Greystone Masonry, Inc.

Review: In July of 2015 I contracted a contractor called Greystone Masonry to build a stamped concrete patio in the back of my house. The project was scheduled to start on September 9, 2015 and was actually finished in two days, with most of the construction completed in just one day. Unfortunately, in their haste to get the job done as quickly as possible, the company didn’t properly complete the work as outlined in the contract and abandoned the project leaving behind several serious defects.

Most notably, there are problems with the way they installed expansion joints between the patio and he walls and the walls of the house. Expansion joints are nothing else than long pieces of foam that are placed in concrete slabs to prevent random cracking. In my patio the foam joints were placed very unprofessionally: almost everywhere they are sticking out above the surface of the concrete; they are half painted and half unpainted; the crevices between the walls and the patio are not properly caulked or sealed. These defects are extremely unsightly and severely degrade the overall quality of the patio. In addition to the above, while building the patio, the company’s workers severely damaged the wall of my house adjacent to the patio. In some places, they stained the wall with the patio colorant, in other places they completely ripped off the wall paint. This could have been easily avoided by covering up the wall with a protective material more carefully.

I documented the problems to Ms. [redacted], by providing numerous pictures of the defects. Initially, she argued that Greystone cannot properly trim and caulk the patio expansion joints because they just don’t do that type of work; later, I received a voicemail from Mr. [redacted] where he explained that they certainly can complete the work on the joints for an additional payment. I already paid $4,551 for the patio, which should have included a complete delivery of the project, just as stated in the contract.Desired Settlement: (1) Finish the construction of the patio as outlined in the contract and at no extra cost to me, including trimming, caulking and painting the expansion joints. (2) Paint the section of the house wall which was stained with the patio colorant and where the paint was completely ripped off when removing the wall cover.

Business

Response:

Good Afternoon Ms. [redacted]. I received the complaint information for case # [redacted]. The project was completed as contracted. Please see proposal attached. As stated in our proposal agreement signed by Mr. [redacted] on 7/8/15, paragraph 4 states the following:There is no guarantee that we will be able to remove all over-splash; any power-washing to address this concern may create the need for paint touch-up on the foundation of the home or will be the responsibility of the homeowner.As you can see in the proposal attached, it states nothing about Greystone performing any type of caulking or sealing of expansion joints. This is always up to the Homeowner. The Owner of Greystone reached out to Mr. [redacted] & left him a message informing him that if he wanted to caulk or seal the joints it is highly recommended for a professional to do so. Greystone would be more than happy to provide him with a cost or he can hire an outside contractor. Mr. [redacted] replied by emailing stating that The Owner left him a message agreeing to caulk & seal the joints at no cost to him & wanted to know when he could expect us. That was not the case. Mr. [redacted] visited out outdoor showroom to make his selections before signing with Greystone & NONE of the expansion joints on our showroom floor have been caulked or sealed. This option is never & has never been offered to any of Greystones Homeowners. I’m not sure where his confusion lies at this point. It’s unfortunate that Mr. [redacted] feels Greystone has abandoned the project as Greystone feels the project was completed as per the contract. [redacted]

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the offer and/or response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

[Provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.]

Regards,

Based on Ms. [redacted]’s response, at this point Greystone

doesn’t appear to be willing to offer any resolution of this complaint.First of all, the house wall was damaged not as a result of

power-washing the concrete but because the wall wasn’t properly covered when

the workers were throwing colorant on the patio. A little bit more care on the

part of the workers would have totally prevented the damage. Also, the quoted clause

doesn’t appear anywhere on the contract I signed with Greystone. Second of all, I didn’t see any pieces of unsightly, cracking,

half painted half unpainted foam sticking out of the expansion joints at the company’s

showroom; if I did, I wouldn’t have contracted Greystone to build the patio for

me. All I want is to have my patio constructed to the same standards as those

showcased in the company’s advertising materials and their showroom. The expansion

joints in the product that was delivered to me are full of workmanship defects

that no reputable company specializing in stamped concrete would want to take

credit for. (I encourage Ms [redacted] to personally visit my house and confirm

that everything in my patio conforms to Greystone’s quality standards). Actually,

at one point during my interactions with Greystone the company did recognize

that the expansion joints were not up completed satisfactorily and offered to

correct the defects. Evidently, they then changed their minds and retracted

this offer. As for the caulking or sealing the joints, if this option is only available

for an additional payment, I wasn’t made aware of that at the time I signed the

contract. On the contrary, the company’s employee Melissa Carter (who handled

my contract) specifically mentioned that there would not be any additional

costs whatsoever related to the construction of the patio. I wasn’t told that

there would be foam sticking out of my patio and that I would need to pay additionally

to have this problem corrected. That’s misleading and dishonest marketing. I would still want to hope that Greystone will

acknowledge that there were quality problems in the delivered product and offer

a way to resolve the issues. If Greystone doesn’t see that as an option, I will

have no choice but to disclose my experiences dealing with them on Angie’s List

and on the Potomac Shores’ electronic message board, which reaches virtually all

residents in our community.

Business

Response:

Good Afternoon. This message is in regards to complaint ID [redacted]. We were out at Mr. [redacted] home on 10/9/15 to address his concerns with the expansion strips. We shaved them down and cleaned them up. If Mr. [redacted] would like us to come back out & shave them down even more, we can do so. However, I need to be sure he understands there will be visible ruggedness to the expansion strip as well as a rather large gap just as are the expansion strips at our showroom. At no time was Mr. [redacted] mislead by any of the Greystone representatives. I have attached some photos for your review of our showroom samples. There are several expansion strips at our showroom & Mr. [redacted] walked our entire showroom several times & never once voiced any type of concern with the visible expansion strips. You will notice, the first 3 photos are of the pattern he selected. Again, he never said anything about the obvious expansion strip around his pattern. It is unfortunate & unfair that Mr. [redacted] has made a complaint based off of a service that we do not offer. Greystone does not caulk or seal any joints (as you can see from the attached photos of our showroom). It’s up to the Homeowner. Please call with any questions you may have. Have a great weekend! [redacted]Greystone Masonry, Inc.TAKING CONCRETE IN A NEW DIRECT

Consumer

Response:

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's offer. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

I have reviewed the offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted]. I understand Greystone is offering to trim and clean up the expansion strips on my patio and this resolution would be satisfactory. Greystone will need to ARRANGE A SPECIFIC DATE with me when they would want to send their workers to my house to resolve the problem and not to perform any work secretly. They sent out their crew to paint the side of the patio (which was yet another defect) without notifying me, which was very unprofessional from their side. Contrary to what Ms [redacted] is claiming, the expansion strips were never trimmed or cleaned; they look EXACTLY the same as on the day the project allegedly was completed (see the attached image). I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved. If the company does not perform as promised I can get back to you at: [email protected].

Regards,

Review: I have contacted Greystone since May 26 to complete a concrete repair issue....this is now October 15. Several of my e-mails and phone messages have not be returned and the issue has yet to be fixed. During the latest phone discussion, I was told that a crew would be out in the next two weeks and was told this would be given priority. As of today, October 15, no one has contacted me nor has the repair been handled.Desired Settlement: I would like a crew to finish the job. This is a pool concrete area, we are in mid-October and we need to close the pool.

Business

Response:

Greystone installed a pool deck with a cantilever edge coping

for Mr. and Mrs. [redacted] in April of 2011. Like any of the projects Greystone

installs, there is a one year warranty for the job. Due to the fact that

Greystone stands behind their work, repairs still can be made when the warranty

expires, for a small non-profitable cost. In May of 2015, four years later, the [redacted]s put in a request

to have a repair done between the pool coping and vinyl steps. Greystone came

out to the site and addressed the problem. At the end of the month, Greystone received

another request form the [redacted]s to once again address the same problem area. The

repair did not last due to expansion and contraction of two different types of

materials, the concrete that fixed the repair and the vinyl material on the

steps. The expansion and contraction of these two caused cracking, which is why

Mr. and Mrs. [redacted] wanted the problem to be addressed once again. Upon receiving

the [redacted]s request Greystone once again sent out a representative to address the

problem area only this time their gate was locked. The [redacted]s were not home and

the representative had to leave. Greystone sent the representative out to the

site another time to repair the problem area and once again the gate was

locked. Greystone made two attempts to fix the problem area, but was not able

to due to the fact that there was no access to the site. Although Greystone already attempted to fix the problem area

twice, this was not the end of their work. Greystone sent the representative

out a third time, on October 21, 2015, and this time access was granted to the

site and the problem area was fixed. The representative spoke to Mr. [redacted] about

the fix and it was brought to his attention that the fix will be temporary and

it is in his best interest to hire a professional company that specializes in

caulking work to permanently fix the problem area if this issue occurs again.

The reason Greystone made this suggestion is because calk is a soft material

that has flexibility, rather than the hard concrete that has the potential to

expand and contract again with the vinyl.

Review: We contracted GREYSTONE MASONRY, INC to complete a $3k job for 2 slabs of poured concrete and experienced a number of issues resulting in poor quality and offensively poor customer service.

We called the office everyday to discuss the issues, was advised we would get a call back same day and did not hear from the co-owner/wife until 7 days later. We experienced same as other documented complaints; she refused to hear of any issues, yelled belligerently, and hung up.

We sent over 20 emails, outlining issues with pictures. The co-owner/husband scheduled 2 meetings to come to our home and discuss resolution. Both occasions he no called and no showed.

Shed slab: poured with a 3.5 inch slope, it was to be poured level, causing difficulties in shed construction.

Stamped concrete: Crew left a 5 foot long, 1 foot wide, and 6 inch deep hole with a weeping tile drain pipe left turned vertically 1.5 feet out of the ground. Installation crew advised drain pipe would be buried and extended along the side of the patio and terminate flush with the ground. This is still not done 2.5 months later.

We did not receive the color we selected at the showroom. Staff advised from our pictures we selected "E2", yet the color we received is an "E7", it is dark, drastically unevenly dispersed across the patio, thrown onto and stained the foundation wall.

We choose the flagstone pattern, but changed to the grand asher slate pattern, because the co-owner/wife said we needed expansion cuts and it would ruin the look. Expansion cuts have still not been done, which they now say we don't need.

The forms were pulled up when they were too wet causing areas with a suctioned pattern look and now there are gaping holes between foundation wall and slab in need of repair.

Today, we received a bill for the remaining 1/3 payment of $998 due in 10 days or face a $50 penalty and 18% interest, yet the work is not done, what was done is incorrect, and we have endured horrible service.Desired Settlement: As we have advised Greystone Masonry, Inc via email after the co-owner/husband no showed and no called the 2nd time; taking into consideration our gross dissatisfaction with Greystone Masonry, Inc's quality of work and lack of customer service, we proposed that in lieu of the final payment of $988, we utilize the funds to contract professionals to correct the issues and complete the work and wish to receive no further contact from Greystone Masonry, Inc.

Business

Response:

Re: [redacted]- Greystone Masonry, Inc.Good Afternoon,09/13/2014- I provided Mr. and Mrs. [redacted] with a concrete estimateOn 6/10/15- They committed to get the work done6/27/2015- They came to our showroom to select pattern & color for their patio project. Mr. [redacted] had a piece of concrete foundation in his hand in the hopes to find a color to match the paint and the siding on their home. After making their selections, they requested a change to the patio shape. The selections and shape change was indicated on the Design Proposal and initialed by the [redacted]. Our Design Proposal and Proposal Agreement indicate their selection sample E-7 Tan mix w/ oyster white base color. I have attached a picture of their project.6/29/2015- Mr. [redacted] changed the dimensions of shed pad, increasing the size. A third updated Proposal was sent for their signature.07/16/15 Patio & shed pad is installed.07/20/15 Shed pad & Patio is completed. Mrs. [redacted] called and spoke to one of our office personnel regarding 3 concerns…1. control cuts were not made2. drain needs to be buried3. stating we gave her the wrong color7/22 I called Mrs. [redacted] and left a message to discuss the project concerns.7/23 I called Mrs. [redacted] again, and we spoke regarding her concerns. I tried to discuss the three project concerns; however, she was very upset and requested to speak to one of the managers/ owners. I informed her I was one of the owners and she became even more upset. I recommended at that point that I give Mr. [redacted] a call to discuss the concerns.7/23 I called and left a message for Mr. [redacted], requesting to discuss the concerns. I followed up with an email to Mr. [redacted] as well.7/23 We received an email from Mr. [redacted] and now the three concerns escalated to nine concerns.7/25 I offered once again to meet with them, as my schedule was flexible and I was familiar with the project. It was agreed and scheduled for Dan the co-owner, my husband, to meet with the [redacted]. We scheduled for Dan to meet with them onsite twice, since Mrs. [redacted] did not want to deal with me anymore. Our office personnel explained that Dan is in charge of the production side of the business, and is always out in the field working. Unfortunately, we had to reschedule both meetings as Dan’s schedule was not going to work out.Our office manager returned to the office after maternity leave and attempted to reach out to the [redacted] via phone and email in attempt to close the account, but, as stated in the [redacted] complaint, they refuse to pay the balance of their project.I have attached pictures of the project, and as you can see there is no hole or drains that need to be fixed. In regards to the color installed, it is the color they selected and what all paperwork indicates. It is unfortunate that the [redacted] are not satisfied with the color or pattern they selected, however, Greystone is not at fault (refer to proposal agreement initialed and signed by Mr. [redacted] paragraph #4 and #7). You will see in the pictures attached, there are no stains on the foundation. The color powder we use does not stain and any residence can be cleaned from the surface, which was originally taken care of.The project is complete as per the agreed contract. Thank you, [redacted]Greystone Masonry, Inc.TAKING CONCRETE IN A NEW DIRECTION78 Shelton Shop RoadStafford, Virginia 22554540-752-5658

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the offer and/or response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

Please Note & Include: It is of the utmost importance to note that after the Revdex.com complaint was issued, Greystone Masonry, Inc illegally trespassed on our property (per Virginia Trespassing Code § 18.2-119), without our consent and without our knowledge, to obtain photos by physically standing in our backyard to submit with their response. This intrusion into our privacy, illegally trespassing on our property without our knowledge or consent, has left us feeling unsafe and fearful of our safety in our own home!09-13-14 Luisa D[redacted] provided an estimate for our stamped concrete patio and shed slab project, at which time she indicated the shed slab would be poured level and the concrete patio would have a slope to drain water away from the house. 06-10-15 We signed an agreement to use Greystone as the contractor to do the concrete patio and shed slab work, where again it was stated that the shed slab was to be poured level. The shed was poured with over a 3” slope as depicted in the photo provided with the level proving it is not level (see picture 9)06-27-15 we went to the Greystone showroom to select the pattern and color for our project. We brought a large piece of our foundation to help in selecting a matching color, is indicated in the photo provided and taken the day we visited the showroom. The color we selected was slightly off-white. (see picture 1 showroom color we selected)After the day of install, we sent pictures of the color we selected at the showroom the day we visited via email to Greystone and, Jody M[redacted] a Greystone employee, informed us that the color we selected was an “E-2” and the color that was installed was an “E-7”. There is a side-by-side photo attached which shows our drastic end result on the left hand side and the color we selected at the showroom on the right. (see picture 2 side by side)06-29-15 We did a modification to the contract to the dimensions of the shed pad, which was allowed by contract per Luisa, to extend the shed by a foot.07-16-15 The crew came, we supplied them with a case of water and over $50 in subs for lunch. They worked and when they left, the weeping tile drain pipe they dug up, which was to be extended and buried so that it would be flush with the ground where it terminated, was left sticking up a foot. A 1 foot wide, and 6 inch deep trench with a weeping tile drain pipe left turned upwards vertically 1.5 feet out of the ground is how they left the job site. This prompted us to call Greystone to advise this was incomplete and it is extremely dangerous for fear of our small children falling in or someone getting hurt. (See picture 3 exposed pipe and 5 foot trench, note we pushed the drain pipe down to mitigate anyone tripping over the pipe)07-16, 07-17, 07-18, 07-19, 07-20, 07-21, 07-22, 07-23 We called every day, several times a day, trying to reach Luisa D[redacted] concerning all the problems with the project (See pictures 4-8). We were advised by Jody that the call would be returned same day, every day. No calls were returned until 7-23-15. 07-23-15 Luisa D[redacted] called my wife, during this 13 minute call Luisa was very hostile, raising her voice, not allowing my wife to complete a sentence, and denying that we had been trying to contact her. When my wife attempted to calmly address the issues such as the color not being correct, Luisa D[redacted] immediately cut her off without hearing that that the color was wrong - not because it was mixed incorrectly, but because Luisa had written down the wrong number as her employee advised us. Luisa D[redacted] did not “recommend she call the husband”, rather she yelled, “my husband mixes all the colors and never makes a mistake in mixing, do not even go there, I’m calling your husband!” and she hung up the phone.Due to the verbal abuse we experienced, we requested no further direct, verbal contact and to only communicate via email to both of our email addresses. We emailed 07-23-15 at 6:17pm outlining the facts about our project experience, the poor quality, and horrible customer service. The exact email is in red below: “FACT #1: My wife called your office everyday since your crew came for install to discuss the issues and was advised by Jody (employee whom answered the phone each time) that a phone call would be returned everydaySaturday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, yet our call was not returned until 2:35PM on Thursday, July 23rd, 2015. Phone records of every single daily call serve as proof, regardless of the fact that you denied that we called you every day. (POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE)FACT #2: There is a 5 foot long, 1 foot wide, and 6 inch deep trench with a weeping tile drain pipe left turned upwards vertically 1.5 feet out of the ground that is extremely dangerous and unfinished 6 days later (POOR QUALITY)FACT #3: The installation crew, on installation day of Thursday, July 16th, advised that the weeping tile drain pipe would be buried and extended so that it would terminate flush with the ground, which has not been done 6 days later (POOR QUALITY)FACT #4: The color we selected at your showroom is a much lighter color than we received. Jody mentioned on the phone that the showroom color is an "E2" from the pictures we emailed you, yet the color we received is an "E7". The color is a tobacco yellow (you stated it looked green) and dark and drastically unevenly dispersed across the patio. Not the color we requested in our lengthy discussions with you at your showroom. (POOR QUALITY)FACT #5: There are no expansion cuts made, as you advised we would have to have, and yet both of your crews have advised that the slab is not large enough for expansion cuts. We choose the grand asher slate pattern based on your subject matter expertise and conclusion that we would have to have expansion cuts based on the patio size. We would have selected the flag stone pattern as we discussed in your office at great length, had we known that there would be no cuts but did not against your advisement that the expansion cuts would be more visible with the flag stone pattern and less visible with the grand asher slate. (POOR QUALITY & POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE)FACT #6: The slab for the shed is sloped when we were told it would be poured level. Instead, it was poured with a 3.5 inch slope causing difficulties in shed construction. (POOR QUALITY)FACT #7: Sections of the stamped concrete were not done correctly. Your crew employee informed us that the concrete was too wet when the form was applied, so once the form was pulled up, the concrete suctioned to the stamp forming multiple imperfections. Your crew employee stated that this could be sanded down and corrected, which has not been done 6 days later. (POOR QUALITY) FACT #8: The down spouts were dismantled during construction and not replaced with the existing or new turn elbows for proper rain drainage 6 days later. (POOR QUALITY)FACT #9: The coloring for the concrete was thrown in multiple areas on the foundation walls causing a stain and discoloration of the foundation. Your crew employee stated that they could power wash the foundation, which would potentially erode the wall and remove the current paint color of the foundation. (POOR QUALITY)No one from Greystone has responded, nor come in person during scheduled meetings concerning the problems with our patio installation. Taking into consideration our dissatisfaction with Greystone's quality of work and lack of customer service, we propose that in lieu of the final payment of $988 to Greystone we will find another contractor to correct the problems listed and sever our agreement with Greystone. Please respond to [email protected] [email protected] by close of business 8-5-15 letting us know Greystone's position on this proposal. If we have not received a response by 8-5-15 we will move forward with corrective actions on our own.” 07-24-15 We received an email from Jody stating Dan the co-owner would like to come by on 07-25-15 between 12pm and 4pm.07-25-15 We responded and agreed to be available 07-25-15.Dan was a no show and no call to advise he would not make it- again an inconvenience in clearing our schedules and making ourselves available.07-27-15 Jody emailed and asked if Dan could come by our property at 5:30 that evening. We were not available that evening.08-04-15 We replied to Jody informing her that we would be available 08-07-15 at 5:30pm.08-05-15 Jody replied that she would put us on Dan’s schedule for 08-07-15 at 5:30.Dan was a no show no call for the second time on 08-07-15, again an inconvenience in clearing our schedules and making ourselves available.08-15-15 We emailed Greystone again outlining our frustration and dissatisfaction with Greystone’s work and customer service. We proposed that in lieu of final payment of $988 we would sever ties and find another contractor to correct and finish the work. 08-19-15 Jody M[redacted] replied that she was checking with her supervisors as to how to handle our concerns.We had no further contact with Greystone and thought our proposal was accepted until 9-11-15.09-11-15 We received a call and email from Carly Colunga the office manager whom we had never spoken with. She wanted to discuss our concerns with the project.09-20-15 We replied to Carly reiterating that we had no confidence in Greystone’s workmanship or customer service and were severing ties with them.09-28-15 We received the response from Carly, our response in red:1. The only item left to be addressed was the shed pad.a. She offered no fix or compensation for the shed pad.2. She stated that the color according to them was correct. It was not the color we ordered.a. If they wrote on the order form “E-7” and used “E-7” that does not mean we received the color we wanted, it means they were consistent in their mistake.3. The down spout drain extension were added.a. The 5 foot trench they dug exposing the weeping tile drain was not repaired.4. She states that the concrete finishing crew took care of the patio touch ups.a. The crew has done nothing to repair or resurface any portion of the patio.b. This statement is completely false. No one has returned or contacted us to correct the touch ups. No touch ups have been made!5. Carly states that the powder they use does not stain and can be washed off.a. As seen in the photo #8, the sides of our home are still stained. Greystone advised if it was power washed, it would erode and impact the foundation.b. In addition, there are now gaps that along the foundation that we will have filled to avoid water getting in, freezing, and causing cracking (see picture 7)6. Carly’s last statement is that the project was installed as per the contract, and there is a remaining balance of $988.a. Incorrect – the patio was not installed per the contractThe same day we received this last email from Carly we received an invoice from Greystone for $988.00 with a note to the homeowner that if the balance is not paid within 10 days a $50 late charge will be applied and 18% interest will accrue.10-01-15 We filed a complaint with the Revdex.com.10-05-15 Greystone replied to the Revdex.com complaint and attached pictures that they took of our patio and slab with a finished shed while illegally trespassing on our property in our backyard, without our consent and without our knowledge, after the compliant was issued with Revdex.com. Please note, they were here within hours of the Revdex.com complaint, yet they no call and no showed twice to come see and discuss the problems in person with us.This intrusion into our privacy, illegally trespassing on our property without our knowledge or consent, has left us feeling unsafe and fearful of our safety in our own home!10-06-15 We called Greystone and paid the remaining balance of our invoice to avoid fines and penalties, however we are left with no choice but to explore and pursue legal action due to the verbal abuse, the illegal trespassing, and the failure to complete the contracted work.

Business

Response:

Tell us why here...Good Afternoon [redacted], Below you will find my response to the [redacted]’s complaint.

I do apologize for the delayed response. First and foremost, on behalf of Greystone, I would like to

apologize to Mr. and Mrs. [redacted] for feeling like they have been verbally

abused in any way. I can assure you that this was never my intention or the

intentions of any of the Greystone representatives. After being in business for

over 30 years, this company would be nowhere if it wasn’t for our clients. With

that being said, customer service is something that our company holds very high

on our priorities, in the office and out on the job site. Regarding the illegal trespassing issue that Mr. and Mrs.

[redacted] claim, after the complaint was filed Greystone went to the jobsite

located at Mr. and Mrs. [redacted]’s home to take current and up to date pictures

of the jobsite. Greystone had The [redacted]’s interest in mind, to address the

issues, if any as quickly as possible and to also provide the Revdex.com with an up to

date picture as a visual on the concerned areas. This seemed to have been

an issue for the [redacted]’s. Greystone went to the jobsite simply to take

pictures of the issues the [redacted]’s are claiming. We once again

apologize to Mr. and Mrs. [redacted] for feeling unsafe in any way. Our

representative only wanted to capture an image to bring back to the office so

the issue can be addressed, not to make Mr. and Mrs. [redacted] feel that we were

trespassing their property in any way. It is very unfortunate that Mr. and Mrs. [redacted] feel as if

the color and patterns are not the ones they selected, because I can most

certainly assure you that the colors and pattern that were written down on the

signed proposal are the ones that were used for their project. If this was a

case where Greystone used the incorrect color or pattern we would immediately

fix the issue, but this is not the case. The correct pattern and colors that

were picked out by Mr. and Mrs. [redacted] were used on their project. With that

being said, to our knowledge the project is complete. Being that Mr. and Mrs.

[redacted] feel otherwise, Greystone would be more than happy to meet with the

[redacted]’s to discuss their concerns because not only does Greystone stands

behind their work we always have the customer’s best interest in mind and would

like to solve the unresolved issue for the [redacted]’s, if any.Thank you,Luisa D[redacted]

Review: I contacted Greystone on May 26 2014 to advise them about widespread pattern of discolorization in the stamped concrete patio they installed in July 2013. On May 30 2014 , they stated that loss of color should not happen this soon but that the bad winter created a sealer issue. Greystone said they would come out to repair at no cost. I contacted Greystone again in June and August and was told they would come out when the weather cooled down to repair. It is now October and they still have not come back to fix the defect in their product. Greystone did not return my call from October 14 2014.

Since they stated they would fix but have not followed up this has resulted in this complaint. Also note, their website states: "Permanance: Concrete is one of the most durable materials on earth. When properly installed and maintained, stamped concrete pavements will last for decades to come." I followed their guidelines and the patio should not have widespread color cracking/loss in less than a year.Desired Settlement: I think they should repair this defect in their product since I followed all of their care guidelines. If not I think they should give me a refund to cover the cost of having another company restamp the concrete.

Business

Response:

Good Evening [redacted],

I left you a message earlier, but I thought I would send you an email to follow up. I wanted to let you know that we addressed the issues [redacted] had brought to our attention and I followed up with them this evening. They were pleased with the results.

Please let me know if you need any additional information from us.

Thank you,

Consumer

Response:

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's offer. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

I have reviewed the offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me. I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved. If the company does not perform as promised I can get back to you at: [redacted].

Regards,

Review: The front porch slopes right to left by over 4 inches. The side porch and rear side walk pool water. The side porch is not complete as promised.Desired Settlement: I've given Greystone more than several opportunities to fix the issues and complete the work. It's time to resolve the issue with a refund so I can have another company fix the problems.

Business

Response:

Good Afternoon,We are baffled to receive a complaint from Mr. [redacted] as he hasnever contacted us with a concern regarding his front porch sloping or hisside/ rear projects holding water. The additional brick work on the side porch / brick skirt was never contracted.I have attached the accepted proposal listing the scope of work and acceptance by Mr.[redacted] It was agreed that he would get the brick material and that he will pay our brick mason to install the additional brick skirt at his expense but Mr. [redacted] is expecting the work to be done free of charge to him.The original contract proposed the stoop to be constructed with stamped concrete and a change of order was later agreed to, installing the stoop with brick. Attached you will find the contract and change of order agreement (EMAIL). Thank you,[redacted]

Review: Greystone was engaged to replace the front entrance walkway to our home, and to install two other patios at side and rear of our house. Greystone removed the existing brick front entrance walkway and replaced with a stamped concrete walkway. We ordered (and paid extra for) a stamped brick border on this walkway. We specified that the brick border was to be as similar as possible to the color of the brick facia on our home, which is 'pinkish'.

The walkway was installed, but the faux brick border installed is best described as a "dark terra cotta". It does not even come close to matching the brick fascia of the house.

Also, there were numerous defects in the stamping process due to the fact that Greystone tried to pour and stamp concrete in the middle of a severe thunderstorm (after we had asked them not to pour that day due to severe weather forecasts).

Greystone returned to attempt repairs to the stamping defects. While some improvement was made, the border remained dark terra cotta.

Greystone returned one final time on Friday, 14 Nov to attempt to change the border color, but to no avail. Further, the chemicals used to try to change the color (sealant stripper) cause the prior repairs to be negated, so now we can see grey concrete and concrete aggregate in several areas. Since this is the first thing visitors see, we are naturally very concerned that this unprofessional work be remedied.

Greystone has twice attempted repairs on the front entrance walkway and the side patio - and both times the repairs actually left the work worse off.

On Sunday, 16 November I emailed Greystone with an offer: we would (1) accept the side patio with defects, as is, and (2) pay the outstanding balance minus the cost of the front entrance walkway. It is our intent to engage another contractor to remove and replace the walkway installed by Greystone. Since the color is in the concrete, there is no way they can change it - and there are too many stamping defects to allow it to remain the gateway to our home.

We have received no answer to our proposal.

Coincidental subject: Greystone Masonry trucks wear the "Revdex.com Accredited" emblem - but a search of the[redacted], VA Revdex.com website reveals no Greystone Masonry with a [redacted] address. Are they entitled to advertise Revdex.com accrediatation if not listed on the Revdex.com website?Desired Settlement: Outstanding bill is $4884.48. We propose to disallow the cost of the front entrance walkway, ($2684.00) and remit $2,200.44 as final payment. We suffered other property losses during construction, about $500.00, but will not press for reimbursement.

Business

Response:

Claim:[redacted]

Good Afternoon [redacted]

Thank you for talking with me earlier regarding this complaint submitted by [redacted]. I am still baffled by the complaint, as [redacted] presented an ultimatum on Sunday evening via email, proposing the option to the give them a discount or they will contact Fairfax County Consumer Affairs bureau and Revdex.com however; before [redacted] email was even opened on Monday, we received an email from Better Business reporting their claim.

On several occasions, myself (senior estimator), [redacted] (the owner of the company) and two different finishing crews returned to the project to discuss and address the concerns. On Friday Nov. 14, our crew returned to meet with the [redacted] and address and finalize their four concerns that were identified and agreed to with [redacted] via email on Thursday Nov. 13. It was also agreed that [redacted] would submit final payment for the balance due once the four items were addressed on Friday. Upon our crew’s departure, we were under the impression they were satisfied and ready to finalize the balance due, but instead we received a Revdex.com complaint and an email from [redacted] following the complaint. We have been more than accommodating, returning on several occasions to meet, discuss, and address their concerns and every time we were left with the impression that we have come to a resolution, but to be surprised by an email with an ultimatum.

It is obvious their expectations for stamped concrete are irrational. Paragraph #7 of our Proposal Agreement (as signed by [redacted]) states that “variation in color and pattern can be expected. Stamped Concrete is hand-crafted and will have imperfections as a natural part of the process”.

The stamped brick border color selected and installed on the front landing and walkway was “Terracotta- Complement Existing Brick” as agreed and signed by [redacted] August 19 ([redacted]). We were very clear from the beginning that matching their existing brick to the stamped concrete border would be impossible, as they are two different materials. We agreed to complement the brick, but never to match.

I have [redacted] a PDF showing pictures of before we entered construction and after construction. The picture at the bottom of the page shows the landing and walkway after construction. As you may know, with any photography, the variation between the two pictures are caused by the angle, lighting, camera, weather.. etc.

Upon your review, please let me know if you need any additional information or questions.

Thank you,

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID[redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

I will compose an in-depth response and submit in a day or so. I will include photos of the disputed areas to support our complaint.

Regards,

[redacted] clearly illustrates that a much better choice of walkway border colors was available. When we met the salesperson ([redacted]) at the Greystone showroom we were not asked to choose the color. We expressed our desire for the border color to match, as closely as possible, the brickwork on our home. We were assured that while the match could not be 'exact', Greystone could come very close. The 'terracotta' color clearly does not come close. Also, an instance of false advertising is highlighted in this picture - [redacted] is very upset that Greystone is using their logo in advertising, when Greystone is not, nor has ever been, a member of this trade association.[redacted] are a sampling of the defects in the front walkway following the second round of repair. [redacted] sent her brother,[redacted], to execute these repairs. [redacted] stripped sealer, heavily scrubbed both the front walkway and side patio in an effort to lighten the colors. In scrubbing the front walkway he eliminated the repairs done on the first round, leaving the underlying aggregate clearly visible. The pictures are of just a few of the defective areas - there are many more. I do not appreciate the fact that [redacted] tried to pull the wool over my eyes by stating that the previous coat of sealer had a coloring agent in it - I saw the previous coat being applied and it was crystal clear.We remain convinced that the poor workmanship on the front walkway was due to the fact that the concrete was poured during a torrential rainstorm. We knew the storm was coming and asked Greystone not to pour concrete that day - and the crew also asked their boss not to send the concrete truck, but it was sent just the same. In the effort to save the concrete from the rain, workmanship suffered.[redacted] are views of the side patio and rear patio. The side patio was poured the same day as the front walkway and suffers some of the same defects. The rear patio was poured on a subsequent day when the weather was appropriate and it came out wonderfully. We are very pleased with the rear patio.We will accept the work done on the rear patio and side patio (despite defects on the side patio). We do not accept, however, the front walkway. The level of workmanship, despite two attempts to remedy, remains poor. We have received negative comments from the neighborhood association not only for the poor appearance, but also because our neighbors have to put up with the strong odors produced each time sealer is applied. Enough is enough, we have lost confidence in Greystone Masonry.It is our intention to remove and replace the front walkway at first opportunity. Our home is in an upscale neighborhood and we do not wish to leave this eyesore in place any longer than necessary. There are approximately $500 in damages arising from construction which we will not assign to Greystone, but we simply are not willing to pay for work not performed to the promised standard. If it will help settle the dispute, we are very willing to accommodate an onsite inspection by the Revdex.com or designated representative.The Greystone final invoice was for $4,884.48We propose to disallow the cost of the front walkway ($2684.00) and remit $2,200.44 as final payment. [redacted]

Business

Response:

The business called the Revdex.com. Once the balance is paid to bring the bill to zero,t he customer can look for another contractor to fix their work and the business will reimburse up to that amount of $2,600 with a copy of the service invoice.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

To: Revdex.comIn your latest communication Greystone Masonry proposes to contribute $2,600.00 toward future removal/replacement of the front walkway/stoop, but only after we pay $2,600.00 for the work already delivered.Upon advice of our attorney, we reject this offer for the following reasons:The Virginia Consumer Protection Law provides that work must generally meet “industry standards”. Thefront walkway/stoop, even after two attempts to repair the original work, clearly does not meet industry standards (as evidenced in the photos submitted in prior correspondence to the Revdex.com). If necessary, we will engage an expert to evaluate the work and provide a written opinion at Greystone Masonry expense. Virginia criminal code (18.2-216) makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor to, with commercial intent, “publish, disseminate, circulate or place before the public…an advertisement of any sort regarding merchandise,securities, service, land, lot of anything so offered to the public…containing any promise, assertion, representation or statement of fact which is untrue, deceptive or misleading, or using any other method, device or practice which is fraudulent, deceptive or misleading to induce the public to enter into anyobligation”.Further, the Virginia Consumer Protection Act (59.1-200, paragraph 3) declares unlawful “misrepresenting the affiliation, connection, or association of the supplier, or of the goods or services, with another”.Greystone Masonry advertises an affiliation with the [redacted]). This is a false assertion as evidenced in page one of the [redacted] document. Though recently invited by [redacted] to remove the [redacted] logo from Greystone’s advertising, Greystone continues this deceptive practice by advertising the [redacted] on its web page (see page two of the [redacted] document). Attention is invited to the time/date stamps at the bottom of each page.[redacted], as advertised by Greystone Masonry, was a factor that weighed heavily in our contractor selection deliberations. Absence of membership in a local builder association in Greystone’s proposal would have probably tilted our decision toward another contractor. We propose the following settlement:1) A check for $2,200.44 payable to Greystone Masonry has already been ordered via our billpay service. This will cover our obligation for the side patio and rear patio. It should be noted that although we are not 100% satisfied with the side patio, we are willing to accept the work as is.2) Greystone Masonry will provide to us, via US Mail, a copy of the final bill marked “Paid in Full” that bears an original signature of the company principal ([redacted] is the registered agent in the records of the [redacted]).3) We will not pursue any legal action under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act.

Regards,

Review: My husband and I hired Greystone to install a patio in August 2015. Written contract included $1,000 deposit with one half of remaining contract balance due on day 1 of installation and final payment due at completion of the project. Total contract amount was $8,406 after a few additions to patio and patio wall. We paid $1,000 deposit via check on the day we signed the contract. We paid $3,339 in cash on the first day of the project. After several delays, project was completed in late October 2015. We verified that patio steps passed inspection with Prince William Co in mid November 2015. On Nov 28, 2015, we received an email with invoice [redacted]. Final amount due: $4,067. On Nov 30, 2015 my husband sent via certified mail a check for $4,067. Post Office confirmed that mailed was signed/received by "M. [redacted]" at Greystone on Dec 3, 2015. On Dec 9, we emailed Greystone to inquire about delay in depositing the check since the check still hadn't cleared my husband's account. No email response from Greystone initially. A couple of days later we began receiving calls from Greystone where [redacted] is asking us to pay the final payment in cash. On Dec 15, [redacted] sent an email saying that we will have to pay an additional $250 if we do not pay "as agreed." On day we signed contract, [redacted] stated that Greystone would prefer payment in cash. Our written contract does not state that we had to pay for patio installation with cash. Our initial deposit was with a check. Because we didn't make final payment with cash, [redacted]/Greystone still has not deposited/cashed our final payment check as of today's date. She is repeatedly calling our home and has called my husband at work in effort to get us to send cash as final payment. We do not like the harassing calls. We also do not appreciate her (illegal) threat that we will owe an additional $250 since we didn't make final payment in cash. We have paid all monies owed to Greystone per our written contract.Desired Settlement: Greystone should deposit/cash our final payment check that was received on Dec 3, 2015. Greystone/[redacted] should refrain from calling us to ask that we give them cash for the final payment. Greystone better NOT indicate that we owe them an additional $250 because we didn't make final payment in the form they wanted. The total amount due as indicated by the contract and final invoice was $8,406. We have paid $8,406 to Greystone. We request a receipt (via email or USPS mail) indicating that they have received the final payment of $4,067 and contract is paid in full.

Business

Response:

Good Afternoon.I’m responding to complaint #[redacted]. The [redacted] met with [redacted] our Greystone Representative on August 14, 2015 at our showroom to get on our schedule for installation of a new patio, wall and steps for their home. Mr. [redacted] wanted as many discounts as possible. At that time, our representative offered them $200 off for being government employees, $200 off for a coupon and an additional discount of $250.00 if they wanted to pay cash for the entire project. Greystone accepts, credit cards, checks, or cash like any other business. Cash hits the account immediately unlike credit card or check payments. Mr. [redacted] jumped at the offer. Ultimately, Mr. [redacted] agreed to the terms of paying cash for the project for an additional $250.00 off. However, they did not have $1,000.00 cash on hand the day of commitment so our Greystone representative agreed to accept a check for the deposit only and honor the $250.00 discount for the ½ down payment and balance to be paid in cash. Upon completion, Greystone received a check for final payment on December 3, 2015 in the amount of $4,067 via check. Our office left messages and sent an email that were in no way harassing. They simply stated to please contact the office regarding your final payment. We had an agreement and when the check was received the agreement was voided. We decided to hold the check until we heard back from the [redacted]. We did not want to just send an invoice out for a balance of $250.00 without explanation & making sure we were all on the same page. We received an email on December 15, 2015 requesting that we deposit the check and do not contact them as all work with Greystone has been completed. We replied to the email explaining they would have a balance of $250 on their account as a discount was agreed to with terms and the terms were broken. Thus, here we are with the complaint.I have [redacted] a signed contract showing the $250 discount was agreed to by both parties as well as a chain of emails between the office staff and the [redacted]. There was never any type of harassment or illegal threats of any kind made to the [redacted]. Greystone’s Accounting Department decided they would wipe away the $250 balance due to the fact that 2015 is coming to an end and all our accounts must be closed. The Sharp’s were mailed a PAID invoice on December 16, 2015. You will find the PAID invoice [redacted] for your review as well.If you have any questions, please feel free to give me a call.Kindest Regards,[redacted]

We went with Greystone despite a higher price because they preached quality and said they could do exactly what we wanted. They did not deliver on their promises and violated the procedures in the their own contract. They encased some new composite deck steps which had lights on them in concrete instead of laying the pad underneath them, numerous other things were wrong. The estimator gave us the runaround, lied to us and was obtuse in trying to resolve the problem.

Review: I contacted the hired contractor to inquire when our new patio (paid in full) would be completed. The initial inquiry was back in July when the city inspector stated one issue with stairs needed to be replaced before he gave the okay. We have been waiting for the carpenter from this company to complete this before we can use. It has been way too long to have this fixed. I have contacted Greystone three times to find out why and they told me they would contact me twice to let me know what's going on. They stated I'm Monday this week that they would be here before the week is done. It is now Saturday, still waiting. I have yet to receive a call. I was told the manager of this company would contact me and has not as of yet.Desired Settlement: Have the contractor finish what was stated by the city inspector before the summer is out. We have been waiting all summer to use our patio. The issue identified should not take this long to resolve.

Business

Response:

Good Afternoon. I received the complaint information for case # [redacted]. We installed a stamped concrete patio w/a landing & steps for Mr. [redacted] at the end of June 2015. His steps required a permit which Greystone obtained for him. We completed the job for Mr. [redacted] on July 3, 2015. Once final payment was received, Greystone set up final inspection. Final inspection was scheduled for July 23, 2015. The inspector failed the final inspection because we were not able to answer questions about the installation of the steel & beams. A lot of times, final inspection is not performed for a few months after the job is completed because the inspector needs to meet with our Carpenter on site for our Carpenter to be able to answer any questions the inspector has. Unfortunately our Carpenter was on vacation at the time of final inspection. Mr. [redacted] has contacted our office a few times in regards to the inspection & he was informed that our carpenter needed to meet with the inspector & we would let him know once we rescheduled the final inspection. After receiving this complaint, we spoke with Mr. [redacted] yesterday & explained that our carpenter has been out of town & reassured him that we’re not going to leave the inspection as is. We have to close out all of our permits with Prince William County in order for our license to remain in good standing. Mr. [redacted] now understands that final inspections are not our #1 priority because the county gives us plenty of time to be able to close out a permit & we usually schedule our inspections for rainy days because of our Carpenters day to day schedule. By the end of our conversation, Mr. [redacted] was asking us to come out & provided him with an estimate for the front of his home. If you have any questions, please feel free to give me a call. Have a wonderful day! [redacted]Greystone Masonry, Inc.TAKING CONCRETE IN A NEW DIRECTION 78 Shelton Shop Rd.Stafford, Virginia 22554540-752-5658FAX: 540-752-6810

Consumer

Response:

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's offer. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

I have reviewed the offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me as long as we are not subject to any safety violation nor rule impeded by the city inspector. I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved. If the company does not perform as promised I can get back to you at: [redacted].

Regards,