Everstone by DeJoy

I will agree that May EverStone installed stone and epoxy on our back patio and front porchUnfortunately, that’s where the truth of her account endsWe were NOT given an option of having an aluminum transition strip installed at the adjoining concrete thresholds at time of installation or quoteWe have three entrances to our patio and all three were done similarlyOne of the three is still done that way and is functionalThe other two have had to be redone and unfortunately need to be done againDespite her comments, last year her installer talked us out of putting the strip across the two problem entrances as it could be a tripping hazardHis comment was that she’s the salesperson, he’s the installerHe knows what needs to be done to fix the issueUnfortunately, she doesn’t believe the word of her customer who was present at the time of the work being doneIf her instructions to her installer were to install the strip, why wouldn’t he have discussed it with her before doing something different than instructed? He did do something different than she said, but it was his ideaHe said he could make it workWe were concerned that she wouldn’t believe us –we had nothing in writing to go byThat’s why we emailed her to get the comments in front of her in writingJust to reiterate, it was an employee of EverStone by DeJoy (who is supposed to be experienced and trained in the installation of this product) that suggested to correct it without the strip and who we trusted knew what he was doingWe believed he had the authority to make the decisions he did and trusted his offer that he’d come back to fix it the following year if it failedIt’s the same story with the vertical sections of the patioThese are areas she charged extra for because of the increased difficultyThe epoxy and stones were falling off the whole time they were trying to installWe feel that since we paid extra for these areas, expecting that they be done right is reasonableIt should be expected that cement moves in the winterIn the EverStone advertising materials we were given, it states in one section, “EverStone is extremely durable and can withstand severe weather conditions that would normally destroy other products.” And in another area, “Weather Resistant-EverStone easily stands up to the most severe weather conditions throughout the country, such as freezing, thawing, and extreme heat.” In a third area it states, “EverStone cannot be broken, due to our freeze & thaw winter conditions.” To me, that screams that it stands up to our winter conditionsAdditional thoughts- She stated that she can’t presume to know the weather conditionsSince her business is in these areas where winters are harsh on a regular basis, we expected she would know how to install the stone and epoxy appropriatelyIn Western NY and North Western Pennsylvania where she lives, weather isn’t far different from each other or from year to yearHow can she not know that? Her same employee that was here last year repairing other issues stated that his repair of the vertical surfaces would workHe said if it didn’t, he’d come back the next year to fixAgain, he’s the expert and the agent of EverStone by DeJoyWhy is she saying this doesn’t fall under the warranty? This has nothing to do with warranty work—it’s still installation that’s not yet completeThe vertical areas have never been properly installedOf course it’s not warrantyIf I bought a car that had a defect, it’s resolved as a recall not a warranty issueHer installation was defective and needs to be corrected until its rightShe stated that she can’t say what will work for certain but is willing to continue to tryWhy is she selling this product or her application is she doesn’t know how to install it with certainty? And why does she think it should be at my continued expense while she figures it out? She stated that based on what she’s witnessed, that the recoat is not needed more than every three yearsSince they’ve had to do it every year so far, I don’t know what she’s basing the statement onShe refers to it as a UV topcoatWouldn’t that indicate that it resists the effects of the sun? Why do all the areas not directly under our patio roof need to be resealed every year? Why are there patchy dull and white areas all over the patio that won't clean up? Again, quoting her advertising, “Exterior applications are easily maintained by hosing off or power washing with water and an EverStone approved detergent.” I’ve tried scrubbing with water and tried scrubbing with Resolve as she instructed (because as she stated, Resolve will bring the shine back), and still have patches and dull areas--it doesn't workThat’s either an issue with the top coat sealer she uses or another advertising claimShe says she’s been very patient, polite, and accommodatingWe paid her nearly $for this work to be doneI would expect a contractor to be patient, polite, and accommodatingI would also expect them to deliver the job that was paid forShe stated in her comments that the income from this company would be supporting her familyWe also work hard for our money and expect completed work when we pay for a jobWe have been very patient, respectful, and accommodatingWe’re sitting here three years after paying for the job, still waiting for its completionShe sent a film crew here to shoot footage for a commercial—we agreed to let it happen without any compensation, even though we still had unresolved issuesShe had a potential customer call us without any advanced warning or even asking us if it was okayShe put us on the spot at a home show with other potential customers to get an unsolicited endorsement from usThe first time her crew showed up to do any repairs back in 2012, they arrived on the Friday afternoon of Memorial Day weekend without any notice at allMy family had to quickly clear the patio so they could do workWe offered to clean off the patio and front porch but were told no, they would handle itWhen they were done, we had more issues-now with sharp surfaces on the patio and pine needles on the porch because they failed to prepare the areas appropriatelyHer crew sealed in the pine needles that were already laying on the front porchThey didn't clean it off before sealing itThey were in a hurry to get out of here and didn't even check in before leavingRegarding the sharp surfaces on the patio, she says that an overuse of sand for slip resistant surfaces was appliedThe sharp pieces were black, not sandAgain, due to a failure to clean the surface and possibly their tools before applying the sealerWe were without our patio on Memorial Day weekend again, we accommodatedI’d also like to add that she was never on site during any of the work being doneIf she’s not going to believe her customers or stand behind the work of her employees, then she should be on site during the jobs to ensure things are done to her specifications so there’s no doubt about thingsI have always asked questions of her and her installers, but have never talked an installer out of doing anythingThe fact that she blamed me for talking her installer out of doing it her way multiple times is an insultI’ve dealt with a lot of contractors and they will not do things any way but their way unless they get something in writing releasing them of responsibility for itThey act as experts for their work and I respect that expertiseWhatever happened to “the customer is always right”? It’s a philosophy most successful businesses live byI am being completely truthful about our issues with this contractorIt’s a shame that she won’t believe me or stand behind the work and word of her employees who are acting on behalf of her company in her absenceShe wants to charge us $60/hour for travel time and work time (minimum $240) for work that should have been done correctly years agoWe’ve never asked that they make a special trip hereCertainly they could combine it with other projects they’re doing in our areaIncidentally, why does her territory include western NY if she doesn’t want to support it as she would in her home area? If her territory is too big, that’s not our problem as a paying customerShe also quoted her cost of $50/hour so she’s not making money on our repairs—what about the nearly $of our money she already collected? Why am I being asked to pay more to finish the job they never completed correctly? We just want what we paid for

After reviewing the circumstances, we realize there was a lack of communication with this customer, which has created unnecessary stress and upsetNo excesses are acceptable only an explanation This year we are experiencing an exceptionally busy season with new installs as well as maintenance workThis is a good thing and a frustrating position because the majority of our customers want their work completed by Memorial Day and 4th of July holidayWe are scrambling to complete as many customers as we can and yet it seems we cannot please everyone Unfortunately, this customer did not receive the communication and service we strive to portrayWe deeply regret any inconvenience she has experienced and have already contacted her and apologized and scheduled her repairs and topcoat free of charge

I admit I’m no expert when it comes to concrete or gluing stones to itThat’s why I relied on the Everstone people to know what works and what doesn’t and how to install their product correctlyMy patio floor likely moves a little in the New York winters like most others, however it’s unlikely that it moves more now that it’s covered with tiny stones than it did beforeBy her description, our concrete shifts around like a see-saw, up and down the sides of our houseThis is much exaggerated and a weak attempt to divert the blame for the situation on usWe have a roof over our patioIf the concrete has moved as much as she stated, our roof would be tearing away from the other sections of the house it attaches toThat’s not the case If it was even discussed at all before the quote, my comments about the concrete would have been limited to what I know about it: It was installed about years before and some settling has occurred in those yearsWe had no knowledge if it was continuing to move in the winter or not We assumed that the Everstone product would hold up to our winters as advertised and that [redacted] had no particular concern about it since she quoted us for the product after inspecting our patioShe charged more for the vertical sections because of the difficultyWe thought that meant they knew what they were doingAs she admits, “our corporate office has given us a suggestion on this repair that we can try ” and as evidenced by the continuing problems, they clearly have no idea how to install the product correctly on the wallsEverything has been a guess by people we thought were the experts Yes, they have attempted to fix the problems but they have not actually done soJust because she thinks they’re setting a precedence of “free maintenance”, that doesn’t release her from the obligation of actually completing the job we paid her almost $for $doesn’t sound free to meWe don’t feel entitled to free service every yearWe are entitled to a completed job that we paid forShe had no issue collecting our moneyThat paid for a completed job she refuses to doWhy would we pay her $on top of what we’ve already paid for just one hour of labor? That’s crazyHere’s a better solution-since she doesn’t know how to actually fix it, refund our money for the vertical area! We’ll scrape off the stones and paint the area and that problem is resolvedNot ideal, but better than continuing to deal with this! She blames us for everything but has never been on site when any of the work has been done to see what’s going on or to make sure things are done as she thinks they should beBut she won’t stand behind the work that’s done in her absenceSomehow that’s my fault Just like the vertical sections, if they had done the walkway areas correctly, whether the concrete shifts or not, it would be no issueThat’s not the case but that’s also our faultThose areas continue to get worse as time goes onIs our patio shifting in the summer too? And yes, we did endorse them three times-every time it was because she put us on the spot—and we took the high road trying to help her outNow she’s trying to use that courtesy against usThe endorsements were also before things started crumbling apart on us

I will agree that May 2011 EverStone installed stone and epoxy on our back patio and front porch. Unfortunately, that’s where the truth of her account ends. We were NOT given an option of having an aluminum transition strip installed at the adjoining concrete thresholds at time of installation or quote. We have three entrances to our patio and all three were done similarly. One of the three is still done that way and is functional. The other two have had to be redone and unfortunately need to be done again. Despite her comments, last year her installer talked us out of putting the strip across the two problem entrances as it could be a tripping hazard. His comment was that she’s the salesperson, he’s the installer. He knows what needs to be done to fix the issue. Unfortunately, she doesn’t believe the word of her customer who was present at the time of the work being done. If her instructions to her installer were to install the strip, why wouldn’t he have discussed it with her before doing something different than instructed? He did do something different than she said, but it was his idea. He said he could make it work. We were concerned that she wouldn’t believe us –we had nothing in writing to go by. That’s why we emailed her to get the comments in front of her in writing. Just to reiterate, it was an employee of EverStone by DeJoy (who is supposed to be experienced and trained in the installation of this product) that suggested to correct it without the strip and who we trusted knew what he was doing. We believed he had the authority to make the decisions he did and trusted his offer that he’d come back to fix it the following year if it failed. It’s the same story with the vertical sections of the patio. These are areas she charged extra for because of the increased difficulty. The epoxy and stones were falling off the whole time they were trying to install. We feel that since we paid extra for these areas, expecting that they be done right is reasonable. It should be expected that cement moves in the winter. In the EverStone advertising materials we were given, it states in one section, “EverStone is extremely durable and can withstand severe weather conditions that would normally destroy other products.” And in another area, “Weather Resistant-EverStone easily stands up to the most severe weather conditions throughout the country, such as freezing, thawing, and extreme heat.” In a third area it states, “EverStone cannot be broken, due to our freeze & thaw winter conditions.” To me, that screams that it stands up to our winter conditions. Additional thoughts- 1. She stated that she can’t presume to know the weather conditions. Since her business is in these areas where winters are harsh on a regular basis, we expected she would know how to install the stone and epoxy appropriately. In Western NY and North Western Pennsylvania where she lives, weather isn’t far different from each other or from year to year. How can she not know that? 2. Her same employee that was here last year repairing other issues stated that his repair of the vertical surfaces would work. He said if it didn’t, he’d come back the next year to fix. Again, he’s the expert and the agent of EverStone by DeJoy. 3. Why is she saying this doesn’t fall under the warranty? This has nothing to do with warranty work—it’s still installation that’s not yet complete. The vertical areas have never been properly installed. Of course it’s not warranty. If I bought a car that had a defect, it’s resolved as a recall not a warranty issue. Her installation was defective and needs to be corrected until its right. She stated that she can’t say what will work for certain but is willing to continue to try. Why is she selling this product or her application is she doesn’t know how to install it with certainty? And why does she think it should be at my continued expense while she figures it out? She stated that based on what she’s witnessed, that the recoat is not needed more than every three years. Since they’ve had to do it every year so far, I don’t know what she’s basing the statement on. She refers to it as a UV topcoat. Wouldn’t that indicate that it resists the effects of the sun? Why do all the areas not directly under our patio roof need to be resealed every year? Why are there patchy dull and white areas all over the patio that won't clean up? Again, quoting her advertising, “Exterior applications are easily maintained by hosing off or power washing with water and an EverStone approved detergent.” I’ve tried scrubbing with water and tried scrubbing with Resolve as she instructed (because as she stated, Resolve will bring the shine back), and still have patches and dull areas--it doesn't work. That’s either an issue with the top coat sealer she uses or another false advertising claim. She says she’s been very patient, polite, and accommodating. We paid her nearly $6000 for this work to be done. I would expect a contractor to be patient, polite, and accommodating. I would also expect them to deliver the job that was paid for. She stated in her comments that the income from this company would be supporting her family. We also work hard for our money and expect completed work when we pay for a job. We have been very patient, respectful, and accommodating. We’re sitting here three years after paying for the job, still waiting for its completion. She sent a film crew here to shoot footage for a commercial—we agreed to let it happen without any compensation, even though we still had unresolved issues. She had a potential customer call us without any advanced warning or even asking us if it was okay. She put us on the spot at a home show with other potential customers to get an unsolicited endorsement from us. The first time her crew showed up to do any repairs back in 2012, they arrived on the Friday afternoon of Memorial Day weekend without any notice at all. My family had to quickly clear the patio so they could do work. We offered to clean off the patio and front porch but were told no, they would handle it. When they were done, we had more issues-now with sharp surfaces on the patio and pine needles on the porch because they failed to prepare the areas appropriately. Her crew sealed in the pine needles that were already laying on the front porch. They didn't clean it off before sealing it. They were in a hurry to get out of here and didn't even check in before leaving. Regarding the sharp surfaces on the patio, she says that an overuse of sand for slip resistant surfaces was applied. The sharp pieces were black, not sand. Again, due to a failure to clean the surface and possibly their tools before applying the sealer. We were without our patio on Memorial Day weekend…again, we accommodated. I’d also like to add that she was never on site during any of the work being done. If she’s not going to believe her customers or stand behind the work of her employees, then she should be on site during the jobs to ensure things are done to her specifications so there’s no doubt about things. I have always asked questions of her and her installers, but have never talked an installer out of doing anything. The fact that she blamed me for talking her installer out of doing it her way multiple times is an insult. I’ve dealt with a lot of contractors and they will not do things any way but their way unless they get something in writing releasing them of responsibility for it. They act as experts for their work and I respect that expertise. Whatever happened to “the customer is always right”? It’s a philosophy most successful businesses live by. I am being completely truthful about our issues with this contractor. It’s a shame that she won’t believe me or stand behind the work and word of her employees who are acting on behalf of her company in her absence. She wants to charge us $60/hour for travel time and work time (minimum $240) for work that should have been done correctly 3 years ago. We’ve never asked that they make a special trip here. Certainly they could combine it with other projects they’re doing in our area. Incidentally, why does her territory include western NY if she doesn’t want to support it as she would in her home area? If her territory is too big, that’s not our problem as a paying customer. She also quoted her cost of $50/hour so she’s not making money on our repairs—what about the nearly $6000 of our money she already collected? Why am I being asked to pay more to finish the job they never completed correctly? We just want what we paid for.

I admit I’m no expert when it comes to concrete or gluing stones to it. That’s why I relied on the Everstone people to know what works and what doesn’t and how to install their product correctly. My patio floor likely moves a little in the New York winters like most others, however it’s unlikely that it moves more now that it’s covered with tiny stones than it did before. By her description, our concrete shifts around like a see-saw, up and down the sides of our house. This is much exaggerated and a weak attempt to divert the blame for the situation on us. We have a roof over our patio. If the concrete has moved as much as she stated, our roof would be tearing away from the other sections of the house it attaches to. That’s not the case.
If it was even discussed at all before the quote, my comments about the concrete would have been limited to what I know about it: It was installed about 10 years before and some settling has occurred in those years. We had no knowledge if it was continuing to move in the winter or not.  We assumed that the Everstone product would hold up to our winters as advertised and that [redacted] had no particular concern about it since she quoted us for the product after inspecting our patio. She charged more for the vertical sections because of the difficulty. We thought that meant they knew what they were doing. As she admits, “our corporate office has given us a suggestion on this repair that we can try…” and as evidenced by the continuing problems, they clearly have no idea how to install the product correctly on the walls. Everything has been a guess by people we thought were the experts. 
Yes, they have attempted to fix the problems but they have not actually done so. Just because she thinks they’re setting a precedence of “free maintenance”, that doesn’t release her from the obligation of actually completing the job we paid her almost $6000 for.  $6000 doesn’t sound free to me. We don’t feel entitled to free service every year. We are entitled to a completed job that we paid for. She had no issue collecting our money. That paid for a completed job she refuses to do. Why would we pay her $240 on top of what we’ve already paid for just one hour of labor? That’s crazy. Here’s a better solution-since she doesn’t know how to actually fix it, refund our money for the vertical area! We’ll scrape off the stones and paint the area and that problem is resolved. Not ideal, but better than continuing to deal with this!
She blames us for everything but has never been on site when any of the work has been done to see what’s going on or to make sure things are done as she thinks they should be. But she won’t stand behind the work that’s done in her absence. Somehow that’s my fault. 
Just like the vertical sections, if they had done the walkway areas correctly, whether the concrete shifts or not, it would be no issue. That’s not the case but that’s also our fault. Those areas continue to get worse as time goes on. Is our patio shifting in the summer too?
And yes, we did endorse them three times-every time it was because she put us on the spot—and we took the high road trying to help her out. Now she’s trying to use that courtesy against us. The endorsements were also before things started crumbling apart on us.

After reviewing the circumstances, we realize there was a lack of communication
with this customer, which has created unnecessary stress and upset. No
excesses are acceptable only an explanation.
This year we are experiencing an exceptionally busy season with...

new installs as
well as maintenance work. This is a good thing and a frustrating position because
the majority of our customers want their work completed by Memorial Day and 4th
of July holiday. We are scrambling to complete as many customers as we can
and yet it seems we cannot please everyone.
Unfortunately, this customer did not receive the communication and service we
strive to portray. We deeply regret any inconvenience she has experienced and
have already contacted her and apologized and scheduled her repairs and
topcoat free of charge.

Review: May 2011 EverStone by DeJoy installed stone flooring on our existing patio. We paid to cover our large patio, steps, front porch, and paid extra for all vertical sections. We were sold on a product that was easy on the feet(demonstrated with stocking feet), "weather resistant-extremely durable and can withstand severe weather conditions that would normally destroy other products", UV blocker top coat that would protect the sealer and keep it looking new for years, "easy to keep clean by hosing off or power washing with water and an EverStone approved detergent."We began having issues as they were installing the vertical sections. They kept falling down as the epoxy wasn't holding the stones to the walls. After the first winter, sections of stones on the walls and walkways had broken away. The shine dulled and wouldn't come back. Pine needles were sealed into the stones on the porch. Sharp objects were sealed into the patio so it was very rough on the feet. The owner has sent her people here to work on the issues a couple times. Some of the issues have been corrected but we continue to have the same issues on the walls and walkways. The sealer was supposed to last 4 or 5 years but has had to be reapplied yearly so far. The owner admitted that they were having issues with the sealer however here we are, with a dull patio again a year later.Even though this has never been installed correctly or satisfactorily, and came with a 10 year warranty, the owner refuses to correct the issues we continue to have. She wants to charge us $240 for an hour of labor (she's including their travel time because even though we're in her territory, she's over an hour away).We want what we paid for -- what she sold us. Our patio looks old and run down despite the fact that we paid her nearly $6000 just 3 years ago.She doesn't stand behind the work her installers do and hasn't responded to our last email message asking for satisfaction.Desired Settlement: We want what we paid for. We want the patio to be finished with vertical and walkway sections looking and functioning as they are supposed to. We want the patio sealed with a product that will last several years before we are forced to pay the $800+ to have it resealed. We want the stones to adhere so we're not constantly stepping on loose stones that have separated from the rest. We don't want to be gouged for travel time expenses because her territory is larger than what she wants to support.

Business

Response:

Customer Service is extremely important because this business supports the entire family.

Review: Two years ago we contracted with EverStone by DeJoy to install a stone walkway. The next year it was breaking apart, they came to fill a few areas (wrongly with the wrong colored stone). This year the walkway is completely falling apart. We contacted them in person at a homeshow, they said the issue would be taken care of and that we would hear from them within 2 weeks. A month later we still did not hear from them and called them twice in April, they said they were compiling there list to look at repairs and we would hear from them within the week to get the date they were coming. We did not hear from them, another call was placed in May and finally they were coming and did. Per our conversation they said they would fix the issues and that it would need a new sealer and that we would hear from them within the week for sure to set the date that the workers would be here. Two weeks pass and I have to make a call. They said the repairs would be on them and that the sealer would be on us and that they would need prepayment in order to set a work date. When calling the owner was on her cell phone driving going in and out of our conversation saying the sealer was on us and that her daughter made that clear to us. That was incorrect (all her information was incorrect). I call the daughter and leave a message that I would like a call at her earliest convience so we can get this matter cleared up. She does call and leaves a message, I call her back and she will not talk to me and says that they will not cover any repairs or deal with us any longer because we are being unreasonable.Desired Settlement: We would like them to stand behind their product and fix the repairs that need to be done.

Business

Response:

After reviewing the circumstances, we realize there was a lack of communication