Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/11/16) */
Hi-Tech Termite Control of the Bay Area has been in business since with excellent standingsWe are well aware of potential damage that can occur during a treatment (fumigation) processWe are transparent with our customers in
telling them that there will be damage on the roofThe customer in question happens to have the highest risk for damageIt's a clay tile roof that it very brittleIt also has a pitch on it that makes it impossible for boards to be laid on top of the tiles for protection
The roof waiver was discussed prior to the fumigation and the customer was well informedThe customer signed the roof waiver, making this a binding contract that Hi-Tech Termite and Mega-Fume are not responsible for damage to the roof
After the tent came off the home the customer contacted Hi-Tech Termite and expressed concernsEven though we had no legal obligation, we agreed to provide the labor to fix the roof if the customer provided the tilesWe have email records of all of this communicationThe customer bought about tiles and we paid for the laborDuring the repairs, more tiles were found to be brokenThe customer asked us to pay for the tiles and the laborWe explained that we would not be willing to pay for the tiles, but we would pay once again for the labor to repair the tilesThe customer once again agreed and the repairs were made
After the job was completed, the customer attempted to change the details of the agreement and used online reviews as leverage to bully Hi-Tech Termite into covers costs that were clearly not agreed uponThe customer left a review on Yelp, and we respondedThe customer contacted the Diamond Certified company and they backed our contractNow the customer is once again attempting to use online reviews to get something that was not agreed upon up front
We feel that we have gone above and beyond to accommodate the customer where other companies would notAt this point it's not about the money, it's the principle that the customer agreed to terms and then attempted to use online reviews to bully us into paying for more than what was agreed upon
.....I've attached the signed roof waiver and supporting documents for review
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2015/11/23) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
I do not agree the response from Hi-Tech Termite Control company and they said that "the customer agreed to terms and then attempted to use online reviews to bully us into paying for more than what was agreed upon"
First, I don't think I changed the agreement between both sides, because the signed roof waiver before fumigation was based on the minimum damage, and also the agreement to repair the roof was based on small amount of broken tilesIt is NOT fair when major damages were happened and the customer still needed to pay lots of money for repairingOne thing was exceed both sides expectation was the amount of damaged tilesIn fact, finally the total over tiles were brokenBut the amount was gradually discoveredWhen I reported the damage to Hi-Tech Termite Control, I gave a low estimate on the amount of the broken roof tiles (less than tiles) because I didn't climb on the roof to count and just estimate the damages from the groundBased on the low amount broken tiles, I agreed that they sent their people (but not the professional roofer) as labor to fix the roof and I paid for the material feeIn September, their workers came but found more tiles broken, and they need to come again to finish the repairingI felt that the Hi-Tech Termite Control was not happy with the 2nd laborBut this was not my fault; their subcontractor (MegaFume) made big and bad damages on my roof during fumigation and they should take full responsibilityThat's the reason I asked for reimburseAnd, I just asked for $reimburse for material fee$is the half amount of what I paid for purchasing materialI asked only half amount, because I appreciated their workers' repairing works
Second, I do NOT use online review to bully Hi-Tech Termite Control companyFor the roof damages, first I contacted Hi-Tech Termite Control but they said it was my riskThen, on Sept.10, I wrote a one-star review on yelp.comHere is the review: "9/10/Just warning: if you want fumigation service but also want to protect your roof please don't ask this companyIn August 2015, they did fumigation and sub-termite control services for my houseTheir free inspection was good and the inspector worked hardHowever, they hired unprofessional people to do the fumigation (climbing on your roof and cover the whole house and release gas to kill pest)Before the fumigation, they asked you to sign a form to waive their responsibility if the roof was damaged during fumigation and they told you that they would do their utmost to ensure damage is kept to a minimumUnfortunately, the fume person was not professional and didn't prepare any material such as a board on the roof to protect your tilesHe just stepped on the clay tiles and broke the tiles, then told you that your tiles were so fragileAfter fumigation, many clay tiles on my roof (at least pieces) were brokenThey said they would minimize the damage in the waiver form but during working they didn'tIn a word, because you signed the waiver form, it looked like they did not care how many tiles were damaged on customer's roof." I just wrote down my experiences and this is NOT a review with intent to bully the company
For the reimburse (the $200), I wrote a few of email to them, they kept to refuse and then I wrote an email to Diamond Certified for mediation, and I did not put any online review on Diamondcertified.orgAfter this mediation, they still refused any amount of reimburse, even later they gave a comment on yelp and said that "(I) try to take advantage of a company that goes above and beyond and use online reviews as leverage"So I contacted with Revdex.com.org to complain
Hi-Tech Termite Control said they has been in business since with excellent standings, I trusted them and believed their star reviews on yelp.com and paid money for their service; but now I don't understand why they said the customer to bully them by using online reviews
The facts related to Hi-Tech Termite Control service are:
Fact Before fume, they didn't discuss with me about the possible "severe" damage of the roofThey only sent the roof waiver and let me sign
Fact In the roof waiver they said that they "will do our utmost to ensure damage is kept to a minimum"Based on the trust of their service quality, I signed the waiverThis was my first time to do the fumigation service and my family actually didn't have any experiences and ideas about roof damages during fumigation before
Fact During the fumigation process, the worker from MegaFume did NOT make any efforts to protect my roofThe professional fume company should put some boards or other things on the roof to protect tiles, but this time MegaFume workers didn't do services professionally, and they just stepped on the clay tiles and broke them, then told me that the tiles were so fragile
Fact Over roof clay tiles on my roof were damaged during fumigationIt was major damages on my roof, not the minimum, and it was against Hi-Tech Termite Control's promise in the wavier that they would ensure minimum damage
The facts relevant to their customer services after fumigation are:
Fact aAt beginning I thought there were about less than tiles broken, because I didn't climb on the roof to count the exact amount of the broken tiles and just estimated with my eyes from ground
Fact bIn August, I sent email to report the roof damages, Hi-Tech Termite Control replied that "but that is the risk that you took upon moving forward with the fumigation"
Fact cOn Sept10, I wrote a review on yelp.comThen I received an email from Hi-Tech Termite Control and they said that "If you provide the tiles, I will provide the labor to install them (up to tiles)If you have extra stored somewhere, then it won't cost you a dimeIf you need to buy them, then the cost will be minimal to you"It looked like a good solutionI thought there were small amount tiles broken and my family could afford the material costSo, I agreed that they sent the labor to fix
Fact dWhen they repaired the roof in September, Hi-Tech Termite Control workers found that actually many more tiles were broken during fumigationSince more damages were found, they sent one more labor again in October
Fact eI purchased tiles for repairingTotal paid amount are $I sent invoices to Hi-Tech Termite ControlAnd I asked for $reimburseThey refusedI sent a few of emails to Hi-Tech Termite Control but they still refusedIn the last email I told them I would go to the third party to help us to resolve the disagreementThey said one word "understood"On Oct.23, I sent an email to Diamond Certified to look for mediationAnd Hi tech termite still refused any reimburse
Fact gIn November, I found Hi-Tech Termite Control wrote comments on yelp.com after my review, and they said that "some people will try to take advantage of a company that goes above and beyond and use online reviews as leverage"I am not happy with their commentsSo I filled out the online complain form in Revdex.com.org
I am dissatisfied with the response from Hi-Tech Termite Control
Initial Business Response /* (1000, 10, 2015/07/28) */
Contact Name and Title: [redacted]
Contact Phone: XXX-XXX-XXXX
Contact Email: [redacted]@hitechtermite.com
Hi Tech Termite of the Bay Area strives to create an environment of open communication and customer service to...
ensure that our customers are satisfied. Our industry is one that is overseen and governed by the Structural Pest Control Board. That board sets the rules and regulations for the industry. They also require that all employees are licensed in accordance to their rules and regulations. That being said, some customers misunderstand the extend of liability and the standards that all termite companies are held to by the board.
A wood destroying organism report (often referred to as a termite report) requires the licensed inspector to identify fungus, dry rot, carpenter ants, carpenter bees, wood boring beetles, termites, and any damage that may have been caused by these infestations or infections. These are known as Section I items. Inspectors are also required to note Section II items which are items that can attract or lead to any Section I item. This may include, but not be limited to plumbing leaks, cracks in the exterior siding/stucco/brick, loose or missing grout, etc.. The "structure" defined by the board is the home and anything that is physically attached to the home. We are required to bid items that fall into our scope of work. Other items may be referred to a professional. The report also states that the owner is not required to use our company for such repairs.
In this particular circumstance, the customer paid $125 for an escrow inspection (which I'm willing to refund 100%). Different loans require different standards in order to fund. Most people refinance their home in order to take money out for home improvements. Unfortunately VA loans require a Section I and Section II clearance before the loan can fund. Some people are shocked by the news that they have to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars before they can refinance their home.
After speaking with the inspector, he informed me that he was very polite and tried to engage the customer in conversation. She responded by asking him to talk to her boyfriend who would be handling everything. The inspector informed the owners boyfriend that there were various findings of fungus/dry rot throughout the eaves. He also informed the customer that there was a small termite damaged portion of the fence that was physically attached to the home. Since the home was not a wood framed structure, the inspector found no reason to charge for termite treatment. Instead he recommended removing and replacing the damaged wood to resolve the issue and save the customer money. He went through all the findings with the owners boyfriend, gave him his card and asked him to contact him if there were any questions or concerns. No call was ever made to the inspector.
The report was sent to the customer within 24 business hours. Within 48 hours of the report being sent, Hi-Tech Termite received a poor review online. As the owner of the company I tried to reach out to her via phone. She immediately got defensive and started yelling and disrespecting me. My goal was to simply explain to her what I've explained above, but she didn't give me the opportunity.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 13, 2015/08/09) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
I appreciate the owner's lengthy response to my complaint, however it's apparent that he did not listen to me or my concerns and he also did not address the main issue of the complaint. The main issue was the difference in the verbal report that the tech gave us vs. what the tech put down in the written report. The owner tried to justify his tech's actions and I did listen to what he had to say. The owner replied to most of my questions with: "well you have to fix these items anyway" and disregarded my concern about the oral vs written report. As I've stated before, I have no issues with fixing any items, it's the fact that the tech told us one thing, and then wrote down another in the report. We gave the verbal report to our lender so we could finish our loan process. (Also, the report was sent directly to our loan officer, and was not sent to us as the owner claims.) My husband (not my boyfriend - again owner not listening!) spoke with the loan officer who questioned why we had a different written report vs. the verbal report we gave her the same day the tech was here. That's how we found out there was a difference in the reports and it held up the loan significantly. Because we could not trust what the tech wrote, we do have to hire another company to come in and do the report. The owner really did not listen to me or what the issues were as he was too busy telling me "you don't understand" or "you have to fix it anyway" and he wonders why I was so upset. Had the owner simply stated something like: "It seems there was miscommunication between you and my tech, I apologize if that caused you any inconvenience," I would have withdrawn my complaint. Instead he called and argued with me and still did not address the main issue. Lastly, on a positive note, when I asked for a refund, he agreed and sent it within a week.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 17, 2015/09/01) */
I apologize that there was an obvious disconnect between what the inspector said verbally and what was put on the report. [redacted] is a state licensed inspector who is required to identify all items within the definition of his expertise. The fact that [redacted]'s report didn't reflect what you were told is simply bad communication on our end. We train our inspectors to go over the findings with the homeowner during the inspection so that potential questions and/or concerns can be addressed at that time. I've spoken with [redacted] about being more detailed and direct with his explanation so that we can grow as a company. Sometimes complaints like this end up being a great tool to learn and improve.
I sincerely do my best to make sure that my customers are happy with our services. When they are not, I try to resolve the issue. When it was clear that Mrs. [redacted] was not happy and did not want to do business with Hi Tech Termite of the Bay Area, I felt that it was only fair to refund the money for the report. I wish her luck with the new company that she has chosen and I sincerely hope that she accepts my apology.
Final Consumer Response /* (2000, 20, 2015/09/02) */
9/2/15 email from consumer
Hi [redacted],
This is OK to close. I've moved on with life.
Thanks for all your help with everything.
:
Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/11/16) */
Hi-Tech Termite Control of the Bay Area has been in business since with excellent standingsWe are well aware of potential damage that can occur during a treatment (fumigation) processWe are transparent with our customers in
telling them that there will be damage on the roofThe customer in question happens to have the highest risk for damageIt's a clay tile roof that it very brittleIt also has a pitch on it that makes it impossible for boards to be laid on top of the tiles for protection
The roof waiver was discussed prior to the fumigation and the customer was well informedThe customer signed the roof waiver, making this a binding contract that Hi-Tech Termite and Mega-Fume are not responsible for damage to the roof
After the tent came off the home the customer contacted Hi-Tech Termite and expressed concernsEven though we had no legal obligation, we agreed to provide the labor to fix the roof if the customer provided the tilesWe have email records of all of this communicationThe customer bought about tiles and we paid for the laborDuring the repairs, more tiles were found to be brokenThe customer asked us to pay for the tiles and the laborWe explained that we would not be willing to pay for the tiles, but we would pay once again for the labor to repair the tilesThe customer once again agreed and the repairs were made
After the job was completed, the customer attempted to change the details of the agreement and used online reviews as leverage to bully Hi-Tech Termite into covers costs that were clearly not agreed uponThe customer left a review on Yelp, and we respondedThe customer contacted the Diamond Certified company and they backed our contractNow the customer is once again attempting to use online reviews to get something that was not agreed upon up front
We feel that we have gone above and beyond to accommodate the customer where other companies would notAt this point it's not about the money, it's the principle that the customer agreed to terms and then attempted to use online reviews to bully us into paying for more than what was agreed upon
.....I've attached the signed roof waiver and supporting documents for review
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2015/11/23) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
I do not agree the response from Hi-Tech Termite Control company and they said that "the customer agreed to terms and then attempted to use online reviews to bully us into paying for more than what was agreed upon"
First, I don't think I changed the agreement between both sides, because the signed roof waiver before fumigation was based on the minimum damage, and also the agreement to repair the roof was based on small amount of broken tilesIt is NOT fair when major damages were happened and the customer still needed to pay lots of money for repairingOne thing was exceed both sides expectation was the amount of damaged tilesIn fact, finally the total over tiles were brokenBut the amount was gradually discoveredWhen I reported the damage to Hi-Tech Termite Control, I gave a low estimate on the amount of the broken roof tiles (less than tiles) because I didn't climb on the roof to count and just estimate the damages from the groundBased on the low amount broken tiles, I agreed that they sent their people (but not the professional roofer) as labor to fix the roof and I paid for the material feeIn September, their workers came but found more tiles broken, and they need to come again to finish the repairingI felt that the Hi-Tech Termite Control was not happy with the 2nd laborBut this was not my fault; their subcontractor (MegaFume) made big and bad damages on my roof during fumigation and they should take full responsibilityThat's the reason I asked for reimburseAnd, I just asked for $reimburse for material fee$is the half amount of what I paid for purchasing materialI asked only half amount, because I appreciated their workers' repairing works
Second, I do NOT use online review to bully Hi-Tech Termite Control companyFor the roof damages, first I contacted Hi-Tech Termite Control but they said it was my riskThen, on Sept.10, I wrote a one-star review on yelp.comHere is the review: "9/10/Just warning: if you want fumigation service but also want to protect your roof please don't ask this companyIn August 2015, they did fumigation and sub-termite control services for my houseTheir free inspection was good and the inspector worked hardHowever, they hired unprofessional people to do the fumigation (climbing on your roof and cover the whole house and release gas to kill pest)Before the fumigation, they asked you to sign a form to waive their responsibility if the roof was damaged during fumigation and they told you that they would do their utmost to ensure damage is kept to a minimumUnfortunately, the fume person was not professional and didn't prepare any material such as a board on the roof to protect your tilesHe just stepped on the clay tiles and broke the tiles, then told you that your tiles were so fragileAfter fumigation, many clay tiles on my roof (at least pieces) were brokenThey said they would minimize the damage in the waiver form but during working they didn'tIn a word, because you signed the waiver form, it looked like they did not care how many tiles were damaged on customer's roof." I just wrote down my experiences and this is NOT a review with intent to bully the company
For the reimburse (the $200), I wrote a few of email to them, they kept to refuse and then I wrote an email to Diamond Certified for mediation, and I did not put any online review on Diamondcertified.orgAfter this mediation, they still refused any amount of reimburse, even later they gave a comment on yelp and said that "(I) try to take advantage of a company that goes above and beyond and use online reviews as leverage"So I contacted with Revdex.com.org to complain
Hi-Tech Termite Control said they has been in business since with excellent standings, I trusted them and believed their star reviews on yelp.com and paid money for their service; but now I don't understand why they said the customer to bully them by using online reviews
The facts related to Hi-Tech Termite Control service are:
Fact Before fume, they didn't discuss with me about the possible "severe" damage of the roofThey only sent the roof waiver and let me sign
Fact In the roof waiver they said that they "will do our utmost to ensure damage is kept to a minimum"Based on the trust of their service quality, I signed the waiverThis was my first time to do the fumigation service and my family actually didn't have any experiences and ideas about roof damages during fumigation before
Fact During the fumigation process, the worker from MegaFume did NOT make any efforts to protect my roofThe professional fume company should put some boards or other things on the roof to protect tiles, but this time MegaFume workers didn't do services professionally, and they just stepped on the clay tiles and broke them, then told me that the tiles were so fragile
Fact Over roof clay tiles on my roof were damaged during fumigationIt was major damages on my roof, not the minimum, and it was against Hi-Tech Termite Control's promise in the wavier that they would ensure minimum damage
The facts relevant to their customer services after fumigation are:
Fact aAt beginning I thought there were about less than tiles broken, because I didn't climb on the roof to count the exact amount of the broken tiles and just estimated with my eyes from ground
Fact bIn August, I sent email to report the roof damages, Hi-Tech Termite Control replied that "but that is the risk that you took upon moving forward with the fumigation"
Fact cOn Sept10, I wrote a review on yelp.comThen I received an email from Hi-Tech Termite Control and they said that "If you provide the tiles, I will provide the labor to install them (up to tiles)If you have extra stored somewhere, then it won't cost you a dimeIf you need to buy them, then the cost will be minimal to you"It looked like a good solutionI thought there were small amount tiles broken and my family could afford the material costSo, I agreed that they sent the labor to fix
Fact dWhen they repaired the roof in September, Hi-Tech Termite Control workers found that actually many more tiles were broken during fumigationSince more damages were found, they sent one more labor again in October
Fact eI purchased tiles for repairingTotal paid amount are $I sent invoices to Hi-Tech Termite ControlAnd I asked for $reimburseThey refusedI sent a few of emails to Hi-Tech Termite Control but they still refusedIn the last email I told them I would go to the third party to help us to resolve the disagreementThey said one word "understood"On Oct.23, I sent an email to Diamond Certified to look for mediationAnd Hi tech termite still refused any reimburse
Fact gIn November, I found Hi-Tech Termite Control wrote comments on yelp.com after my review, and they said that "some people will try to take advantage of a company that goes above and beyond and use online reviews as leverage"I am not happy with their commentsSo I filled out the online complain form in Revdex.com.org
I am dissatisfied with the response from Hi-Tech Termite Control
Initial Business Response /* (1000, 10, 2015/07/28) */
Contact Name and Title: [redacted]
Contact Phone: XXX-XXX-XXXX
Contact Email: [redacted]@hitechtermite.com
Hi Tech Termite of the Bay Area strives to create an environment of open communication and customer service to...
ensure that our customers are satisfied. Our industry is one that is overseen and governed by the Structural Pest Control Board. That board sets the rules and regulations for the industry. They also require that all employees are licensed in accordance to their rules and regulations. That being said, some customers misunderstand the extend of liability and the standards that all termite companies are held to by the board.
A wood destroying organism report (often referred to as a termite report) requires the licensed inspector to identify fungus, dry rot, carpenter ants, carpenter bees, wood boring beetles, termites, and any damage that may have been caused by these infestations or infections. These are known as Section I items. Inspectors are also required to note Section II items which are items that can attract or lead to any Section I item. This may include, but not be limited to plumbing leaks, cracks in the exterior siding/stucco/brick, loose or missing grout, etc.. The "structure" defined by the board is the home and anything that is physically attached to the home. We are required to bid items that fall into our scope of work. Other items may be referred to a professional. The report also states that the owner is not required to use our company for such repairs.
In this particular circumstance, the customer paid $125 for an escrow inspection (which I'm willing to refund 100%). Different loans require different standards in order to fund. Most people refinance their home in order to take money out for home improvements. Unfortunately VA loans require a Section I and Section II clearance before the loan can fund. Some people are shocked by the news that they have to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars before they can refinance their home.
After speaking with the inspector, he informed me that he was very polite and tried to engage the customer in conversation. She responded by asking him to talk to her boyfriend who would be handling everything. The inspector informed the owners boyfriend that there were various findings of fungus/dry rot throughout the eaves. He also informed the customer that there was a small termite damaged portion of the fence that was physically attached to the home. Since the home was not a wood framed structure, the inspector found no reason to charge for termite treatment. Instead he recommended removing and replacing the damaged wood to resolve the issue and save the customer money. He went through all the findings with the owners boyfriend, gave him his card and asked him to contact him if there were any questions or concerns. No call was ever made to the inspector.
The report was sent to the customer within 24 business hours. Within 48 hours of the report being sent, Hi-Tech Termite received a poor review online. As the owner of the company I tried to reach out to her via phone. She immediately got defensive and started yelling and disrespecting me. My goal was to simply explain to her what I've explained above, but she didn't give me the opportunity.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 13, 2015/08/09) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
I appreciate the owner's lengthy response to my complaint, however it's apparent that he did not listen to me or my concerns and he also did not address the main issue of the complaint. The main issue was the difference in the verbal report that the tech gave us vs. what the tech put down in the written report. The owner tried to justify his tech's actions and I did listen to what he had to say. The owner replied to most of my questions with: "well you have to fix these items anyway" and disregarded my concern about the oral vs written report. As I've stated before, I have no issues with fixing any items, it's the fact that the tech told us one thing, and then wrote down another in the report. We gave the verbal report to our lender so we could finish our loan process. (Also, the report was sent directly to our loan officer, and was not sent to us as the owner claims.) My husband (not my boyfriend - again owner not listening!) spoke with the loan officer who questioned why we had a different written report vs. the verbal report we gave her the same day the tech was here. That's how we found out there was a difference in the reports and it held up the loan significantly. Because we could not trust what the tech wrote, we do have to hire another company to come in and do the report. The owner really did not listen to me or what the issues were as he was too busy telling me "you don't understand" or "you have to fix it anyway" and he wonders why I was so upset. Had the owner simply stated something like: "It seems there was miscommunication between you and my tech, I apologize if that caused you any inconvenience," I would have withdrawn my complaint. Instead he called and argued with me and still did not address the main issue. Lastly, on a positive note, when I asked for a refund, he agreed and sent it within a week.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 17, 2015/09/01) */
I apologize that there was an obvious disconnect between what the inspector said verbally and what was put on the report. [redacted] is a state licensed inspector who is required to identify all items within the definition of his expertise. The fact that [redacted]'s report didn't reflect what you were told is simply bad communication on our end. We train our inspectors to go over the findings with the homeowner during the inspection so that potential questions and/or concerns can be addressed at that time. I've spoken with [redacted] about being more detailed and direct with his explanation so that we can grow as a company. Sometimes complaints like this end up being a great tool to learn and improve.
I sincerely do my best to make sure that my customers are happy with our services. When they are not, I try to resolve the issue. When it was clear that Mrs. [redacted] was not happy and did not want to do business with Hi Tech Termite of the Bay Area, I felt that it was only fair to refund the money for the report. I wish her luck with the new company that she has chosen and I sincerely hope that she accepts my apology.
Final Consumer Response /* (2000, 20, 2015/09/02) */
9/2/15 email from consumer
Hi [redacted],
This is OK to close. I've moved on with life.
Thanks for all your help with everything.
: