Adirondack Basement Systems Inc.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below
The response was inadequate. The business - Adirondack Basement Systems - merely asserted their claim that destroying property on their part was an acceptable part of doing business. They did not replace the steps that they destroyed. Full stop. They did not replace the wall that they inadequately supported, nor honored their verbal commitment to do so should it fail. They did not repair the siding that their excavation damaged until nearly a full year had passed, leaving gaping holes in an exterior wall all winter long Their response to my claim is ridiculous: 1. They assert that they gave no verbal commitment to me on the replacement of the wall. This is factually incorrect. The sales person made it quite clear that they had a year warranty on the work and that they would replace the wall if it should fail. I had no interest in the support beams they put in until they said that they would replace the wall, in which case I felt their product would be effective2. They factually claim that their paperwork did not support such a guarantee, but their salesman certainly did. The president of the company stated to me that he fired that salesman for overpromising. Importantly, I understand that they are a business and that such is a huge impact to their livelihood. As a result, I NEVER held them to their verbal commitment and I never suggested I would. I point this out merely to demonstrate that I was being quite reasonable with them. I will end up paying more than $out of pocket because of that claim3. Their claim that they gave me an $value for windows that they installed is factually incorrect. The president of the company, on reviewing the damage to my wall, said he had some lying around and that he would throw them in for free. This was in the contract, and in any case, the claim that they were "free" vsfactored into the base estimate of the repair cannot be verified4. Their claim that I withheld payment is not true. It is customary to pay at the completion of services, and the service required that they repair damage they inflicted on the exterior of the house. This is typical and reasonable. It should be noted that in his request for payment, the president of the company said that he waited most of a year to repair my siding because the winter was cold. The late summer and fall were not cold, however, so I fail to understand this excuse5. The company admits to destroying my front steps. They also claim that the steps they destroyed were "dilapidated", which is obviously beside the point. Had they destroyed my roof, I would have expected repairs, whether the roof was new or old. Had they destroyed a barn, they would be expected to repair it, whether the barn was new or old. They destroyed perfectly serviceable and structurally sound concrete steps. There were no holes, no cracks and no erosion in the steps when they got there. Their year age should not be a reason to avoid personal responsibility6. The company claims that I should be grateful that they repaired something that I did not ask to be repaired. I do, in fact, think that this is a nice gesture, and in no way deny it (although I have yet to see the repair). However, it is relatively customary, when you destroy someone's property and then do nothing to repair it, to feel a bit guilty and do a bit extra. Importantly, I do not believe that two strips of aluminum siding quite equal the destruction of a front stoop. In sum, no matter how they claim otherwise, Adirondack Basement systems: 1. Failed in their original job2. Created unsafe conditions at my house during subsequent repairs 3. Destroyed my property (siding and steps) 4. Repaired siding only when it became clear that they would not receive payment without having repaired damage they had caused 5. Made such repairs in the spring, after causing the damage in the summer 5. Did in no way compensate for their destruction of serviceable front steps, which I will have to pay to replace In their defense, they did fulfill the very letter of their written contracts, but did not fulfill the promise of their people or their work I will certainly agree to pay for this service once it has been inspected and found to be adequate, but in no way does this represent good business practice, and in no way does this constitute an acceptable resolution to this matter Best regards, ***
Regards,
*** ***

In response to the complainants response, this is the first that I am being told of any additional costs due to weather or seasonal conditions.  I would like to see what these additional costs are so I can determine the validity of them and be able to possibly reach a resolution.  The complainants original suggestion for a resolution was for Adirondack Basement Systems to incur all additional costs.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.The response was inadequate.  The business - Adirondack Basement Systems - merely asserted their claim that destroying property on their part was an acceptable part of doing business.  They did not replace the steps that they destroyed.  Full stop.  They did not replace the wall that they inadequately supported, nor honored their verbal commitment to do so should it fail.  They did not repair the siding that their excavation damaged until nearly a full year had passed, leaving gaping holes in an exterior wall all winter long.   Their response to my claim is ridiculous: 1.  They assert that they gave no verbal commitment to me on the replacement of the wall.  This is factually incorrect.  The sales person made it quite clear that they had a 20 year warranty on the work and that they would replace the wall if it should fail.  I had no interest in the support beams they put in until they said that they would replace the wall, in which case I felt their product would be effective. 2.  They factually claim that their paperwork did not support such a guarantee, but their salesman certainly did.  The president of the company stated to me that he fired that salesman for overpromising.  Importantly, I understand that they are a business and that such is a huge impact to their livelihood.  As a result, I NEVER held them to their verbal commitment and I never suggested I would.  I point this out merely to demonstrate that I was being quite reasonable with them.  I will end up paying more than $6000 out of pocket because of that claim. 3.  Their claim that they gave me an $800 value for windows that they installed is factually incorrect.  The president of the company, on reviewing the damage to my wall, said he had some lying around and that he would throw them in for free.  This was in the contract, and in any case, the claim that they were "free" vs. factored into the base estimate of the repair cannot be verified. 4.  Their claim that I withheld payment is not true.  It is customary to pay at the completion of services, and the service required that they repair damage they inflicted on the exterior of the house.  This is typical and reasonable.  It should be noted that in his request for payment, the president of the company said that he waited most of a year to repair my siding because the winter was cold.  The late summer and fall were not cold, however, so I fail to understand this excuse. 5.  The company admits to destroying my front steps.  They also claim that the steps they destroyed were "dilapidated", which is obviously beside the point.  Had they destroyed my roof, I would have expected repairs, whether the roof was new or old.  Had they destroyed a barn, they would be expected to repair it, whether the barn was new or old.  They destroyed perfectly serviceable and structurally sound concrete steps.  There were no holes, no cracks and no erosion in the steps when they got there.  Their 40 year age should not be a reason to avoid personal responsibility. 6.  The company claims that I should be grateful that they repaired something that I did not ask to be repaired.  I do, in fact, think that this is a nice gesture, and in no way deny it (although I have yet to see the repair).  However, it is relatively customary, when you destroy someone's property and then do nothing to repair it, to feel a bit guilty and do a bit extra.  Importantly, I do not believe that two strips of aluminum siding quite equal the destruction of a front stoop.    In sum, no matter how they claim otherwise, Adirondack Basement systems: 1.  Failed in their original job. 2.  Created unsafe conditions at my house during subsequent repairs 3.  Destroyed my property (siding and steps) 4.  Repaired siding only when it became clear that they would not receive payment without having repaired damage they had caused 5.  Made such repairs in the spring, after causing the damage in the summer 5.  Did in no way compensate for their destruction of serviceable front steps, which I will have to pay to replace   In their defense, they did fulfill the very letter of their written contracts, but did not fulfill the promise of their people or their work.   I will certainly agree to pay for this service once it has been inspected and found to be adequate, but in no way does this represent good business practice, and in no way does this constitute an acceptable resolution to this matter.   Best regards, [redacted]
 
Regards,
[redacted]

May 11,2015Dear [redacted]In response to the letter received on May 12th, 2015, I would like to address the concerns by the homeowner. On August 121h, 2012, our company installed 6 PowerBrace steel I beams to reinforce the front block wall of the home. It was bulging in due to a high...

amount of soil pressure. When these were installed, our installer spaced one too far apart and as a result the wall in that section continued to push in. When the homeowner contacted us about this, we immediately went out to inspect the property. As per our warranty, we could have moved the PowerBrace to the proper location to remedy the problem. The homeowner was adamant that they would like to have the wall replaced. To accommodate the homeowner, I offered to have a subcontractor come out to give a price on replacing the wall. I let the homeowner know that we would credit the full amount of the PowerBrace project to having the wall replaced. The homeowner was agreeable to this. I had asked the homeowner what they wanted to do with the front steps which were in a serious state of deterioration and the homeowner stated they wanted to keep them to reuse. I let them know I would do my best to do that. The concrete steps were in poor condition and the steel railings were rotten at the bases. I personally was excavating the foundation to keep costs low and was subcontracting out the wall replacement as this is not a service we offer. On 9/24, I excavated the outside of the wall to allow the replacement of the wall. While excavating many large boulders were encountered. In removing these boulders, the machine jarred several times causing contact with the aluminum siding. The steps were able to be removed; however the railings fell off when moved. At this time I again let the homeowner know about the steps and they asked me to do what I could to reuse them. The subcontractor replaced the wall over the next several days. I was not aware they left the basement open over the weekend until after the weekend. We also provided two new windows at no charge to the homeowner (an $800 value). When the wall had been replaced and the concrete had cured enough, I returned to backfill the foundation and grade the yard. When I attempted to put the steps back in place, they simply fe ll apart. I contacted the homeowner to let them know. I offered to install our helical deck piers at no charge to allow the installation of a new wood porch. The homeowner agreed to this. We also discussed the damaged siding and I let them know I had to find suitable replacement pieces for it as it was aluminum and not readily available. This was agreeable to the homeowner as well. Our accounting office contacted the customer to collect payment and offered to have the homeowner hold back an allowance for the siding that needed to be replaced. They refused to make any payment until the siding was repaired. We agreed to that. On April 24th, 2015, I contacted the homeowner to let them know we found a suitable siding and we would be out to replace it. They thanked me and never mentioned that there were any other outstanding issues. On May 1, 2015, I left a message for the homeowner that we had replaced the damaged panels of siding and that there were 2 unused panels left over if they would like to have them. Our crew had also replaced several damaged pieces that were damaged prior to any work we performed there. I also asked at that time for the final payment on the project. There were no outstanding issues at that time to my knowledge. Attached is a picture of the steps in question. It should be noted how far in the ground they have sunk and the tilted railings that are rotted at the bases. In response to what the customer is asking for as a desired settlement, we will be happy to remove the steel piers we installed. We are not willing to pay for their dilapidated steps. I feel we went above and beyond to correct a mistake we had made. We had met every request of the customer and did more than asked of us. The balance due is $6206.25. Nowhere in our warranty does it state that we will replace a wall if our system does not work. Our design specialists are highly trained and we pride ourselves in not misleading our customers. An error occurred in the installation of the product. We recognized this and did everything in our power to make it right with the customer.Thank you for reviewing this matter. Please feel free to contact me with any questions.Sincerely,Kevin K[redacted]PresidentAdirondack Basement Systems###-###-####[redacted]@AdirondackBasement.

In response to this customers complaint- Our manufacturer reviewed this project and suggested the solution offered should work, but as the installers, we are ultimately responsible for the final product.  There were no official engineering documents produced nor was it expressed or implied...

there would be.  Ultimately, this customer did not incur any additional costs for work that was completed by them in removing the deck as that would have been done regardless of the remedy used for the deficient wall.  The only inconvenience incurred was a time issue.  The customer is asking us to subcontract with the company now doing the work.  This would only delay the project further as now there would be more people involved.  As for asking Adirondack Basement Systems to incur the cost of the difference between the projects, I don't not find a valid reason to do so.  We did not create the issue with the deficient wall nor did we add to the problem in any way.  The customers full deposit was immediately refunded and a suitable contractor was recommended by an employee that did the type of work needed.  Adirondack Basement Systems does not do the type of repairs required in this situation.  While I empathize with the customer, it would be fiscally irresponsible to pay for a customers repair that was not due to any action or inaction on the part of my company.

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
Because we had accepted the Adirondack Basement proposal and contract back in August, we did not pursue the other proposals from other contractors.  The one that we would have likely selected would have removed the necessary portions of the back deck and then reassemble the deck after the wall was replaced.  They did not itemize the costs of each step of their proposed work in their bid from the summer.  We agreed to take the deck apart ourselves when we chose ABS.  In contacting said contractor, they said they would need to come out again to give us a new bid because some of their prices have increased since the summer.  As soon as someone can come out, we would have a better idea of the cost that we incurred because of our own labor and the cost increase.  Because the contractor is trying to finish some jobs before the winter season, he has not been able to schedule us for a new estimate yet.  
Regards,
[redacted]

May 11,2015Dear [redacted]In response to the letter received on May 12th, 2015, I would like to address the concerns by the homeowner. On August 121h, 2012, our company installed 6 PowerBrace steel I beams to reinforce the front block wall of the home. It was bulging in due to...

a high amount of soil pressure. When these were installed, our installer spaced one too far apart and as a result the wall in that section continued to push in. When the homeowner contacted us about this, we immediately went out to inspect the property. As per our warranty, we could have moved the PowerBrace to the proper location to remedy the problem. The homeowner was adamant that they would like to have the wall replaced. To accommodate the homeowner, I offered to have a subcontractor come out to give a price on replacing the wall. I let the homeowner know that we would credit the full amount of the PowerBrace project to having the wall replaced. The homeowner was agreeable to this. I had asked the homeowner what they wanted to do with the front steps which were in a serious state of deterioration and the homeowner stated they wanted to keep them to reuse. I let them know I would do my best to do that. The concrete steps were in poor condition and the steel railings were rotten at the bases. I personally was excavating the foundation to keep costs low and was subcontracting out the wall replacement as this is not a service we offer. On 9/24, I excavated the outside of the wall to allow the replacement of the wall. While excavating many large boulders were encountered. In removing these boulders, the machine jarred several times causing contact with the aluminum siding. The steps were able to be removed; however the railings fell off when moved. At this time I again let the homeowner know about the steps and they asked me to do what I could to reuse them. The subcontractor replaced the wall over the next several days. I was not aware they left the basement open over the weekend until after the weekend. We also provided two new windows at no charge to the homeowner (an $800 value). When the wall had been replaced and the concrete had cured enough, I returned to backfill the foundation and grade the yard. When I attempted to put the steps back in place, they simply fe ll apart. I contacted the homeowner to let them know. I offered to install our helical deck piers at no charge to allow the installation of a new wood porch. The homeowner agreed to this. We also discussed the damaged siding and I let them know I had to find suitable replacement pieces for it as it was aluminum and not readily available. This was agreeable to the homeowner as well. Our accounting office contacted the customer to collect payment and offered to have the homeowner hold back an allowance for the siding that needed to be replaced. They refused to make any payment until the siding was repaired. We agreed to that. On April 24th, 2015, I contacted the homeowner to let them know we found a suitable siding and we would be out to replace it. They thanked me and never mentioned that there were any other outstanding issues. On May 1, 2015, I left a message for the homeowner that we had replaced the damaged panels of siding and that there were 2 unused panels left over if they would like to have them. Our crew had also replaced several damaged pieces that were damaged prior to any work we performed there. I also asked at that time for the final payment on the project. There were no outstanding issues at that time to my knowledge. Attached is a picture of the steps in question. It should be noted how far in the ground they have sunk and the tilted railings that are rotted at the bases. In response to what the customer is asking for as a desired settlement, we will be happy to remove the steel piers we installed. We are not willing to pay for their dilapidated steps. I feel we went above and beyond to correct a mistake we had made. We had met every request of the customer and did more than asked of us. The balance due is $6206.25. Nowhere in our warranty does it state that we will replace a wall if our system does not work. Our design specialists are highly trained and we pride ourselves in not misleading our customers. An error occurred in the installation of the product. We recognized this and did everything in our power to make it right with the customer.Thank you for reviewing this matter. Please feel free to contact me with any questions.
Sincerely,Kevin K[redacted]PresidentAdirondack Basement Systems###-###-####[redacted]@AdirondackBasement.