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Reviews Willowbrook Design

Willowbrook Design Reviews (4)

Revdex.com: We have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] , and have determined that this does not resolve our complaint *Note: All exhibit references are not attached to this media response as there is not sufficient space providedAn e-mail has been sent to the Revdex.com representative assigned this case, [redacted] , with all exhibits[redacted] Allow us to first address some of the issues raised by Willowbrook in their responseTo assist with clarity, Willowbrook remarks are in blue, copied directly from their response to the Revdex.com complaint letter or email communicationsEmail communications are from [redacted] of Willowbrook Design, who is the designer of our project Willowbrook Revdex.com Letter Regarding specific accusations: during design sessions, and from time to time, they were made fully aware of budget increases as they continued to make decisions That is a client’s prerogative Our Response: This is a correct statementWe were made aware of budget increases throughout the entire process except with regard to the increases of the countertops, which was never discussed In an e-mail from [redacted] of Willowbrook on May 2, 2013, [redacted] wrote: “Got both quotes in from the installers and working that all together with the other numbers – developing the budget for you to review Still waiting on the quote from wood countertop people for the raised part of the island, but that should be around shortly.“ (See e-mail attachment marked Exhibit 1.) Our contention is the quote from the “wood countertop people” was subsequently used to fashion that part of the projected budget provided on May 8, We wouldn’t expect that budgeted projections are built without real numbers in mindWhile we completely understand “projections” and “allowances given” as being flexible terms, there was input from the vendor at that time to establish cost based on the design provided by Willowbrook (See e-mail attachment marked Exhibit 2.) It is important to note that the countertop quote at this time was based on Willowbrook design drawings that represent a larger wood countertop by approximately inches in width and five inches in length from the final installed productThe final product shape is nearly identical to the original drawings The quartz counter tops were also reduced in size from original drawings by approximately four square feet yet their cost rose from the projectionEverything in the original projection was the same except for the reduction in square footageIn a January 20, 2014, e-mail of explanation, Willowbrook writes: “Quartz: So, it was determined that additional sq ft were required to make the seams fall correctly.” That is an expensive square footAnd there are only two small seams that are less than two inches each in the entire amount of quartz (See e-mail attachment marked Exhibit 3.) Willowbrook Revdex.com Letter The best projects happen when clients are NOT involved in the designThese clients guessed, re-guessed, and overthought every decision Experience says that when these types of behaviors are present, its time to document everything After each session, copious notes were taken showing the configuration and transition of each cabinet At one point, they had changed three times every cabinet in the layout with only a few exceptionsIn the end, they had no idea where they had finalized The notes that were taken became the default position, and on that basis the job was carefully ordered When it arrived, they convinced themselves they were all design errors Our Response: This is quite confusing with respect to not being involvedWe were very thorough in making this design what we wanted it to be especially in light of the dollar amounts involvedWe did make changes as we continued through the design process with Willowbrook as a willing partnerThe more we learned, the better prepared we became to make better decisions for our projectIt was a collaborative effort between us and WillowbrookAs we continued through the process it became apparent that we needed to be more involved As we began to find flaws in the measurements from the Willowbrook design, we increased our vigilance of double-checking everything that was being done and stayed involved in the project to ensure that it was completed to our satisfaction Every design issue that we discovered was brought to the attention of Willowbrook immediately for resolution before any product was ordered Several of these issues included: Willowbrook elongated a wall not authorized by the customer that would have prevented proper access to a laundry room and the ability to replace any of the appliances in that room Had we not caught this error in measurement prior to the ordering of cabinetry, the entire wall unit of 162” would have had to be reordered We had to reduce the original Willowbrook design of 168” by six inches to make it fit properly on the existing wall without hindering laundry room access Willowbrook built out another wall by six inches Had they done proper measurements they would have realized the error early on We caught the error, communicated to Willowbrook and the contractor, preventing the contractor from doing additional unnecessary workThis build-out remained on the final architectural drawings given to the contractor by Willowbrook A bar area was initially presented to the customer to extend an entire wall length, which would have interfered with accessibility to a back door along with being a fire hazard Again, customer involvement prevented this area from being over-extended As initial drawings of April 23, 2013, were finalized in May, any subsequent changes were minimal, and final revisions were confirmed via an e-mail dated June 20, This was prior to the cabinet order being submitted to [redacted] Upon cabinet delivery in September, several cabinets that were delivered came with errorsBecause of a multitude of delays the errors were not evident until October 8, 2013, when placement beganThose errors included the following, which are all documented in an e-mail from Willowbrook dated October 11, (See e-mail attachment marked Exhibit 4.) *Note: Our comments are in red in this email[redacted] One base cabinet had the incorrect drawer configuration One upper bar cabinet had no extended wall piece and one came with no finished end One base bar cabinet had no pull out shelf One base cabinet came missing a drawer One base cabinet came missing the additional 3” solid base that was to be used for support of the wood countertop One base cabinet came with the incorrect drawer/door configuration of a matching adjacent base cabinetIt was also missing the appropriate hardware for the pullout drawer to function properly One base cabinet designed to be 18” wide came as a 21” cabinet The delivery of these cabinets was received and signed for by a representative of Willowbrook, [redacted] These were errors not of our imagination and not because changes were made after the cabinet order was placed, but errors either in order or fulfillment completely resting on Willowbrook and/or their cabinet partner Willowbrook Revdex.com Letter Further, no company, unless they are somehow affiliated with government contracts, has to show any of their cost invoices to any client Our Response: While this statement has no impact on our situation it is blatantly falseThere is a pattern of statements and inaccuracies that we will address further throughout our response Willowbrook Revdex.com Letter The homeowners were never provided a hard number as to the length of time the project would take; something else that is not done “in the industry”There may have been given an approximate length of time discussed, but its impossible to quote this firmly before a job even begins Our Response: In an e-mail reply from Willowbrook dated July 8, 2013, a timeline was offered: “Just spoke with Buck and he says he can start as early as the week that you’re away, if you like *Insert to add the week referenced above is July 14-21, Just because he and I have been through so many of these, we were just trying to be sensitive to you guys – and the kids – and trying not to inconvenience you as much as possible That’s why we were leaving open the option to move the tear out back a little But, he says he can start wheneverJust say what you’d like to doHe needs about weeks for prep, plus something less than a week to set all cabinets As soon as he has the bases set – which is the first thing to happen - we will get the top fabricators lined up for the top templates They generally are about weeks to fabricate then .So, we’ll be working toward having things pretty much buttoned up by the time school begins.” *Insert to add the first day of school was Monday, August 26, (See e-mail attachment marked Exhibit 5.) The period of time referenced by Willowbrook is approximately six weeksOur personal experience told us to expect longer, and conversations with the contractor, recommended by Willowbrook, confirmed our expectation of an additional two or three weeks Willowbrook Revdex.com Letter Please note that no mention was made of time passing while the deal they got on the hardwood materialized; thereby delaying the project, for instance Our Response: This is another completely statementThe hardwood flooring was ordered on May 29, The vendor was able to hold shipment of the product until requestedShipment was received the week of September 1, 2013, and the pallet spent the next several weeks in the garage of our home before it was installed in October Willowbrook Revdex.com Letter The reason that the homeowner had a quotation from our wooden countertop vendor was not that he innocently happen to contact them In fact, we cooperatively loaned our samples for them to consider in their home All vendor contact information is clearly marked on the sample He contacted the company directly, and as is their standard procedure, they simply gave him a ballpark number for the approximate size of the wooden top, and then promptly referred them to their local dealer Our Response: Again this is a statementThe vendor, [redacted] , was contacted via phone in early OctoberA quote was received from [redacted] on October 8, (See e-mail attachment marked Exhibit 6.) This was during a three-week period of zero communication from WillowbrookWe became very concerned and believed the project was being neglected by WillowbrookIn an attempt to finish the project prior to Thanksgiving, we began to research how we were able to complete the project on time if Willowbrook was dropping the ballIt was purely coincidental that the same vendor that we reached out to was the vendor Willowbrook was usingIn addition, when we contacted [redacted] , we advised that we were using Willowbrook [redacted] indicated that they had worked with Willowbrook before but didn’t have anything in the works with them for our project at that time [redacted] did not refer us to our local dealer and provided a quote directly to us The first mention of wood samples was in an e-mail from Willowbrook on Friday, October 11, 2013: “If you want to see edges in person, I have them here and/or will bring over Can do that when I bring over wood top samples, if you like when can we do that?” (See e-mail attachment marked Exhibit 7.) Another e-mail of Monday, October 14, 2013, had still not produced wood samples: “Wood Top/Edge: I can also loan you some wood tops and edge profiles so you can have a look at those too We’ll need to submit this template by Friday as their lead time is 2-weeks making it week of 11/11for completion.” (See e-mail attachment marked Exhibit 8.) Willowbrook Revdex.com Letter In the end, this is what the clients were charged; exactly what they had agreed to in the contractan allowance Our Response: We were not charged what was in the contractWe were charged a rate 35% higher than was in the contract for all the countertopsThe original contract for the entire project of cabinetry and countertop material was $40,plus freightWith agreed-upon changes that altered any budgeted amounts, as Willowbrook stated in the fourth paragraph of their response, the end pricing (eliminating the $2,that is being contended) was $47, We have paid this entire amount to Willowbrook because this was the contract and all of the agreed-upon changes It is also important to note that when we initially hired Willowbrook, we indicated that we didn’t want to go over $70,for the entire project, which would have included flooring, appliances, hardware, and the contractor fee With spending almost $50k to Willowbrook for design, cabinets, and countertops, the budget was already $40k over our initial request Regarding the discrepancy of the countertops, we received an e-mail from Willowbrook on Monday, October 28, 2013, that included a conceptual drawing of the revised wood top with the following message: “Is this what you guys want? Pls confirm and I’ll send it in for pricing tkx (See e-mail attachment marked Exhibit 9.) Although Willowbrook mentions that they were sending the spec in for pricing, the final pricing was never discussed further with us for approval or the opportunity to change and remain consistent with the budgeted allowanceAgain, in the Willowbrook response fourth paragraph, Willowbrook states that ‘they were fully aware of budget increases’ – this particular item difference was never communicated to us for agreement or change Willowbrook Revdex.com Letter As to the issue of why they did not hear the final quotations on the countertops, they are perfectly aware In an effort to make this critical deadline and to finally satisfy them, we pushed ahead to get the installation wrapped up I gave the direction to proceed as I entered the hospital for major surgery in early November, and there was no one available to monitor this issue for some time Additionally, because the verbiage on both the budget and contract clearly states “allowance given” for the countertop line item (see attached), it certainly didn’t even seem to be an issue Our Response: This is a critical error of assumptionBudgets, quotes, changes, more changes, and money were always discussed for more than six months during planning and development Willowbrook has acknowledged that (again, refer to paragraph four of their response)They also acknowledge above that these changes in billing for the countertops were not discussedWillowbrook above states that ‘there was no one available to monitor this issue for some time.’ That is not an acceptable excuseWillowbrook is more than one personThey also signed a contract with us to complete the job to our satisfaction This is their job, there are other people that work in the company, and they failed to maintain their end of the contract as such and admit to it Willowbrook Revdex.com Letter The first order of business after returning to work, which wasn’t until January, was to answer their questions regarding these issues Although the explanations were quite clear, there was no response at all It wasn’t until May that a partial check was received then questioning the answers sent to them in January Our Response: This is not at all accurate and another statement from WillowbrookOur communications with Willowbrook regarding the final balance and payment actually goes back to November when in a November 12, 2013, e-mail it was requested that full payment was now dueIn reply on November 14, we again explained our dissatisfaction with this rush finish and the incomplete work still remainingWe were withholding the final payment until the project was completed to our satisfaction (See e-mail attachment marked Exhibit 10.) December 10, 2013, produced a request for final paymentWe replied on December 12, pointing out an error in taxation that was being double billed and the overbilling of countertops (See e-mail attachment marked Exhibit 11.) Willowbrook’s January e-mail, as noted in their Revdex.com letter, was received on January 20, (See e-mail attachment marked Exhibit 3.) We in turn replied on February 28, 2014, (See e-mail attachment marked Exhibit 12.) with a $1,check as a good-faith deposit until Willowbrook resolved the outstanding issues that would complete the projectOur kitchen was still not satisfactorily complete, and the letter outlined the items that remained in need of repair, as well as, our dispute with their unilateral decision to spend additional monies never communicated to us with regard to the countertops Throughout there continued to be problems with the wood countertop installationSmall spherical supports were used to support the edge of wood top above the quartz topThese were attached via silicone caulk and the supports quickly broke loose from the caulkWillowbrook offered solutions to re-caulkAfter multiple unsuccessful attempts to repair, the contractor came up with his own solution to permanently mount the supportsThere has been no problem since he corrected this on his own in May of In addition, there remained some cabinet problems with closures that went on throughout this same period Exasperated after weeks of upheaval and waiting nine months to have a kitchen free of repair, a payment in the amount of $4,was sent to Willowbrook along with a letter of explanation on May 30, (See e-mail attachment marked Exhibit 13.) This amount represented the balance due minus the overcharges of the countertopsThat brings us to where we are today Willowbrook Revdex.com Letter (It’ s also interesting to note that from the client specifically, we were told that they were delighted with the outcome of the project and totally enjoyed entertaining over the Holidays.) Our Response: This has never been in disputeWe are satisfied with our kitchen design and have indeed shared that with Willowbrook Willowbrook Revdex.com Letter Prior to the project starting, we received warnings from three parties who had no knowledge of each other, to “watch out for this guy” We believed with all experience that it would not be a problem That warning should have been heeded and the job declined Our Response: In an e-mail of January 25, 2013, [redacted] wrote: “Hey there Bob! Good to hear back from you I was hoping we could hook up- you sound like you'd be fun to work with! I'm thinking [redacted] must be also...” (See e-mail attachment marked Exhibit 14.) In another e-mail of January 31, 2013, [redacted] wrote: “It's nice to feel so comfortable with clients from the beginning, but that's probably got a lot to do with coming from the same background, don't you think? I look forward to working with you guys and making that kitchen really beautiful, and most importantly, functional for you and the kids“ (See e-mail attachment marked Exhibit 15.) Our Final Words: We offer these clarifications and want to show a pattern of errors, miscommunication, or non-communication, which began once our design contract was signedUntil that time we had what we felt was a wonderful business relationshipThis also shows how many blatant statements Willowbrook continues to make in an attempt to justify their errors We did not expect what became a poor-service experience when we selected WillowbrookOur planning sessions from January through May were all positive and we knew that our choices were making changes to our budgetWhen all of the planning was complete and it came time for implementation something changedIt was apparent that we weren’t getting the service and communication that we had beforeOur concern was expressed verbally and Willowbrook responded in an e-mail of July 31, 2013, acknowledging our concerns and promising to do better going forward (See e-mail attachment marked Exhibit 16.) Although we encountered many competency errors with Willowbrook beginning in June of 2013, the largest error was the non-communication by Willowbrook of mid-September to mid-OctoberThere was a significant change needed in the design of a portion of the kitchen and Willowbrook went dark to us for three plus weeksNo replies to e-mail or phone call messagesWillowbrook employs more than one person, yet no one was able to return multiple inquiries We are now being billed late fees on what Willowbrook says is the full unpaid balanceThere were verbal agreements for holding final payment until satisfactory completion of the projectThat finally came in May of They have back dated late fees to November of Willowbrook is holding our last check without cashing, and, while acknowledging receipt of that payment, continues to add late fees as if that $4,payment doesn’t existOur bill has been paid in full except for the $2,in question(See e-mail attachment marked Exhibit 17.) On the Willowbrook website, as well as their brochure and business card, it is noted that they are an active member of the [redacted] ***)There it continues to state “Their mission is to enhance member success and excellence, promote professionalism, ethical business practices, and provide leadership and direction for the industry as stated on [redacted] official website.” According to the ***, who we contacted last week, Willowbrook has not been an active member since The Standards of Conduct of the [redacted] With regard to our dispute, [redacted] and Willowbrook Design have not displayed ethical business practicesThis is not about being right it’s about doing rightWillowbrook did not do right when it came to informing us of these significant changes in costs and never made any attempt to do so prior to placing the order and installing the productTheir assumption of carte blanche spending with our monies is an unacceptable business practice in light of the months of collaboration on the project, as well as, the shared knowledge of the ever-changing budget of the projectOur belief continues to be that our bill is paid in full and our time with Willowbrook is complete Respectfully, [redacted]

Revdex.com:
We have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this does not resolve our complaint.  *Note: All exhibit references are not attached to this media response as there is not sufficient space provided. An e-mail has been sent to the Revdex.com representative assigned this case, [redacted], with all exhibits.*
Allow us to first address some of the issues raised by Willowbrook in their response. To assist with clarity, Willowbrook remarks are in blue, copied directly from their response to the Revdex.com complaint letter or email communications. Email communications are from [redacted] of Willowbrook Design, who is the designer of our project.
Willowbrook Revdex.com Letter
Regarding specific accusations: during design sessions, and from time to time, they were made fully aware of budget increases as they continued to make decisions.  That is a client’s prerogative. 
Our Response:
This is a correct statement. We were made aware of budget increases throughout the entire process except with regard to the increases of the countertops, which was never discussed.   
In an e-mail from [redacted] of Willowbrook on May 2, 2013, [redacted] wrote:  “Got both quotes in from the installers and working that all together with the other numbers – developing the budget for you to review.   Still waiting on the quote from wood countertop people for the raised part of the island, but that should be around shortly.“ (See e-mail attachment marked Exhibit 1.)
Our contention is the quote from the “wood countertop people” was subsequently used to fashion that part of the projected budget provided on May 8, 2013. We wouldn’t expect that budgeted projections are built without real numbers in mind. While we completely understand “projections” and “allowances given” as being flexible terms, there was input from the vendor at that time to establish cost based on the design provided by Willowbrook.  (See e-mail attachment marked Exhibit 2.)
It is important to note that the countertop quote at this time was based on Willowbrook design drawings that represent a larger wood countertop by approximately 6.5 inches in width and five inches in length from the final installed product. The final product shape is nearly identical to the original drawings.
The quartz counter tops were also reduced in size from original drawings by approximately four square feet yet their cost rose from the projection. Everything in the original projection was the same except for the reduction in square footage. In a January 20, 2014, e-mail of explanation, Willowbrook writes:  “Quartz:  So, it was determined that 5 additional sq ft were required to make the seams fall correctly.” That is an expensive square foot. And there are only two small seams that are less than two inches each in the entire amount of quartz.  (See e-mail attachment marked Exhibit 3.)
Willowbrook Revdex.com Letter
The best projects happen when clients are NOT involved in the design. These clients guessed, re-guessed, and overthought every decision.  Experience says that when these types of behaviors are present, its time to document everything.  After each session, copious notes were taken showing the configuration and transition of each cabinet.  At one point, they had changed three times every cabinet in the layout with only a few exceptions. In the end, they had no idea where they had finalized.  The notes that were taken became the default position, and on that basis the job was carefully ordered.  When it arrived, they convinced themselves they were all design errors. 
Our Response:
This is quite confusing with respect to not being involved. We were very thorough in making this design what we wanted it to be especially in light of the dollar amounts involved. We did make changes as we continued through the design process with Willowbrook as a willing partner. The more we learned, the better prepared we became to make better decisions for our project. It was a collaborative effort between us and Willowbrook. As we continued through the process it became apparent that we needed to be more involved.
As we began to find flaws in the measurements from the Willowbrook design, we increased our vigilance of double-checking everything that was being done and stayed involved in the project to ensure that it was completed to our satisfaction.  Every design issue that we discovered was brought to the attention of Willowbrook immediately for resolution before any product was ordered.  Several of these issues included:
 
<!--[if !supportLists]-->1.      <!--[endif]-->Willowbrook elongated a wall not authorized by the customer that would have prevented proper access to a laundry room and the ability to replace any of the appliances in that room.  Had we not caught this error in measurement prior to the ordering of cabinetry, the entire wall unit of 162” would have had to be reordered.  We had to reduce the original Willowbrook design of 168” by six inches to make it fit properly on the existing wall without hindering laundry room access.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->2.      <!--[endif]-->Willowbrook built out another wall by six inches.  Had they done proper measurements they would have realized the error early on.  We caught the error, communicated to Willowbrook and the contractor, preventing the contractor from doing additional unnecessary work. This build-out remained on the final architectural drawings given to the contractor by Willowbrook.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->3.      <!--[endif]-->A bar area was initially presented to the customer to extend an entire wall length, which would have interfered with accessibility to a back door along with being a fire hazard.  Again, customer involvement prevented this area from being over-extended.
As initial drawings of April 23, 2013, were finalized in May, any subsequent changes were minimal, and final revisions were confirmed via an e-mail dated June 20, 2013.  This was prior to the cabinet order being submitted to [redacted].
Upon cabinet delivery in September, several cabinets that were delivered came with errors. Because of a multitude of delays the errors were not evident until October 8, 2013, when placement began. Those errors included the following, which are all documented in an e-mail from Willowbrook dated October 11, 2013.  (See e-mail attachment marked Exhibit 4.) *Note: Our comments are in red in this email.*
1.      <!--[endif]-->One base cabinet had the incorrect drawer configuration.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->2.      <!--[endif]-->One upper bar cabinet had no extended wall piece and one came with no finished end.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->3.      <!--[endif]-->One base bar cabinet had no pull out shelf.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->4.      <!--[endif]-->One base cabinet came missing a drawer.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->5.      <!--[endif]-->One base cabinet came missing the additional 3” solid base that was to be used for support of the wood countertop.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->6.      <!--[endif]-->One base cabinet came with the incorrect drawer/door configuration of a matching adjacent base cabinet. It was also missing the appropriate hardware for the pullout drawer to function properly.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->7.      <!--[endif]-->One base cabinet designed to be 18” wide came as a 21” cabinet.
 
The delivery of these cabinets was received and signed for by a representative of Willowbrook, [redacted]. These were errors not of our imagination and not because changes were made after the cabinet order was placed, but errors either in order or fulfillment completely resting on Willowbrook and/or their cabinet partner.
Willowbrook Revdex.com Letter
Further, no company, unless they are somehow affiliated with government contracts, has to show any of their cost invoices to any client.
Our Response:
While this statement has no impact on our situation it is blatantly false. There is a pattern of false statements and inaccuracies that we will address further throughout our response.
Willowbrook Revdex.com Letter
The homeowners were never provided a hard number as to the length of time the project would take; something else that is not done “in the industry”. There may have been given an approximate length of time discussed, but its impossible to quote this firmly before a job even begins.
Our Response:
In an e-mail reply from Willowbrook dated July 8, 2013, a timeline was offered:  “Just spoke with Buck and he says he can start as early as  the week that you’re away, if you like.  *Insert to add…the week referenced above is July 14-21, 2013. Just because he and I have been through so many of these, we were just trying to be sensitive to you guys – and the kids – and trying not to inconvenience you as much as possible.  That’s why we were leaving open the option  to move the tear out back a little.   But, he says he can start whenever. Just say what you’d like to do. . . . . He needs about 3 weeks for prep, plus something less than a week to set all cabinets.  As soon as he has the bases set – which is the first thing to happen -  we will get the top fabricators lined up for the top templates.  They generally are about 2 weeks to fabricate then . . .So, we’ll be working toward having things pretty much buttoned up by the time school begins. . .” *Insert to add…the first day of school was Monday, August 26, 2013.  (See e-mail attachment marked Exhibit 5.)
The period of time referenced by Willowbrook is approximately six weeks. Our personal experience told us to expect longer, and conversations with the contractor, recommended by Willowbrook, confirmed our expectation of an additional two or three weeks.
Willowbrook Revdex.com Letter
Please note that no mention was made of time passing while the deal they got on the hardwood materialized; thereby delaying the project, for instance. 
Our Response:
This is another completely false statement. The hardwood flooring was ordered on May 29, 2013. The vendor was able to hold shipment of the product until requested. Shipment was received the week of September 1, 2013, and the pallet spent the next several weeks in the garage of our home before it was installed in October.
Willowbrook Revdex.com Letter
The reason that the homeowner had a quotation from our wooden countertop vendor was not that he innocently happen to contact them.  In fact, we cooperatively loaned our samples for them to consider in their home.  All vendor contact information is clearly marked on the sample.  He contacted the company directly, and as is their standard procedure, they simply gave him a ballpark number for the approximate size of the wooden top, and then promptly referred them to their local dealer.
Our Response:
Again this is a false statement. The vendor, [redacted], was contacted via phone in early October. A quote was received from [redacted] on October 8, 2013.  (See e-mail attachment marked Exhibit 6.)  This was during a three-week period of zero communication from Willowbrook. We became very concerned and believed the project was being neglected by Willowbrook. In an attempt to finish the project prior to Thanksgiving, we began to research how we were able to complete the project on time if Willowbrook was dropping the ball. It was purely coincidental that the same vendor that we reached out to was the vendor Willowbrook was using. In addition, when we contacted [redacted], we advised that we were using Willowbrook. [redacted] indicated that they had worked with Willowbrook before but didn’t have anything in the works with them for our project at that time. [redacted] did not refer us to our local dealer and provided a quote directly to us.
The first mention of wood samples was in an e-mail from Willowbrook on Friday, October 11, 2013:  “If you want to see edges in person, I have them here and/or will bring over.  Can do that when I bring over wood top samples, if you like . . . when can we do that?”  (See e-mail attachment marked Exhibit 7.)
Another e-mail of Monday, October 14, 2013, had still not produced wood samples:  “Wood Top/Edge:  I can also loan you some wood tops and edge profiles so you can have a look at those too.  We’ll need to submit this template by Friday as their lead time is 2-3 weeks making it week of 11/11for completion.”  (See e-mail attachment marked Exhibit 8.)
Willowbrook Revdex.com Letter
In the end, this is what the clients were charged; exactly what they had agreed to in the contract.. . . an allowance.
Our Response:
We were not charged what was in the contract. We were charged a rate 35% higher than was in the contract for all the countertops. The original contract for the entire project of cabinetry and countertop material was $40,504.72 plus freight. With agreed-upon changes that altered any budgeted amounts, as Willowbrook stated in the fourth paragraph of their response, the end pricing (eliminating the $2,200 that is being contended) was $47,030.36.  We have paid this entire amount to Willowbrook because this was the contract and all of the agreed-upon changes.
It is also important to note that when we initially hired Willowbrook, we indicated that we didn’t want to go over $70,000 for the entire project, which would have included flooring, appliances, hardware, and the contractor fee.  With spending almost $50k to Willowbrook for design, cabinets, and countertops, the budget was already $40k over our initial request.
Regarding the discrepancy of the countertops, we received an e-mail from Willowbrook on Monday, October 28, 2013, that included a conceptual drawing of the revised wood top with the following message:  “Is this what you guys want?  Pls confirm and I’ll send it in for pricing . . .   tkx.  (See e-mail attachment marked Exhibit 9.)
Although Willowbrook mentions that they were sending the spec in for pricing, the final pricing was never discussed further with us for approval or the opportunity to change and remain consistent with the budgeted allowance. Again, in the Willowbrook response fourth paragraph, Willowbrook states that ‘they were fully aware of budget increases’ – this particular item difference was never communicated to us for agreement or change.
Willowbrook Revdex.com Letter
As to the issue of why they did not hear the final quotations on the countertops, they are perfectly aware.  In an effort to make this critical deadline and to finally satisfy them, we pushed ahead to get the installation wrapped up.  I gave the direction to proceed as I entered the hospital for major surgery in early November, and there was no one available to monitor this issue for some time.  Additionally, because the verbiage on both the budget and contract clearly states “allowance given” for the countertop line item (see attached), it certainly didn’t even seem to be an issue. 
Our Response:
This is a critical error of assumption. Budgets, quotes, changes, more changes, and money were always discussed…for more than six months during planning and development.  Willowbrook has acknowledged that (again, refer to paragraph four of their response). They also acknowledge above that these changes in billing for the countertops were not discussed. Willowbrook above states that ‘there was no one available to monitor this issue for some time.’  That is not an acceptable excuse. Willowbrook is more than one person. They also signed a contract with us to complete the job to our satisfaction.  This is their job, there are other people that work in the company, and they failed to maintain their end of the contract as such and admit to it.
Willowbrook Revdex.com Letter
The first order of business after returning to work, which wasn’t until January, was to answer their questions regarding these issues.  Although the explanations were quite clear, there was no response at all.  It wasn’t until May that a partial check was received then questioning the answers sent to them in January. 
Our Response:
This is not at all accurate and another false statement from Willowbrook. Our communications with Willowbrook regarding the final balance and payment actually goes back to November when in a November 12, 2013, e-mail it was requested that full payment was now due. In reply on November 14, we again explained our dissatisfaction with this rush finish and the incomplete work still remaining. We were withholding the final payment until the project was completed to our satisfaction.  (See e-mail attachment marked Exhibit 10.)
December 10, 2013, produced a request for final payment. We replied on December 12, pointing out an error in taxation that was being double billed and the overbilling of countertops.  (See e-mail attachment marked Exhibit 11.)
Willowbrook’s January e-mail, as noted in their Revdex.com letter, was received on January 20, 2014.  (See e-mail attachment marked Exhibit 3.)  We in turn replied on February 28, 2014, (See e-mail attachment marked Exhibit 12.) with a $1,000 check as a good-faith deposit until Willowbrook resolved the outstanding issues that would complete the project. Our kitchen was still not satisfactorily complete, and the letter outlined the items that remained in need of repair, as well as, our dispute with their unilateral decision to spend additional monies never communicated to us with regard to the countertops. 
Throughout 2014 there continued to be problems with the wood countertop installation. Small spherical supports were used to support the edge of wood top above the quartz top. These were attached via silicone caulk and the supports quickly broke loose from the caulk. Willowbrook offered solutions to re-caulk. After multiple unsuccessful attempts to repair, the contractor came up with his own solution to permanently mount the supports. There has been no problem since he corrected this on his own in May of 2014. In addition, there remained some cabinet problems with closures that went on throughout this same period.
Exasperated after 14 weeks of upheaval and waiting nine months to have a kitchen free of repair, a payment in the amount of $4,011.34 was sent to Willowbrook along with a letter of explanation on May 30, 2014. (See e-mail attachment marked Exhibit 13.) This amount represented the balance due minus the overcharges of the countertops. That brings us to where we are today.
Willowbrook Revdex.com Letter
(It’ s also interesting to note that from the client specifically, we were told  that they were delighted with the outcome of the project and totally enjoyed entertaining over the Holidays.)
Our Response:
This has never been in dispute. We are satisfied with our kitchen design and have indeed shared that with Willowbrook.
Willowbrook Revdex.com Letter
Prior to the project starting, we received warnings from three parties who had no knowledge of each other, to “watch out for this guy”.  We believed with all experience that it would not be a problem.  That warning should have been heeded and the job declined.
Our Response:
In an e-mail of January 25, 2013, [redacted] wrote: “Hey there Bob! Good to hear back from you.  I was hoping we could hook up- you sound like you'd be fun to work with!  I'm thinking [redacted] must be also...”  (See e-mail attachment marked Exhibit 14.)
In another e-mail of January 31, 2013, [redacted] wrote: “It's nice to feel so comfortable with clients from the beginning, but that's probably  got a lot to do with coming from the same background, don't you think?  I look forward to working with you guys and making that kitchen really beautiful, and most importantly, functional for you and the kids. “ (See e-mail attachment marked Exhibit 15.)
Our Final Words:
We offer these clarifications and want to show a pattern of errors, miscommunication, or non-communication, which began once our design contract was signed. Until that time we had what we felt was a wonderful business relationship. This also shows how many blatant false statements Willowbrook continues to make in an attempt to justify their errors.
We did not expect what became a poor-service experience when we selected Willowbrook. Our planning sessions from January 2013 through May 2013 were all positive and we knew that our choices were making changes to our budget. When all of the planning was complete and it came time for implementation something changed. It was apparent that we weren’t getting the service and communication that we had before. Our concern was expressed verbally and Willowbrook responded in an e-mail of July 31, 2013, acknowledging our concerns and promising to do better going forward.  (See e-mail attachment marked Exhibit 16.)
Although we encountered many competency errors with Willowbrook beginning in June of 2013, the largest error was the non-communication by Willowbrook of mid-September to mid-October. There was a significant change needed in the design of a portion of the kitchen and Willowbrook went dark to us for three plus weeks. No replies to e-mail or phone call messages. Willowbrook employs more than one person, yet no one was able to return multiple inquiries.
We are now being billed late fees on what Willowbrook says is the full unpaid balance. There were verbal agreements for holding final payment until satisfactory completion of the project. That finally came in May of 2014. They have back dated late fees to November of 2013. Willowbrook is holding our last check without cashing, and, while acknowledging receipt of that payment, continues to add late fees as if that $4,011.34 payment doesn’t exist. Our bill has been paid in full except for the $2,200 in question. (See e-mail attachment marked Exhibit 17.)
On the Willowbrook website, as well as their brochure and business card, it is noted that they are an active member of the [redacted]). There it continues to state “Their mission is to enhance member success and excellence, promote professionalism, ethical business practices, and provide leadership and direction for the industry as stated on [redacted] official website.” According to the [redacted], who we contacted last week, Willowbrook has not been an active member since 2011. The Standards of Conduct of the [redacted]
With regard to our dispute, [redacted] and Willowbrook Design have not displayed ethical business practices. This is not about being right…it’s about doing right. Willowbrook did not do right when it came to informing us of these significant changes in costs and never made any attempt to do so prior to placing the order and installing the product. Their assumption of carte blanche spending with our monies is an unacceptable business practice in light of the months of collaboration on the project, as well as, the shared knowledge of the ever-changing budget of the project. Our belief continues to be that our bill is paid in full and our time with Willowbrook is complete.
 
Respectfully,
 
[redacted]

RESPONSE TO B BB COMPLAINT
Willowbrook Design LLC, in its present form, has been in business for over eight (8) years, however;  the principle has been in the design field for nearly 30 years.  During that period of time, this is the first and only complaint of any kind that has been...

taken to Revdex.com.  No company survives in this business using the kind of business behaviors of which it has been accused.
 Business practices, that are the norm throughout the kitchen and bath industry, are exactly what were used on this project.  They did not differ from the exact ones used each and every day, on each and every project.  This may have been the first project of this nature that the homeowner has ever done, but it is certainly not our first.
On many occasions, we have reached out to discuss and settle this matter.  At one point, the offer was made to split the $2200 in question, take a loss, and walk away – just to be done with it.  However, that was not acceptable and requests for payment were completely ignored.  When we finally decided to exercise the verbiage in the contract relative to interest on non-payment, the result was the complaint filed with Revdex.com.  
 
                Regarding specific accusations:   during design sessions, and from time to time,  they were made fully aware of budget increases as they continued to make decisions.  That is a client’s prerogative.  It makes no sense to remind them continually if they are making decisions that drive up the budget, and for most clients this represents an insult.
                 The best projects happen when clients are NOT involved in the design. These clients guessed, re-guessed, and overthought every decision.  Experience says that when these types of behaviors are present, its time to document everything.  After each session, copious notes were taken showing the configuration and transition of each cabinet.  At one point, they had changed three times every cabinet in the layout with only a few exceptions. In the end, they had no idea where they had finalized.  The notes that were taken became the default position, and on that basis the job was carefully ordered.  When it arrived, they convinced themselves they were all design errors.
Further, no company, unless they are somehow affiliated with government contracts, has to show any of their cost invoices to any client.   We simply do not do that, and no amount of pressure and bullying will change that policy.
             The homeowners were never provided a hard number as to the length of time the project would take; something else that is not done “in the industry”. There may have been given an approximate length of time discussed, but its impossible to quote this firmly before a job even begins.  Please note that no mention was made of time passing while the deal they got on the hardwood materialized; thereby delaying the project, for instance.  It is always the goal of the contractor to get finished as quickly as possible, and move on to the next project. 
                The reason that the homeowner had a quotation from our wooden countertop vendor was not that he innocently happen to contact them.  In fact, we cooperatively loaned our samples for them to consider in their home.  All vendor contact information is clearly marked on the sample.  He contacted the company directly, and as is their standard procedure, they simply gave him a ballpark number for the approximate size of the wooden top, and then promptly referred them to their local dealer. The client prefers to believe that this is the hard number. However, the reason that the countertop items are always expressed as allowances is that simply calling out the square footage does not tell the entire story.  Such considerations as arcs, drillings, details, slab yield, all figure into the final number.  In the end, this is what the clients were charged; exactly what they had agreed to in the contract.. . . an allowance.
                 It is stated that they could not get hard quotations in Sept/Oct.  That would be true, as it is impossible to do that until the template is made.  That is not possible until the cabinetry is set.  As to the issue of why they did not hear the final quotations on the countertops, they are perfectly aware.  In an effort to make this critical deadline and to finally satisfy them, we pushed ahead to get the installation wrapped up.  I gave the direction to proceed as I entered the hospital for major surgery in early November, and there was no one available to monitor this issue for some time.  Additionally, because the verbiage on both the budget and contract clearly states “allowance given” for the countertop line item (see attached), it certainly didn’t even seem to be an issue. 
 The first order of business after returning to work, which wasn’t until January, was to answer their questions regarding these issues.  Although the explanations were quite clear, there was no response at all.  It wasn’t until May that a partial check was received then questioning the answers sent to them in January.  (It’ s also interesting to note that from the client specifically, we were told  that they were delighted with the outcome of the project and totally enjoyed entertaining over the Holidays.)
                Prior to the project starting, we received warnings from three parties who had no knowledge of each other, to “watch out for this guy”.  We believed with all experience that it would not be a problem.  That warning should have been heeded and the job declined.
                . In conclusion, nothing was done out of the ordinary during the execution of this project. The identical procedures to all other projects, were used on this one.  The terms of the contract the client signed are clear.

Review: Willowbrook Design provided kitchen design and products in a kitchen remodel. Throughout the process we, the consumer, fully participated in design and cost projections with the designer. Allowances were given and costs were fully discussed together to keep costs contained to a budgeted amount. Due to a myriad of mistakes and mismanagement of the project by Willowbrook, the project was well past the expected timeline for completion by six weeks. This led to a rush to have the project completed by November 15. At issue is the final two pieces of product, quartz counter top and wooden counter top. With a rush to get the project completed, once the final measurements were taken and submitted to the vendors, there was never any disclosure as to final costs of these products. We were promised an updated estimate of charges and never received. After installation and completion of the project, the final Willowbrook invoice shows a 35% increase above the budgeted allowances in costs for the quartz and wood counter tops. We were never told of these increases, we were never given an opportunity to discuss alternatives and in fact with no additional communication as promised, fully expected the allowances to have been met...not exceeded. Nor has there been any documentation provided to support these inflated charges. During a three week period in September when Willowbrook did not respond to emails and/or phone calls, we, the consumer reached out to multiple wood counter top vendors and received a quote from [redacted] that was spot on to the allowance. Unknown to us, [redacted] became the supplier chosen by Willowbrook in October, with a smaller design than quoted.After months of work with regard to design and costs we believe that Willowbrook misrepresented these allowances and subsequent over charges with no explanation or acceptance. We have been given explanations such as "this is how the industry works" with regard to the allowances. Spending our monies without approval is simply wrong.Desired Settlement: Our desired settlement is that Willowbrook cease in their billing of these over charges and consider all payments received as payment in full. All payments have been made in full with the exception of these unauthorized over charges of $2,200. In a unilateral decision, without communication, Willowbrook spent monies that were never authorized by us. We have asked to see supporting vendor billing with no success and no longer trust Willowbrook billing practices.

Business

Response:

RESPONSE TO B BB COMPLAINT

Willowbrook Design LLC, in its present form, has been in business for over eight (8) years, however; the principle has been in the design field for nearly 30 years. During that period of time, this is the first and only complaint of any kind that has been taken to Revdex.com. No company survives in this business using the kind of business behaviors of which it has been accused.

Business practices, that are the norm throughout the kitchen and bath industry, are exactly what were used on this project. They did not differ from the exact ones used each and every day, on each and every project. This may have been the first project of this nature that the homeowner has ever done, but it is certainly not our first.

On many occasions, we have reached out to discuss and settle this matter. At one point, the offer was made to split the $2200 in question, take a loss, and walk away – just to be done with it. However, that was not acceptable and requests for payment were completely ignored. When we finally decided to exercise the verbiage in the contract relative to interest on non-payment, the result was the complaint filed with Revdex.com.

Regarding specific accusations: during design sessions, and from time to time, they were made fully aware of budget increases as they continued to make decisions. That is a client’s prerogative. It makes no sense to remind them continually if they are making decisions that drive up the budget, and for most clients this represents an insult.

The best projects happen when clients are NOT involved in the design. These clients guessed, re-guessed, and overthought every decision. Experience says that when these types of behaviors are present, its time to document everything. After each session, copious notes were taken showing the configuration and transition of each cabinet. At one point, they had changed three times every cabinet in the layout with only a few exceptions. In the end, they had no idea where they had finalized. The notes that were taken became the default position, and on that basis the job was carefully ordered. When it arrived, they convinced themselves they were all design errors.

Further, no company, unless they are somehow affiliated with government contracts, has to show any of their cost invoices to any client. We simply do not do that, and no amount of pressure and bullying will change that policy.

The homeowners were never provided a hard number as to the length of time the project would take; something else that is not done “in the industry”. There may have been given an approximate length of time discussed, but its impossible to quote this firmly before a job even begins. Please note that no mention was made of time passing while the deal they got on the hardwood materialized; thereby delaying the project, for instance. It is always the goal of the contractor to get finished as quickly as possible, and move on to the next project.

The reason that the homeowner had a quotation from our wooden countertop vendor was not that he innocently happen to contact them. In fact, we cooperatively loaned our samples for them to consider in their home. All vendor contact information is clearly marked on the sample. He contacted the company directly, and as is their standard procedure, they simply gave him a ballpark number for the approximate size of the wooden top, and then promptly referred them to their local dealer. The client prefers to believe that this is the hard number. However, the reason that the countertop items are always expressed as allowances is that simply calling out the square footage does not tell the entire story. Such considerations as arcs, drillings, details, slab yield, all figure into the final number. In the end, this is what the clients were charged; exactly what they had agreed to in the contract.. . . an allowance.

It is stated that they could not get hard quotations in Sept/Oct. That would be true, as it is impossible to do that until the template is made. That is not possible until the cabinetry is set. As to the issue of why they did not hear the final quotations on the countertops, they are perfectly aware. In an effort to make this critical deadline and to finally satisfy them, we pushed ahead to get the installation wrapped up. I gave the direction to proceed as I entered the hospital for major surgery in early November, and there was no one available to monitor this issue for some time. Additionally, because the verbiage on both the budget and contract clearly states “allowance given” for the countertop line item (see attached), it certainly didn’t even seem to be an issue.

The first order of business after returning to work, which wasn’t until January, was to answer their questions regarding these issues. Although the explanations were quite clear, there was no response at all. It wasn’t until May that a partial check was received then questioning the answers sent to them in January. (It’ s also interesting to note that from the client specifically, we were told that they were delighted with the outcome of the project and totally enjoyed entertaining over the Holidays.)

Prior to the project starting, we received warnings from three parties who had no knowledge of each other, to “watch out for this guy”. We believed with all experience that it would not be a problem. That warning should have been heeded and the job declined.

. In conclusion, nothing was done out of the ordinary during the execution of this project. The identical procedures to all other projects, were used on this one. The terms of the contract the client signed are clear.

Consumer

Response:

We have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this does not resolve our complaint. *Note: All exhibit references are not attached to this media response as there is not sufficient space provided. An e-mail has been sent to the Revdex.com representative assigned this case, [redacted], with all exhibits.*

Allow us to first address some of the issues raised by Willowbrook in their response. To assist with clarity, Willowbrook remarks are in blue, copied directly from their response to the Revdex.com complaint letter or email communications. Email communications are from [redacted] of Willowbrook Design, who is the designer of our project.

Willowbrook Revdex.com Letter

Regarding specific accusations: during design sessions, and from time to time, they were made fully aware of budget increases as they continued to make decisions. That is a client’s prerogative.

Our Response:

This is a correct statement. We were made aware of budget increases throughout the entire process except with regard to the increases of the countertops, which was never discussed.

In an e-mail from [redacted] of Willowbrook on May 2, 2013, [redacted] wrote: “Got both quotes in from the installers and working that all together with the other numbers – developing the budget for you to review. Still waiting on the quote from wood countertop people for the raised part of the island, but that should be around shortly.“ (See e-mail attachment marked Exhibit 1.)

Our contention is the quote from the “wood countertop people” was subsequently used to fashion that part of the projected budget provided on May 8, 2013. We wouldn’t expect that budgeted projections are built without real numbers in mind. While we completely understand “projections” and “allowances given” as being flexible terms, there was input from the vendor at that time to establish cost based on the design provided by Willowbrook. (See e-mail attachment marked Exhibit 2.)

It is important to note that the countertop quote at this time was based on Willowbrook design drawings that represent a larger wood countertop by approximately 6.5 inches in width and five inches in length from the final installed product. The final product shape is nearly identical to the original drawings.

The quartz counter tops were also reduced in size from original drawings by approximately four square feet yet their cost rose from the projection. Everything in the original projection was the same except for the reduction in square footage. In a January 20, 2014, e-mail of explanation, Willowbrook writes: “Quartz: So, it was determined that 5 additional sq ft were required to make the seams fall correctly.” That is an expensive square foot. And there are only two small seams that are less than two inches each in the entire amount of quartz. (See e-mail attachment marked Exhibit 3.)

Willowbrook Revdex.com Letter

The best projects happen when clients are NOT involved in the design. These clients guessed, re-guessed, and overthought every decision. Experience says that when these types of behaviors are present, its time to document everything. After each session, copious notes were taken showing the configuration and transition of each cabinet. At one point, they had changed three times every cabinet in the layout with only a few exceptions. In the end, they had no idea where they had finalized. The notes that were taken became the default position, and on that basis the job was carefully ordered. When it arrived, they convinced themselves they were all design errors.

Our Response:

This is quite confusing with respect to not being involved. We were very thorough in making this design what we wanted it to be especially in light of the dollar amounts involved. We did make changes as we continued through the design process with Willowbrook as a willing partner. The more we learned, the better prepared we became to make better decisions for our project. It was a collaborative effort between us and Willowbrook. As we continued through the process it became apparent that we needed to be more involved.

As we began to find flaws in the measurements from the Willowbrook design, we increased our vigilance of double-checking everything that was being done and stayed involved in the project to ensure that it was completed to our satisfaction. Every design issue that we discovered was brought to the attention of Willowbrook immediately for resolution before any product was ordered. Several of these issues included:

<!--[if !supportLists]-->1. <!--[endif]-->Willowbrook elongated a wall not authorized by the customer that would have prevented proper access to a laundry room and the ability to replace any of the appliances in that room. Had we not caught this error in measurement prior to the ordering of cabinetry, the entire wall unit of 162” would have had to be reordered. We had to reduce the original Willowbrook design of 168” by six inches to make it fit properly on the existing wall without hindering laundry room access.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->2. <!--[endif]-->Willowbrook built out another wall by six inches. Had they done proper measurements they would have realized the error early on. We caught the error, communicated to Willowbrook and the contractor, preventing the contractor from doing additional unnecessary work. This build-out remained on the final architectural drawings given to the contractor by Willowbrook.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->3. <!--[endif]-->A bar area was initially presented to the customer to extend an entire wall length, which would have interfered with accessibility to a back door along with being a fire hazard. Again, customer involvement prevented this area from being over-extended.

As initial drawings of April 23, 2013, were finalized in May, any subsequent changes were minimal, and final revisions were confirmed via an e-mail dated June 20, 2013. This was prior to the cabinet order being submitted to [redacted].

Upon cabinet delivery in September, several cabinets that were delivered came with errors. Because of a multitude of delays the errors were not evident until October 8, 2013, when placement began. Those errors included the following, which are all documented in an e-mail from Willowbrook dated October 11, 2013. (See e-mail attachment marked Exhibit 4.) *Note: Our comments are in red in this email.*

1. <!--[endif]-->One base cabinet had the incorrect drawer configuration.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->2. <!--[endif]-->One upper bar cabinet had no extended wall piece and one came with no finished end.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->3. <!--[endif]-->One base bar cabinet had no pull out shelf.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->4. <!--[endif]-->One base cabinet came missing a drawer.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->5. <!--[endif]-->One base cabinet came missing the additional 3” solid base that was to be used for support of the wood countertop.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->6. <!--[endif]-->One base cabinet came with the incorrect drawer/door configuration of a matching adjacent base cabinet. It was also missing the appropriate hardware for the pullout drawer to function properly.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->7. <!--[endif]-->One base cabinet designed to be 18” wide came as a 21” cabinet.

The delivery of these cabinets was received and signed for by a representative of Willowbrook, [redacted]. These were errors not of our imagination and not because changes were made after the cabinet order was placed, but errors either in order or fulfillment completely resting on Willowbrook and/or their cabinet partner.

Willowbrook Revdex.com Letter

Further, no company, unless they are somehow affiliated with government contracts, has to show any of their cost invoices to any client.

Our Response:

While this statement has no impact on our situation it is blatantly false. There is a pattern of false statements and inaccuracies that we will address further throughout our response.

Willowbrook Revdex.com Letter

The homeowners were never provided a hard number as to the length of time the project would take; something else that is not done “in the industry”. There may have been given an approximate length of time discussed, but its impossible to quote this firmly before a job even begins.

Our Response:

In an e-mail reply from Willowbrook dated July 8, 2013, a timeline was offered: “Just spoke with Buck and he says he can start as early as the week that you’re away, if you like. *Insert to add…the week referenced above is July 14-21, 2013. Just because he and I have been through so many of these, we were just trying to be sensitive to you guys – and the kids – and trying not to inconvenience you as much as possible. That’s why we were leaving open the option to move the tear out back a little. But, he says he can start whenever. Just say what you’d like to do. . . . . He needs about 3 weeks for prep, plus something less than a week to set all cabinets. As soon as he has the bases set – which is the first thing to happen - we will get the top fabricators lined up for the top templates. They generally are about 2 weeks to fabricate then . . .So, we’ll be working toward having things pretty much buttoned up by the time school begins. . .” *Insert to add…the first day of school was Monday, August 26, 2013. (See e-mail attachment marked Exhibit 5.)

The period of time referenced by Willowbrook is approximately six weeks. Our personal experience told us to expect longer, and conversations with the contractor, recommended by Willowbrook, confirmed our expectation of an additional two or three weeks.

Willowbrook Revdex.com Letter

Please note that no mention was made of time passing while the deal they got on the hardwood materialized; thereby delaying the project, for instance.

Our Response:

This is another completely false statement. The hardwood flooring was ordered on May 29, 2013. The vendor was able to hold shipment of the product until requested. Shipment was received the week of September 1, 2013, and the pallet spent the next several weeks in the garage of our home before it was installed in October.

Willowbrook Revdex.com Letter

The reason that the homeowner had a quotation from our wooden countertop vendor was not that he innocently happen to contact them. In fact, we cooperatively loaned our samples for them to consider in their home. All vendor contact information is clearly marked on the sample. He contacted the company directly, and as is their standard procedure, they simply gave him a ballpark number for the approximate size of the wooden top, and then promptly referred them to their local dealer.

Our Response:

Again this is a false statement. The vendor, [redacted], was contacted via phone in early October. A quote was received from [redacted] on October 8, 2013. (See e-mail attachment marked Exhibit 6.) This was during a three-week period of zero communication from Willowbrook. We became very concerned and believed the project was being neglected by Willowbrook. In an attempt to finish the project prior to Thanksgiving, we began to research how we were able to complete the project on time if Willowbrook was dropping the ball. It was purely coincidental that the same vendor that we reached out to was the vendor Willowbrook was using. In addition, when we contacted [redacted], we advised that we were using Willowbrook. [redacted] indicated that they had worked with Willowbrook before but didn’t have anything in the works with them for our project at that time. [redacted] did not refer us to our local dealer and provided a quote directly to us.

The first mention of wood samples was in an e-mail from Willowbrook on Friday, October 11, 2013: “If you want to see edges in person, I have them here and/or will bring over. Can do that when I bring over wood top samples, if you like . . . when can we do that?” (See e-mail attachment marked Exhibit 7.)

Another e-mail of Monday, October 14, 2013, had still not produced wood samples: “Wood Top/Edge: I can also loan you some wood tops and edge profiles so you can have a look at those too. We’ll need to submit this template by Friday as their lead time is 2-3 weeks making it week of 11/11for completion.” (See e-mail attachment marked Exhibit 8.)

Willowbrook Revdex.com Letter

In the end, this is what the clients were charged; exactly what they had agreed to in the contract.. . . an allowance.

Our Response:

We were not charged what was in the contract. We were charged a rate 35% higher than was in the contract for all the countertops. The original contract for the entire project of cabinetry and countertop material was $40,504.72 plus freight. With agreed-upon changes that altered any budgeted amounts, as Willowbrook stated in the fourth paragraph of their response, the end pricing (eliminating the $2,200 that is being contended) was $47,030.36. We have paid this entire amount to Willowbrook because this was the contract and all of the agreed-upon changes.

It is also important to note that when we initially hired Willowbrook, we indicated that we didn’t want to go over $70,000 for the entire project, which would have included flooring, appliances, hardware, and the contractor fee. With spending almost $50k to Willowbrook for design, cabinets, and countertops, the budget was already $40k over our initial request.

Regarding the discrepancy of the countertops, we received an e-mail from Willowbrook on Monday, October 28, 2013, that included a conceptual drawing of the revised wood top with the following message: “Is this what you guys want? Pls confirm and I’ll send it in for pricing . . . tkx. (See e-mail attachment marked Exhibit 9.)

Although Willowbrook mentions that they were sending the spec in for pricing, the final pricing was never discussed further with us for approval or the opportunity to change and remain consistent with the budgeted allowance. Again, in the Willowbrook response fourth paragraph, Willowbrook states that ‘they were fully aware of budget increases’ – this particular item difference was never communicated to us for agreement or change.

Willowbrook Revdex.com Letter

As to the issue of why they did not hear the final quotations on the countertops, they are perfectly aware. In an effort to make this critical deadline and to finally satisfy them, we pushed ahead to get the installation wrapped up. I gave the direction to proceed as I entered the hospital for major surgery in early November, and there was no one available to monitor this issue for some time. Additionally, because the verbiage on both the budget and contract clearly states “allowance given” for the countertop line item (see attached), it certainly didn’t even seem to be an issue.

Our Response:

This is a critical error of assumption. Budgets, quotes, changes, more changes, and money were always discussed…for more than six months during planning and development. Willowbrook has acknowledged that (again, refer to paragraph four of their response). They also acknowledge above that these changes in billing for the countertops were not discussed. Willowbrook above states that ‘there was no one available to monitor this issue for some time.’ That is not an acceptable excuse. Willowbrook is more than one person. They also signed a contract with us to complete the job to our satisfaction. This is their job, there are other people that work in the company, and they failed to maintain their end of the contract as such and admit to it.

Willowbrook Revdex.com Letter

The first order of business after returning to work, which wasn’t until January, was to answer their questions regarding these issues. Although the explanations were quite clear, there was no response at all. It wasn’t until May that a partial check was received then questioning the answers sent to them in January.

Our Response:

This is not at all accurate and another false statement from Willowbrook. Our communications with Willowbrook regarding the final balance and payment actually goes back to November when in a November 12, 2013, e-mail it was requested that full payment was now due. In reply on November 14, we again explained our dissatisfaction with this rush finish and the incomplete work still remaining. We were withholding the final payment until the project was completed to our satisfaction. (See e-mail attachment marked Exhibit 10.)

December 10, 2013, produced a request for final payment. We replied on December 12, pointing out an error in taxation that was being double billed and the overbilling of countertops. (See e-mail attachment marked Exhibit 11.)

Willowbrook’s January e-mail, as noted in their Revdex.com letter, was received on January 20, 2014. (See e-mail attachment marked Exhibit 3.) We in turn replied on February 28, 2014, (See e-mail attachment marked Exhibit 12.) with a $1,000 check as a good-faith deposit until Willowbrook resolved the outstanding issues that would complete the project. Our kitchen was still not satisfactorily complete, and the letter outlined the items that remained in need of repair, as well as, our dispute with their unilateral decision to spend additional monies never communicated to us with regard to the countertops.

Throughout 2014 there continued to be problems with the wood countertop installation. Small spherical supports were used to support the edge of wood top above the quartz top. These were attached via silicone caulk and the supports quickly broke loose from the caulk. Willowbrook offered solutions to re-caulk. After multiple unsuccessful attempts to repair, the contractor came up with his own solution to permanently mount the supports. There has been no problem since he corrected this on his own in May of 2014. In addition, there remained some cabinet problems with closures that went on throughout this same period.

Exasperated after 14 weeks of upheaval and waiting nine months to have a kitchen free of repair, a payment in the amount of $4,011.34 was sent to Willowbrook along with a letter of explanation on May 30, 2014. (See e-mail attachment marked Exhibit 13.) This amount represented the balance due minus the overcharges of the countertops. That brings us to where we are today.

Willowbrook Revdex.com Letter

(It’ s also interesting to note that from the client specifically, we were told that they were delighted with the outcome of the project and totally enjoyed entertaining over the Holidays.)

Our Response:

This has never been in dispute. We are satisfied with our kitchen design and have indeed shared that with Willowbrook.

Willowbrook Revdex.com Letter

Prior to the project starting, we received warnings from three parties who had no knowledge of each other, to “watch out for this guy”. We believed with all experience that it would not be a problem. That warning should have been heeded and the job declined.

Our Response:

In an e-mail of January 25, 2013, [redacted] wrote: “Hey there Bob! Good to hear back from you. I was hoping we could hook up- you sound like you'd be fun to work with! I'm thinking [redacted] must be also...” (See e-mail attachment marked Exhibit 14.)

In another e-mail of January 31, 2013, [redacted] wrote: “It's nice to feel so comfortable with clients from the beginning, but that's probably got a lot to do with coming from the same background, don't you think? I look forward to working with you guys and making that kitchen really beautiful, and most importantly, functional for you and the kids. “ (See e-mail attachment marked Exhibit 15.)

Our Final Words:

We offer these clarifications and want to show a pattern of errors, miscommunication, or non-communication, which began once our design contract was signed. Until that time we had what we felt was a wonderful business relationship. This also shows how many blatant false statements Willowbrook continues to make in an attempt to justify their errors.

We did not expect what became a poor-service experience when we selected Willowbrook. Our planning sessions from January 2013 through May 2013 were all positive and we knew that our choices were making changes to our budget. When all of the planning was complete and it came time for implementation something changed. It was apparent that we weren’t getting the service and communication that we had before. Our concern was expressed verbally and Willowbrook responded in an e-mail of July 31, 2013, acknowledging our concerns and promising to do better going forward. (See e-mail attachment marked Exhibit 16.)

Although we encountered many competency errors with Willowbrook beginning in June of 2013, the largest error was the non-communication by Willowbrook of mid-September to mid-October. There was a significant change needed in the design of a portion of the kitchen and Willowbrook went dark to us for three plus weeks. No replies to e-mail or phone call messages. Willowbrook employs more than one person, yet no one was able to return multiple inquiries.

We are now being billed late fees on what Willowbrook says is the full unpaid balance. There were verbal agreements for holding final payment until satisfactory completion of the project. That finally came in May of 2014. They have back dated late fees to November of 2013. Willowbrook is holding our last check without cashing, and, while acknowledging receipt of that payment, continues to add late fees as if that $4,011.34 payment doesn’t exist. Our bill has been paid in full except for the $2,200 in question. (See e-mail attachment marked Exhibit 17.)

On the Willowbrook website, as well as their brochure and business card, it is noted that they are an active member of the [redacted]). There it continues to state “Their mission is to enhance member success and excellence, promote professionalism, ethical business practices, and provide leadership and direction for the industry as stated on [redacted] official website.” According to the [redacted], who we contacted last week, Willowbrook has not been an active member since 2011. The Standards of Conduct of the [redacted]

With regard to our dispute, [redacted] and Willowbrook Design have not displayed ethical business practices. This is not about being right…it’s about doing right. Willowbrook did not do right when it came to informing us of these significant changes in costs and never made any attempt to do so prior to placing the order and installing the product. Their assumption of carte blanche spending with our monies is an unacceptable business practice in light of the months of collaboration on the project, as well as, the shared knowledge of the ever-changing budget of the project. Our belief continues to be that our bill is paid in full and our time with Willowbrook is complete.

Respectfully,

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Description: INTERIOR DECORATORS & DESIGNERS, KITCHEN & BATH-DESIGN & REMODELING, KITCHEN CABINETS & EQUIPMENT-HOUSEHOLD

Address: 2607 Nicholson Rd Ste 2, Sewickley, Pennsylvania, United States, 15143-7602

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