AquaGuard Systems Inc

In response to Mr***’s complaint, AquaGuard has always honored its warranty and has been working with the homeowner to resolve the issue at hand- In some cases, it is not immediately apparent what is causing the problem.AquaGuard made multiple visits to the customer’s home to find out what
could possibly be causing water to accumulate in one area, approximately inches long, after years of drynessAfter installation of the system the homeowners finished their basementThe drywall that was installed prohibited diagnosing the issue.Because a section of drywall needed to be removed and the customer did not want to do this, it delayed the findings and hampered our ability to solve the problem sooner and also made for multiple service callsMr*** and his wife argued with both the owner of AquaGuard and our foreman that removing the drywall couldn’t possibly be of value for us to see what was going on behind it.Mr*** had just recendy called our office to advise that the drywall section was removed and a service call was performed to inspect the areaUpon inspection it was evident what needed to be done and as of February 11, 2015, that service was performed and should permanently resolve the issue.Sincerely,*** *** Office Manager

March 11,2015Ms. Patricia CookRevdex.com400 Holiday Drive, Suite 220Pittsburgh, PA 15220RE: John Antonucci Complaint #10425603Dear Ms. Cook,With respect to the follow up letter from Mr. Antonucci, both Tom and Mr. Antonucci have been in continuedcontact to rectify his situation.AquaGuard has consistently responded to Mr. Antonucci’s calls to the office as we do every customer. Fromthe first call we received six years after the installation of his system to the follow up calls we made monitoringhis situation, AquaGuard has been proactive in the pursuit of a cause and remedy to his service needs.AquaGuard stands firm to the initial response provided to the Revdex.com regarding this claim.We will continue to work with Mr. Antonucci to bting resolution to this matter.Sincerely,Paula BensonOffice Manager

Once my Revdex.com complaint was filed I received a phone call a few days later.  The owner informed me that he did not know there was still a problem. This was unfortunate because I spoke to the company after the discovery of the section of wall that was not addressed during the installation.  Approximately 10 days later, a crew returned to repair this section.  As of now, I am in discussion with the owner on how they will be able to compensate for the damage caused by this oversight.  I have attached a photo to show the area in question.  The beige area to the right of the blue never had the waterproofing system installed, that includes the pipe in the ground and the miradrain (waffle) system.Clarification and corrections need to be made in regards to the company's response to the Revdex.com complaint I originally made on February 2, 2015: Six years of dryness: There is evidence in hindsight that there was not 6 six years of dryness, as the wall showed markings of lime on the surface caused by moisture.  Not wanting to remove drywall: We removed drywall each time we were asked. The first time asked, we were instructed to inspect the wall any time there was rain to look for water on the wall.  Arguing:There was never arguing regarding moving drywall, only skepticism of having to continue tearing wall down without really knowing when the deconstruction would end.  They asked if I wanted them to remove the wall or if I would do this.  I said I would because there was no telling how much deconstruction would take place.  I am glad that I chose this path because the primary issue was not even where the drywall was installed.  Recently called office:The last phone call I made was in late November. I spoke with the foreman and told him of the area that the waterproofing system was no installed. He said he would call back to schedule an appointment to repair this area. I said that is fine but I still need to talk with someone about the damage that was caused.  He said, "well you will have to talk [redacted] about that". I never heard from them again until I filed this Revdex.com complaint in February.
Regards,
[redacted]

AquaGuard committed fraud in connection with contract. They were supposed to install an external French drain, to deal with waterproofing issues. They did not do so. Their work has made the situation worse, as the water is not draining anywhere, and is undermining other walls of the house.

Review: AquaGuard Systems, Inc installed a sump pump on my property in 2012. The first time it was needed due to heavy rains the system leaked and caused water issues in my basement. The rain occured on July 10, 2013. I called Aqua Guard at 8:05am and spoke to [redacted]. I asked for [redacted], the owner. She asked who was calling and said he is not available. I asked for him to call me and she said she would have a service tech call me the same day to discuss the issues. I did not receive a call that day. I called again at 4:05pm on Thursday and left a message stating nobody has called me as I was told they would call on Wednesday. I called again on Friday at 11:03 and asked for [redacted]. I was told someone would be in the office in the afternoon and I would get a call to schedule an appointment. I finally received a call at 5:03 pm but missed the call. I spoke to [redacted], office manager at 4:52 on Friday. I explained that I was told I was told I would receive a call on Wednesday and that I called for three days. She told me that [redacted] never told me that somebody would call me on Wednesday. I told her that was not true and she is basically calling me a liar. She said she was there when I called on Wednesday and [redacted] never said that. She explained that one service tech covers the entire south hills of pittsburgh and they had many calls over the past few days. So why would she remember my call when they received so many. I asked her to have [redacted] call me when he returns from vacation on Monday and she said they work 10-12 hours a day and he will"fit" me in when he can. The service at Aqua Guard is unprofessional and apparently is never wrong. The fact that [redacted] basically called me a liar is unexceptable. When I was looking for the system, [redacted] returned my calls right away, he got my money and now I see how they really do business. I do not recommend using Aqua Guard Systems in Pittsburgh. There are way too many professional companies that can provide accesptable service.Desired Settlement: I want consumers to know that this experience was unacceptable and unprofessional. I spent a lot of money on the system and the service is unacceptable. The system failed and they said they will waive the service call fee of $125. Really! they were actually considering charging mefor system failure.

Business

Response:

In response to the customer complaint from [redacted], please refer to my original email to you dated Friday, July 12.

Our further response is as follows:

At no time was Mr. [redacted] referred to as a liar, called a liar, or handled in any other way the professionally. We stand by the original email submitted to the Revdex.com on July 12, 2013. The following week, a service call was made to Mr. [redacted]’s home. An area was determined to need some additional work. The work was performed at no cost as stated under warranty.

Referring to Mr. [redacted]’s statement, how can she remember me? I remember Mr. [redacted] for two reasons. I remember my customers because I care and I take my job very seriously. It is my nature to remember who calls in and why. We do not receive so many service calls that I cannot remember a few names. I also remember customer’s that are rude. They are very far and few between. Mr. [redacted] left a threatening voicemail on our overnight service stating that “If I don’t get a call I’m gonna…well…someone better just call me back” as well as threatening me on the phone that “I know how to ruin your reputation”. Those are comments one doesn’t forget.

The original sump pump location was discussed with Mr. [redacted] at the time of inspection in July 2012 with [redacted], owner of AquaGuard. It was agreed on by Mr. [redacted] and [redacted] where the pump would be located. The crew installed the pump in this location and there has not been an issue with the location or the operation of the pump since installation.

As with all of our customers, exceptional customer service has been and will always be our number one goal. With the other 15 or so calls that we received that week, Mr. [redacted] was the only customer that complained.

It is unfortunate that Mr. [redacted] feels this way but we will continue to provide him with exceptional customer service.

[redacted] Office Manager

7/12/13

Good afternoon [redacted],

I wanted to report a customer in the event he attempts to file a complaint on AquaGuard.

The reason I am writing is because the customer vindictively threatened to file a report during our phone conversation stating because he is unhappy with how our service calls are being handled, he can contact the Revdex.com to ruin our reputation. Not because we are not handling it in a timely manner, just because he didn’t get to speak to [redacted]. I advised Mr. [redacted] that not only is [redacted] on vacation, but that due to our workman’s compensation policy, [redacted] is not allowed to visit his home to inspect the system, that has to be done by our foreman.

Mr. [redacted] called in to our office July 10, 2013 to report a service issue. Mr. [redacted] was one of approximately 18 calls that day from the South Hills area that was inundated with flooding waters. Mr. [redacted] was told that the system was overwhelmed and unable to handle the flooding type rains he and others in that area received. His system has been installed for a year and has handled many significant rains since installation. This was an Act of God type event and although we do not warrant the system against those types of situations, we would schedule him for a service visit just to make sure his system was in working condition and not charge a $125 service call fee that is normally charged, as a courtesy.

Mr. [redacted] wanted to speak to [redacted], the owner of AquaGuard. [redacted] is on vacation until next week and I am handling matters in his absence. I called Mr. [redacted] after he left a confusing message stating that he was to receive a call from [redacted] the day he called in as well as the following day and that he was being ignored. I know for a fact the information our secretary Michele gave him was the same information we gave all of the customers as they called in that day. Service calls are running about a week to a week and a half from the time they called in due to the overwhelming amount of customers that were affected by the flood rains. [redacted], our foreman would be calling in the order they called into schedule them for service. At no time was Mr. [redacted] told that he would receive a call from [redacted] or that he would be serviced the same day. As he stated, “[redacted] came here and took my money but he can’t call me back.”

Mr. [redacted] was rude and belligerent with me on the phone. My computer technician was with me in the office while I took this call and he couldn’t believe the way he was speaking to me and applauded how professional and calm I remained while he ranted.

I was next to [redacted] our secretary when she took the calls from Mr. [redacted] and returned his call this afternoon because the messages he was leaving were becoming more irate.

Unfortunately, it’s customer’s like this that we cannot complain about and warn other companies about doing business with but they are able to harass us and attempt to make us look bad just because they are feeling vindictive.

Please let me know if you do receive communication from Mr. [redacted], because we will be fighting against a mark on our reputation.

Thank you,

Office Manager

Review: about 8 years ago I had some work done . It was excavating on my house and the material that they use is breaking off. What I'm concerned about now is who can I talk to you try to get this matter resolved because the person that I talk to about a year or two ago , did not fully satisfy me. but noticed that it's really getting bad now breaking off at the bottom of the house now it's breaking . I just want to talk to somebody help me to solve thethis problem there because I spent a lot of money and I just need some help how I can handle this cuz its really getting bad thank youDesired Settlement: have them come out and put the right material wanted that will not crack or chip because for what I paid for I should have a better quality of material if not then I want a refund

Business

Response:

This is in response to the complaint filed against AquaGuard by [redacted]. Please note that Mr. [redacted] has been out of warranty since 2010. The work performed was in 2005 and carried a 5 year warranty. Since Mr. [redacted] is filing a complaint against AquaGuard for product issues, AquaGuard’s position is that we are no longer responsible for any ongoing issues he is experiencing.

As a courtesy, owner [redacted] has visited with Mr. [redacted], as well as sent our technicians out, at no cost to Mr. [redacted], after his work was out of warranty. Normally our service charge is $ 125 per visit for customers out of warranty or for unwarranted service calls. While under warranty, a service call was made for a frozen, broken downspout found to be the cause of an issue he was experiencing as well as water coming in around an electric conduit and box on the outside of his home. Both of these issues were not related to work performed by AquaGuard and were also considered unwarranted service calls. Mr. [redacted] was not charged for any visits to his home.

Since Mr. [redacted] is no longer under warranty with AquaGuard, we do not feel that his complaint against us is valid or justified. Although a response is being made, it is to satisfy the question of our integrity regarding this matter and our commitment to customer satisfaction. We believe we made every attempt to satisfy Mr. [redacted] both while under and out of warranty.

Consumer

Response:

Review: We purchased a water proofing system from Aquaguard in July of 2008. The owner of the business sold us on his guarantee that we would have complete confidence that we could renovate a room in our basement without fear of water entering our home due to the installation of his system. The following six years, there was no apparent water entry. I was skeptical however because water never entered the sump pump bucket. I was told by the company that this does not mean the system was not working. However, there was also a whitening of the plaster in the problem area not very long after the installation. Unaware that this was due to the lime in the plaster becoming moist and rising to the surface, I optimistically hoped it was the kids knocking into, and scraping the wall.

In May of 2014 our wall gave way to water and our entire renovated basement was flooded, and subsequently, ruined. After numerous phone calls to Aquaguard for a service call, they finally came to the house 2 to 3 weeks later. The service man came by the house for approximately 10-15 minutes and told my wife we would need to set up another appointment so he could drill into the floor and that it would take multiple hours. Multiple weeks later, the same serviceman came by again and I was with him as he examined the wall again. Using a small jack hammer, he removed the cement patch covering the drain; removed the bottom of the interior wall; and exposed the lower section of the problem area, about 1 foot high and 2-3 feet long. He saw a lot of wetness and obvious signs of water entry. He also ran hose water through a section closer to the sump pump to check for blockage. Water did not back up nor go to the sump pump. His solution for diagnosis was for me to watch the exterior wall and look for water coming in to the house. I called him back multiple weeks later and told him I did not see water. After weeks of no progress we continually called to have another service call. The same man came back and removed an additional area of the wall, but still no decision, still asked me to watch the wall for water. Growing frustrated, we continually called to have the owner come to the house, and he ultimately did come by, for about 10 minutes, and told us that he does not know the cause of the water problem, in this case, but suggested it was condensation. I suggested that with the amount of water that entered the house, it seemed unlikely. He told me that I, or they, would need to remove a very large portion of the fabricated wall. I was wary about the idea of this company coming in and deconstructing my new wall without further investigating the issue. I told them that I would handle the wall, but I was still very hesitant with going through with this. Feeling as though there was nothing else I could do, I ultimately did what they asked and removed about a 6'x4' portion of our wall. I called them and they sent two men, different employees this time. They were told to attach a vapor barrier to the exterior wall, more or less a patch. Again, their solution made me very skeptical. A general "patch" to an area of wall, without yet knowing from where the water is coming. I continued to speak with the service man, and showed him the original problem area. He posed the question whether or not the miradrain system continued through the doorway (behind the interior wall) I told him I have always wondered that very idea and he advised me to remove the section in question and then call back. I removed that section of wall and found that the water proofing system DOES NOT continue behind this portion of the wall, the primary water problem area. The board that I removed was rotted with water. If the miradrain was installed properly and in accordance with the contract that states the system was installed the entire length of the front of the house, then this water would have been diverted properly. As it is, there was no where else for the water to go except through our walls. I made multiple phone class since this discovery with the new information and have not received any communication in return. With the call I made to the original serviceman, I asked him if the miradrain system is designed to be uninterrupted and he said yes. When I told him that the main problem area had about 1-1.5 feet without miradrain he suggested that he can come in and attach the miradrain in that section. I told him This does nothing for the damage already caused by the improper installation of their system. I am sure this system would have likely worked wonderfully, had it been installed properly. As it is, we are out approximately $18,000, for the cost of the system and renovations,there is also evidence of mold that was not present previously; and our living quarters have been left in complete disarray.Desired Settlement: The company should fix the problem and reimburse for all expenditures; or issue a refund for the work they completed and reimbursement for all renovation costs.

Business

Response:

In response to Mr. [redacted]’s complaint, AquaGuard has always honored its warranty and has been working with the homeowner to resolve the issue at hand- In some cases, it is not immediately apparent what is causing the problem.AquaGuard made multiple visits to the customer’s home to find out what could possibly be causing water to accumulate in one area, approximately 8 inches long, after 6 years of dryness. After installation of the system the homeowners finished their basement. The drywall that was installed prohibited diagnosing the issue.Because a section of drywall needed to be removed and the customer did not want to do this, it delayed the findings and hampered our ability to solve the problem sooner and also made for multiple service calls. Mr. [redacted] and his wife argued with both the owner of AquaGuard and our foreman that removing the drywall couldn’t possibly be of value for us to see what was going on behind it.Mr. [redacted] had just recendy called our office to advise that the drywall section was removed and a service call was performed to inspect the area. Upon inspection it was evident what needed to be done and as of February 11, 2015, that service was performed and should permanently resolve the issue.Sincerely,[redacted] Office Manager