolute disdain and disregard!
  The facts are:
  1) Why does the owner use 2 different full names, ****** ************ for the BBB registration and ************ for the customers.
  2) Deceptive. They left the 3 old whirlybird bases in place instead of replacing them with the new ones I purchased. They got caught, and in the words of their manager, He did not include the removal on his bid.
  3) Time mismanagement. The whirlybirds were never brought in by the crew or their manager and he never showed up as expected. ******** had to go to the store and wasted an extra 1 hours. Whirlybirds installed at pitch dark conditions using cellphones for light.
  4) His office lady called me before the installation in the afternoon of 3/7/23 and verified the 2-coat paint request at no extra charge. They painted the boards twice but left tree leaves stuck on them. At the end, the crew dumped the brush cleaning dirty water on my front yard.
  5) ******** was untrained and unable to communicate in English to resolve any issues. The chimney corners were done unprofessionally. A ******* video of *********************** Chimney professional shows how the corners should be.
  6) Upon checking his work, per my request, ************ said that the office would call me to schedule the correction of the trim at no extra cost. He also made a point by saying to me that he should put this extra cost in his future bids. 2 hours later he reneged on his word!
  7) Even though I replaced everything visible from the chimney, they still left a rusted and unpainted chimney flashing without ever telling me. I would have paid extra to have this also done.
  
  They need to refund $575, the cost to hire another company to correct the chimney corners.
  

  Customer response

  04/17/2023

  I am rejecting this response because:   

  *********** disrespect for the customer and their property is in plain sight. Since my roof has gutters throughout, I wanted to protect them from damage with ladder bumpers which is why I requested them from the very beginning. He should have respected my request. Instead, I received absolute disdain and disregard!The facts are:

   
  1) Why does the owner use 2 different full names, ****** ************ for the BBB registration and ************ for the customers.
  2) Deceptive. They left the 3 old whirlybird bases in place instead of replacing them with the new ones I purchased. They got caught, and in the words of their manager, He did not include the removal on his bid.
  3) Time mismanagement. The whirlybirds were never brought in by the crew or their manager and he never showed up as expected. ******** had to go to the store and wasted an extra 1 hours. Whirlybirds installed at pitch dark conditions using cellphones for light.
  4) His office lady called me before the installation in the afternoon of 3/7/23 and verified the 2-coat paint request at no extra charge. They painted the boards twice but left tree leaves stuck on them. At the end, the crew dumped the brush cleaning dirty water on my front yard.
  5) ******** was untrained and unable to communicate in English to resolve any issues. The chimney corners were done unprofessionally. A ******* video of *********************** Chimney professional shows how the corners should be.
  6) Upon checking his work, per my request, ************ said that the office would call me to schedule the correction of the trim at no extra cost. He also made a point by saying to me that he should put this extra cost in his future bids. 2 hours later he reneged on his word!
  7) Even though I replaced everything visible from the chimney, they still left a rusted and unpainted chimney flashing without ever telling me. I would have paid extra to have this also done.
  
  They need to refund $575, the cost to hire another company to correct the chimney corners.

  

  Business response

  04/17/2023

  My response will be brief and my story consistent.

  There is nothing deceptive about my legal name change from ********************************* to ******************************* that I am in the process of. I am the same person and it has nothing to do with this job. It has absolutely nothing to do with anything pertaining to his complaint.

  The whirlybirds were inspected by me in broad daylight and were installed correctly. I don't see how any of the other details and complaints about this are relevant. 

  The customer cannot substantiate any of his claims because they are simply not true. a ******* video does not show the standard orientation of trim board overlap on houses in his neighborhood and cannot be used as way to confirm his aesthetic preference(that was not requested beforehand) as the correct way to construct a chimney chase. There was no request or agreement to paint twice. All of this customer's allegations are not true.

  We stand by our statements. We hope the BBB takes into consideration the thousands of chimney chases we have rebuilt without issue. Please look into the facts presented and provide your decision. We do not see the benefit of reiterating the same defense to these baseless claims. 

  Customer response

  04/19/2023

  The name ****************************** is accredited with BBB. Unbeknownst to me he presents himself as *******************. This is a red flag for senior citizens. Since the name has not been legally formalized, he should not use a name thats not legal.
  

  The details of my complaint about the whirlybird installation is relevant because I paid for a new product, and they were installing only half of it. The fact that they ultimately installed the new parts does not negate the attempted deception.
  

  On the 2-coat painting of the boards, originally, he said that I insisted on it and pushed it while hovering over his crew. Now he says that I never requested it and it never happened. The 2-coat painting was not in the contract, but his office agreed to do it for no extra charge when I asked for the cost of it. And their crew did exactly that. E-mail from 3/6/23 shows my request and a 3/7/23 phone call from his office confirms it. I am enclosing proof of these 2 events.

  The video of the chimney corner trim overlaps shows the correct and professional way not just in my neighborhood but anywhere. What I learned about chimneys is that I paid for a professional rebuild and ********************* gave me something unacceptable!
  

  Throughout this BBB complaint the only thing ********************* did was deny and deflect and accuse me of lying! It doesnt matter how much evidence I produce; he is going to deny it.
  

  TonyDarrah is preying on the weakness and lack of information of the people he exploits. Being a senior should not give him the right to be deceptive,disrespectful, rude, and a bully.
  

  Most customers do not have the ability to get up to the roof to inspect their chimney.We are dependent on the contractor to be honorable and follow good business practices. In this case we have an unscrupulous one.
  

  He still needs to refund $575 to hire another company to redo the defective corners.

  
  

  Customer response

  04/24/2023

  I am rejecting this response because:   

  The name ****************************** is accredited with BBB. Unbeknownst to me he presents himself as *******************. This is a red flag for senior citizens. Since the name has not been legally formalized, he should not use a name thats not legal.
  
  The details of my complaint about the whirlybird installation is relevant because I paid for a new product, and they were installing only half of it. The fact that they ultimately installed the new parts does not negate the attempted deception.
  
  On the 2-coat painting of the boards, originally, he said that I insisted on it and pushed it while hovering over his crew. Now he says that I never requested it and it never happened. The 2-coat painting was not in the contract, but his office agreed to do it for no extra charge when I asked for the cost of it. And their crew did exactly that. E-mail from 3/6/23 shows my request and a 3/7/23 phone call from his office confirms it. I am enclosing proof of these 2 events.
  
  The video of the chimney corner trim overlaps shows the correct and professional way not just in my neighborhood but anywhere. What I learned about chimneys is that I paid for a professional rebuild and ********************* gave me something unacceptable!
  
  Throughout this BBB complaint the only thing ********************* did was deny and deflect and accuse me of lying! It doesnt matter how much evidence I produce; he is going to deny it.
  
  ********************* is preying on the weakness and lack of information of the people he exploits. Being a senior should not give him the right to be deceptive, disrespectful, rude, and a bully.
  
  Most customers do not have the ability to get up to the roof to inspect their chimney. We are dependent on the contractor to be honorable and follow good business practices. In this case we have an unscrupulous one.
  
  He still needs to refund $575 to hire another company to redo the defective corners.

• Initial Complaint

  01/26/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My chimney work was performed on 1-14-2022 and I wrote a check for the remaining balance on that day. Since that time, I requested a mailed paper copy of 0 balance receipt, requested mailed pictures to show what was done, and I reported a staining on my patio. The staining dried up so that was not a problem after all and I received paper copies of a 0 balance receipt and pictures of the work done. The pictures I received were of my chimney but of another person's chimney as well. One picture showed cracks in my chimney crown, which I asked the technician to address at the time of service. Because the terms and conditions only gave a 1 year warranty, I asked for a picture proving that correction. I was told that I would have to pay a trip charge, so I talked to Tony the owner. He was very rude and said again that I had already asked for too much and he would have to charge me a trip charge. He was surprised though that his warranty was for just one year and said he would email and US mail a corrected warranty for 10 years. I received no brochures with the chimney cap, only his typed terms and conditions. Since the owner was very rude and did not stand behind his work, I am concerned that the work was not done correctly and the warranty might not be upheld. I would still like pictures to prove the work was done to my satisfaction, or that they now complete the work to my satisfaction. Thank you for your assistance.

  

  Business response

  03/11/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 7, 2022/02/11) */ First and foremost all of the requested correspondence that the customer requested was emailed to her. She wanted a printed copy of these things which she could have printed her herself at any time. We went over and above to print and mail to her information that was readily available the whole time. Second it is customary for us to include before and after pictures of every job. While work was being performed our technician showed her pictures of the completed work on his phone. She pointed out a small gap we did not deem necessary to fill in that SHE wanted filled in. To accommodate our tech went back up and addressed this small area. It took less than five minutes. Then he proceeded to install a chimney cap over the crown. Our technician at that time told her he addressed the small area and then spent an extra hour explaining the work he did and how to safely operate here firebox. She did not request a picture to prove that the small area SHE wanted addressed was filled at that time when it would have taken very little effort to provide. Over a week later she requested photographic evidence that it was done. At that point it would require an additional trip to her residence, removal of the chimney cap, take a picture, and then re-installation of the chimney cap. It is simply not a reasonable request for us to come back and spend all this time to prove to her work we didn't deem necessary that we only did to accommodate her was actually performed. It is one of many request she has made that are not reasonable. Consumer Response /* (3000, 9, 2022/02/14) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) The first attached picture is proof of work done on my chimney crown. I told the technician the cracks needed to be filled. He said he would, but provided no picture to prove. The second attached picture is of someone else's chimney crown. This was sent to me, I was told, to show the proposed work. As you can see, the proposed work and actual proof of work do not even come close. When I asked for proof of work done, or a completion of the work to satisfaction, Tony was very rude, said I would need to pay a trip charge, blamed me for not asking for a picture when the technician was here, and rectified by changing his warranty from 1 year to 10 years. This could be a major water intrusion problem. In the past, I had two other chimneys repaired, and received multiple brochures with warranties. All I received from this company was a typed warranty. Thank you for your help. Business Response /* (4000, 11, 2022/02/15) */ Again, the request for visual proof that the additional work requested was not made until several days after the work was completed. She is correct no proof was provided for the additional request she made as this was not requested until well after we had left the residence. Asking us to make an additional trip, undo our work, take a picture then reinstall our work at no charge is simply not a reasonable request. She is incorrect on the fact that all 3 pictures are of her chimney. She also incorrect that there could be a "major water intrusion problem" as the picture clearly demonstrate thorough and complete crown coverage. No one has ever been rude the customer we are simply holding our ground the additional request being made are not reasonable. All of the requested information is and has always been available to her by clicking on our "terms and services". Consumer Response /* (4200, 13, 2022/02/16) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) This company seemed good to hire, until I asked them to stand behind their work. I have used other chimney companies that had warranties and made their work right. I hope Chimney and Wildlife Specialists will stand behind their current terms and conditions mailed on 1-28-22, if needed.

• Initial Complaint

  11/24/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On June 7, 2021, Chimney & Wildlife Specialist remove 2 fireplaces and installed 2 new ones. I was out of town but they couldn't reschedule so I had a friend open the door for them and pay them at the end of the day. Upon returning, I noticed some things done improperly and/or missing (1. One of the outside boxes is not sealed properly (see photos) 2.You (or the person who came the first time) mentioned the new fireplaces do not need a key or a button, but a remote control. The button and key are still there but I received no remote control; 3. Since you could not move the install date, I had to leave my contractor in charge of meeting with the installer. According to her, he was very rude and not accommodating.). I sent them a text message on 6/15 and received no response. On 6/22, sent an email with the same information, again, no response. I kept on pushing with texts and phone calls until I finally got a response mid-September. I was told he was sending another company (Trinity Fireside) to come and install the remote control. Trinity Fireside finally showed up on 10/17 and pointed out the flames are "burning blue", which is not a good sign and I was told NOT to use it until it was fixed. Trinity also stated the outside box is not sealed properly and may be too close to the fence. I emailed Chimney & Fireside again and they told me they instructed Trinity to correct these issues at their expense. But now Trinity Fireside is giving me run around. I have been emailing with them every week but they say they are short-handed but it has been over 1 month and they haven't even scheduled a visit to my house.

  

  Business response

  01/14/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2021/12/09) */ Initial installation agreed upon was to replace what the customer has with the exact same unit which did not include a remote control(see attached email correspondence). After the install the customer kept pushing for and insisting that we recommended a remote control for the fireplace which we did not. In an attempt to make the customer happy we have had to outsource the install of the requested remotes to the manufacturer(Trinity Fireside) at our expense. Unfortunately we have no control over the scheduling and or correspondence with the customer on behalf of the third party company. In our opinion we have gone over and above in our obligation to fulfill our agreed upon agreement with this customer. Additionally in replacing what the customer has in the same place that the customer has it does not put liability for the location of the vent or how close the fence is to the vent is on our company. We used the existing location the home build. We did not design the home or build the fence in that location. Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2021/12/10) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) Although I disagree with the what Chimney and Wildlife Specialist states in regards to the remote control, they don't even address the fact that the flame was burning "blue", which means there was insufficient air flow. They claim the fence is too close to the vent, but they did not informed of this. The other company did come, and recommended me to move the fence. The new company also informed me the installation was no properly done. I still have to re-grout the outside box and I'll have to do it myself. BUT YOU CAN CLOSE THIS CLAIM. I'll fix the rest on my own. Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2021/12/14) */ Again, we did not not design or build your home, we simply replaced the fireplace and the external termination in the same place they have always existed. If there is a problem that Trinity Fireside has pointed out with the location of the vent or the fence obstructing airflow, we did not create or accept responsibility for this issue. We did exactly what we were obligated to do under the terms of our agreement and also came out of pocket for Trinity Fireside's services. Consumer Response /* (2000, 11, 2021/12/15) */ (The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.) I'll complete the repairs on my side. I'm just tired of chasing people around.

*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. ↩