Pro-Tech Chimney Cleaning & Repairs LLC

Good morning, we spoke with [redacted] last week and are scheduled to return and assess the issue today 5/There was some apparent miscommunication as we had every intent to return however per her message (a text that we have on file) she was to be on jury duty the week of may 9th and would reach out to us when availablr to scheduleUpon receipt of this Revdex.com notification we reached out immediately to schedule with [redacted] when she agreed to todayWe stand by ourwarranties 100% and would never leave a customer unsatisfiedWe hope this conplaint can be remived and encourage Revdex.com to reach out to Ms [redacted] to confirm the information we have providedThank you!sincerely, ProTech Chimney

Complaint: [redacted] I am rejecting this response because I immediately responded to the business to resolve the issue with no responseThey misrepresented the work they were doing and at no point during the visit or after was it mentioned that there would not be a cageAgain, we never touched the damper and it is the fault of their installermy response:From: " [redacted] Date: Nov 30, 7:AMSubject: Re: [redacted] ***To: "Pro-Tech Chimney" < [redacted] Cc: Hello,So I'm assuming at this point there will be no phone call Never in my life have I ever received such a rude, disrespectful, and unprofessional email, ever And I'm in the mortgage business, I've sure had my fare share of rude responses Let me read through this mess and attempt to address your concerns at each point I think it's safe to say based on the tone of this email, I can understand why the second guy felt it acceptable to give an attitude to my wife after we experienced a home fire 1) That pressured, pitty party you speak of, can also be found in many of your company's reviews on Yelp and Google Reviews Go check them out, but I'm sure they're all just looking for a pitty party too, huh? It was a $chimney cleaning that turned into a $repair, which I am fine with, except when I find out it's for some small concrete work and a $150-damper (not a cap) Nowhere in the invoice is it mentioned that there would not be a cage around the cap Nowhere in our conversations was the cap ever discussed, only the damper You're smart enough to know that, previously, we had a caged cap with a damper When the guy says he's replacing the damper, I expect him to replace the damper and to replace the caged cap with the that was there or a brand new one (at a charge) The caged cap is pretty industry standard because just about every single house has one, but I'm not the expert, right? You even said in your email, "If you for some reason would like to change out that style damper to a different style with a cap." So you're saying the damper installed doesn't have a cap? Shame on me for trusting that and shame on me for not checking the reviews While I understand that people complain just to complain, I think you would have been able to tell from my tone of voice that I am not looking for freebies and handouts, I'm only looking for honesty and integrity I'm guessing we can just throw that idea up the chimney.2) As far as the disparaging comments about the damper, these are the words of the [redacted] Fire Department and countless reviews As I mentioned in my initial email, after your guys left the first time we NEVER touched the damper system Of course the second guy is going to see the damper open, we just had a fire! The fire company opened it so that the remaining soot and ash inside would finish burning It was soon after that we immediately called you out and it has been closed ever since Please note - I do not have a wood burning fireplace as you have mentioned throughout your email, I have a gas fireplace that requires venting My assumption would be that the first group left it open more open than they should, but what do I know?3) Again, if you would call someone back instead of cowardly hiding behind an email, I would have detailed that no, I didn't find the "cheapest one" out there I compared the pictures of what was sent to what I found online and at [redacted] the damper was about $150-200, right? Though I would think you could get it for a bit cheaper for bulk or contractors pricing But again, exactly as you said and as I have said, it's a damper Your exact words, "The correct name for this "cheap piece of metal" is called a stainless steel lock-Top chimney damper." See? Damper, not cap Throughout your email you even call it a damper, because it is a damper, not a cap It is not a cap The technician at [redacted] advised to get a cap, the people at [redacted] advised to get a cap, and just about every other chimney-parts website that sells that similar product advises to get a cap.4) You are so quick to say, "We have installed thousands of these units with no problems as they actually follow the instructions that were given to them" and yes, we did follow the instructions At no point in time did I attempt to touch the damper system between the time your first team came out to do the install (in September when it was warm) and the second time when they were to clean up the fire mess they caused I don't know how I can make that any more clear As far as my wife and the wise cracks? Do you think, maybe, it could be perhaps because we just had a small fire in our house while our children were home and the cause was because we trusted the work of a "licensed, certified professional"? I'm sure you have the license and certification, but I'm beginning to question the professional part 5) If we were in any way responsible for what happened, if I had changed the setting on that damper for any reason, I would 100% have contacted your company to come back out and do the cleaning at a charge I have no issue paying for quality services that are performed on my home The problems, for me, arises when the [redacted] FIRE DEPARTMENT (!) questions the integrity of the product When the [redacted] FIRE DEPARTMENT (!) openly asks where the cap is and why a cap is not present, I begin to question the integrity of the company.6) The end of your email sure made me smile Yes, the tech took pictures of the work, I have them too, and the damper is wide open There sure is no proof that he closed it, is there? I have the [redacted] Fire Department asking where the cap is, what do you have? I am not looking for a fight or an argument or a legal battle of any kind I simply asked to speak to someone to discuss this matter and knew that stating I would contact an attorney would illicit a response I sure was right on that one, but I expected a call, not an email The cleaning was $45, the installed damper is MAYBE $(which I'm sure you get cheaper), the bag of concrete is about $50, the guys were there the first time for about hours ($100/hr [redacted] = $300) Not even $for a $bill Do me a favor and tip that second guy for me, will ya?Here are the few I found Let me know how far off I am I'd sure love to know [redacted] With your response to my email, as jumbled and awkward and unprofessional as it is, and for the quality of garbage you are installing on people's homes, I can understand why you're spending so much money on attorneys and retainers Being a coward and hiding behind email shows exactly the kind of company you are I have called twice requesting to speak someone with no response And to receive the email response that I did, at 2am, is absolutely unbelievable I would be fired from my job if I responded to a customer like that I'm glad to see customer service isn't high on your priority list [redacted]

I first used this company two years ago in November My wife and I had moved into our house in July of that year and I wanted to get the fireplace inspected and cleaned if necessary I saw Pro-Tech's coupon for a $chimney cleaning and called them The guy who came out looked at my chimney, inside and out, as well as the chase cover and cap He said he could see signs of water damage from some time ago but that it had been repaired (I've since confirmed that through my own inspection) There was no creosote in the fireplace and the chimney and "caps" looked good He recommended I call for a cleaning in and left without charging me Needless to say, this was a very pleasant experience for me and I saved the coupon and self-written notes from the inspection (he didn't leave me any kind of work order)I had another inspection today (11/18/16) that was quite different When I called to make my appointment I was given a 9am-12pm window and was told I'd get a call that morning before they came out Instead, I got a knock on my door at 8am! There were two guys this time One spent about minutes inside with a vacuum, loudly opening and closing the flue repeatedly The other worker went outside to look at the chimney He was on my roof for no longer than a few minutes before he came back down with photos of my chase cover He claimed it was damaged and needed to be replaced for $ The other option was for them to "seal" it which would provide me with a year warranty against leaks That would cost me $if I paid cash today and would include the inspection/cleaning and some cement for the small cracks in the interior of the fireplace He kept talking about how important it was that I get this done, despite me telling him what his co-worked told me two years earlier I went up on the roof to see for myselfMy chase cover wasn't in perfect condition by any means but I could not see any holes, cracks or leaks as he insisted At one point, he leaned dangerously close to the edge of the roof to point to the other side of the cover (which no one could see!!) and claimed there was a crack there He kept saying that if I don't have the work done he'll have to "fail" meAll of the above cost me $ The two of them were here for maybe minutes, with about minutes spent on writing the work order up, putting their ladder on the truck, etc I've had fireplace cleanings in the past and the guy who did it spent a good minutes actually cleaningAfter they left I looked up my fireplace and saw that 1) it is very clean with hardly any buildup of creosote on the sides of the flue and 2) what creosote was there, at least at the bottom of the flue, flaked off like dust with my fingers I could see a few random brush marks on the flue but it was very obvious to me that a cleaning wasn't necessary to begin with Even if it was, it wasn't done properlyI was ripped off for $ The only silver lining is that I wasn't foolish enough to go for their pitch for repairsI opted not to do the work because I felt surprised, pressured and just plain uneasy about what this guy was telling me

After reading the consumers response we feel this obviously is going to remain a he said/she said battleTo clarify paperwork concerns, if a consumer denies a recommendation/work on the spot, we have no reason to write up an estimateAnd to prevent further defamation of our character as now being accused of having lack of knowledge etc, we will go ahead and refund the $Our company has extreme knowledge in the business, a plethora of positive reviews to showcase our knowledge and work performance; are certified with [redacted] and as stated before, have plenty of customers who have had chemical cleanings performed by usOur company strives for customer satisfaction therefore we see the only way to correct/resolve this for the consumer is to send the refundIt will be sent out todayThank you

[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 *** and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me
Regards,
*** ***

Good morning, we spoke with *** last week and are scheduled to return and assess the issue today 5/There was some apparent miscommunication as we had every intent to return however per her message (a text that we have on file) she was to be on jury duty the week of may 9th and would reach out
to us when availablr to scheduleUpon receipt of this Revdex.com notification we reached out immediately to schedule with *** when she agreed to todayWe stand by ourwarranties 100% and would never leave a customer unsatisfiedWe hope this conplaint can be remived and encourage Revdex.com to reach out to Ms *** to confirm the information we have providedThank you!sincerely,ProTech Chimney

The consumer contacted our company for a chimney cleaning & inspectionUpon the inspection, the existing damper was already not opening/closing properlyIt is a concern and prohibits the passing of our 12-point inspectionWe cannot bypass his issue and sign off an inspection as if there is a
severe issue of any kind then we can be held liableWe have provided the receipt showcasing the customer signing off not once but twice, especially where he understands the unit being unsatisfactory (attached)If it is the phone call we remember, yes, the consumer contacted the office irate and unruly not identifying himself or what the call was in reference to; he was extremely rude and despite no one hung up on him as describedWe have every right to monitor and treat our calls accordinglyIn addition the information he was looking for can be found easily on public records both the NJ Consumer Affairs, we are not looking to hide information that is fully disclosed to the public already.we do not appreciate the vulgar review and request the contents be removedIn good faith the customer will be refunded to avoid any additional ridiculous actions taken by him falsely defaming our organizations character. please consider this matter resolved and ask that you remove his comments. Thank you,ProTech Chimney

Complaint: ***
I am rejecting this response because:
I just received your voicemailPlease reopen the case with the text below as a rebuttal:
My primary issue is that the the sweeping fee is to include an inspection which was not adequately performedOn the first visit, no mention was given to any blockage in the chimneyThis is a concern because it would take only one night of a excessive smoke in the house to seriously injure or kill due to carbon monoxide poisoningUpon calling Pro-Tech back, I was first told the excessive smoke was caused by my removal of the stove pipeOn my request, Pro-Tech further inspected and notified me of the glazed creosoteHowever I was not informed that the chimney was completely blocked, which means it would not have been possible for the chimney to have been fully cleaned on the first visitAgain, no issue was mentioned after the first cleaningA picture I took up the chimney a day or two after Pro-Tech came a second time shows a total blockage, which should have been easily seen in inspecting the chimney in either visitThat picture can be seen here: *** Additionally, I cleared the blockage myself, which suggests the procedure could have been performed by Pro-TechI credit Pro-Tech with coming back, but the inspection was again unsatisfactory, and it would not have been necessary for a second visit if the first cleaning and inspection was adequately performed
The response to my complaint states that a chemical service was denied by the customer to resolve the issue. This is unfortunately not true as chemical cleaning is not a service offered by Pro-TechFor avoidance of doubt, it can be seen on their website that a chemical cleaning is not a service listedAs not many companies offer a chemical cleaning, this is an important differentiator that would be mentioned if it was offeredI was actually told that another company would need to perform the serviceThis statement appears minor, but it suggests that I was unwilling to take the necessary measures offered to fully clean the chimneyIt also calls into question Pro-Tech's integrity and the validity of their response
On Sat, Dec 6, at 10:AM, *** *** wrote:
I did not see that a response was needed from me in regards to this case due to the holidays, and the case has been closedWill you please reopen so that I may respond to the business? They did not adequately resolve, and their response does not address my issuePlease see below for my response to judge the validity of reopeningI will also post formally if reopened
My primary issue is that the the sweeping fee is to include an inspection which was not adequately performedOn the first visit, no mention was given to any blockage in the chimneyThis is a concern because it would take only one night of a excessive smoke in the house to seriously injure or kill due to carbon monoxide poisoningUpon calling Pro-Tech back, I was first told the excessive smoke was caused by my removal of the stove pipeOn my request, Pro-Tech further inspected and notified me of the glazed creosoteHowever I was not informed that the chimney was completely blocked, which means it would not have been possible for the chimney to have been fully cleaned on the first visitAgain, no issue was mentioned after the first cleaningA picture I took up the chimney a day or two after Pro-Tech came a second time shows a total blockage, which should have been easily seen in inspecting the chimney in either visitThat picture can be seen here: *** Additionally, I cleared the blockage myself, which suggests the procedure could have been performed by Pro-TechI credit Pro-Tech with coming back, but the inspection was again unsatisfactory, and it would not have been necessary for a second visit if the first cleaning and inspection was adequately performed
The response to my complaint states that a chemical service was denied by the customer to resolve the issue. This is unfortunately not true as chemical cleaning is not a service offered by Pro-TechFor avoidance of doubt, it can be seen on their website that a chemical cleaning is not a service listedAs not many companies offer a chemical cleaning, this is an important differentiator that would be mentioned if it was offeredI was actually told that another company would need to perform the serviceThis statement appears minor, but it suggests that I as the consumer was unwilling to take the necessary measures offered to fully clean the chimneyIt also calls into question Pro-Tech's integrity and the validity of their response
Thanks,
***
Regards,
*** ***

Good morning, we spoke with [redacted] last week and are scheduled to return and assess the issue today 5/31. There was some apparent miscommunication as we had every intent to return however per her message (a text that we have on file) she was to be on jury duty the week of may 9th and would...

reach out to us when availablr to schedule. Upon receipt of this Revdex.com notification we reached out immediately to schedule with [redacted] when she agreed to today. We stand by ourwarranties 100% and would never leave a customer unsatisfied. We hope this conplaint can be remived and encourage Revdex.com to reach out to Ms [redacted] to confirm the information we have provided. Thank you!sincerely,
ProTech Chimney

Good Morning,The consumers latest comments are false and ludicrous. We absolutely provide/conduct chemical cleanings. We will be more than happy to provide Revdex.com with customer references within the last 60 days where chemical cleanings were conducted. We can only put so many characters in our advertisements, the fact that it may not be listed in our ads or website does not mean we do not offer/provide the service(s), one should not assume. The consumer declined the recommended service, its obvious in the pictures he provided a chemical cleaning is/was necessary to rid buildup/creosote. We made two service calls only charged for the first, consumer declined work which is no fault of ours. Clear case of consumers wanting services for free, we made a second visit at no charge therefore we are not offering a refund.Please advise if additional information is needed.Thank you.

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because I immediately responded to the business to resolve the issue with no response. They misrepresented the work they were doing and at no point during the visit or after was it mentioned that there would not be a cage. Again, we never touched the damper and it is the fault of their installer. my response:From: "[redacted]Date: Nov 30, 2016 7:25 AMSubject: Re: [redacted]To: "Pro-Tech Chimney" <[redacted]Cc: Hello,So I'm assuming at this point there will be no phone call.  Never in my life have I ever received such a rude, disrespectful, and unprofessional email, ever.  And I'm in the mortgage business, I've sure had my fare share of rude responses.  Let me read through this mess and attempt to address your concerns at each point.  I think it's safe to say based on the tone of this email, I can understand why the second guy felt it acceptable to give an attitude to my wife after we experienced a home fire.  1) That pressured, pitty party you speak of, can also be found in many of your company's reviews on Yelp and Google Reviews.  Go check them out, but I'm sure they're all just looking for a pitty party too, huh?  It was a $45 chimney cleaning that turned into a $700 repair, which I am fine with, except when I find out it's for some small concrete work and a $150-200 damper (not a cap).  Nowhere in the invoice is it mentioned that there would not be a cage around the cap.  Nowhere in our conversations was the cap ever discussed, only the damper.  You're smart enough to know that, previously, we had a caged cap with a damper.  When the guy says he's replacing the damper, I expect him to replace the damper and to replace the caged cap with the that was there or a brand new one (at a charge).  The caged cap is pretty industry standard because just about every single house has one, but I'm not the expert, right?  You even said in your email, "If you for some reason would like to change out that style damper to a different style with a cap."  So you're saying the damper installed doesn't have a cap?  Shame on me for trusting that and shame on me for not checking the reviews.  While I understand that people complain just to complain, I think you would have been able to tell from my tone of voice that I am not looking for freebies and handouts, I'm only looking for honesty and integrity.  I'm guessing we can just throw that idea up the chimney.2) As far as the disparaging comments about the damper, these are the words of the [redacted] Fire Department and countless reviews.  As I mentioned in my initial email, after your guys left the first time we NEVER touched the damper system.  Of course the second guy is going to see the damper open, we just had a fire!  The fire company opened it so that the remaining soot and ash inside would finish burning.  It was soon after that we immediately called you out and it has been closed ever since.  Please note - I do not have a wood burning fireplace as you have mentioned throughout your email, I have a gas fireplace that requires venting.  My assumption would be that the first group left it open more open than they should, but what do I know?3) Again, if you would call someone back instead of cowardly hiding behind an email, I would have detailed that no, I didn't find the "cheapest one" out there.  I compared the pictures of what was sent to what I found online and at [redacted] the damper was about $150-200, right?  Though I would think you could get it for a bit cheaper for bulk or contractors pricing.  But again, exactly as you said and as I have said, it's a damper.  Your exact words, "The correct name for this "cheap piece of metal" is called a stainless steel lock-Top chimney damper."  See?  Damper, not cap.  Throughout your email you even call it a damper, because it is a damper, not a cap.  It is not a cap.  The technician at [redacted] advised to get a cap, the people at [redacted] advised to get a cap, and just about every other chimney-parts website that sells that similar product advises to get a cap.4) You are so quick to say, "We have installed thousands of these units with no problems as they actually follow the instructions that were given to them" and yes, we did follow the instructions.  At no point in time did I attempt to touch the damper system between the time your first team came out to do the install (in September when it was warm) and the second time when they were to clean up the fire mess they caused.  I don't know how I can make that any more clear.  As far as my wife and the wise cracks?  Do you think, maybe, it could be perhaps because we just had a small fire in our house while our children were home and the cause was because we trusted the work of a "licensed, certified professional"?  I'm sure you have the license and certification, but I'm beginning to question the professional part.  5) If we were in any way responsible for what happened, if I had changed the setting on that damper for any reason, I would 100% have contacted your company to come back out and do the cleaning at a charge.  I have no issue paying for quality services that are performed on my home.  The problems, for me, arises when the [redacted] FIRE DEPARTMENT (!) questions the integrity of the product.  When the [redacted] FIRE DEPARTMENT (!) openly asks where the cap is and why a cap is not present, I begin to question the integrity of the company.6) The end of your email sure made me smile.  Yes, the tech took pictures of the work, I have them too, and the damper is wide open.  There sure is no proof that he closed it, is there?  I have the [redacted] Fire Department asking where the cap is, what do you have?  I am not looking for a fight or an argument or a legal battle of any kind.  I simply asked to speak to someone to discuss this matter and knew that stating I would contact an attorney would illicit a response.  I sure was right on that one, but I expected a call, not an email.  The cleaning was $45, the installed damper is MAYBE $200 (which I'm sure you get cheaper), the bag of concrete is about $50, the guys were there the first time for about 3 hours ($100/hr * 3 = $300).  Not even $550 for a $700 bill.  Do me a favor and tip that second guy for me, will ya?Here are the few I found.  Let me know how far off I am.  I'd sure love to know[redacted]
[redacted]
With your response to my email, as jumbled and awkward and unprofessional as it is, and for the quality of garbage you are installing on people's homes, I can understand why you're spending so much money on attorneys and retainers.  Being a coward and hiding behind email shows exactly the kind of company you are.  I have called twice requesting to speak someone with no response.  And to receive the email response that I did, at 2am, is absolutely unbelievable.  I would be fired from my job if I responded to a customer like that.  I'm glad to see customer service isn't high on your priority list.  [redacted]

We have successfully contacted the consumer and satisfactorily resolved this directly. Please let us know if you need any additional information.Thank you so much!

Good morning, as we have already conveyed to the consumer the newly installed damper was left open due to user error and as a COURTESY we immediately had our technician back retirn to clean up the result of their error at no charge as they even complained there was dust on their logs after?.? As...

already offered to [redacted] if he wants wants a cap to put over the damper (thatis not necessary when the damper is used to properly) then we can do so and will charge simply the difference from original work completed, [redacted] has not responded since the suggestion was presented. The work performed was done sufficieny and efficiently, we do not pressure our client to purchase any service; our prices do not increased"significantly" if a consumer decides to not purchase at the present time we simply run & have advertised promotions that do expire like most well established companies that publicly advertise. We cannot speak for the [redacted] Fire Marshall as we were not present during their visit however a cap in addition to a top locking damper system installed is not a requirememt not necessary when the damper is used correctly. We await [redacted]s response to our offering to replace the damper per his preference. Thank you.@

After reading the consumers response we feel this obviously is going to remain a he said/she said battle. To clarify paperwork concerns, if a consumer denies a recommendation/work on the spot, we have no reason to write up an estimate. And to prevent further defamation of our character as now being accused of having lack of knowledge etc, we will go ahead and refund the $129.00. Our company has extreme knowledge in the business, a plethora of positive reviews to showcase our knowledge and work performance; are certified with [redacted] and as stated before, have plenty of customers who have had chemical cleanings performed by us. Our company strives for customer satisfaction therefore we see the only way to correct/resolve this for the consumer is to send the refund. It will be sent out today. Thank you.

Good Afternoon,Yes, the consumer had a more than normal soot buildup inclusive of glazed creosote due to cleaning neglect in the past. A chemical cleaning was recommended to the consumer as additional time and materials were required to rid the excessive buildup that exists. As there is a...

surcharge for this process, the service was denied. A normal cleaning would rid your average soot/debris buildup however this was not average nor normal due to the neglect. It would take more time and chemicals to remove the debris effectively. The fee of $129.00 includes the wood stove cleaning and inspection, which indeed took place as upon the inspection the technician advised the buildup concern and solution to resolve, but again, the service was denied by the consumer. Kindly note we did make two trips regardless costing us more time and money as there was no fee charged for the second visit. Please advise if any additional information is needed.Thank you!Pro-Tech Chimney Cleaning & Repairs LLC

I first used this company two years ago in November 2014. My wife and I had moved into our house in July of that year and I wanted to get the fireplace inspected and cleaned if necessary. I saw Pro-Tech's coupon for a $45 chimney cleaning and called them. The guy who came out looked at my chimney, inside and out, as well as the chase cover and cap. He said he could see signs of water damage from some time ago but that it had been repaired (I've since confirmed that through my own inspection). There was no creosote in the fireplace and the chimney and "caps" looked good. He recommended I call for a cleaning in 2016 and left without charging me. Needless to say, this was a very pleasant experience for me and I saved the coupon and self-written notes from the inspection (he didn't leave me any kind of work order).
I had another inspection today (11/18/16) that was quite different. When I called to make my appointment I was given a 9am-12pm window and was told I'd get a call that morning before they came out. Instead, I got a knock on my door at 8am! There were two guys this time. One spent about 10 minutes inside with a vacuum, loudly opening and closing the flue repeatedly. The other worker went outside to look at the chimney. He was on my roof for no longer than a few minutes before he came back down with photos of my chase cover. He claimed it was damaged and needed to be replaced for $2000. The other option was for them to "seal" it which would provide me with a 10 year warranty against leaks. That would cost me $550 if I paid cash today and would include the inspection/cleaning and some cement for the small cracks in the interior of the fireplace. He kept talking about how important it was that I get this done, despite me telling him what his co-worked told me two years earlier. I went up on the roof to see for myself.
My chase cover wasn't in perfect condition by any means but I could not see any holes, cracks or leaks as he insisted. At one point, he leaned dangerously close to the edge of the roof to point to the other side of the cover (which no one could see!!) and claimed there was a crack there. He kept saying that if I don't have the work done he'll have to "fail" me.
All of the above cost me $89. The two of them were here for maybe 20 minutes, with about 5 minutes spent on writing the work order up, putting their ladder on the truck, etc. I've had fireplace cleanings in the past and the guy who did it spent a good 45 minutes actually cleaning.
After they left I looked up my fireplace and saw that 1) it is very clean with hardly any buildup of creosote on the sides of the flue and 2) what creosote was there, at least at the bottom of the flue, flaked off like dust with my fingers. I could see a few random brush marks on the flue but it was very obvious to me that a cleaning wasn't necessary to begin with. Even if it was, it wasn't done properly.
I was ripped off for $89. The only silver lining is that I wasn't foolish enough to go for their pitch for repairs.
I opted not to do the work because I felt surprised, pressured and just plain uneasy about what this guy was telling me