PavingStone of San Diego Inc

We had Paving Stone of San Diego place stones in our driveway, back yard and front walksWe have been complaining repeatedly over three weeks because there is a loose step in the back that collapses whenever someone steps on it and several stones in the front are no longer level with each other and pose a tripping hazard No one has responded

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below
My anger could not escalate very quickly because it took them more than three weeks to get back to me and they never told me that the only person capable of helping me was on a vacation to Hawaii. When they tried to contact me, they used an old number from more than years ago, not the current number from a job less than two years prior. A clerk, who turned out to be his wife, kept on telling me he would contact me but he never did until I replied to one of her e-mails that it must be a *** to have to take the hits for a boss who fails to keep his wordNow he found the right number!! It's been weeks and our house still has not been listedWe haven't had an open houseWe have no rotten screens or rusty jacks holding up the house; *** *** rebuilt it in 1999. A recent inspection by a structural engineer, in preparation to listing the house, found no deficienciesFrench drains were installed in when the pool was installed and the area under the house has stayed dry ever sinceThe agent who contacted me was rude from the start, not even identifying what company he was calling from until I had to askThere is no issue due to movement; the step is simply falling down in the middle of staircase with the others still solid. I used no profanity at any time; I just got tired of the old runaround of tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow and tomorrow never cameThey couldn't even find a phone number, much less identify a defective product.When I mentioned a local TV troubleshooter named *** ***, Paving Stone's reply was go ahead, we have him in our pocket from a job a few years back
Regards,
*** ***

The client called in on JulyHis anger escalated very quickly and when we are not respond due to being in HawaiiWhen I found out about the issue at his property, I personally called immediately but never got any answer for recordingWe had every intention of taking a look and
trying to correct it if it was due to inferior workmanship We never got a chance to go look in person because the clients attitude changed quicklyThe original project was finished The clients anger escalated very quickly became came very degrading and condescending I spoke to the client directly by phone after getting his corrected phone number but he was very argumentative and did not care about the disrespecting the office During the original installation the client was very soft-spoken and easy to work with, nothing like the person leaving derogatory messages and insulting phone calls.We correct and repair even all clients projects that are within reasonWe never had a chance to go look at his project because his house was on the market and he wanted it done before his open houseHe made it clear that if we did not drop everything he was going to report us to all agencies that would listen unless we came to fix immediately One of the issues is from a tree root which is from his own tree and the other is from movement because it's built on top of an underground CreekDuring the project we found rotten screed and rusty jacks holding up his houseWe installed a step in the backyard where the back exterior wall was to be able to step into the home due to the house being on ***We found decomposing during the demo of the pool deck causing us we had replace the bottom feet of his wall The purpose of saying this is showing that this job was not normalThere was a constant weeping of water down the hills in *** *** through his propertyThis is why we chose pavers for a flexible system so we could repair if ever neededI told the client I would get involved personally to make sure he gets the highest potential price for his home all I wanted was an apology to the women in my office for being an *** and disrespectful I would assess the issues that are happening and anything that can be addressed will be at the lowest price possible and anything that can be covered under warranty would be. During our discussions the client mentioned he was aware but it was not going to be a free repair

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below
Job did not start per written and verbal agreements, so I am still expecting a full refund of my deposit Paving Stone of SD's failure to acknowledge our verbal agreements is disappointing, and they are leaving out key details of email exchanges, which I will be more than happy to share in the next steps of legal proceedings, if we do not come to terms here thru the Revdex.com process
REMINDER: My request to cancel the contract was a direct result of Paving Stone of SD's failure to perform their end of the contract agreement, so there is no way I should be paying a penalty of any amount Work was not performed, nor was it scheduled to start on 6/(they at no time confirmed an appointment with me for the week of 6/16!), and that is the term in breach of written contract (on their end) The breach in our verbal agreement (which prompted my request to cancel) was that they failed to deliver in the 5-week timeframe that was promised verbally on numerous occasions and in emails.
Please help me resolve this, so I can avoid further legal action I am prepared to file a small claim as the next step I will also be forced to leave negative reviews about the business on all social networking sites, as a result of my terrible experience with the company and their repeated failure to deliver the services we agreed to, in the timeframe we agreed to
I strongly urge Paving Stone of SD to refund the $deposit, per my original request to avoid further time and energy spent by all parties
Regards,
*** ***

Paving Stone of San Diego was on schedule to start the
customer job on June 16th as stated on the customer’s contract The customer had made changes to the scope of
work to be completed and these changes were not finalized until May
31st
I have spoken to the sale representative and reviewed the
email correspondence between him and the customerThe sales representative
assured me that at no time did he promise the customer an earlier start date
which is backed up by the email correspondence Each time the customer asked if we could move
her job up the sales representative called the Construction Manager to get a
scheduling update for the job and then would pass the information on to the
customer
If the customer had chosen to cancel the contract within the
three day period the deposit would be refunded immediatelyHowever the
customer waited until business days prior to the job start to cancel the
contract due to the issue of her spa delivery There are many costs associated with
processing a job from the many hours the sales representative spent with the
customer to office personal processing the file, ordering materials and
coordinating the job startThese costs add up which is why most times we do
not return the deposit when a customer cancels this close to the installation
date
Below is a brief synopsis of what transpired:
On April 29th, *** *** signed a contract
with Paving Stone of San DiegoThe contract was for the installation of pavers
in the customer’s front yard, a walkway down the side of the house and a patio
in the customer’s back yard. The
contract states that the job is to start the week of 06/16/and finish the
week of 06/23/The customer was aware of these dates at the time she signed
the contract
On Sunday, May 4th, the customer contacted the
sales representative about changing the design and adding artificial turfOn
May 31st the customer signed a change order that changed the scope of
work to be performed, adding artificial turf and a new planter areaOn June
2nd the office called the customer to let her know that her job would be
starting on 06/16/as stated on the contract
The next day, Saturday June 7th at 10:pm, the
sales representative received an email from the customer stating “I'm running
into a problem with my spa delivery... they wanted to deliver today, and
I can only put it off probably another week. This will be a major hassle
to move it around when you guys are doing the paver work (not sure it's safe to
leave it in my driveway instead of in a locked area), so if there's any way we
can get rolling on the demo/paver install next week, it would be best.”
On Sunday, June 8th, the customer again emailed
the sales representative and stated that “I need to just cancel this job, if
you guys can't start this week.” On
Monday, June 9th at 8:pm the customer sent an email cancelling her
contract

Revdex.com:I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.PSSD states that they have done 300-pool decks since being licensed on 7/21/I find this hard to believeThis would mean on the average 50-polls per year, an astounding amountPSSD states that they purchased the coping for me aloneThis is incorrect, the coping was part of their contract, so they purchased it for install and not solely for meWhen they could not perform the install, I removed this portion from their contract and reissued it to my pool contractorPSSD states that the bullnose/step tread is not suitable for pool coping, ORCO who supplied ALL of the materials for my project states on their website that this material is very suitable for pool coping install (see attachment).An e-mail was sent to *** *** (8/15/14) who is the technical adviser for ICPIICPI sets the standards for paver installation and any issues are referred to them, so my email states the location of my project and asks the question, is an expansion joint required between coping and pavers*** reply is YES and does not mention anything about state specific or only on the east coastAs a member of ICPI, PSSD should have been aware of this need and also ICPI-74, a detailed drawing showing the required expansion jointAs an expert in the field, PSSD not being aware of this detail is no excusePSSD states they have left 1/2" gaps between between coping and pavers in previous installationsWhere is the documentation that they stated this to meAnd if indeed this should have been done, where is the waiver releasing them of any liability for not doing this.As far as not being paid in a timely manner, this is not the issue.ICPI-does show a concrete pad under the pavers, so does this mean I should have concrete under my pavers ? No, but the expansion joint is still REQUIRED with or without concrete.The truth is, PSSD did an inadequate install of the sealer, which led to the breakdown of the mortar bed, which when the pavers expanded dislodged the copingIf PSSD had applied the sealer properly and installed the expansion joint per ICPI standards, we would not be here.As a foot note PSSD insists that the pool contractor is responsible for the joint install, my question is how would a pool contractor know of the needed expansion joint between pavers and copingHe does pools and coping and a hardscape contractor does decksThe pool contractor is not privy to ICPI-74, he does not do pavers.Regards,*** ***

It is too late for for them to help me but they may want to offer free repair to the new owners although I advised the new owners not to use their companyI woujld accept an apology from them for ignoring me for three weeks after they found out I was seeking repair of a problem instead of being a new customer

RE: ID [redacted]
Paving Stone of San Diego has been in contact with Mr.
[redacted] continually for several months regarding his issues. We have also had
the manufacturer of the sealer used on Mr. [redacted]’s project contact Mr.
[redacted]. The...

manufacturer stated that the sealer had not failed and that over
a period of time the sealer seeps into the pavers and the joint sand. The
sealer is used for joint stabilization. Paving Stone of San Diego offered to
reseal Mr. [redacted]’s project at no cost. The offer was not accepted.
Paving Stone of San Diego on its original installation
installed all pavers per industry standards. 
After the original installation was completed Mr. [redacted] directed the
onsite installation crew to remove all perimeter pavers including around the
entire pool coping and install those pavers tight to the pool coping and all
perimeter areas. This request was given to the onsite crew after the Jobsite Manager had left the premises. The installation crew followed Mr. [redacted]’s
direction and now he is requesting Paving Stone of San Diego to remove and
re-install all borders leaving an expansion joint space as was done on the
original installation per industry standards.
Paving Stone of San Diego was not given the ability to
respond to his request to re cut the boarders as the request was never proposed
to the Jobsite Manager. All such requests need to be approved by the Jobsite
Manager and the Construction Manager with a change order issued and signed by
all prior to any work being done. We were never afforded the opportunity as Mr.
[redacted] directed the onsite crew once the Jobsite Manager was off premises.
The expansion joint material requested by Mr. [redacted] is installed
by pool contractors when coping is installed. Paving Stone of San Diego does
not install this material as we are not a licensed pool contractor. Paving
Stone of San Diego offered to share the cost to remove and re-install the
perimeter pavers adjacent to the pool coping. To date any offers made to Mr.
[redacted] have not been responded to or accepted.

RE: ID [redacted]
If the planters are lower, or downhill, from the drain then this statement is true.  If the lowest point of the patio is the drain opening then it is false. We would like to see photos if possible. Our pictures clearly show the drains being lower than the planters. If the drain was installed incorrectly We will be happy to fix it. Please send any pictures you have to [redacted].
If installation is unsafe and base thickness is an issue then this must be corrected separately as a separate correctable defect. We were not aware of the multiple issues. Please feel free to call [redacted] directly at [redacted]. He will gladly handle this personally.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
My anger could not escalate very quickly because it took them more than three weeks to get back to me and they never told me that the only person capable of helping me was on a vacation to Hawaii.  When they tried to contact me, they used an old number from more than 4 years ago, not the current number from a job less than two years prior.  A clerk, who turned out to be his wife, kept on telling me he would contact me but he never did until I replied to one of her e-mails that it must be a [redacted] to have to take the hits for a boss who fails to keep his word. Now he found the right number!! It's been 7 weeks and our house still has not been listed. We haven't had an open house. We have no rotten screens or rusty jacks holding up the house; [redacted] rebuilt it in 1999.  A recent inspection by a structural engineer, in preparation to listing the house, found no deficiencies. French drains were installed in 1999 when the pool was installed and the area under the house has stayed dry ever since. The agent who contacted  me was rude from the start, not even identifying what company he was calling from until I had to ask. There is no issue due to movement; the step is simply falling down in the middle of staircase with the others still solid.  I used no profanity at any time; I just got tired of the old runaround of tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow and tomorrow never came. They couldn't even find a phone  number, much less identify a defective product.
When I mentioned a local TV troubleshooter named [redacted], Paving Stone's reply was go ahead, we have him in our pocket from a job a few years back.
Regards,
[redacted]

We will be happy to help this client in any way. I only ask for an apology for how he spoke to my wife and office personal. Simple. In witing or verbal. AND the reasurance he will not treat any of our employees if we were to come out there. Only only one week had passed between Revdex.com COMPLAINT and initial call verifiy his new phone number. This shows a huge lack of patience. I take care of all our clients even impossible one like this. He was never blown off. Nevertheless this argument is not fixing your pavers. Please let us know when a good time is to meet.

RE: ID [redacted]If the planters are lower, or downhill, from the drain then this statement is true.  If the lowest point of the patio is the drain opening then it is false. We would like to see photos if possible. Our pictures clearly show the drains being lower than the planters. If the drain was installed incorrectly We will be happy to fix it. Please send any pictures you have to [redacted].If installation is unsafe and base thickness is an issue then this must be corrected separately as a separate correctable defect. We were not aware of the multiple issues. Please feel free to call [redacted] directly at [redacted]. He will gladly handle this personally.

RE: ID [redacted]
We have reviewed the response submitted by Mr. [redacted]. Out
of the 300 to 400 pool decks that we have installed we never installed a mastic
joint as this has always been installed by the pool contractor when the coping
was installed. We did a favor for Mr. [redacted] by purchasing the pool coping
for him at our cost. This way it would match the pavers but I stressed to him
that this was used for step tread and was not recommended because its purpose
was for steps and not for pools. The price being 25% of the regular price of
coping was more attractive to him.
Mr. [redacted] provided pictures of the issue to us. We
forwarded these pictures to the materials manufacturer. The manufacturer stated
that the failure of the pool coping was due to expansion and contraction of the
step tread used as coping. The insufficient mortar between the coping joints
allowed water to get under the step tread/coping and the coping to expand and
contract. The coping manufacturer, which is also the paver manufacturer, stated
that the need for mastic between their pavers and coping material is site
specific. The damage was done between the two pieces of step tread not on the
pool deck edge. The pool deck still has a void from missing sand which makes it
impossible to push the coping. The manufacturer insists that it’s still not
possible to damage the coping when there is still a gap. When the step tread is
used as pool coping all joints must have mortar. When the mortar is missing
this leaves a void for movement which is what has caused this issue.
The ICPI Standards
are State Specific.  ICPI-74 is a drawing which is not state specific.
This drawing details the recommended installation of paver pool decks and pool
coping on the east coast. This makes the use of a mastic joint at this job site
up to the pool company’s discretion. Out of 300 to 400 pool decks we have
installed in the state of California we have left up to a ½ inch gap which has
been sufficient.
 Either way Mr. [redacted]
told Mr. [redacted] at the time of the bid the order of events or he said we
would leave a large enough joint if he was having the pool company install the
mastic. We left a ½ inch gap between the pavers and the coping but Mr. [redacted]
help payment for three weeks until we recut all of the boarders including the
coping. If you look closely at the ICPI-74 drawing it specifies that the pavers
be installed over an existing concrete pad in order to minimize the chance of
paver movement from the freeze and thaw on the ground.
 Paving Stone of San
Diego’s offer to re-sand and re-seal Mr. [redacted]’s pool deck. The Sealer used
on Mr. [redacted]’s project is a two part sealer it is always mixed by the gallon
and must be used within hours of being mixed.  This sealer is also applied with a system
manufactured specifically for this sealer. 
The suggestion that we would use a “ketchup bottle” is absurd. The fact
that we have wasted so much time on Mr. [redacted]’s frugality and micro managing
is costing valuable time and resources. The offer to reseal the entire project,
re-cutting the entire pool deck for the third time to accommodate mastic to be
installed by his pool contractor still stands.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
The house sold at first open house so it is no longer my problem.  If you e-mailed a business and they returned your e-mail with a call the next business day; then you told them you were not a new customer but a repeat customer who had a problem that needed to be fixed. Then you heard nothing for three weeks despite leaving messages. What would YOU think about this business., I was never rude to any employee but I did leave sarcastic messages regarding the person who failed time and time again to call me back,which was the only thing that finally drew a response. I don't know what garbage his wife told him
Regards,
[redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
[The rain water travels to the least point of resistents, such as the lowest point which is my planter boxes. The drains in which Paving Stone of San Diego used were previously installed.   The only install of the drains was to extend the opening to the height of the paver.  They used rock and soil to adjust to the needed height making a very unstable and hazardous walk way.  There are multiple drains that are in the area that accepted the heavy rains without issues.  During the heavy rain the water went to the lowest point, in which there are multiple photos that were provided.  The drains should have never been placed in the middle of the paved area.  The results are evident that a cost saving was used as we found out like in the lack of or not at all of the road base that all paving is needed for support.  Overall this company did not do what they stated they wiuld do during the initial estimate.  
Regards,
[redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
Paving Stone did offer to reseal my pavers but failed to mention that they would only spot seal via a "ketchup bottle" and not sand and seal the entire project and not install the required foam expansion joint. There is missing sand through out the project and I suspect the original sealer (3yr. warrantied) is non existent. PSSD is a member and certified installer of the  Interlocking Concrete Paver Institute which sets the standards for installation of pavers. ICPI has a detail (ICPI-74 on their website) which states and shows a foam expansion joint that WILL be installed when pavers are installed against pool coping. PSSD has been a member since 2008 and as a hardscape contractor should have known this is the proper way to install pavers against pool coping. The pool contractor is just that, a pool contractor, not a hardscape contractor. Therefore he has no knowledge of how pavers are to be installed.PSSD is wrong about not being notified of my request to recut SOME of the pavers. PSSD is also wrong that I instructed workers to remove and recut pavers. All workers in construction do not follow the homeowners instruction without clearing it thru  your supervisor or office. On 11-13-12 the jobsite manager ([redacted]) walked the job with me and agreed that the pool radius cuts were not consistent and that SOME, not all, need replacing. Therefore no change order would have been needed.PSSD states that a pool contractor is required to install a foam expansion joint. PSSD is wrong, a hardscape or concrete contractor installs the foam joint not a poll contractor. The concrete or hardscape contractor does pool decks not a pool contractor.PSSD was notified via a certified letter on 9-25-14 about the expansion issues. PSSD's  new construction manager (Jeremy), was given a copy of ICPI-74 on 8-19-14, showing the needed foam joint. He did come out and inspect the damaged coping and paver movement. He said that the joint should have been put in, but could not do anything without the owners blessing ([redacted]). The lack of this expansion has caused 14 pieces of pool coping to shift 1/4" to 1/2" away from the pavers. Which upon inspection from my pool contractor says that all the coping needs to be removed and reinstalled. He does not know how many more of the coping have been compromised, so he suggest to redo all so as to get a good product.I am forwarding via USPS additional documentation in support of my complaint. This will be sent off on 11-22-14.
Regards,
[redacted]

After speaking with the owner of our company we wish to proceed to Arbitration on this complaint. We feel that our initial response covered all issues.
 
Thank you,
[redacted]
Paving Stone of San Diego, Inc

RE: [redacted]
We have reviewed the complaint concerning the drains on this
project. The area we installed pavers in did not increase the volume of water
by increasing the area. We did not install, change flow or increase the burden
on the...

drains. The full patio has a +/-2% minimum fall grade to the lowest 2 points
in the middle of the yard. We added an additional 15 feet of drain line and a
second drain cap further away from the structure.
If we were to put drains in the locations requested it would
have created many issues:
1.      
The first drain opening would have been in their
planter which is about 10 feet closer to the back door and would have flooded
into the back garage door.
2.      
If the backyard stayed with the same grade as
before there would be puddles everywhere because it is not permeable like the playground
cover was. It would have been level and would not drain at all.
3.      
To have the planter drains work the project
would have had to be graded towards the planters. The edge opposite the planter
is an 18 inch sitting wall. The elevation at the sitting wall would need to be
raised 6 ¼ inches making the existing sitting wall 11 inches tall. The minimum
ICPI grade requirement is 3/16” to ¼” per foot for property drainage. The still
existing concrete, which we did not install, was graded away from the back
door, missing the two small new planters.
This was a heavy rain, adding more openings will not allow gravity
fed drains to move faster. Many of the streets around this area had heavy soil erosion
due to these rains. We would be happy to add the three drain, for cost. if we knew it
would help. 
Sincerely,
Paving Stone of San Diego, Inc

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
Paving Stone did offer to reseal my pavers but failed to mention that they would only spot seal via a "ketchup bottle" and not sand and seal the entire project and not install the required foam expansion joint. There is missing sand through out the project and I suspect the original sealer (3yr. warrantied) is non existent.
PSSD is a member and certified installer of the  Interlocking Concrete Paver Institute which sets the standards for installation of pavers. ICPI has a detail (ICPI-74 on their website) which states and shows a foam expansion joint that WILL be installed when pavers are installed against pool coping. PSSD has been a member since 2008 and as a hardscape contractor should have known this is the proper way to install pavers against pool coping. The pool contractor is just that, a pool contractor, not a hardscape contractor. Therefore he has no knowledge of how pavers are to be installed.
PSSD is wrong about not being notified of my request to recut SOME of the pavers. PSSD is also wrong that I instructed workers to remove and recut pavers. All workers in construction do not follow the homeowners instruction without clearing it thru  your supervisor or office. On 11-13-12 the jobsite manager ([redacted]) walked the job with me and agreed that the pool radius cuts were not consistent and that SOME, not all, need replacing. Therefore no change order would have been needed.
PSSD states that a pool contractor is required to install a foam expansion joint. PSSD is wrong, a hardscape or concrete contractor installs the foam joint not a poll contractor. The concrete or hardscape contractor does pool decks not a pool contractor.
PSSD was notified via a certified letter on 9-25-14 about the expansion issues. PSSD's  new construction manager (Jeremy), was given a copy of ICPI-74 on 8-19-14, showing the needed foam joint. He did come out and inspect the damaged coping and paver movement. He said that the joint should have been put in, but could not do anything without the owners blessing ([redacted]). The lack of this expansion has caused 14 pieces of pool coping to shift 1/4" to 1/2" away from the pavers. Which upon inspection from my pool contractor says that all the coping needs to be removed and reinstalled. He does not know how many more of the coping have been compromised, so he suggest to redo all so as to get a good product.
I am forwarding via USPS additional documentation in support of my complaint. This will be sent off on 11-22-14.
Regards,
[redacted]

RE: [redacted]
We have reviewed the complaint concerning the drains on this
project. The area we installed pavers in did not increase the volume of water
by increasing the area. We did not install, change flow or increase the burden
on the drains. The full patio has a +/-2% minimum fall grade to...

the lowest 2 points
in the middle of the yard. We added an additional 15 feet of drain line and a
second drain cap further away from the structure.
If we were to put drains in the locations requested it would
have created many issues:
1.      
The first drain opening would have been in their
planter which is about 10 feet closer to the back door and would have flooded
into the back garage door.
2.      
If the backyard stayed with the same grade as
before there would be puddles everywhere because it is not permeable like the playground
cover was. It would have been level and would not drain at all.
3.      
To have the planter drains work the project
would have had to be graded towards the planters. The edge opposite the planter
is an 18 inch sitting wall. The elevation at the sitting wall would need to be
raised 6 ¼ inches making the existing sitting wall 11 inches tall. The minimum
ICPI grade requirement is 3/16” to ¼” per foot for property drainage. The still
existing concrete, which we did not install, was graded away from the back
door, missing the two small new planters.
This was a heavy rain, adding more openings will not allow gravity
fed drains to move faster. Many of the streets around this area had heavy soil erosion
due to these rains. We would be happy to add the three drain, for cost. if we knew it
would help. Sincerely,Paving Stone of San Diego, Inc