Fresh Starts Home Improvement

This letter is in response to complaint # [redacted] from [redacted] *** I met with [redacted] and his wife and it was agreed that custom cabinetry would be built on either side of his fireplace During this conversation I did advise that I had someone who worked with me that would primarily be completing the task That individual unfortunately left my company, however, had shown me over time how to build cabinetry in addition to previous experiences I have had The photos Mr [redacted] is referencing as to the quality are the work of myself for another customer of mine That same customer along with several others gave me positive reviews for many different types of work that I do There was a delay with installing the cabinetry due to running over on another job at which point I was in communication with Mr [redacted] via email There was a rush to get the cabinetry installed in Mr***’s home on a specific date and when we delivered the cabinets it was explained that the cabinets were not completed Based on the timeline I made the decision to deliver the cabinets with the understanding that they were not completed During the installation it was requested by Mr [redacted] that we remove the existing shelving along with cut into the wainscoting so that the new cabinetry would fit tightly in the allocated spot There was dust from sawing that we were doing and we did vacuum up the dust on the floor and carpeting The lighting in the room was dark and it was hard to see on any other surfaces or we would’ve certainly vacuumed it up This was explained to Mr [redacted] at the same time as explaining the cabinetry wasn’t completed I was approached by Mrs [redacted] via email outlining their concerns In my responses I did advise them on several occasions that the job wasn’t completed although they were unwilling to allow the work to continue I met with Mr***, his father-in-law(architect) and my employee who assisted with the building During this conversation we reviewed the areas of opportunity with the cabinetry of which I was already aware of as they were an unfinished product There were some concerns with the spacing that I didn’t agree with the architect’s resolution to which would involve making the cabinetry not level It was suggested multiple times by the father-in-law that I take home a section of the cabinetry as a test of my abilities to then bring back for them to review I advised them on each occasion that wasn’t an option It was agreed in this meeting that Mr [redacted] would email me a list of items he wanted remedied in which I would review and let him know if it was possible Instead, I received an email requesting again that I take a section back and complete a test run I again declined and advised that I’m happy to complete the job, however, needed assurance that payment would be received and we would not be going around and round It should be noted that during my onsite review, reference was being made to an “Architectural Woodworking Manual” of which I do not use nor am I an architect The $deposit was explained to the ***’s that it was used for material acquisition, planning, and upfront labor expenses As a result of this job I have incurred expenses totaling $including materials, labor and planning Not all the materials have been used due to the simple fact that I was advised not to continue to do the work Even by not including those materials not onsite, I’m still in the negative on this job The cut in Mr***’s drywall is approximately inches above the wainscoting and can easily be patched which I was advised he had no problem doing The wainscoting was cut based on the request of the customer so that the cabinetry fit I can understand why the ***’s are not satisfied at this moment because the cabinetry is not completed The fact that no clear direction was provided upfront regarding finishing types to be used other than a photo from [redacted] and to paint the cabinetry white with adjustable shelves can leave a lot of room for opinions to be inserted I feel confident that had we finished the job the concerns raised would’ve been a non-issue.My refusal to refund the money has nothing to do with an inferior product as referenced in the complaint The refusal is based on goods and services provided thus far.My solution at this point is to write off the money that I’ve lost thus far and to consider this finished business If needed I’m happy to provide copies of all email and text message correspondence Sincerely,Brian H***

While Brian references the number of photos of projects on his web site that were completed by a professional carpenter, we are not sure what those have to do with our job We are not disputing those projects or work We are interested in staying focused on the work that is completed in our homeThe posts and reviews that we have completed of Brian’s work online – as well as this complaint and that filed with the [redacted] ’s office – are accurate representations of Brian’s work Although the cabinetry is not complete, what we have is indicative of the type of work that he installs in someone’s home How are these cabinets a “representation of his work” when he constructed them? This work is either his, or it isn’t his As we have stated countless times, what Brian installed in our home has issues that are irreparable Issues of saw cuts, gaps, margins, and sanding cannot be remedied once the work is installed Professional cabinetry should not be sanded and painted in someone’s home; it should be done to completion in a shop before installation takes place As consumers, we read countless reviews before purchasing a project When someone is going to invest thousands of dollars in home renovation, they should be informed of the type of project (and service) that a company has provided in the past If we can help anyone to understand what the type of installation and level of service that we have received from Brian’s company, and we can save them from losing money by investing in a substandard product, we have the right to provide the information This is why reviews exist If Brian is proud of the work that he has completed in our home and does believe in the quality of his construction as he asserts, he would be proud of others seeing the photos of what is in our home, whether complete or not As he referenced, there are dozens of photos on his Facebook page of partially completed cabinetry that document the stages of renovation Why does he have no problem with bragging about the uncompleted work documented there?Finally, Brian keeps claiming that we are unsatisfied because the work is not finished This is incorrect We requested that Brian not complete the job until he could help us to understand the manner in which it would be completed We used cabinetry standards as this measure because they are STANDARDS, meaning that they are free from objectivityThey are RULES Standards are not “ambiguous” as Brian claims When Brian failed to provide actual solutions beyond simply completing the job and receiving payment, we halted further work, as we had no faith in his ability to provide a quality product simply based on what he has currently completed At this point, we are left to wonder how the issues that we are left with could possibly have been remedied, considering the fact that several professionals have said that they cannot We never received actual answers from Brian – as a construction professional – about their alleviation, and that was the basis of our stopping the project Please see the attached photos for reference to the questions below; each is numbered Photo 1: how is the furring remedied after paint application without removal from our home? Photos 2,3,4: how do the chattered saw cuts and miss-cut edges get remedied? These exist in countless places and on nearly every shelf Photo 5: how do the large gaps inside of the cabinets get remedied? It is not aesthetically pleasing or appropriate to caulk cabinetry as Brian suggested Photo 6: plywood with an incredibly thin layer of paint is installed next to our fireplace, and it requires several more coats of paint to be properly finished to the point where it is not bleeding through How can it be painted professionally and properly at this point given its proximity to the fireplace? Photo 7: how does the piece of trim that was cut and then glued back on to the cabinetry get remedied now that it is attached to the wall? Photo 8: how does the uneven gap that exists on each side get remedied? Brian claimed that there was not a solution for thisSeveral professionals have told us that the only solution is proper construction in the first place to allow for margins According to Brian, it seems that we are just supposed to have cabinetry that is sized differently on each side of the fireplace? For thousands of dollars in payment we cannot have even margins? Photo 9: the side of the cabinetry next to the fireplace contains an incredibly uneven surface with paint drips, sanding residue, and an uneven surface area due to wood filling How does this get remedied given its installation and close proximity to the fireplace? These are questions that Brian has been unable to answer, and as a professional whom we have hired to complete work in our home, he should be the expert in providing solutions to customer concerns Ours were consistently negated and refused We would finally like some answers Additionally, we have yet to see receipts for the materials that are in our home (as we have requested), because based on our visit to [redacted] to examine prices as Brian suggested, items do not seem to be equaling what we were quoted or charged Receipts would easily end this objection.Again, with any other purchase, if a person receives a defective product, they receive a refund, and the cost takes in to account labor and other manufacturing expenses Based on the quality of the construction, the misleading information about how it would be constructed and who would construct it, and the refusal to remedy to our satisfaction, we believe that we have received a defective product, and we still request a refund accordingly

This letter is in response to complaint #*** from *** *** ***. I met with *** and his wife and it was agreed that custom cabinetry would be built on either side of his fireplace. During this conversation I did advise that I had someone who worked with me that would primarily be
completing the task. That individual unfortunately left my company, however, had shown me over time how to build cabinetry in addition to previous experiences I have had. The photos Mr*** is referencing as to the quality are the work of myself for another customer of mine. That same customer along with several others gave me positive reviews for many different types of work that I do. There was a delay with installing the cabinetry due to running over on another job at which point I was in communication with Mr*** via email. There was a rush to get the cabinetry installed in Mr***’s home on a specific date and when we delivered the cabinets it was explained that the cabinets were not completed. Based on the timeline I made the decision to deliver the cabinets with the understanding that they were not completed. During the installation it was requested by Mr*** that we remove the existing shelving along with cut into the wainscoting so that the new cabinetry would fit tightly in the allocated spot. There was dust from sawing that we were doing and we did vacuum up the dust on the floor and carpeting. The lighting in the room was dark and it was hard to see on any other surfaces or we would’ve certainly vacuumed it up. This was explained to Mr*** at the same time as explaining the cabinetry wasn’t completed. I was approached by Mrs*** via email outlining their concerns. In my responses I did advise them on several occasions that the job wasn’t completed although they were unwilling to allow the work to continue. I met with Mr***, his father-in-law(architect) and my employee who assisted with the building. During this conversation we reviewed the areas of opportunity with the cabinetry of which I was already aware of as they were an unfinished product. There were some concerns with the spacing that I didn’t agree with the architect’s resolution to which would involve making the cabinetry not level. It was suggested multiple times by the father-in-law that I take home a section of the cabinetry as a test of my abilities to then bring back for them to review. I advised them on each occasion that wasn’t an option. It was agreed in this meeting that Mr*** would email me a list of items he wanted remedied in which I would review and let him know if it was possible. Instead, I received an email requesting again that I take a section back and complete a test run. I again declined and advised that I’m happy to complete the job, however, needed assurance that payment would be received and we would not be going around and round. It should be noted that during my onsite review, reference was being made to an “Architectural Woodworking Manual” of which I do not use nor am I an architect. The $deposit was explained to the ***’s that it was used for material acquisition, planning, and upfront labor expenses. As a result of this job I have incurred expenses totaling $including materials, labor and planning. Not all the materials have been used due to the simple fact that I was advised not to continue to do the work. Even by not including those materials not onsite, I’m still in the negative on this job. The cut in Mr***’s drywall is approximately inches above the wainscoting and can easily be patched which I was advised he had no problem doing. The wainscoting was cut based on the request of the customer so that the cabinetry fit. I can understand why the ***’s are not satisfied at this moment because the cabinetry is not completed. The fact that no clear direction was provided upfront regarding finishing types to be used other than a photo from *** and to paint the cabinetry white with adjustable shelves can leave a lot of room for opinions to be inserted. I feel confident that had we finished the job the concerns raised would’ve been a non-issue.My refusal to refund the money has nothing to do with an inferior product as referenced in the complaint. The refusal is based on goods and services provided thus far.My solution at this point is to write off the money that I’ve lost thus far and to consider this finished business. If needed I’m happy to provide copies of all email and text message correspondence. Sincerely,Brian H***

Dear *** *** ***,This letter is in response to complaint #***. I have received your most recent correspondence responding to me. I’m very sorry to hear that you are rejecting my response and are unhappy with the quality of work received thus far. I have bulleted my thoughts below in regards to your concerns. • I’m happy to hear that your understanding the cabinets are not complete which reside in your home. With the original construction not being complete it can be difficult for anyone to make assumptions as to how the finished product would look. I personally know how it would look because I have finished countless other projects for other customers and have not received any complaints. Judging something that is partially done would not be a fair representation of my work or abilities. • During the onsite visit that occurred with ***, ***, myself and my employee Bill it was requested by *** that I take a piece of the cabinet home and test some of the concepts that we discussed. This was requested times. Each of those times I advised that was not an option. It was agreed in this same conversation that *** would send me a list of items he wanted remedied and I would review that list. Instead of that being done another request was made for this test. I again refused. I’m not sure why the idea changed from what we agreed to and the time I left because my thoughts didn’t change nor did my offer at that time towards a solution.• Referring to the standards can be a very ambiguous way of looking at things because I build things a certain way which may be different than the way *** or his father in law build things. The only thing I regret is delivering an unfinished product to the residence as we wouldn’t be continuing to spend valuable time going back and forth about the same items that have already been addressed in countless emails. • Comparing cabinetry building to healthcare is a poor analogy in my opinion. When this project began, a single front facing picture was provided from *** and I was advised that I should build something similar to this. Any deviations from this picture were discussed with *** via phone or text message. My prices are based on below average prices for countless services that I’m able to perform. As for the purchase price of the materials, you can easily go to *** *** to see the prices for the majority of the materials. In regards to the custom cabinet doors, I advised Mr*** that the doors I originally ordered would not work for his cabinet because they were the wrong size. I also advised him even sooner that if I had to build the doors myself I would end up eating the cost difference. He advised me via text message that we would work something out. In my conversation with *** we discussed the design of the doors since they had to be made. The reason for the European style hinges not fitting has nothing to do with the construction of the cabinet and is directly related to the selected design and the proximity of the wall. Had we used that style hinge the doors wouldn’t open. There is $missing from the estimate as I also advised the ***’s that I mistakenly didn’t include the previous cabinet removal and wainscoting removal in my estimate. • The materials total and the labor invested thus far exceed the amount paid by the ***s. As I’ve previously communicated, I still have some of the materials as I had intention of finishing the job. I’m happy to provide the remaining materials I have which even though that just adds to the loss further experienced by my company. • I’m not sure I understanding what was misleading as I was honest and upfront with the ***s at all time. I’m very sorry that your unhappy The deposit was applied to materials and upfront labor and is non-refundable as has been communicated.Lastly, the continuous issue being risen regarding quality of work. While perception shows you poor construction I firmly believe that it is a representation of my work which can be witnessed by other similar completed projects which have pictures posted on my social media page. I don’t believe it is fair either to criticize my work and share opinions with statements on social media and to the Revdex.com and *** *** *** *** *** ***. I have record of all text messages from *** and *** as well as all emails. Sincerely,Brian H***

Dear *** *** ***,This letter is in response to complaint #***. I have received your most recent correspondence responding to me. I’m very sorry to hear that you are rejecting my response and are unhappy with the quality of work received thus far. I have bulleted my thoughts below in regards to your concerns. • I’m happy to hear that your understanding the cabinets are not complete which reside in your home. With the original construction not being complete it can be difficult for anyone to make assumptions as to how the finished product would look. I personally know how it would look because I have finished countless other projects for other customers and have not received any complaints. Judging something that is partially done would not be a fair representation of my work or abilities. • During the onsite visit that occurred with ***, ***, myself and my employee Bill it was requested by *** that I take a piece of the cabinet home and test some of the concepts that we discussed. This was requested times. Each of those times I advised that was not an option. It was agreed in this same conversation that *** would send me a list of items he wanted remedied and I would review that list. Instead of that being done another request was made for this test. I again refused. I’m not sure why the idea changed from what we agreed to and the time I left because my thoughts didn’t change nor did my offer at that time towards a solution.• Referring to the standards can be a very ambiguous way of looking at things because I build things a certain way which may be different than the way *** or his father in law build things. The only thing I regret is delivering an unfinished product to the residence as we wouldn’t be continuing to spend valuable time going back and forth about the same items that have already been addressed in countless emails. • Comparing cabinetry building to healthcare is a poor analogy in my opinion. When this project began, a single front facing picture was provided from *** and I was advised that I should build something similar to this. Any deviations from this picture were discussed with *** via phone or text message. My prices are based on below average prices for countless services that I’m able to perform. As for the purchase price of the materials, you can easily go to *** *** to see the prices for the majority of the materials. In regards to the custom cabinet doors, I advised Mr*** that the doors I originally ordered would not work for his cabinet because they were the wrong size. I also advised him even sooner that if I had to build the doors myself I would end up eating the cost difference. He advised me via text message that we would work something out. In my conversation with *** we discussed the design of the doors since they had to be made. The reason for the European style hinges not fitting has nothing to do with the construction of the cabinet and is directly related to the selected design and the proximity of the wall. Had we used that style hinge the doors wouldn’t open. There is $missing from the estimate as I also advised the ***’s that I mistakenly didn’t include the previous cabinet removal and wainscoting removal in my estimate. • The materials total and the labor invested thus far exceed the amount paid by the ***s. As I’ve previously communicated, I still have some of the materials as I had intention of finishing the job. I’m happy to provide the remaining materials I have which even though that just adds to the loss further experienced by my company. • I’m not sure I understanding what was misleading as I was honest and upfront with the ***s at all time. I’m very sorry that your unhappy The deposit was applied to materials and upfront labor and is non-refundable as has been communicated.Lastly, the continuous issue being risen regarding quality of work. While perception shows you poor construction I firmly believe that it is a representation of my work which can be witnessed by other similar completed projects which have pictures posted on my social media page. I don’t believe it is fair either to criticize my work and share opinions with statements on social media and to the Revdex.com and *** *** *** *** *** ***. I have record of all text messages from *** and *** as well as all emails. Sincerely,Brian H***

This letter is in response to complaint #[redacted] from [redacted].  I met with [redacted] and his wife and it was agreed that custom cabinetry would be built on either side of his fireplace.  During this conversation I did advise that I had someone who worked with me that would primarily be...

completing the task.  That individual unfortunately left my company, however, had shown me over time how to build cabinetry in addition to previous experiences I have had.  The photos Mr. [redacted] is referencing as to the quality are the work of myself for another customer of mine.  That same customer along with several others gave me positive reviews for many different types of work that I do.  There was a delay with installing the cabinetry due to running over on another job at which point I was in communication with Mr. [redacted] via email.  There was a rush to get the cabinetry installed in Mr. [redacted]’s home on a specific date and when we delivered the cabinets it was explained that the cabinets were not completed.  Based on the timeline I made the decision to deliver the cabinets with the understanding that they were not completed.  During the installation it was requested by Mr. [redacted] that we remove the existing shelving along with cut into the wainscoting so that the new cabinetry would fit tightly in the allocated spot.  There was dust from sawing that we were doing and we did vacuum up the dust on the floor and carpeting.  The lighting in the room was dark and it was hard to see on any other surfaces or we would’ve certainly vacuumed it up.  This was explained to Mr. [redacted] at the same time as explaining the cabinetry wasn’t completed.  I was approached by Mrs. [redacted] via email outlining their concerns.  In my responses I did advise them on several occasions that the job wasn’t completed although they were unwilling to allow the work to continue.  I met with Mr. [redacted], his father-in-law(architect) and my employee who assisted with the building.  During this conversation we reviewed the areas of opportunity with the cabinetry of which I was already aware of as they were an unfinished product.  There were some concerns with the spacing that I didn’t agree with the architect’s resolution to which would involve making the cabinetry not level.  It was suggested multiple times by the father-in-law that I take home a section of the cabinetry as a test of my abilities to then bring back for them to review.  I advised them on each occasion that wasn’t an option.  It was agreed in this meeting that Mr. [redacted] would email me a list of items he wanted remedied in which I would review and let him know if it was possible.  Instead, I received an email requesting again that I take a section back and complete a test run.  I again declined and advised that I’m happy to complete the job, however, needed assurance that payment would be received and we would not be going around and round.  It should be noted that during my onsite review, reference was being made to an “Architectural Woodworking Manual” of which I do not use nor am I an architect.  The $1376 deposit was explained to the [redacted]’s that it was used for material acquisition, planning, and upfront labor expenses.  As a result of this job I have incurred expenses totaling $1650 including materials, labor and planning.  Not all the materials have been used due to the simple fact that I was advised not to continue to do the work.  Even by not including those materials not onsite, I’m still in the negative on this job.  The cut in Mr. [redacted]’s drywall is approximately 1.5 inches above the wainscoting and can easily be patched which I was advised he had no problem doing.  The wainscoting was cut based on the request of the customer so that the cabinetry fit.  I can understand why the [redacted]’s are not satisfied at this moment because the cabinetry is not completed.  The fact that no clear direction was provided upfront regarding finishing types to be used other than a photo from [redacted] and to paint the cabinetry white with adjustable shelves can leave a lot of room for opinions to be inserted.  I feel confident that had we finished the job the concerns raised would’ve been a non-issue.My refusal to refund the money has nothing to do with an inferior product as referenced in the complaint.  The refusal is based on goods and services provided thus far.My solution at this point is to write off the money that I’ve lost thus far and to consider this finished business.  If needed I’m happy to provide copies of all email and text message correspondence.  Sincerely,Brian H[redacted]

While Brian references the number of photos of projects on his web site that were completed by a professional carpenter, we are not sure what those have to do with our job.  We are not disputing those projects or work.  We are interested in staying focused on the work that is completed in our home. The posts and reviews that we have completed of Brian’s work online – as well as this complaint and that filed with the [redacted]’s office – are accurate representations of Brian’s work.  Although the cabinetry is not complete, what we have is indicative of the type of work that he installs in someone’s home.  How are these cabinets a “false representation of his work” when he constructed them?  This work is either his, or it isn’t his.  As we have stated countless times, what Brian installed in our home has issues that are irreparable.  Issues of saw cuts, gaps, margins, and sanding cannot be remedied once the work is installed.  Professional cabinetry should not be sanded and painted in someone’s home; it should be done to completion in a shop before installation takes place.  As consumers, we read countless reviews before purchasing a project.  When someone is going to invest thousands of dollars in home renovation, they should be informed of the type of project (and service) that a company has provided in the past.  If we can help anyone to understand what the type of installation and level of service that we have received from Brian’s company, and we can save them from losing money by investing in a substandard product, we have the right to provide the information.  This is why reviews exist.  If Brian is proud of the work that he has completed in our home and does believe in the quality of his construction as he asserts, he would be proud of others seeing the photos of what is in our home, whether complete or not.  As he referenced, there are dozens of photos on his Facebook page of partially completed cabinetry that document the stages of renovation.  Why does he have no problem with bragging about the uncompleted work documented there?Finally, Brian keeps claiming that we are unsatisfied because the work is not finished.  This is incorrect.  We requested that Brian not complete the job until he could help us to understand the manner in which it would be completed.  We used cabinetry standards as this measure because they are STANDARDS, meaning that they are free from objectivity. They are RULES.  Standards are not “ambiguous” as Brian claims.  When Brian failed to provide actual solutions beyond simply completing the job and receiving payment, we halted further work, as we had no faith in his ability to provide a quality product simply based on what he has currently completed.  At this point, we are left to wonder how the issues that we are left with could possibly have been remedied, considering the fact that several professionals have said that they cannot.  We never received actual answers from Brian – as a construction professional – about their alleviation, and that was the basis of our stopping the project.  Please see the attached photos for reference to the questions below; each is numbered.                  Photo 1: how is the furring remedied after paint application without removal from our home?                Photos 2,3,4:  how do the chattered saw cuts and miss-cut edges get remedied?  These exist in countless places and on nearly every shelf.                Photo 5: how do the large gaps inside of the cabinets get remedied?  It is not aesthetically pleasing or appropriate to caulk cabinetry as Brian suggested.                Photo 6: plywood with an incredibly thin layer of paint is installed next to our fireplace, and it requires several more coats of paint to be properly finished to the point where it is not bleeding through.  How can it be painted professionally and properly at this point given its proximity to the fireplace?                Photo 7: how does the piece of trim that was cut and then glued back on to the cabinetry get remedied now that it is attached to the wall?                Photo 8: how does the uneven gap that exists on each side get remedied?  Brian claimed that there was not a solution for this. Several professionals have told us that the only solution is proper construction in the first place to allow for margins.  According to Brian, it seems that we are just supposed to have cabinetry that is sized differently on each side of the fireplace?  For thousands of dollars in payment we cannot have even margins?                Photo 9: the side of the cabinetry next to the fireplace contains an incredibly uneven surface with paint drips, sanding residue, and an uneven surface area due to wood filling.  How does this get remedied given its installation and close proximity to the fireplace?  These are questions that Brian has been unable to answer, and as a professional whom we have hired to complete work in our home, he should be the expert in providing solutions to customer concerns.  Ours were consistently negated and refused.  We would finally like some answers.  Additionally, we have yet to see receipts for the materials that are in our home (as we have requested), because based on our visit to [redacted] to examine prices as Brian suggested, items do not seem to be equaling what we were quoted or charged.  Receipts would easily end this objection.Again, with any other purchase, if a person receives a defective product, they receive a refund, and the cost takes in to account labor and other manufacturing expenses.  Based on the quality of the construction, the misleading information about how it would be constructed and who would construct it, and the refusal to remedy to our satisfaction, we believe that we have received a defective product, and we still request a refund accordingly.