Mark Group, Incorporated

I apologize for the lack
of response to the queryOur field manager recently left the business and appears the message was not communicated as we would expectI will call the customer directly to attempt to resolve the issue

A check for the refund will be mailed out to the customer immediately

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Regards,
*** ***

Hi ***
Sorry for not updating this soonerWe have come to a mutually acceptable compromise with the customer
Thanks
Tim
Tim F*
VP, Branch Operations
Mark Group, Inc

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]
 Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because: A gentleman by the name of Tim did call on Friday October 31st , I wasn't at home at the time, he left a phone number of the corporate office in Philadelphia but no extension or last name. I called the office on Monday and Tuesday of this week, attempting to reach him, but was not successful. When choosing to talk to an operator I was directed to voice mail that instructed me to leave my name and phone number and a message that said someone would get back to me. That did NOT happen, twice I left my name, cell phone number  and whom I was trying to reach (Tim) but to no avail.I would appreciate it if Mark Group would respond to my complaint in writing so I know where they stand on this. I am tired of playing phone tag! If I do not get a response I will assume that they do not want to stand by their contract and will take further action.
Regards,
[redacted] Cell: ###-###-####

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the...

response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
Regards,
[redacted]

Review: Mark group offer to insulate my attic. the offer was good because some of the payment will be cover by the state. they did the repair, but I have noticed that there as something wrong with the baffle materials and the installations. I called the state inspector to inspect the job and at the same time I invited one of the Mark group personnel name [redacted] so that when I pointed the problem to the state inspector [redacted] from Mark group person will hear what is the problem. now the state inspector mentioned the problem to [redacted] from the Mark group while we were all in the attic and [redacted] from Mark group told the state inspector that their company installed the wrong baffle materials and said he will take care of the problem. Since [redacted] was present and told the state inspector hell fix the problem, the state inspector gave them the passing mark. [redacted] from mark group came after a week and did the repair but the problem is the 14" insulation has been disturb and the new baffle materials has been installed over the existing one was installed without attaching it permanently to the roof. I called them many times. it took them a while to let me talk to one of the field supervisor. they schedule their visit and they said it passed the state inspection they will not fix the problem I noted to them. and the supervisor name [redacted] told me that why I did not tell them about the hole in my garage wall and I said if I know your job I will take care of that because even the state inspector missed the big hole in my garage wall it looks like they only see what they need to see and did not look thoroughly. and when I asked [redacted] why [redacted] fix it if there's nothing wrong with it. before he was saying that [redacted] works for him he is [redacted]'s supervisor when I asked why [redacted] fixed it if there 's nothing wrong with then he said he does not know what [redacted]'s job is. I tried to ask them to make it look professionally done but they said there is nothing they can do. I made a comment its because they got their money and [redacted] said the company got it. Before he left he said hell let me know hell talk to his boss. its been a month since never heard anything from them. the attic look like a job that the person don't know what as he doing. and also [redacted] left a lot of un used baffle materials in the attic did not even clear the debris.Desired Settlement: remove the wrong materials. even up the insulation all over the attic and give.

Business

Response:

Review: Insullation of crawl space performed - no apparent effect on cold floorsDesired Settlement: Warmer flooring over crawl space

Review: Here are the key points of the complaint and how they go against Mark Group's mission, and good business practice.

(1.) Advertising & Honesty -

Mark Group scheduled a free Home Efficiency Assessment (now called a no cost visual home check up) on 8/8/13 at 7:00 pm. When customer service called to confirm my appointment I asked if they would be performing any tests during that assessment and they said yes. I also asked if any payment was required for that visit and they said no. The Home Efficiency Assessment was nothing more than a sales meeting, they did not perform any tests like they said, and they proceeded to ask for a check for $150 to schedule an actual audit of my home. They cashed this check on 8/12/13, which was 5 days before the audit took place. This leads me to believe I actually paid for what was supposed to be and what customer service told me was a free assessment. This was my first indication that Mark Group had problems with their advertising and sales tactics, could not communicate clearly, and was unorganized.

(2.) Respect & Doing a Job Right -

During the audit, Mark Group told me they could not complete a specific test (blower door test) because of mold in my crawl space, which is considered a health and safety issue under the New Jersey [redacted] with [redacted] program. From that point until today, which is well over 1 year, I made a significant effort including spending hundreds of dollars and days of labor to resolve the moisture issue that was causing the mold, and to seek quotes on mold remediation of my crawl space. Because my concern over the moisture and mold delayed the original proposal from 9/16/13, Mark Group was willing to proceed with the project without resolving the moisture issue by just installing a dehumidifier prior to the work being started. I wanted the project done right so I continued moisture mitigation efforts well into 2014. On 11/13/13, without any phone call or follow up, Mark Group closed my project file via an email and said to continue the project it will need a full review and re-pricing. Two months prior they were willing to forego the mold issue to sell the job, and now they were closing my project without any verbal communication.

http://[redacted]/files/file/Residential%20Programs/HP/Contractor%20Portal%20Doc...⇄ />
(3.) Advertising (Baiting) -

On 6/4/14 I received another email advertisement reminding me of the "no cost Home Energy Assessment" that I had in 2013 (the one I paid $150 for), and wanting to schedule another Home Energy Assessment. Because they knew the history of my project I restarted discussions with Mark Group in August of 2014. I received a call from a new sales advisor explaining that the original audit would expire 1 year from the original audit date of 8/17/13, but if we wanted to proceed with the project they would not charge another $150 for a new audit. They just needed the last 12 months of electric usage to see how it would affect my savings. On 8/10/14 I explained my intent to proceed with the project in an email, as long as every effort was made to take care of the moisture and mold. Mark Group asked me to send them any quotes I had on mold remediation so they could include it in the financing and come up with a total price. They also scheduled another visit on 8/18/14 with a third party consultant to take another look at the moisture level in my crawl space and see what could be done. They concluded that the moisture level was still too high and something additional would have to be done along with any mold remediation.

(4.) Fair Pricing & Value (Switching) -

For the next 2 months I made additional efforts to seek mold remediation quotes, and spent hundreds more having my heat pump raised to grade level, and re-leveling concrete pads next to my foundation, both to prevent rain water from entering my crawl space. After all of this was completed and all decisions were made on what measures were being taken, I expressed my concern over the price if the project, which was verbally stated as ~$12,000. I wanted to cut costs in areas of the project to allow room for the mold remediation and a hot water heater that I was adding to the project. They decided to remove 9" of blown-in insulation from the project, and they sent an updated total price on 10/31/14 of $14,018. I thought this was high considering what was added to the project so I asked for an itemized proposal like I received the year prior. I received an itemized proposal on 11/3/14 and compared it to the original proposal that was $10,329. I found that the mold remediation quote I submitted was omitted from the proposal even though they asked me to send them the quotes and I spent the previous 2 months working on that. I found that the crawl space insulation cost increased 146% even though we were also trying to cut cost in that area. I found that the mechanical ventilation (exhaust fan and in-floor air return) that we decided as a cheaper alternative to a dehumidifier in our 8/18/14 meeting was $1,000 compared to the dehumidifier at $1,100 in the original proposal. I found that removing 9" of blown-in insulation only reduced the cost 33% for a 60% reduction in insulation. Finally I found that the insulation and sealing alone was ~$9,800, which was more the year prior, but for less insulation.

(5.) Fear of Failure -

Because we could not come to terms on the price, and no verbal explanation or follow up was made to alleviate my concerns I asked to have a call with everyone involved. On 11/4/14 I was informed that the sales manager would follow up with me to keep the project moving forward. I received 1 - 3 phone calls from him in which I summarized the history of the project, asked for explanations of the cost increase, and ways to further reduce the cost. After not receiving any further information in writing for a few weeks, I sent an email on 11/20/14 expressing my frustration of how they led me to this point of the project, and how it's been weeks since I responded to their proposal. This was the last communication I had with them, and I have not heard from them since.

(6.) Summary -

I made every effort to communicate in a timely manner whether through email or a phone call, to resolve the original reason for delay of the project, to send them quotes and decisions as soon as they requested them, and they have left me hanging a 2nd time with no closure to the time and money I have put forth. This was all done to help them and keep the project moving forward, and I trusted that they would have my best interests in mind. To me all they showed is that their advertising is only to lure people into working with them, they make promises they can't keep, they switch their story and tactics after they encounter any challenge, and they want an easy sale for the highest price possible (this is on the level of a car dealership, not a [redacted] contractor). These actions go against everything they claim on the mission page of their website.Desired Settlement: I am requesting a refund of the $150 that I paid on 8/12/13 on [redacted] check #[redacted] for what was supposed to be and what they still advertise as a free assessment. I am also requesting that they complete my original project [redacted] within 5% of the original quoted price, add a fair-priced crawl space vapor barrier to the project to resolve the moisture issue (as listed on page 2 of the FY 2015 New Jersey [redacted] with [redacted] Eligible Measures document), and add the 0.82 e.f. hot water heater that was quoted at $2,900. This will make up for the bait and switch tactics, and the days of time and labor I put forth to take care of the moisture and mold (including the 4 quotes I received), while only being left hanging with the same health and safety issue that Mark Group along with the New Jersey Performance with [redacted] program brought to my attention. They were clear, with the exception of one sales advisor, that this would have to be resolved before the work could begin.

Review: Energy Assessment was performed on the entire house. Specific areas of the house, unique to this house - the master bathroom and the kitchen overhang, were discussed on several occassions.

A price quote was given by this company, I said that the price was too high, energy expert said he would see if the company could trim the price. Price was trimmed, however they did not explain that parts of the house would be neglected from original discussion. A project supervisor walk the house with me and we again discussed the need to address these areas. This supervisor never mentioned they were cut from the original plans. I only came to realize that the work was pared off when the workers were completing their work, I mentioned that these two areas were not completed, they then told me that it was not on the contract. I complained for two monthsto the company. All this work was for nothing because they left the one area that is in need of insulation and improvement has not been completed leaving a vacum for cold air to infiltrate our home, especially our master bedroom. We were to be air sealed completely, however they left the one area undone. I need to speak with someone to explain it better.Desired Settlement: This work should be complete at no charge because no one ever told us it was not going to be completed. They are the experts and now the bathroom pulls warm air out of the house through this uncompleted room and cold air pours in from the unsealed attic.

Business

Response:

Mark Group performed work for **. [redacted] in November 2013 within the NJ Home Performance with Energy Star Program. As a background, the State program has software that calculates the proposed energy saving measures with the actual utility bills and produces estimated energy savings (as a %). With the estimated energy savings %, qualifies the homeowner for rebates and a 0% loan.

In summary, **.[redacted] indicated our initial proposal was too expensive and we lowered the price by removing some of the measures (approximately $2500). Part of the decision process on which measures to remove would have been based on ensuring that Mark Group maintained a certain level of energy savings to qualify **. [redacted] for the maximum rebate and loan amount. Once the portion of the work was removed and the changes were made to lower the price, **. [redacted] signed a contract to proceed with the work.

**.[redacted] signed that the work was complete (work that totaled $16,431) on November 7, 2013.

As a follow up to the Revdex.com email, the assigned Home Performance Manager, [redacted], spoke with **. [redacted] on Wed, January 15th. **. [redacted] communicated that Mark Group can not do the work that was removed out of the original proposal for no charge. **. [redacted] and **. [redacted] are scheduled to speak on Thursday, January 16th to continue the conversation. Our goal would be for Mark Group to perform the work specified in **. Shaw's email for an "at cost".

Please contact me with any questions.

Mark Group, Inc.

Review: I have had a problem with the Mark Group. A sales rep came to our house and talked to us about having a complete home energy audit. This information would be used to determine if we were eligible for grant money from the state of New Jersey to upgrade our HVAC system. We agreed to undergo the audit so we paid the _____ fee and set up an appointment for someone from the Mark Group to come to our house and do a visual inspection of entire house. This would be the first step in the process. After the person performed this inspection, he told us that we have vermiculite in our attic and vermiculite has asbestos in it. He informed us that in order to have the next step of the audit done (a blow test to see if we had adequate insulation) we would need to have the asbestos removed. Asbestos removal is not something Mark Group does, so he told us to arrange for the removal and get back in touch with the Mark Group when it was completed.

When we contacted several asbestos-removal companies, we were told that not all vermiculite contains asbestos, so we should have samples taken and tested to determine if there actually was asbestos present. We had the vermiculite tested (which cost more than $150), and the results on all samples taken came back negative for asbestos. We sent the report verifying the absence of asbestos to the Mark Group and asked that the audit process continue. However, the Mark Group told us that despite what the report says, all vermiculite contains asbestos so the audit could not proceed until we had the vermiculite removed. We were now at an impasse with the Mark Group. During this process, we have been dealing with 3 different sales reps – every time we call back we are told our sales rep no longer works for the company. After reaching the impasse, we asked for our money back since the Mark Group refused to perform the service we had paid for. The sales rep said that he would put in the request for a refund. He then said it would take 30 days for the request to go through. After 30 days went by I called him and he said that there was a mix-up and the request did not go through. After 60 days I called again. I asked to speak to the owner. I spoke to someone, I am not sure if it was the owner, and asked for the sales rep’s name so he could be contacted to find out what was going on. I eventually got a call from the sales rep saying he did not know what was going on and that he would monitor this and call me back by Friday to tell me what the status is and when we could expect our refund. Friday came and went and no phone call. On Monday I called the Mark Group again and asked for the owner and was told that the owner was in a meeting. I explained the situation and was told I would be transferred to the billing area and someone would help me. I was sent to some one’s voice mail and no one got back to me.

This entire process started in January and is still not resolved.Desired Settlement: I would like my money back now I am tired of there excusses.

Business

Response:

A check for the refund will be mailed out to the customer immediately.

Consumer

Response:

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

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Regards,

Review: Mark group came to my home on July 19, 2014 to insulate it. At the time we were promised a rebate check from [redacted] for 1,531$. It was written in the proposal and contract of work that was given to us. Unfortunately the [redacted] rebate check we received was just 1090.03$. I have contacted Mark group several times, one of the field managers said he would contact [redacted] and see what happened but I have not heard back from anyone.Desired Settlement: I would like Mark Group to honor their written proposal and contract. If they promised me a rebate of 1,500 then they should honor that by paying me the difference if [redacted] doesn't.

Business

Response:

I apologize for the lack of response to the query. Our field manager recently left the business and appears the message was not communicated as we would expect. I will call the customer directly to attempt to resolve the issue.

Consumer

Response:

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because: A gentleman by the name of Tim did call on Friday October 31st , I wasn't at home at the time, he left a phone number of the corporate office in Philadelphia but no extension or last name. I called the office on Monday and Tuesday of this week, attempting to reach him, but was not successful. When choosing to talk to an operator I was directed to voice mail that instructed me to leave my name and phone number and a message that said someone would get back to me. That did NOT happen, twice I left my name, cell phone number and whom I was trying to reach (Tim) but to no avail.I would appreciate it if Mark Group would respond to my complaint in writing so I know where they stand on this. I am tired of playing phone tag! If I do not get a response I will assume that they do not want to stand by their contract and will take further action.

Regards,

[redacted] Cell: ###-###-####

Business

Response:

Hi [redacted]

Sorry for not updating this sooner. We have come to a mutually acceptable compromise with the customer.

Thanks

Tim

Tim F[redacted]

VP, Branch Operations

Mark Group, Inc.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Regards,

Review: We hired the Mark Group in September 2014 to make our house more "green". They installed new HVAC, hot water heater, humidifier, insulation and air sealed the house in October of 2014. Recently this past December 2014 we noticed that the humidifier was leaking water all over the basement floor. We also still have not received the permits that they supposedly submitted to our township for the job they completed. I was in contact via email with the project lead about these issues on 12/30/14. She promptly responded advising that she would help schedule a service call for the humidifier and also follow up on the permit. Since January 5th I have sent three followup emails without a response from anyone at the Mark Group. When calling their company phone number, every option I select tells me that the voice mailbox is full. Are they out of business? If so, what about our 1 year warranty? How did this happen?Desired Settlement: Honor the 1 year warranty you promised and that we paid for. Fix the humidifier or provide a new one. Also provide the permits for the job.

Review: I received solicitation for an energy audit from the Mark Group through [redacted], who I used for my realtor when I purchased my house. Their representative, [redacted], came to the house and discussed the process with me and my wife. At the end of the discussion, I was told that we needed to provide a $99 deposit in order to proceed with the energy audit. **. [redacted] explained to us that the deposit was necessary to pay for the audit, but would be refunded if we didn't proceed with the energy upgrades for any reason other than us not responding to their calls. This was around the last couple weeks of June, 2013. We scheduled the energy audit for just before the July 4th holiday. The day of the audit, our air conditioning unit started failing. Within a day or two, it failed completely. After the company we previously had a service contract with said the unit was not repairable and needed to be replaced, I tried to get a hold of **. [redacted] in order to figure out how we were going to proceed while remaining within the bounds of the New Jersey Energy Audit program such that I would qualify for the rebate and interest free financing that I required in order to afford a new HVAC system.

At this time **. [redacted] was very unavailable. It took multiple calls from me and my wife in order to get a hold of him. When I did, he sent out a team from an HVAC subcontractor who had misinformation regarding our situation. After waiting for him to call his boss and talk to whomever he needed to at the Mark Group, he tried to fix our existing AC unit but said there was no guarantee it would continue working long enough until a replacement unit could be installed. Given the difficulty of getting a hold of the Mark Group, and the impending heat of the heat wave we faced in early July, my wife and I explored other options to rectify the situation such that we could stay in our house with our two small children (4 and 2). Luckily, another HVAC company, [redacted] Plumbing, Heating and Cooling, was able to come out and provide an estimate, work up the numbers and even provide a temporary AC unit within 24 hours to allow us to stay in the house until all the paperwork was processed through the NJ program. Given their willingness to help us, and quick turnaround, I was forced to go with [redacted] over the Mark Group. I spoke to **. [redacted] after my wife and I made this decision, and he was apologetic and said he would do what he could to get the deposit back.

After waiting a month and not hearing from **. [redacted], I called him last week to try and find out what was going on. After not hearing back from him after leaving him a voicemail, I spoke to his superior, who promised he would call me this Monday (8/26) with an update. I finally spoke to him today (8/27), and he informed me that the Mark Group would not be refunding my deposit.

Overall, I found the customer support from the Mark Group to be unsatisfactory and unprofessional. I was given an excuse that because the problem happened around the July 4th holiday that there was nothing they could do. Given that one of their competitors stepped up and was able to help, I cannot accept that as a valid reason for not refunding my deposit.Desired Settlement: I would like to receive a refund for the $99.00 that I paid to the Mark Group.

Business

Response:

I left the customer a voice-mail and responded by email. Mark Group will refund the $99 deposit.

Please let me know if you have any additional questions.

###-###-####

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. I will await my refund and be sure to speak up if I don't receive it.

Regards,

Review: I cancelled service but have not received my deposit of $1200 back although I have contacted the sales man and the company several times. The check was cashed even though I decided to cancel the service.Desired Settlement: I would like the money returned via check.