Keystone Basement Systems and Structural Repair

I am sorry for the confusion.  We are using two terms that mean the same thing in this correspondence.  The term "J-Channel" is a specific type of "french drain."  Whereas "French drain" is generic and can mean a lot of things, a "J-Channel" is a specific type and what was installed at the customers home.  All that said, we did in fact due exactly the footage stated on the contract.  Is this what you wanted me to address?

The client called us to their home to address a wet crawlspace.  Keystone sent a representative out to the home to investigate the matter.  When we arrived we found that the homeowner had had work done prior to our visit to address the issue.  Furthermore, at the time of the...

inspection, the existing system was partially excavated.  From what we were told the homeowner had excavated the area in an attempt to see what was wrong with the existing system.  The client explained that they did not want to move forward with our suggestion of a french drain and a sump pump and wanted Keystone to follow their instructions to repair the existing exterior system. 
 
At the time of inspection the client informed Keystone that they wanted to utilize the existing system as much as possible.  They even went as far as to dig a hole in a particular area where they wanted Keystone to "Tie into" the existing system.  The client requested that we utilized existing discharge pipes as well as other plumbing.  Because we were utilizing existing underground plumbing that we neither installed nor could see, no warranty was associated with the work.  (Please see attached contract which shows no warranty protection).
 
It should be noted that the client received exactly what was contracted.  Not only was the contract followed but the system that was installed is in working order.

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
There are many assumptions by the contractor in their response.
WE OBVIOUSLY Disagree on WHAT was recommended by the inspector. Unfortunately this is a he said she said issue.  I can only restate what the inspector recommended to us.
As I have previously stated: We were told by the inspector that the system they recommended and installed was what we needed to resolve the water issues.
We asked about a sump pump before having this work done and were told by the inspector it was not necessary, the system would eliminate our water issues and their system could not leak. We believed the expert. 
We NEVER asked to have the old pipes used.
We were told there would be 73’ of J Channel installed from the side of the house, across the entire back, and the other side of the house as drawn in the contract by the inspector. This did not happen.  We received 32’ of J Cannel.  This does not fulfill our contract. 
Regards,
[redacted]

It is my pleasure to respond to the complaint.  I will address each sentence.  Customer's complaint in red.
Customer’s Statement of the Problem:
Keystone Basement Systems salesperson did not represent himself and was not knowledgeable enough to describe the work that was...

going to be done accurately.the pipes were not leveled where water was able to run off into the reservoir correctly.It had to be redone and it was not fixed correctly the second time.discharge line was not put in correctly the first time either,and now it is not correct on the second time they fix.It discharges water throughout the backyard.after putting holes in the foundation wall they would not repair the holes. The floor was left rough and an even.sump pump reservoir had gravel ,mortar mix, in bottom and was not connected up to the phone line as salesman person stated.pump was not registered for warranty.French drain line in garage was not leveled towards reservoir. water is 4 inches deep throughout the line. I do not believe French drain line goes all the way through the floor to the reservoir.
1. "Keystone Basement Systems salesperson did not represent himself and was not knowledgeable enough to describe the work that was going to be done accurately."  (I am not sure what to say here.  The customer got multiple bids and selected us.  Obviously they liked us.)
2.  "the pipes were not leveled where water was able to run off into the reservoir correctly.It had to be redone" - It is true that we got a call about the system from the client.  We immediately sent out our service department to fix the issue.  Additionally, we have our Production Manager in communication with the customer to perform a post-work inspection.  There is nothing more we can do at this point as the issue was fixed and the post-inspection is pending.
3.  "discharge line was not put in correctly the first time either,and now it is not correct on the second time they fix" - This is a rehash of point #2 above.  Additionally, we have pictures and video of the pipe conduction water and flowing very well.  Additionally, we have our Production Manager in communication with the customer to perform a post-work inspection.  There is nothing more we can do at this point as the issue was fixed and the post-inspection is pending.
4.  "It discharges water throughout the backyard.after putting holes in the foundation wall they would not repair the holes." - Once again this is a rehash of point #2 with the pipe.  Moreover, discharge water and discharge location is determined by building codes of the specific place you live.  The water is in almost all cases piped out of the home as it is not allowable to dump it into the sanitary sewer.  We have pictures of this aspect as well.
5.  "The floor was left rough and an even.sump pump reservoir had gravel ,mortar mix, in bottom"  - The customer's original floor was rough.  When we recent we are beholden to "blend in" to what we have to work with.  
6.  "pump was not registered for warranty." - This claim makes absolutely no sense as the client has a full warranty with Keystone.  
7.  "French drain line in garage was not leveled towards reservoir." - This is a rehash of point #2 above.  Additionally, we have pictures and video of the pipe conduction water and flowing very well.  Additionally, we have our Production Manager in communication with the customer to perform a post-work inspection.  There is nothing more we can do at this point as the issue was fixed and the post-inspection is pending.
8.  "water is 4 inches deep throughout the line." - This is a rehash of point #2 above.  Additionally, we have pictures and video of the pipe conduction water and flowing very well.  Additionally, we have our Production Manager in communication with the customer to perform a post-work inspection.  There is nothing more we can do at this point as the issue was fixed and the post-inspection is pending.
9.  "I do not believe French drain line goes all the way through the floor to the reservoir." - This is a rehash of point #2 above.  Additionally, we have pictures and video of the pipe conduction water and flowing very well.  Additionally, we have our Production Manager in communication with the customer to perform a post-work inspection.  There is nothing more we can do at this point as the issue was fixed and the post-inspection is pending.
In closing, I would like to point out that the client called about an issue and we promptly sent out a crew to repair the issue.  Moreover, we are in the process of setting up a post-inspection with our Production Manager Mr. [redacted].  In fact, the customer and Mr. [redacted] communicated just this weekend about the matter.  At this point I see nothing more that the company can do.  I also would like to state that I had to answer with the same response over and over again because the customer was complaining about the initial issue...which we addressed...and rehashing it again and again.  
Lastly, we plan to have a manager out to inspect the work.  This is exactly what should be done in such a situation.

Review: I used KEYSTONE BASEMENT SYSTEMS to waterproof my basement. Was that a MISTAKE!

Here are the problems I had with them:

• They pestered me until I scheduled the appointment, grabbed my money, and ran from a subpar job.

• They drilled right next to my water sprinkler system and damaged it. When I told them to stop drilling they didn’t. I now have trouble turning it off and on at the outside lever.

• At 5:00 pm, they took off, giving me no instructions as to how the system operates.

• They never finished the cement on the floor, and left it very rough. It would have taken an extra five minutes to smooth it out and extend the cement so the job was done right.

• Under contract, there was to be TWO coats of paint. They did one and I had to call to complain to get them to come out and do the second coat.

• They mixed the cement on my grass and killed the grass.

• When they were leaving, they didn’t plug in system, and I had to ask them to do that. They asked me if I had extension cords. Then they left the electrical cords hanging, and weren’t going to plug it in until I asked them. They left old sump pump in place, but unplugged.

• When I called to complain and ask them to come back and clean up their mess, it took two weeks and they never did all I asked them to do. The owner kept saying we fulfilled the contract – YEAH BARELY!!!

• They have untrained workers who admitted they had other jobs, but were filling in with this. The workers were not respectful of my property.

• When the supervisor came to inspect the job, he admitted it was a bad job. You know there’s problems in an organization when everyone bad mouths other co-workers. The crew said the sales guy didn’t know what we was talking about when he said it would take three days and it only took one. The supervisor who came out to fix all the problems said the crew didn’t know what they were doing. Everyone promised something and never delivered.

The worst part is not one person from the owner to “customer service” to the crew every cared to satisfy me. It was a horrible experience for me and I would NEVER RECOMMEND OR USE KEYSTONE BASEMENT SYSTEMS again!Desired Settlement: I would like them to finish the cementing of my basement or cover the costs to have another contractor finish the job.

Business

Response:

My name is Aaron S[redacted] and I am the owner of Keystone Basement Systems. I would like to address each item Ms. [redacted] has. I will list the item and respond afterwards below:•They pestered me until I scheduled the appointment, grabbed my money, and ran from a subpar job.I am not sure why Ms. [redacted] is saying we "ran" from the job. By her own admission we came back multiple times and had multiple managers out. Additionally, we came back and did more work at her home. Although it is certainly Ms. [redacted]'s right to have an opinion of the work that was done, it is factually incorrect to say we "ran" from the job. After the work was completed Mr. Josh E[redacted] (Operations Manager) personally inspected the job at Ms. [redacted]'s request. Additionally, Mr. Ron G[redacted] (Service Manager) came out to review the work and perform additional work at no cost. Saying we "ran" from the job is a complete mischaracterization. •They drilled right next to my water sprinkler system and damaged it. When I told them to stop drilling they didn’t. I now have trouble turning it off and on at the outside lever.This claim is false. Mr. Ron G[redacted] tested the system when he was out to the home and said no “damage” of any kind existed. In anticipation of such a claim he took a picture to verify this. See attached picture titled “[redacted]6”•At 5:00 pm, they took off, giving me no instructions as to how the system operates.If this was done I will fully admit that Wesley was wrong. Although the systems are automatic, and require no actions to operate, that needs to be explained to the client. I apologize if this was done.•They never finished the cement on the floor, and left it very rough. It would have taken an extra five minutes to smooth it out and extend the cement so the job was done right.I cannot disagree with this more. Keystone was hired to install a waterproofing system, not a basement floor. (See attached contract of scope of work titled “[redacted] Paperwork”) The client has a very rough floor. It is so rough that some of her plumbing is actually exposed (See “[redacted]2”). In anticipation of this claim we took extensive pictures of the floor. (See Attached Pictures Titles “[redacted]1,2,3,4 & 5) You can clearly see Ms. [redacted]’s floor is in bad condition. Additionally, by looking at the contract, you can see that we were not contracted to fix the floor. All areas where Keystone installed a waterproofing system the floor was cemented. Pay special attention to picture titled “[redacted]1.” The pump shown in that picture existed and was NOT installed by Keystone. •Under contract, there was to be TWO coats of paint. They did one and I had to call to complain to get them to come out and do the second coat.Although the crew did do two coats of paint, Josh felt it did not look good enough. At no cost we put another coat of paint on the wall. I agree with Ms. [redacted] that this needed fixed and thus it was done.•Under contract, there was to be TWO coats of paint. They did one and I had to call to complain to get them to come out and do the second coat.See above comment explaining this. •They mixed the cement on my grass and killed the grass.All customers that have this kind of work done will have cement work. Cement must be mixed on site. There will always be some residue.•When they were leaving, they didn’t plug in system, and I had to ask them to do that. They asked me if I had extension cords. Then they left the electrical cords hanging, and weren’t going to plug it in until I asked them. They left old sump pump in place, but unplugged.Keystone does not provide electrical outlets or services, nor are we licensed to do so. Furthermore, our contract states this in 3 places. See attached document titles “[redacted] Paperwork.” Sump pumps are commonly hooked up with extension cords until client gets an outlet installed. This is an industry norm and outlined in detail on the contract.•When I called to complain and ask them to come back and clean up their mess, it took two weeks and they never did all I asked them to do. The owner kept saying we fulfilled the contract – YEAH BARELY!!!We came out multiple times after completion of the work. We fixed the areas that were contracted.•They have untrained workers who admitted they had other jobs, but were filling in with this.AFTER the work was done Mr. Josh E[redacted] and Mr. Ron G[redacted] both were out to the house. These are two of the highest company members. •When the supervisor came to inspect the job, he admitted it was a bad job.Mr. Ron G[redacted] did admit that the paint job could have been better…to which I agree. Thus it was repainted at no cost. In closing, I do not agree to Ms. [redacted]’s request for a new concrete floor. At no time did we agree to perform such work so any expectation that we would do it is unfounded. (I have many additional photos of this project should they be needed for further clarification of items)

Review: My wife and I had Keystone come out for a quote to repair our basement wall. The salesman was just out to get the sale. He got us a quote just fine and we were contemplating the repair. The salesman just said sign this so I don't have to come back out. We thought it was the quote agreement. It was the contract. We went along with it for awhile and they kept trying to get us financing. They did get us 5k toward the balance of 26k. We informed them to begin with, they had us sign under false pretences that they would get us financed. The finance director tried several times to get it financed and then dropped off, not calling us or contacting us in any way. The job was never started and the 5k was taken by Keystone without our permission. The job was never agreed to for a starting date because they never contacted us about financing. I was in a financial bind at the time and still am. They made up a fake starting date of July 2016 and said that we said to hold off till I received my own financing. Meanwhile, they took advantage of the 5k loan and did not tell us that the funds were being dispersed. I did not give my permission for any of this and the house sits the same as it was when I invited them. I knew I would not be able to get my own financing. I actually said "Well, that's it then, I can't get financed". Finance man for Keystone said "We'll get you financed". Then nothing till we started getting a bill for a loan for 5k. "What loan we said"." We never accepted a loan". Now, they are calling and saying we have a contract. What contract? I have no paperwork and no work on the house and it is way passed July that was arbitrarily pulled from the sky because I never talked to them after the quote "We'll get you financed".

There has been no contact for months. May to August.Desired Settlement: Complete refund of the 5000 dollars to [redacted] lending. This was not to be done. We had no idea funds were dispersed.

Call me when you can get financing, for the whole thing, I can afford on a very tight budget. My wife does not own the house since I have owned it before we were married.

Business

Response:

The client signed a contract that is both valid and enforceable. They have a copy of the contract in the email inbox provided via DocuSign. The terms of the contract state clearly the nature of what was to transpire, financially and otherwise. Regardless of "how" the client intends to pay, they are responsible for the contract they signed. Now, with that said, I understand the financial hardship the client is in. I will agree to cancel the contract and refund the deposit under the condition that this Revdex.com matter be closed as well as the open complaint with [redacted] financial. If the client agrees to cancel both complaints and does so, the contract will be canceled and deposit returned. Thank you.

Consumer

Response:

On Tue, Aug 30, 2016 at 9:48 AM, [redacted]> wrote:Hello [redacted] I would like to close my complaint against Keystone Basement Systems.I am satisfied with the resolution. The contract will be closed and the will be deposit returned. Thank you. [redacted]

We had a long crack in our wall that was letting water seep in. Keystone did an excellent job of assessing the issue, educating us about the different types of repair available, and promptly fixing the crack. Since then we have had many rainstorms but our basement remains bone dry. Would definitely call them again.

Normally I try not to give bad reviews, I just wont use that company again but, dealing with Keystone Basement Systems has been the worst experience that I have had to date. My basement is now one huge an eye sore, with holes that they left in the concrete. When attempted to share my concerns my phone calls were not returned or they could schedule and appointment in 3-4 months. On the one occasion that they returned the only thing they wanted to do was plug up my own personal dehumidifier as their solution. There are also large holes in the concrete that I haven't been able the have corrected. This was truly a waste of $5,000.

Review: We had some water in our basement so we contracted with Keystone Basement Systems to install an indoor French drain. After jack-hammering two holes in our cellar floor they said they couldn't install the indoor French drain because we had a double floor in our basement. I had told them this to start with but they didn't believe me. They filled the holes with cement but water seeped into the basement. They the suggested putting in a sump pump and pipes into some of the cinderblocks to drain the water. They said this would help alleviate the water problem. They did this. The water problem is now worse than ever. Whenever it rains hard or continuously water seeps into the basement more than it ever did before.Desired Settlement: Keystone Business systems charged me $4,500 and left me with a wetter basement than I started with. I don't know what they can do but refund the money for a job done poorly. I don't know how they can fix the problem at this point and wouldn't want them to try; every time they come in the house they make the problem worse that it was before.

Business

Response:

The customer has a foundation that is very non-standard. The foundation type is called a "monolithic" whereas the floor and footer are one "monolithic" pour and therefore are considered one entity. This is highly uncommon in this country to have this type of situation. The reason I choose this as the starting point for the explanation is that conventional interior waterproofing methods will not work on this foundation type. Cutting the floor would destabilize the sections under the load bearing walls. Removing, or unconfining, the soil thereafter would lend to overall foundation instability. Thus neither the client or Keystone considered this as a viable option once it was discovered that the client had this foundation type.When this type of foundation is encountered there is only one viable method of waterproofing...total foundation excavation. Our inspector verbally discussed this but the budget the client had and the terrain conditions did not allow for it. This method was discussed but turned down by the client.At this point the client asked if we could do anything to help. Now, as a member of the Revdex.com who reads, mediates and decides on best business practices, you probably can already see the danger in offering or installing a triage type system. You are probably thinking that if a company would offer such a solution that the Contractor should draw up an agreement where the homeowner knows exactly what to expect as well as the limitations. WE DID THAT. I create a release document and had a company representative go over to the homeowners house so if he had any questions we could answer them face to face. (Please see attached release document)In the end all parties understood and agreed that this was an experimental option. Additionally, we installed a pumping station that is almost two-thousand dollars. Moreover, if you read the attached documents, you will see that this was as transparent a transaction as possible. I fully understand that the majority of issues between contractor and customer are poor communication, but this was excellent communication. Not only did we have the terms of our working relationship well defined, but I had a rep drive over and discuss them in person before he signed.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Review: My fiancé and I met with Keystone Basement Systems on Monday, September 12, 2016. We were given a price and told them we would talk about it and get back to them. Regrettably, we caught them before they left and said that we would go through with the process. We signed the contract that night and had our credit approved. Upon further discussion, this was not a wise financial decision since we are saving for a wedding. I then decided I would call the company the following day 9/13/16.

I called the man who gave us the quote. He had his cellphone off with no option for voicemail. I called the company directly and they did not answer my call. I finally went on their website and they had a chat option. The receptionist answered me immediately and called me back. I stated the situation and she said she would have the financing team contact me by 5 PM that night. I knew that the contract stated I could opt out if I did so within 3 days which would be 9/15/16.

The financial department never returned my call despite several attempts for me to reach anyone at the company. I decided to wait and see if I would receive a call the next morning. There was no call by 9 AM so I called them and left another voicemail stating my reason for me calling. The lady I talked to previously stated that my option to discontinue the contract was noted. However, I have received no call from the financial department as promised.

My fear is that the contract will not be terminated in the 3 days and I will be charged the 30% rate that is added if the contract is terminated past the 3 day period.Desired Settlement: I would like the company to contact me and confirm that the contract is terminated. I would also like in writing that the contract is terminated and my credit will not suffer as a result of the termination. In addition, it would be reassuring to know that we will not incur the 30% penalty for cancelling after three days since we attempted to terminate the contract on the first day.

Business

Response:

We have canceled the contract. We have also canceled the [redacted] Financial contract. I have also called the client personally. This should satisfy the matter. Thank you. Sincerely, [redacted]

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Review: My husband and I had Keystone out to give us an estimate of waterproofing our basement. During the estimate we discussed financing in great detail. This was going to be one of our largest purchases besides a car or house. Our field agent, [redacted], told us what our payment would be per month and that it would take 6 years to pay off once the total price was decided. The work was completed and we were charged (through [redacted]). We received our first statement and were shocked to see that if we pay the amount [redacted] specified, it would take over 11 years to pay it off!! This was not what we signed up for. I sent an email to [redacted] asking him to look into it on Monday Dec 2nd asking him to look into it. I hadn't heard back from him so on Friday the 6th, I called to make sure he received the email. He said he had and that he was working on it but they were just extremely busy. Understandable. I still hadn't heard ANYTHING so on Thursday Dec 12th, I sent him another email checking the status. No reply. Sent another email on Monday Dec 16th (2 weeks after the issue arose) with no reply. I finally got so fed up I called the Owner on Monday the 16th - he was unavailable so I left a message to call me back. Heard nothing. Tuesday the 17th I called the Operations Manager and left a message... again, heard nothing. This company will not call me or email me back. We're talking a difference of $100 and some odd dollars per month (what we were originally promised) vs. over $400 to get it paid off in 6 years. We can't afford that and would have never agreed to it. I didn't and still don't expect the issue to be resolved immediately but do expect acknowledgement of the issue and to know that we are a priority. Right now, I feel like Keystone wants to push us under the rug and hope we back down. This is completely unacceptable for any business to not get back to a customer in over 3 weeks (especially after calling your "salesman", the Owner and the Operations Manager).Desired Settlement: I don't want anything, just want other customers to be advised of this service issue that's HUGE - it's called communication

Business

Response:

My name is [redacted] and I am the owner of Keystone Basement Systems. After looking into the matter I believe I know what the issue is with this matter and I would love to explain.

Review: I have been calling Keystone and leaving messages for two whole weeks with no call back about these issues. 1.)Before signing the contract, I asked if Keystone subcontracts their jobs out. I was told no Keystone does not subcontract and they have their own employees who do all the work. I inquired further to make certain by asking if the crew is Keystone employees on payroll. I was told, yes they are their own employees a crew that does all of our work. When the crew came and did my job, they gave me a business card with a different company name on it. I never would have signed a contract with Keystone if they were upfront about subcontracting the job out. I was willing to sign a contract and pay higher than average for Keystone employees to do my job, not a subbed out job. I was misled.2.)The inspector proposed a contract to put an interior drain system and sump pump in one 12 x 11 section of my basement to keep my basement dry. However, I showed him two areas of my basement where water was leaking. He said the second area did not need an internal drain system or sump pump that it was just a minor drainage issue outside. When the crew installed my system, that they didnt understand why the inspector didnt include that section of my basement in the job and said it definitely needs the interior drain system as well and it is not a simple outside drainage issue. I never would have signed a contract to fix only half the basement.3.)Before I signed the contract, I was told that the drain would be tied into my existing drain system. It was not and the drain was put in the middle of my yard. The crew said they were not told to tie in.4.)The inspector quoted me $4600 and told me the crew would take two full days. As it turns out, as soon as the crew came to my house they looked at the job and said its an easy job and they would be done in less than one day. The crew was in fact done by 2:00pm. If I was told it was less than a 1day job, I wouldn'thave signed a $4600contractDesired Settlement: 50% refund.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

Customer Item #1 "Before signing the contract, I asked if Keystone subcontracts their jobs out. I was told no Keystone does not subcontract and they have their own employees who do all the work. I inquired further to make certain by asking if the crew is Keystone employees on payroll. I was told, yes they are their own employees a crew that does all of our work. When the crew came and did my job, they gave me a business card with a different company name on it. I never would have signed a contract with Keystone if they were upfront about subcontracting the job out. I was willing to sign a contract and pay higher than average for Keystone employees to do my job, not a subbed out job. I was misled."

Keystone Response - I would like to first state that we have both W2 employee crews as well as independent contractors. Secondly, an inspector who is giving a quote in a home would have no knowledge of what crew would be assigned (W2 or Independent) to do the work later down the line. The Production Manager would assign all projects. Thirdly, regardless of whether a W2 or independent contractor performs the work, the price is the same. Our pricing is based on a list price basis. Just as the inspector does not know who will perform the work at the point of sale nor does the company. Thus our price structure is calculated in installation averages with inflation each year.

Customer's response –It was stated to me that Keystone does not subcontract any jobs and signed the contract based on that false information. I signed a contract in good faith that my work would be done by Keystone not a subcontractor.

Keystone - As stated before our firm has both full-time and independent contractors. All that aside, Keystone Basement Systems provides the warranty for this work...regardless of what crew installed the system. Your warranty is exactly the same. Thus, in summation, your warranty and system is the same regardless of the installer. Moreover, as stated to the Revdex.com, everything is working fine.

Customer's response - I didn't state anything to the Revdex.com about the function - it has not rained hard since to test the installed system. Again, I signed a contract for Keystone to do the work, not a subcontractor. Because I was lied to, I had to opportunity to do a background check of the subcontractor. I left my house and offered up use of my bathroom in trust that they were Keystone employees and they were not - I had no knowledge of the subcontractor company's work quality, standards or ethics. These things and peace of mind are what I paid for. That fairly justifies a partial refund request.

___________________________

Customer Item #2 - "The inspector proposed a contract to put an interior drain system and sump pump in one 12 x 11 section of my basement to keep my basement dry. However, I showed him two areas of my basement where water was leaking. He said the second area did not need an internal drain system or sump pump that it was just a minor drainage issue outside. When the crew installed my system, that they didn't understand why the inspector didn't include that section of my basement in the job and said it definitely needs the interior drain system as well and it is not a simple outside drainage issue. I never would have signed a contract to fix only half the basement."

Keystone Response - As we all know in matters of contention such as this, the contract is the instrument we should use to discern what was or was not promised. We have attached a copy to buttress all of our claims as this matter is very cut and dry. First, if you look at the "Water Management" section you will see the warranty written clearly and concisely on the signed contract. It states that only the areas where Keystone fixed would be under warranty. Second, as is the case with many industries, you don't know all of the damage that exists until you remove the concrete floor and investigate the real problem that was hidden. Our inspectors are very good but they cannot see what is happening under a concrete slab. Rather than be the type of company that operates under the premise "when in doubt sell something to the client" we operate under the premise of "fix the known problems. Then, after new information is ascertained, re-assess." This saves the customer money and avoids them purchasing things they do not need. Think about it for a second...auto mechanics, doctors, lawyers, builders and every other industry gives an initial scope of work and things change as the project progresses. This is no different...except we didn't contractually obligate you to spend an unknown sum of money based on what we found. We find the damage, report it to you, and go from that point because we feel that is THE FAIR THING TO DO. We stand behind that practice and don't apologize for it.

Customers Response – Keystone’s response was, “Our inspectors are very good but they cannot see what is happening under a concrete slab”. The water problem in the second area was fully visible to the inspector (see attached picture) - all the mortar between the blocks showed signs of water in addition to the water leaking where the wall and the floor meet. It was clearly pointed out to me by the subcontractor crew after my job was complete – and all three members of the crew agreed - that this problem could only be resolved with an interior drain and pump system and that the contract should have included that section. I was given information from the Keystone inspector that the second area with leakage was only a minor drainage issue outside. Had I been told before I signed the contract that both areas needed drain and pump systems, it would clearly have been over my budget and I would have never went forward to correct only half of my wet basement. The job was underestimated. No mention from the inspector was made that Keystone would come dig up my foundation in the second area to find and assess water damage as they stated “We find the damage, report it to you, and go from that point because we feel that is THE FAIR THING TO DO”. The inspector’s opinion without any uncertainty explained to me was simply that a drain system was not needed and I trusted his knowledge.

Keystone - I believe the above response more than adequately applies to the rehash of this point. Moreover, I stand firmly behind the policy.

Customer's response - Again, I never would have signed a contract to fix half of my wet basement. Now they are asking for more money to do additional work that they originally told me would not need done.

_____________________________

Customer Item #3 "Before I signed the contract, I was told that the drain would be tied into my existing drain system. It was not and the drain was put in the middle of my yard. The crew said they were not told to tie in."

Keystone Response - Discharges for pumps and rain/ground water are controlled by the borough. We have no discretion over this. Where you live dictates this. Thus, as any company who operates in a large geographical area would do, we explain in detail on the terms and conditions of your contract that the discharge will be done in accordance to code requirement...whatever that may be.

Customer’s response – What code in my Borough kept Keystone from tying into my existing drain system as I expected from the conversation with the inspector?

Keystone - In [redacted] we have to discharge rain water/ground water into a functioning downspout that is code approved not to empty into a sanitary sewer or create ice concerns in the winter or discharge the water within the property lines of the home. When we ran a hose into your downspout it was not accepting the water at a rate acceptable to integrate a high powered pumping station into. Thus the downspout was no longer a viable option. At that point we ran the discharge line 16 feet to daylight. The ironic thing about that point is that we did that additional 16 feet for free and didn't charge you for the extra labor and material.

Customer's response - I talked to the subcontractor company Keystone paid do my job. I asked why wasn't it tied in to my drain system and the contractor said simply because Keystone didn't tell them to. This also warrants a partial refund.

________________________

Customer Item #4 "The inspector quoted me $4600 and told me the crew would take two full days. As it turns out, as soon as the crew came to my house they looked at the job and said its an easy job and they would be done in less than one day. The crew was in fact done by 2:00pm. If I was told it was less than a 1day job, I wouldn't have signed a $4600contract"

Keystone Response - Our jobs are not priced by the hour, they are priced by the job. Hence the contract was for a total dollar amount ($4600) rather than a price per hour. As you will see in the contract we state a scope of work and give a price to perform that work. This work was done in accordance with the contract. We are not sure what else can be said about that as it is clearly stated on the contract.

Customer’s response – The contract amount was agreed to in good faith based on the information the inspector gave on how long the scope of the work would take to complete. Anyone is willing to pay more for a two-day job compared to a one-day job. The crew knew at the start of the project is wasn’t even one full day’s work.

Keystone - Once again, the above response more than adequately addresses the rehashed question.

Customer's response - The Keystone inspector made the job seem more labor intense than it was. They should have said it may take less than one day or two full days. That would have affected the amount I was willing to pay. But, they instead they said its a full two day job. I don't think that is right.

__________

Keystone’s additional items:

After reading this complaint one could get the impression that we are not handling an issue with an upset customer. As I am sure the reader of this note at the Revdex.com understands, there are two sides to every story. Not only did we visit [redacted] home a few days after the complaint, we have had phone conversations with her about this very matter. With that said, at the advice of our lawyer, we stopped communicating with [redacted]. The reason is due to the untrue posting of what has transpired between both parties on public forums. Our lawyer does not feel that [redacted] is allowing for reasonable response times to questions and will be handling the matter for us from this point. Thank you.

Customer’s response to additional items:

Keystone states they stopped communicating with me because I posted something untrue on public forums.

1. False: I posted true statements, attached. May I ask what is untrue?

2. False: I posted on one public forum (Their Facebook page), not plural forums.

3. False: they claim they stopped communications because of the post when in fact, the post was only made after my calls weren’t returned. I was promised a call on May 30th and I didn’t post to Facebook until June 5th which I did only because my calls were not returned. That is not a reasonable response time.

Customer’s Additional Items:

The subcontracted crew also stated to me that for the price Keystone charged me, it should have included the entire basement, not just a 12 x 11 section.

Keystone - I would respond by stating that we were contracted to perform work as per the signed contract agreement. We fulfilled that contract and the system is working as verified by the customer. We did not change the price, change the scope of work, do bad work, act unprofessional, use poor quality materials or do anything different than what both parties agreed upon. It seems that the client is upset at who did the work...although the work is completely under warranty. She is concerned with how much work was done...although we did the exact scope of work on the contract and it is working great. She is upset with where the water is discharging...even though we cant control if he downspout is non-functional and did extra work for free to ensure it is in proper working order and code compliant and she is upset at how long the job took even though the contract clearly stated what we were doing and for what amount.

Customer's response.

Keystone did not even respond to my complaint about how they accused me of lying on "public forums", this is certainly acting unprofessional. Everything was documented, attached to my complaint, and true.

Again, I absolutely did not verify the system works - I will not know until it rains hard again. Keystone cannot claim "it's working great" when it hasn't even been tested by rain.

Again, the contractor that Keystone paid to do my job said they simply were not told by Keystone to tie into my drain system so they put it in the yard.

I want a partial refund for being mislead on the contract with regard to the issues and work as outlined above.

Regards,

Review: I called Keystone Basement Systems to come inspect an issue I was having with the 2 outer walls in my attached garage. I noticed that the walls and floor would wet from time to time, and had peeling paint and discoloration. There was also a clear musty smell and potentially mold growth in the corner of the two walls. When the inspector from Keystone reviewed my situation he told me this was happening because water would drain down below/around the foundation of my house and would overtime get absorbed by the concrete blocks that the lower walls of the home are made from. He recommended that an internal French drain system/sump pump system to be installed along the 2 outer walls of the garage. He said this would resolve our issues by diverting the water into the drain and pumped out of the house before it would get a chance to be absorbed. He also mentioned that putting off this kind of work could create even larger/more expensive issues down the road.

We agreed upon the price and scheduled the work to be completed. As scheduled all the work was done on time and without any problems. A few months later the previous wall damage was repaired and it looked as good as new.

However, the following spring as the spring showers arrived, the musty smell returned, the walls and floor occasionally appeared wet, and a few weeks later the paint on the walls started to peel and turn yellow/orange. Essentially all of the previous issues returned.

I called Keystone to come review the situation and they scheduled an inspector to come by 6 weeks later. On the day of the inspection no one came and after I called to see if anyone was coming they told me the inspector had personal family issues that popped up and that no one would come this day. I essentially ended up wasting taking a day off work because no one called to tell me this but I was only told after the fact after calling myself.

About a week later they rescheduled another inspector to come by the following week. When he arrived I expressed my concern that the previous damage returned and questioned whether the system in general was working because even after rain showers I have never witnessed any water in the sump pump. Upon his review he told me that the problems were from condensation/humidity and recommended a dehumidifier to resolve these issues. He also said he would schedule a follow up flood test to see if the internal French drain/sump pump system was working as intended. When I asked why this solution was not recommended by the original inspector before the work was done (because this was a much cheaper solution) he did not really give an answer but instead told me that in general it’s good to have an internal French drain/sump pump system in case of a really bad storm/flooding situation. But again he did reiterate that I would need a dehumidifier to resolve my issues and that along with the internal French drain/sump pump working together that the problems would be resolved.

A few weeks later another inspector came by to review the situation and to administer the flood test. He concluded the same as the previous inspector that the damage is from condensation and humidity and advised me the same solution (dehumidifier). As for the flood test everything went as expected when they tested one of the walls. They flooded the wall from outside the home, the water went into the drain, down into the pump, and was pumped out of the house through the main gutter/drainage system. However, when they tested the second wall, the water did not go into the drain nor the pump. I was told that this was normal and that it would slowly make its way toward the drain/pump due to the gravel/gradient that’s part of the system. This did not make too much sense to me because what is the point of the drain if the water does not go into it? Yet, I was assured this was normal and they concluded everything was working as intended.

In the end, I was not too happy with the resolution that I paid for a system that was did not resolve any of the issues that I was told it would resolve nor that it was questionably not functioning correctly. I called their office to talk to someone who could help me resolve my concerns. The secretory took down all the information and told me someone would call me back in a few days. Two weeks passed by without any call. I called again, and once again the same secretory apologized that no one called and said once again someone would call me by the end of the week. Since that point it has been 3 weeks and no call yet.Desired Settlement: At this point after going through all the troubles of reaching out to Keystone Basement Systems to work something out and being completely ignored, I am looking for a full refund.

Business

Response:

I would like to start this response by stating my desire for a fair andequitable solution to this matter. That said, I feel that I shouldexplain the situation before giving my recommendation to achieve that end.I would like to first start with the nature of the original issue. Theclient stated that the discoloration came back on the wall a year later andthat was the genesis of the complaint. I have attached two pictures[redacted] and [redacted]), which substantiate that this has in fact happened. With that said, I would like to examine this.Let us first start with the contract. Before we can assign blame, we mustunderstand and define responsibility. What is the warranty? Whatdoes Keystone state their system will or will not do? Until this is reviewed,it is hard to say anything. If you refer to the contract, which I attached[redacted]), you will see the warranty on the front section under the title"WATER MANAGEMENT WARRANTIES. It states "3-2-1 walls with nomembrane: The warranty on this contract covers only the cove area of the floor(24" out from the wall) that is in the contract area." The type ofsystem installed prevents water intrusion onto the ground but does not coverwalls. A different type of system would do that. Additionally, if we refer to the reverse of the contract, it states in items 5and 13 that the wall is not under warranty. We did not perform any workon the wall and therefore it was not covered as part of the warranty. Ifyou read both clauses they clearly define the situation. Now, with that stated, the walls are clearly not a part of the warrantied area. The next logical question...is why not? Why do we not give a warranty on a wall unless a membrane is installed? The reason is asfollows. When you install waterproofing systems you are putting them inon houses that range from 1-year old to 150-years old. You have somehouse with block foundations, while others are made of stone. Some are ingood shape, others in ad shape. Suffice it to say we encounter many differentsituations. Cement block foundations receive a "weep hole" atthe bottom of the hallow column to release trapped water. In some casesthe water flows freely as the block is dense and new. In other homes, theblock is porous and older. This creates a situation where the some of thewater does not leave the hallow column and stains the wall. Because wenever know the conditions that exist in the inside of a wall, we neverguarantee this unless we install a wall membrane, which covers the wall and directsthe water to the drain below the floor. Unfortunately we never know if amembrane will be needed during the estimation or installation phase. Thisdiscovery takes about a year...as it did in this case. That said, it wasvery well explained and documented in the contract. Now that I have explained that this area is not under warranty, and given proofof such as well as an explanation why, I would like to discuss what we can doto reach a fair settlement to this issue. The wall is in need of a membrane. Keystone will install the membrane literally for the cost of material. The client may even purchase the material to ensure that they are reallypaying cost. We will install the wall membrane and ask for no additionalfunds or money of any kind.

Consumer

Response:

Review: The company sent an "inspector" for a diagnosis of our water issues, to do the "68 point inspection" as they advertise online and as we were told. He made a recommendation to have 73feet of "J channel" run around the side, back and other side of our home on the outside to eliminate water from entering our crawl space. We were told more than once that the work had a lifetime warranty and we would not have water in the crawl space ever again. This is also stated on their website "all of our work is backed by a LIFETIME WARRANT". While the men were working my husband noticed they did not run 73 feet of J channel. He asked about it and they said no it is not done that way. I sent several emails to the job foreman, [redacted] only to find he was on vacation.(Later [redacted] told me on the phone) We also had concerns with the paperwork not being filled out correctly.(the warranty section was not completed and the billing section did not show we gave a deposit.) [redacted] called and stated [redacted] would be out to correct the paperwork the next day. He never showed. After the first rain, we had water in the crawlspace. I spoke with the office lady, [redacted], and emails were exchanged. She assured me they would take care of it. After many phone calls [redacted] told me [redacted] would be in contact. He did call and come to see the crawlspace on Aug. 16th and took pictures. He said he would get back to us. We heard nothing but continued to call the next week for answers. He finally called back on 8/27 and tried to sell me more "services" he stated his work was done correctly and I didn't have a warranty. Upset by this, I told him it was bait & switch. He said he would call back the next day after checking into it. on 8/29 I received a letter from their lawyer stating I had no warranty for the work and the reason I still have water coming into the crawlspace is because I need an additional system installed at an additional fee of course. We are out thousands of dollars AND still have the same problem.Desired Settlement: Correct the water problem or refund our money so we can get it fixed.

Business

Response:

The client called us to their home to address a wet crawlspace. Keystone sent a representative out to the home to investigate the matter. When we arrived we found that the homeowner had had work done prior to our visit to address the issue. Furthermore, at the time of the inspection, the existing system was partially excavated. From what we were told the homeowner had excavated the area in an attempt to see what was wrong with the existing system. The client explained that they did not want to move forward with our suggestion of a french drain and a sump pump and wanted Keystone to follow their instructions to repair the existing exterior system.

Review: Keystone is attempting to break our Contract by not completing the job in the Contract . An engineers report made a part of Keystones Contract clearly defines the perimeters of the job. Keystone opened the entire rear of my home, cut two large support pieces of support out, removed vinyl siding and wants to walk away with my home not supported with the pieces cut; open to elements and animals entering the basement. Keystone showed intent to do work by cutting support beams, removing vinyl siding and starting the job. They want me to pay for a job not completed according to Contract. I live alone and they want me to live in a home with supports cut, landscaping and vinyl work not done and a fear of my home shifting. They want paid for work not completedDesired Settlement: Business has responsibility to perform to the contract and make my home safe and livable and put in a liveable condition without the worry of a shifting home. My home asset has been deteriorated and they want payment for the full work not completed

Consumer

Response:

November 16, 2015 Revdex.com of Western PA 400 Holiday Drive, Suite 220 Pittsburgh PA 15220 Attention Patricia Cook, Case ID 10950233 Gentlemen: Keystone Basement Systems and I have resolved our differences and I am retracting my complaint filed 11/12/2015. They have completed the work in workmanlike manner.Very truly yours,Very cc: Keystone Basement Systems.

Review: Keystone Basement Systems salesperson did not represent himself and was not knowledgeable enough to describe the work that was going to be done accurately.the pipes were not leveled where water was able to run off into the reservoir correctly.It had to be redone and it was not fixed correctly the second time.discharge line was not put in correctly the first time either,and now it is not correct on the second time they fix.It discharges water throughout the backyard.after putting holes in the foundation wall they would not repair the holes. The floor was left rough and an even.sump pump reservoir had gravel ,mortar mix, in bottom and was not connected up to the phone line as salesman person stated.pump was not registered for warranty.French drain line in garage was not leveled towards reservoir. water is 4 inches deep throughout the line. I do not believe French drain line goes all the way through the floor to the reservoir.Desired Settlement: I would like a refund up 2,000 dollars. If there is no refund, redo the whole job under close supervision

Business

Response:

It is my pleasure to respond to the complaint. I will address each sentence. Customer's complaint in red.

Review: We contracted with Keystone because of dampness in our old home basement. Work was to start on app Sept 16 and complete app Oct 17th. It was in the contract that we signed. About a week later we received a message from [redacted] regarding a crew situation. He stated, "We had a crew who had a family issue and is taking an extended leave of absence from us. We are in the process of hiring a new crew and in the meantime we do have to change around our calander. (We were not even asked what dates were good for us.) A firm date we have for you is October 28. We are in the process of getting another crew and when we have them trained, you are at the top of the list. Because of the breach in the contract, regarding the dates we told them we wanted our money back. We are having company from FL and do not want some new trainees learning the trade on our home. The company had a bad experience with crew members and are trying to make us pay. The had and attorney send us a letter stating the claims of contractual breach was erroneous. Not so as I called an attorney today and the attorney agreed a breach was committed as far as the dates. Keystone's attorney stated that our refund would be only $220.10. Our down payment was $2,600. Think twice before you sign anything with this company.Desired Settlement: All we want is a total refund of our down payment in the amount of $2,600 (two-thousand six hundred dollars.)

Consumer

Response:

12/2/13

This is to notify you to dismiss our claim against Keystone Basement . The matter has been resolved between the two parties, and can now be marked as satisfied.

Thank you,

Business

Response:

To Whom It May Concern:

This letter has been created as a response to the Revdex.com Complaint submitted by [redacted]. 1 will address each claim as well as our forma! intentions on the matter.

1. Approximate Date of Installation

Our installment contract has an approximate start date noted on the front. As stated, the dates are "approximate” and not absolute. I will attach the contract agreement between Mr. [redacted] and Keystone Basement Systems, Inc. (KBS) as verification of this.

2. Claim of Using a "New Crew in Training" on Mr. [redacted]’s Project

We have, nor have ever had, any intention of using a new crew on this or any other project that we are under legal contract to complete. It is true that we did have one crew leave the company, which required us to locate and train a new crew, but this team is NOT performing "on the job training" nor will they be used on Mr. [redacted]'s project.

Additionally, as a sign of good faith, I will allot my most senior foreman and crew for Mr. [redacted]'s project to ensure that he gets the very best that we have to offer. Additionally, to ensure that this will be done, f would have no problem arranging a

Mr. [redacted] can see that they are very skilled and not “trainees.”

3. Refund of Down Payment / Cancellation of Contract

Mr. [redacted] is completely within his right to cancel the contract for work at his home. With that said, based on terms of the contract, KBS is entitled to 30% of the contract

amount as liquidated damages as per term #18. Whereas Mr. [redacted] has attached just the front of the contract when he submitted his complaint, we will submit both the front and the reverse so that a full understanding of the contract can be understood and appreciated.

In closing, this matter has been turned over to our corporate attorney Mr. [redacted], Esq. who will be handling all communication for this matter for KBS. Mr. [redacted] has been furnished Mr. [redacted] information. Thank you.

Review: Heavy rain caused part of basement wall to collapse, thus needing to be replaced, waterproofed and adding a footer of cement and rebar outside basement wall and adding french drain. Asked for copy of engineering report and photos for each phase of construction taken by foreman which he said he would email me. I texted him my email address about 3-4 times. Then he said he couldnt send the photos because his computer was broken. This sounded suspicious. Why cant Keystone show me photos, because the work was done incorrectly? French drain set at wrong angle/degrees to drain properly? Then the rain storm of Monday August 17, 2015 caused large amount of water to leak thru new basement wall and large puddles formed on basement floor. Also a expensive 106 metal steel house jack was taken and not returned after many phone calls and text msgs. I had to threaten to make police report, to get the metal jack back. Window well for basement window wasnt secured to house. Debri was dumped in backyard and not cleaned up. Foreman stated Monday August 24, 2015 at approx 410PM that its possible the french drain pipe is clogged. I have a witness to him stating this. The downspout pipe led out into the backyard lawn under the back patio pavers/dirt. The new outlet for the 2nd story downspout which the french drain was tied into has an outlet at the back corner wall, which if it does work, would cause water to puddle and thus make the back basement wall wet. It should have extended to backyard lawn past the patio. Foreman came back on 8/24/15 to clean up debri, attach window well. He stated he did not know why the basement was still leaking and he was checking. Since I havent seen the recommendations of the engineering report or the photos I dont even know if the work was doing correctly. Obviously from the water seeping through the basement waterproofed wall and french drain and puddles of rain water on the floor something in wrong with the construction. The foreman said he does basement walls but he is not a french drain specialist. I have a witness to these statements.Desired Settlement: Correctly install the basement wall water proofing, address the french drain issues, extend the french drain outlet and or add longer piping. Re-configure the angle of the french drain pipe. Check and rectify any clogging issues of pipe. Stop the rainwater from forming puddles along the basement floor. Have a supervisor come out to re-check the work or fix the problem. Do not send the previous foreman. The previous foreman is not a french drain specialist, need to have another construction worker. Add a 2nd surface level french drain free of charge to rectify the problem with the sub-surface french drain.

Business

Response:

It would be our pleasure to substantiate the claims of the complaint. We will need the client to return our messages to do so. To date we have placed 2 calls to the client to set up an inspection of the project. Just this last weekend we extended an invitation for 3 senior members to come out on Monday August 31st but we never heard back from the client.Rather than go back and fourth over who called who, please have the client call Joshua E[redacted], Operations Manager on his cell ###-###-####. With that number there should be no reason why the client cannot set up a time to review these claims.

Review: Keystone Basement came on 12/31/13 with two sales men. Sold system no changes to basement floor other than color where new ditch, black membrane along the wall, sump pump where they place it and being a dry basement. Their crews used a dustless jack hammer with shop vac so there would be no dust. There was an area with a toilet that was going to possibly moved and they said no problem crews have fittings to fix that. Paid half that day to start work on 1/6/14. They left no contract that day either. 1/6/14 no show, loss of time with my work, they explained break down pickup. 1/7/14 Eric contractor said it being cold now show (ok agreed)Worked 8,9,10,13& finished 14th. What was left behind, mud smear and chunks throughout the garage & basement. a 2 to 1.5" rise all around basement wall, that nothing can be set against the wall w/o major tilt and my washer falls off blocks due to slope left, crew broke 2 lights with out saying anything, unplugged dog system shocking my dog repeatedly, my basement was flooded due to them not securing a drain line, exterior sump pump pipe has a T in the yard where the mower can hit it, electrical wires where left hanging, electrical boxes left with covers off , cement has blemishes, pock mars, and wholes. I asked them to go over again and they did, but still has places, toilet will not set level, did not do total footage that was proposed, crew left trash and waste material around the house, pile of gravel left behind. within 2 days contact for inspection.1/17/14 same two sales guys came out I walked through and showed and told them the issues. There reply was I would here soon by 1st of week, they wanted to get a resolve. nothing for a week 1/24/14 voice mail to call keystone office around 3:25 pm. Due to work didnt get them called back till Monday. 11/27/14, they wanted punch list, Sales men should have it but I would try to get to them as soon as I could. Work reasons I emailed them 1/29/14 telling them I was working on it. 1/30/14 I called and they said they pasted it on.Desired Settlement: At this point being threatened to be sued I dont want them back in my house ever, I think they are a company that does not stand behind what their sales men say or promise. they got payment of $5000 voucher + $2000 cash. the $2000 left they dont ever have to worry about there warranty. Cause I never got a contract any way!

Business

Response:

To whom it may concern,

Review: 3/5/14-Salesperson used very high pressure sales tactics & scare tactics wanting me to sign contract on the spot. I stated several times I was not going to make decison on the spot & also told him I did not appreciate his high pressure sales approach.I received a follow up call(3/7/14) from sales manger [redacted]- explained things to her. Several times she asked if she could send out a different saleman and I told her NO. She asked if it would be okay to call back in a week or 2. I told her NO, if I were interested in using their company I would contact them.Today-3/13/14 Keystone came up on caller ID @ my place of employment. I was working & unable to answer phone. Within 10-15 minutes of said phone call I received an email from Keystone @ my work email address.I feel this is a form of harrasement as I already told [redacted] from Keystone NOT to contact me, that I would contact them if I were interesed in using their company/servicesDesired Settlement: I have not paid them anything therfore as far as I am aware no monetary settlement can be made

Business

Response:

To Whom It May Concern;