Doctor Soot Chimney Service

Review: I responded to the service due to a solicitation letter that offered $20.00 off normal cleaning (and my fireplace is small and was not very dirty) and 15% off any masonry work (overcharged at $125 for a minimal break between bricks). After calling the office for a price (the same office I called in response to the letter) NO DISCOUNT AS INDICATED ON THE LETTER WAS GIVEN. I insisted on a senior citizen discount at least since I am over 70 years old. However, I then wrote to the organization giving them the opportunity to correct their "mistake." No one ever responded and I just received my credit card bill and the entire cost is still on my bill with no credit from Dr. Soot. I have used this organization in the past, but I believe they might be under new ownership and the new people don't care about honoring their promises.

Product_Or_Service: Chimney cleaning and repair

Desired Settlement: I would like my promised $20.00 off cleaning service and the 15% off the "masonry" work and now because of the effort to get what they promised, I also want my senior citizen discount!

Business

Response:

Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2013/06/21) */

I AM RESPONDING TO THE REFERENCED COMPLAINT. MS. [redacted] SET UP AN APPOINTMENT ON 5-23-13. WE DO NOT COMBINE DISCOUNTS. WHEN OUR TECHNICIAN WAS THERE HE TOLD MS. [redacted] THIS AND GAVE HER 10% SENIOR DICOUNT. I WOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO REFUND THE EXTRA 5% ON THE MASONRY ONLY AS SHE ALREADY RECEIVED 10% OFF OF IT AND THE ADDITIONAL $1.10 FROM THE CLEANING AS SHE ALREADY RECEIVED $18.90 OFF WITH THE 10% GIVEN. THE REFUND TO HER CREDIT CARD WOULD BE $25.30. ALSO WE NEVER RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM HER OR A LETTER. IF WE HAD WE WOULD HAVE RESPONDED TO HER IMMEDIATELY. IF SHE DID CALL SHE DID NOT GIVE HER NAME AND AS HER LETTER STATES SHE ONLY ASKED FOR A PRICE. AND THAT PRICE WOULD BE THE NORMAL FEE. WE WOULD NOT HAVE GIVEN HER A PRICE FOR THE SEALING OF THE BACK WALL ON HER FIREPLACE OVER THE PHONE AS THE OFFICE CANNOT PRICE THAT TYPE OF WORK BECAUSE THE TECHNICIAN HAS TO SEE THE WORK NEEDED TO PRICE IT. SHE SIGNED OFF ON THE WORK THAT WAS DONE AND THE PRICE WHEN THE TECHNICIAN WAS THERE. SO WHEN IT CAME BACK TO THE OFFICE WE CHARGED WHAT SHE SIGNED FOR. I HAVE ALREADY CREDITED HER CARD FOR THE $25.30 NOW THAT I KNOW SHE HAD A PROBLEM.

Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2013/06/24) */

(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT ACCEPT the response from the business.)

Please note: I do not like companies that are misleading about their offers nor do I take kindly to companies that tell whatever "truth" suits them. I attached the cover letter to the documentation I sent off to Dr. Soot although they claim they didn't receive a letter. Quite the contrary ... on May 26th I sent both a letter and the copies of the various materials including the letter they had originally sent to me. That letter went to the address on their letter to me and their invoice [redacted] XXXXX. Perhaps they never check their PO box because they are located in some other town. In addition, I will check with my credit card company to see if they have refunded me any money. My most recent bill shows no refund!

Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2013/06/25) */

I do not understand what more Ms. [redacted] would want from us. I have refunded the additional for the 15% off masonry and the additional $1.10 for the $20.00 off cleaning. We DID NOT receive any letter or phone call from her. Had we received either it would have been addressed right away. As soon as I received this complaint it was taken care of. Before the complaint we knew nothing about it. We have picked up our mail on a weekly basis from the post office. We have no control if it got lost. As stated before we DO NOT COMBINE discounts. The senior citizen discount was not offered on the letter. That is giving when no other discount is available just as it is with any other business. As soon as we were aware of a problem it was corrected. We can only go by what is signed for on the invoice. This could have been resolved before the technician left her home. All she had to do before she signed that the invoice was correct was either bring it up to the technician that was there or call the office while he was still there and it would have been resolved before he left her home. Again the office only can go by what is signed for on the invoice. The refund was giving on 6/21/13 to her credit card. I did not send a copy of the refund to her until I was instructed to because this was a complaint and I wanted to follow proper procedures. But so she can see that it was done I am sending it out to her in tomorrows mail which is 6/26/13.