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S & D Brushworks Inc

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Reviews S & D Brushworks Inc

S & D Brushworks Inc Reviews (8)

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
They made no further comment or attempt to refund, partial refund, or fix the problem, which they once promised to do and then backed out ofThey are clearly in the wrong and since they offered a partial refund on one occasion and offered to fix the cabinets on other occasions, they know they were not done satisfactorilyThey are still in a state of incompletion and the wrong colorI'm shocked they are making no furhter commentI don't know what to do at this point
Regards,
*** ***

star rating
4/20/
My husband I an met Wayne and David at the SD Home Show and happily we contracted them to paint our new home Using S & D Brushworks has been one of the best home experiences we have hadThe crew is very professional and patient, they spend the time to make sure each detail was covered One of the best perks about S & D is the color coordinationWayne has a great eye for color and shading, he made great suggestions Wayne works with you to achieve your vision and the ultimate look of perfectionThe attention spent on the preparation was the best I have ever seen There was a minimum of clean up upon completionWayne and his crew made sure we were happy with each step along the way
Both my husband and I would refer S & D to anyone looking for a painting crew
Our sincere thanks and gratitude to Wayne, David, ***, *** and *** for a great job!

We do not have any further comments on the matter

Complaint  #[redacted] On April 7, 2014 S&D Brushworks started a cabinet refinishing and painting project for [redacted] (client) at [redacted]. The job included painting all walls in entry, living room, dining room, and kitchen as well as staining of the cabinets...

in the office, living room, and kitchen.  Normal protocol for staining is to do all staining onsite so none of the cabinets leave the home at any time. A color sample of the client’s choice for stain is always made and showed to the customer prior to starting the job, which was done for [redacted] on several occasions. [redacted] (owner) stopped by to check on the job and go over the details of the job with the client. At the time all doors and part of the cabinets had been stained with the client’s choice of color. [redacted] went over how the cabinets looked with [redacted] and the client expressed they seemed to be darker then what she had in mind. [redacted] at this time could tell that this was not what the client was looking for and had S&D Brushwork employees stop the job. [redacted] had employees strip all doors and work we had done with staining. At this point, [redacted] then took over the project and let the clients know our goal is always 100% customer satisfaction. To attain this goal  new samples of color for the cabinets were offered to Andruss.  3 samples of color were made for Andruss, but the client felt the colors were to red so 3 more samples were made the same day. The client then requested to look over the samples with her husband and I returned the following day to discuss it.  After the clients picked a sample they liked, again another sample of the stain was done on one of the striped doors to preview the finished product and to assure that the client liked the color. We did this again to make sure the client would be happy with her choice of color before we began the process of re-staining again. After the sample was completed, the customers assured [redacted] it would suffice. S&D Brushworks then proceeded to re-stain the cabinet’s onsite over the course of 3-4 days. The finished products were dried in the living room of the client’s home and at no point in the duration of the job and the drying did [redacted] express any concerns or inform employees of any Dissatisfaction. All the painting and staining was finished on Friday. The foremen reviewed the job with the client and received payment for the work. At this point the customer looked over the job seemed satisfied and issued the payment making the contract completed. [redacted] sent a text message to [redacted] expressing that she was unhappy because the color was uneven. An official face-to-face meeting was arranged again where the client complained about uneven color and that the cabinets looked lighter in some spots, and darker in others-which is common for stain and that was explained to the client. An offer was made to re-mask and prep kitchen to re-stain so all the cabinets look more even (staining never comes out even as wood accepts stain differently in areas). [redacted] was informed that it would result in all the color changing to the darkest shade on the cabinet. The client agreed, stating that she did not mind a darker color as long as the cabinets were more even, and a re-stain was scheduled again. [redacted] took responsibility of re-staining the kitchen cabinets and the living room entertainment center. Since the client was absent at the time of completion, [redacted] left the premises after informing [redacted] that the job was done and asking about her thoughts on the result.  [redacted] sent a hostile text regarding her feelings about the re-stain and another face-to-face meeting was arranged with her husband present as well. In the meeting the clients showed [redacted] the parts they were unhappy with and expressed that the stain was now too dark and [redacted] preferred the previous color.  [redacted] informed [redacted] there  was nothing that could be done  to make them lighter, so [redacted] husband suggested to re-face them and then asked for a full refund. [redacted] then replied that a refund could not be issued as S&D Brushworks had over-invested in the job and exhausted materials on a high-quality stain for their cabinets.   Negotiations began for other options and it was agreed upon that [redacted] Deason (employee) with over 20 years of experience would come for a consultation. Deason spent a few days working on the entertainment center and when discussions on the kitchen began, the client then demanded that they receive a full-refund for the job or again re-do of all the kitchen cabinets. Mrs. [redacted] threatened a law suit if their demands were not met. S&D Brushworks then offered to do another touch up similar to the entertainment center, but the client refused. S&D Brushworks then consulted a lawyer who advised that all contact between the clients and S&D Brushworks should be done via email, and that a refund should be issued as lawyer fees can be expensive.  An email was sent to the client, [redacted] that she would be refunded $2100 for the job, but the client demanded the full $4000 cost of the job, even though this was the amount that included a desk with cabinets and entertainment center cabinets which had no concerns of dissatisfaction. The client at this time had only threats to sue, but no representation of a lawyer.  S&D Brushworks did not retaliate and after a few days with no communication to Andruss, the company received a notice allegedly from the client’s lawyer stating that S&D Brushworks had 5 days to issue a refund or the company would suffer a lawsuit.  No issue of a refund was made to the client and the company awaited contact from Andruss’ lawyer, but no communication was ever received.  Shortly after [redacted] began harassing S&D Brushworks with phone calls and text messages threatening a bad review if the company refused to respond.  S&D Brushworks satisfied the contract when [redacted] reviewed the job and issued payment for work performed on the cabinets. [redacted] still owes S&D Brushworks $700.00 for a separate contract that was signed for painting, which was completed with no dissatisfaction. S&D Brushworks has gone above and beyond for [redacted] Andruss, and we continue to provide quality service to all our customers. [redacted] signed a contract with S&D Brushworks, got a high quality stain more than once valued at more than $12,000 for the price of $2100, continued to receive impeccable customer service after having to fix the cabinets several times because the client wasn’t satisfied with her choice of color, and was offered a refund for just the cabinets which she then refused.  S&D Brushworks has remained loyal to our company values and this client has taken advantage of the company services. The company now requests that this review be taken down from Revdex.com, so we can continue to grow as a business and assure new and old customers that S&D Brushworks will remain in their lives, and we will never let their colors fade. Thank you for letting me express my side to this matter, [redacted] R Deason Jr Owner [redacted] ll Co-Owner

Hi. I received the request below and sending items in this email. The contract is for $4000 but the amount paid was $4500. The reason for the difference was because we had another contract with them for paint for $1200. Total was $5200. There is an outstanding balance of $700 because they were supposed to come back and fix issues before final amount was paid. There are still issues outstanding on paint, which like the stain, are unresolved. Therefore, $500 was withheld from stain and $200 from paint until they "finished" the job. I have messages and emails from the owners of the company to this effect.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.
I'm very disappointed by [redacted] reply, but frankly, considering everything we've been through with them, I'm not surprised. He is absolutely incorrect on many points he makes. Important to note: we only worked with [redacted] at the sale, spoke to him once during paint/stain process when we were first dissatisfied (Mother's Day phone call) and then again when we couldn't get resolution with [redacted] (who we worked with throughout the process). This was only after [redacted] stopped returning phone calls and asked [redacted] to get involved. In order to be brief, I will attempt to correct his points below. This is not the first time I've done this for him. I have similar emails where I've attempted this. I have a 17 page document which details everything done each day they were here, phone call discussions, trascription of all text messages, and photos. I am happy to share that with S&D Brushworks or anyone else, if they are so inclined.
1 - At time I met with [redacted], he promised us a sample of the stain color on one of our cabinets when they came to start the work. They started on 5/6/14. On 5/7/14, their worker, Luis made a sample by brusing on the stain. It looked bad. The next day he made a few spray/gel samples and we chose the one that looked the best. At this time, I wasn't truly happy with the sample, but it was the best one I'd seen from the worker, Luis, since he started making samples. [redacted] did not come to check on the progress on 5/15/14. In text messages later that day, he told me that he had a feeling we weren't happy with the color and offered to fix it before they finished the job. At this point, they had just worked on the kitchen cabinets doors; no drawers or "shells" (cabinet frames).
2 - On 5/16/14 (10 days from start date) [redacted] and Luis made a few samples and my husband and I chose one that we were happy with. That sample we still have (it's next to the cabinets in one of the attached photos).  They did not make another sample on one of the stripped doors, and a second one, as [redacted] stated below. They just started spraying the shells and the drawers, which didn't have any stain on them. They looked close to the sample, only a tad darker. They were left in the living room to dry.
3 - [redacted] says at no point during the duration of the job and the drying did we expressa any concerns or dissatisfaction. This is incorrect. On 5/19/14 we talked to Luis, who was staining and dring the cabinet doors in the garage. We thought expressed our concerns about the color (hard really to see them in the darkness of the garage) and the inconsistencies of the stain. He told us it would be better to see them once they were re-hung and they'd deal with any problems at that time. Luis apologized to my husband for how the stain job had turned out so far. He said he hadn't done this process before. He said they usualy use a different process. I'm assuming it's the brush on stain he originally tried. On 5/21/14 I texed [redacted] asking for a finishing plan (at this point they had been there 15 days for a job that was quoted for a week). On those texts, he said he'd be there the next day and they'd finish up. I mentioned there were problems and we agreed to talk in person the next day. 
4 - On 5/22/14 [redacted] came to help Luis and then had to leave early because he was feeling sick. Since [redacted] was sick, he asked Luis to to the walk through with us. I asked [redacted] if he could do it with me the following day and he agreed, pointing out that we could see it in better light. He asked me to make a payment, leaving off $500, until they finish everything to our satisfaction. I was hesitant about this, but since I trusted them, I did as he asked. It was dark when Luis left, so it was hard to see the actual work. I had to leave for my son's baseball game, so my husband stayed until Luis left, and gave him the check. I actually left off $700 and made the check for an even $4500. I felt good that [redacted] would be back the following day to do the walkthru and discuss any issues. He had always promised throughout the process that he wanted to make us happy and would fix anything we were unhappy with. He also promised to have a carpet cleaner come out that weekend to attempt to remove the large stain that was made on th carpet in the office, in front of the desk they stained.
5 - The next morning, in the light of day, my husband and I looked at the cabinets in the kitchen and entertainment center. I was appauled at the inconsistency in color from one door to the next and also the shine was very shiny, which we explicitly requested it not be. I DID NOT send a text to [redacted] expressing that I was unhappy. I called him, in tears, that morning. He apologized and said he was still sick. He assured me that they would fix it and we agreed to meet on 5/27/14, after the Memorial Day holiday. On that day, [redacted] met me at our house and we looked at the cabinets. We both agreed that they were all different shades of dark brown, they were too shiny, there were many flaws (drips and waves in the stain/lacquer, areas where the stain pooled up in the corners, etc.), there were many areas where the stain just didn't take, the entertainment center was super rough and sandy feeling (as well as mis-matched color), the toe kicks were a smudgy black color and completely awful. I asked [redacted] for his opinion and he agreed they could look
a lot better and he could fix them. He also said that he wanted us to be happy
with the outcome and wouldn’t leave until we were satisfied. He said he’d smooth
out any of the bumpy areas, get the pooled up lacquer out of the edges, and
he’d lightly stain anything that needed it, bringing them to a consistent color,
which would be the darkest of the current shades. He also said he’d use a
lacquer that had a lower sheen level. We agreed that this work would start the
following week. He explained that they couldn't make them look lighter but could at least make them consistent.
6 - Luis and [redacted] attempted to even the color out and fix the flaws on 6/3/14 and 6/4/14. They didn't finish everything and Luis was supposed to come back the next day to do so. That night we inspected the cabinets to find that, besides
the color/texture, there were still many problems with them. Lots of the flaws
were still there, just covered up with more layers of dark lacquer. Luis couldn't come back the next day for personal reasons. On 6/5/14, we asked [redacted] to call us so we could discuss the problems that still remained. We played phone tag and finally got to talk to him the folling morning. I DID NOT send a hostile text message, as [redacted] stated. We talked to [redacted] around 10am on 6/6/14 and expressed our dissatisfaction with the "fix" they did and asked for refund. [redacted] told us they don't do that and he'd talk to [redacted] about it over the weekend and get back to us on Monday. We didn't hear from [redacted] on Monday, as promised, so I texted him. He said he'd call me the next day.
7 - 6/11/14 [redacted] called and said they can’t give us a refund but were
willing to work with us to achieve an acceptable outcome. He offered to 1-
leave everything as-is and we don’t pay remainder of bill. 2- they come and
touch up everything and try to even out the color on cabinets and shells and we
pay remainder. 3-Wait until [redacted]’s father, [redacted], moves down to SD around end
of June and see if he can fix them. He said he’s an expert, taught them, and
he’d be able to help find a solution. We thought about his offer and on 6/13/14 we told him that we'd wait for his father in law to see if he could fix it. We didn't receive a response so on 6/17/14 I followed up with [redacted] and he said he'd schedule it as soon as he got to town. After scheduling, canceling, rescheduling, we finally met face to face with [redacted] and [redacted] on 7/17/14. At that meeting we went over all the issues with the cabinets. We agreed
that [redacted] would come back the following week, 7/23, and finish the desk and
entertainment center and he’d bring some samples of alternative solutions for
or cabinets. Since we were so far from what we originally asked for, we talked
about possibly going in a different direction, like creative painting, since
we’d already lost the wood grain and were working with nearly black cabinets at
this point. On 7/24/14 [redacted] showed up with no painted samples for kitchen. He worked
on smoothing out the entertainment center and re-staining the upper shells and
doors. He was not able to match the stain/lacquer that was done by [redacted] and
tried many different things. He said he didn’t like the way the doors turned
out and he’d need to come back and work on them some more but he didn’t know
when that would be because [redacted] would have to schedule him. I assumed that
[redacted] would talk to [redacted] and he’d call me with schedule a date to come back. He never even got to the kitchen issues at this time.
8 - 7/29/14 I followed up with [redacted] since we hadn't heard from him. He said they just needed to make the paint samples and decide which way we want to go. We were to decide if we wanted him to continue trying to match the lacquer/stain [redacted] did or something different, like paint. I couldn't decide because he was still unable to match/fix the stain problems on the entertainment center, so I had nothing to decide on yet. Ove the next few weeks, I texted [redacted] for a schedule and we couldn't get one. He said [redacted] was very busy on other jobs. I was upset because I thought our job should be priority, since it had been going on so long to finish/fix.
9 - [redacted] didn't work a few days, as [redacted] stated. He arrived on 8/25/14. [redacted] showed up around 815 and set up his booth. He worked on
the entertainment center doors and re-hung them. They were a little better, but
still had drips on the sides, which I pointed out the following day and he said
he could fix. He worked to make some samples to match the color in the kitchen
without much luck. He made one that close, but was still “off”. He also made a
black painted sample, which was completely unacceptable. He took a break from
the stain samples and put a coat of polyurethane on the desk to help protect it
because it was wearing off in some areas already. We agreed that the color of
the kitchen cabinets was just too dark and uneven and talked about a lighter
color in a paint and gel stain finish that looks like it has wood grain. He
took the stained sample door that [redacted] made back in May, so he could see the
color as he shopped for stuff at Home Depot that evening. On 8/26/14 [redacted] returned and tried to match the kitchen stain color
once again. He used one of the lower cabinet doors and one drawer (see photos).
Again, they didn’t match. He then made a paint and gel stain sample that looked
very similar to the stain sample door that [redacted] made in May. We agreed that
was going to be our best option, since he was unable to match the current
cabinet color and it was so far from what we originally wanted anyway. He said
he talked to [redacted] and was told that our options were to match the current
stain (which he couldn’t do), paint all the cabinets one color at no additional
charge, or if we wanted to do the paint and gel stain process he’d cover the
materials but we’d have to pay for labor. I told [redacted] that I’d have to discuss
with [redacted] but I’d guess that he’s not going to pay another penny than what was
originally agreed and that is just to get an outcome similar to what we wanted
in the beginning, regardless of the fact that it has taken so long. I told him
we’d been more than patient with them and had not made any formal complaints,
but that would be our next step if they didn’t make this right. With every mishap, [redacted] promised he would fix it and make
us happy. Unfortunately, they were unable to do this and the color just kept
getting darker and darker, still with many inconsistencies and shades on the
shells, drawers, and doors. I told [redacted] that I understand they already spent a
lot on labor and materials in the other rounds of staining and attempts to fix,
but that was not our fault and we shouldn’t have to pay for the extra time. I
told him we’d call [redacted] that night, after soccer practice, and work it out. We
called around 8pm and left a voicemail. I also followed up with a text message. We didn't hear back from [redacted] any further.
10 - 8/28/14 [redacted] called. This was the first time I had talked to him since Mother's Day. We spent a long time on the phone. We discussed the issues with the
cabinets. He was told by [redacted] that we ordered a change to darker color and to
fix them we’d have to pay the labor cost, which would be around $1500. I
disagreed with that and asked him to come and see the job, since he hadn’t done
so, and I could show him all the issues. He scheduled to come to the house on
Wednesday 9/3. He later rescheduled for Friday 9/5 because [redacted] booked a sales
call for him on Wed.
11 - 9/5/14 Met with [redacted] at the house at 2pm. I pointed out all the
problems with the cabinets, showed him the sample, discussed the issues with
getting it “matched” and told him that we wanted the color of the sample, which
[redacted] was able to do with a paint and faux wood grain finish. Again, he told me
he couldn’t do that without charging us for labor. He stated that [redacted] told
him we already changed it to a darker color, which wasn’t true, and he couldn’t
do another change. I told him that I never wanted it darker and explained to
him how the cabinets were all different shades after they rehung them in June
and I asked [redacted] to even the out, but they ended up much darker. This was not
my choice. He left with these options on the table: 1 - they come back in Oct
and match everything to the dark color and we pay the $700 balance or 2 – they
come back in Oct and do the faux finish for $1400.
9/8/14 [redacted] called a lawyer, [redacted], to get advice on this
dispute then called [redacted]. He told [redacted] that if they don’t make the cabinets
match the sample we agreed on we would file a lawsuit, have the cabinets
refinished by a third party and sue them for the cost plus a refund of what we
paid SD Brushworks. They discussed the problems we had experienced up to that
point, our disappointment, the lack of management of the project, the amount of
time this project had taken, the failure to resolve the issues to our
satisfaction. [redacted] then offered to come out in October and strip and refinish
the cabinets to the color we desired. This is the info [redacted] came out with
after their phone call:
Refinishing was scheduled for 10/6-10/17.
SD Brushworks would call me the week of 9/15 and schedule to come over and pick
up an unfinished door from garage and make a sample for us.
Once the sample was agreed upon, they and we would sign it and then SD
Brushworks would take one of the doors they stained and strip and stain it to
match the sample.
Once we can see that they can repeat the sample on the doors after stripping
them, we would move forward on 10/6 with the project.
9/17/14 With no phone call to attempt to pick up sample, I texted
[redacted] to find out when they were coming to pick up the panel. No reply
9/18/14 [redacted] called [redacted] around 8:30AM and left him a message to
call him or me to schedule to pick up the panel. [redacted] followed up with an email stating they were having
issues with their phones. He also asked if the kitchen was the only area that
needed work. I replied to let him know it was the kitchen, a few spots
on the entertainment center, the carpet stain in the office, toe kicks in all
areas, small paint issues, stain spotch on tile near entertainment center. Told
them again that the door for them to make a sample on would be on the porch for
them to pick up at their convenience.
9/22/14 No one had picked up the door for sample so I emailed
again to let them know it was on the front porch.
9/25/14 [redacted] emailed and said they changed their mind about redoing
the stain and offered us a partial refund of $2550 (this was $3250 for the
kitchen portion less the $700 we still owed on the total project). I email replied that their offer was not acceptable
because of the other areas that still needed to be fixed as well as the fact
that we can’t have the kitchen redone for the amount they were offering to
refund. She asked them to reconsider their offer and get back to us the next
day.
9/26/14 [redacted] emailed and made many incorrect statements/assumptions
about the original staining and payments that were made along with 2 offers for
us: 1 - touch up the 2 unfinished doors [redacted] worked on this
summer and touch up any imperfections in the rest of the cabinets (leaving them
the dark/blackish color), fix the stain on the carpet, touch up paint and collect balance due. OR 2 – refund for $2550 and they would still be willing to
touch up the paint and clean the carpet stain. He said they would not normally offer a refund but their
lawyer said it would be faster and cheaper to offer the refund.
We were so frustrated with the current state, what had transpired since the summer and attempted fixes and amount of time this was taking, the fact they promised to re-do the kitchen and even rescheduled it, just to change their minds and break another promise to us. I then replied with corrections to his statements
regarding the original staining and payment issues in [redacted]’s email because he
had payment dates and details incorrect. I told them we wanted all the issues
resolved and the kitchen cabinets redone to our desired color or a full refund
of the stain job of $4000. I reminded them that they were in violation of their
contract in regards to collection of payment before job was complete and
changes that were made (which they were claiming were done per our request,
which we never made a request to make them darker) that were not in writing. 
12 - We have not heard from S&D Brushworks since 9/26/14. I guess they consider me calling, emailing, texting, begging them to call us and try to work this out (to avoid lawsuit) harrassment. I was considerably nice in my messages, trying to get them to come to negotiate. The week before Christmas, I did threaten a bad review for them, in hopes that would get them to reply. I actually thought they went out of business or something because of the lack of communication, but when I viewed their website, I could see that they had updated it an seemed to still be in business. I continued to call and ask them to call me back over the next month or so before finally filing the complaint with Revdex.com.
If they could have fixed the situation in the summer and matched the too-dark color, we would have let this go, but since they could not and even had the nerve to ask for more money to fix it, we just couldn't let it go. That's why we asked for the full refund. When they didn't accept that we asked they negotiate with us (my "harrassing" emails, phone calls, texts). I feel that is much more than they deserve at this point, and after reading their response to my Revdex.com complaint. We do not want to hurt their business and that is why we didn't sue or make a bad review until the Revdex.com complaint. I still wish they could resolve this with us in some way. Anyone that sees our kitchen is in disbelief that it looks so bad, is so inconsistent in color, has many flaws, has two black spray-painted door/drawer fronts, and was just left like that. I doubt anyone would want to hire them if they saw the results we got. The fact remains that they tried to do a job, failed, made promises to fix it and then didn't come through on their promises. I can't beleive that it took a Revdex.com complaint for them to finally communicate with us again. Of course, it was with great inaccuracy, but I have the truth in my document, text messages, photos, and a constant, daily reminder ... our cabinets!
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.
I'm very disappointed by [redacted] reply, but frankly, considering everything we've been through with them, I'm not surprised. He is absolutely incorrect on many points he makes. Important to note: we only worked with [redacted] at the sale, spoke to him once during paint/stain process when we were first dissatisfied (Mother's Day phone call) and then again when we couldn't get resolution with [redacted] (who we worked with throughout the process). This was only after [redacted] stopped returning phone calls and asked [redacted] to get involved. In order to be brief, I will attempt to correct his points below. This is not the first time I've done this for him. I have similar emails where I've attempted this. I have a 17 page document which details everything done each day they were here, phone call discussions, trascription of all text messages, and photos. I am happy to share that with S&D Brushworks or anyone else, if they are so inclined.1 - At time I met with [redacted], he promised us a sample of the stain color on one of our cabinets when they came to start the work. They started on 5/6/14. On 5/7/14, their worker, Luis made a sample by brusing on the stain. It looked bad. The next day he made a few spray/gel samples and we chose the one that looked the best. At this time, I wasn't truly happy with the sample, but it was the best one I'd seen from the worker, Luis, since he started making samples. [redacted] did not come to check on the progress on 5/15/14. In text messages later that day, he told me that he had a feeling we weren't happy with the color and offered to fix it before they finished the job. At this point, they had just worked on the kitchen cabinets doors; no drawers or "shells" (cabinet frames).2 - On 5/16/14 (10 days from start date) [redacted] and Luis made a few samples and my husband and I chose one that we were happy with. That sample we still have (it's next to the cabinets in one of the attached photos).  They did not make another sample on one of the stripped doors, and a second one, as [redacted] stated below. They just started spraying the shells and the drawers, which didn't have any stain on them. They looked close to the sample, only a tad darker. They were left in the living room to dry.3 - [redacted] says at no point during the duration of the job and the drying did we expressa any concerns or dissatisfaction. This is incorrect. On 5/19/14 we talked to Luis, who was staining and dring the cabinet doors in the garage. We thought expressed our concerns about the color (hard really to see them in the darkness of the garage) and the inconsistencies of the stain. He told us it would be better to see them once they were re-hung and they'd deal with any problems at that time. Luis apologized to my husband for how the stain job had turned out so far. He said he hadn't done this process before. He said they usualy use a different process. I'm assuming it's the brush on stain he originally tried. On 5/21/14 I texed [redacted] asking for a finishing plan (at this point they had been there 15 days for a job that was quoted for a week). On those texts, he said he'd be there the next day and they'd finish up. I mentioned there were problems and we agreed to talk in person the next day. 4 - On 5/22/14 [redacted] came to help Luis and then had to leave early because he was feeling sick. Since [redacted] was sick, he asked Luis to to the walk through with us. I asked [redacted] if he could do it with me the following day and he agreed, pointing out that we could see it in better light. He asked me to make a payment, leaving off $500, until they finish everything to our satisfaction. I was hesitant about this, but since I trusted them, I did as he asked. It was dark when Luis left, so it was hard to see the actual work. I had to leave for my son's baseball game, so my husband stayed until Luis left, and gave him the check. I actually left off $700 and made the check for an even $4500. I felt good that [redacted] would be back the following day to do the walkthru and discuss any issues. He had always promised throughout the process that he wanted to make us happy and would fix anything we were unhappy with. He also promised to have a carpet cleaner come out that weekend to attempt to remove the large stain that was made on th carpet in the office, in front of the desk they stained.5 - The next morning, in the light of day, my husband and I looked at the cabinets in the kitchen and entertainment center. I was appauled at the inconsistency in color from one door to the next and also the shine was very shiny, which we explicitly requested it not be. I DID NOT send a text to [redacted] expressing that I was unhappy. I called him, in tears, that morning. He apologized and said he was still sick. He assured me that they would fix it and we agreed to meet on 5/27/14, after the Memorial Day holiday. On that day, [redacted] met me at our house and we looked at the cabinets. We both agreed that they were all different shades of dark brown, they were too shiny, there were many flaws (drips and waves in the stain/lacquer, areas where the stain pooled up in the corners, etc.), there were many areas where the stain just didn't take, the entertainment center was super rough and sandy feeling (as well as mis-matched color), the toe kicks were a smudgy black color and completely awful. I asked [redacted] for his opinion and he agreed they could look
a lot better and he could fix them. He also said that he wanted us to be happy
with the outcome and wouldn’t leave until we were satisfied. He said he’d smooth
out any of the bumpy areas, get the pooled up lacquer out of the edges, and
he’d lightly stain anything that needed it, bringing them to a consistent color,
which would be the darkest of the current shades. He also said he’d use a
lacquer that had a lower sheen level. We agreed that this work would start the
following week. He explained that they couldn't make them look lighter but could at least make them consistent.6 - Luis and [redacted] attempted to even the color out and fix the flaws on 6/3/14 and 6/4/14. They didn't finish everything and Luis was supposed to come back the next day to do so. That night we inspected the cabinets to find that, besides
the color/texture, there were still many problems with them. Lots of the flaws
were still there, just covered up with more layers of dark lacquer. Luis couldn't come back the next day for personal reasons. On 6/5/14, we asked [redacted] to call us so we could discuss the problems that still remained. We played phone tag and finally got to talk to him the folling morning. I DID NOT send a hostile text message, as [redacted] stated. We talked to [redacted] around 10am on 6/6/14 and expressed our dissatisfaction with the "fix" they did and asked for refund. [redacted] told us they don't do that and he'd talk to [redacted] about it over the weekend and get back to us on Monday. We didn't hear from [redacted] on Monday, as promised, so I texted him. He said he'd call me the next day.7 - 6/11/14 [redacted] called and said they can’t give us a refund but were
willing to work with us to achieve an acceptable outcome. He offered to 1-
leave everything as-is and we don’t pay remainder of bill. 2- they come and
touch up everything and try to even out the color on cabinets and shells and we
pay remainder. 3-Wait until [redacted]’s father, [redacted], moves down to SD around end
of June and see if he can fix them. He said he’s an expert, taught them, and
he’d be able to help find a solution. We thought about his offer and on 6/13/14 we told him that we'd wait for his father in law to see if he could fix it. We didn't receive a response so on 6/17/14 I followed up with [redacted] and he said he'd schedule it as soon as he got to town. After scheduling, canceling, rescheduling, we finally met face to face with [redacted] and [redacted] on 7/17/14. At that meeting we went over all the issues with the cabinets. We agreed
that [redacted] would come back the following week, 7/23, and finish the desk and
entertainment center and he’d bring some samples of alternative solutions for
or cabinets. Since we were so far from what we originally asked for, we talked
about possibly going in a different direction, like creative painting, since
we’d already lost the wood grain and were working with nearly black cabinets at
this point. On 7/24/14 [redacted] showed up with no painted samples for kitchen. He worked
on smoothing out the entertainment center and re-staining the upper shells and
doors. He was not able to match the stain/lacquer that was done by [redacted] and
tried many different things. He said he didn’t like the way the doors turned
out and he’d need to come back and work on them some more but he didn’t know
when that would be because [redacted] would have to schedule him. I assumed that
[redacted] would talk to [redacted] and he’d call me with schedule a date to come back. He never even got to the kitchen issues at this time.8 - 7/29/14 I followed up with [redacted] since we hadn't heard from him. He said they just needed to make the paint samples and decide which way we want to go. We were to decide if we wanted him to continue trying to match the lacquer/stain [redacted] did or something different, like paint. I couldn't decide because he was still unable to match/fix the stain problems on the entertainment center, so I had nothing to decide on yet. Ove the next few weeks, I texted [redacted] for a schedule and we couldn't get one. He said [redacted] was very busy on other jobs. I was upset because I thought our job should be priority, since it had been going on so long to finish/fix.9 - [redacted] didn't work a few days, as [redacted] stated. He arrived on 8/25/14. [redacted] showed up around 815 and set up his booth. He worked on
the entertainment center doors and re-hung them. They were a little better, but
still had drips on the sides, which I pointed out the following day and he said
he could fix. He worked to make some samples to match the color in the kitchen
without much luck. He made one that close, but was still “off”. He also made a
black painted sample, which was completely unacceptable. He took a break from
the stain samples and put a coat of polyurethane on the desk to help protect it
because it was wearing off in some areas already. We agreed that the color of
the kitchen cabinets was just too dark and uneven and talked about a lighter
color in a paint and gel stain finish that looks like it has wood grain. He
took the stained sample door that [redacted] made back in May, so he could see the
color as he shopped for stuff at Home Depot that evening. On 8/26/14 [redacted] returned and tried to match the kitchen stain color
once again. He used one of the lower cabinet doors and one drawer (see photos).
Again, they didn’t match. He then made a paint and gel stain sample that looked
very similar to the stain sample door that [redacted] made in May. We agreed that
was going to be our best option, since he was unable to match the current
cabinet color and it was so far from what we originally wanted anyway. He said
he talked to [redacted] and was told that our options were to match the current
stain (which he couldn’t do), paint all the cabinets one color at no additional
charge, or if we wanted to do the paint and gel stain process he’d cover the
materials but we’d have to pay for labor. I told [redacted] that I’d have to discuss
with [redacted] but I’d guess that he’s not going to pay another penny than what was
originally agreed and that is just to get an outcome similar to what we wanted
in the beginning, regardless of the fact that it has taken so long. I told him
we’d been more than patient with them and had not made any formal complaints,
but that would be our next step if they didn’t make this right. With every mishap, [redacted] promised he would fix it and make
us happy. Unfortunately, they were unable to do this and the color just kept
getting darker and darker, still with many inconsistencies and shades on the
shells, drawers, and doors. I told [redacted] that I understand they already spent a
lot on labor and materials in the other rounds of staining and attempts to fix,
but that was not our fault and we shouldn’t have to pay for the extra time. I
told him we’d call [redacted] that night, after soccer practice, and work it out. We
called around 8pm and left a voicemail. I also followed up with a text message. We didn't hear back from [redacted] any further.10 - 8/28/14 [redacted] called. This was the first time I had talked to him since Mother's Day. We spent a long time on the phone. We discussed the issues with the
cabinets. He was told by [redacted] that we ordered a change to darker color and to
fix them we’d have to pay the labor cost, which would be around $1500. I
disagreed with that and asked him to come and see the job, since he hadn’t done
so, and I could show him all the issues. He scheduled to come to the house on
Wednesday 9/3. He later rescheduled for Friday 9/5 because [redacted] booked a sales
call for him on Wed.11 - 9/5/14 Met with [redacted] at the house at 2pm. I pointed out all the
problems with the cabinets, showed him the sample, discussed the issues with
getting it “matched” and told him that we wanted the color of the sample, which
[redacted] was able to do with a paint and faux wood grain finish. Again, he told me
he couldn’t do that without charging us for labor. He stated that [redacted] told
him we already changed it to a darker color, which wasn’t true, and he couldn’t
do another change. I told him that I never wanted it darker and explained to
him how the cabinets were all different shades after they rehung them in June
and I asked [redacted] to even the out, but they ended up much darker. This was not
my choice. He left with these options on the table: 1 - they come back in Oct
and match everything to the dark color and we pay the $700 balance or 2 – they
come back in Oct and do the faux finish for $1400.
9/8/14 [redacted] called a lawyer, [redacted], to get advice on this
dispute then called [redacted]. He told [redacted] that if they don’t make the cabinets
match the sample we agreed on we would file a lawsuit, have the cabinets
refinished by a third party and sue them for the cost plus a refund of what we
paid SD Brushworks. They discussed the problems we had experienced up to that
point, our disappointment, the lack of management of the project, the amount of
time this project had taken, the failure to resolve the issues to our
satisfaction. [redacted] then offered to come out in October and strip and refinish
the cabinets to the color we desired. This is the info [redacted] came out with
after their phone call:
Refinishing was scheduled for 10/6-10/17.
SD Brushworks would call me the week of 9/15 and schedule to come over and pick
up an unfinished door from garage and make a sample for us.
Once the sample was agreed upon, they and we would sign it and then SD
Brushworks would take one of the doors they stained and strip and stain it to
match the sample.
Once we can see that they can repeat the sample on the doors after stripping
them, we would move forward on 10/6 with the project.
9/17/14 With no phone call to attempt to pick up sample, I texted
[redacted] to find out when they were coming to pick up the panel. No reply
9/18/14 [redacted] called [redacted] around 8:30AM and left him a message to
call him or me to schedule to pick up the panel. [redacted] followed up with an email stating they were having
issues with their phones. He also asked if the kitchen was the only area that
needed work. I replied to let him know it was the kitchen, a few spots
on the entertainment center, the carpet stain in the office, toe kicks in all
areas, small paint issues, stain spotch on tile near entertainment center. Told
them again that the door for them to make a sample on would be on the porch for
them to pick up at their convenience.
9/22/14 No one had picked up the door for sample so I emailed
again to let them know it was on the front porch.
9/25/14 [redacted] emailed and said they changed their mind about redoing
the stain and offered us a partial refund of $2550 (this was $3250 for the
kitchen portion less the $700 we still owed on the total project). I email replied that their offer was not acceptable
because of the other areas that still needed to be fixed as well as the fact
that we can’t have the kitchen redone for the amount they were offering to
refund. She asked them to reconsider their offer and get back to us the next
day.
9/26/14 [redacted] emailed and made many incorrect statements/assumptions
about the original staining and payments that were made along with 2 offers for
us: 1 - touch up the 2 unfinished doors [redacted] worked on this
summer and touch up any imperfections in the rest of the cabinets (leaving them
the dark/blackish color), fix the stain on the carpet, touch up paint and collect balance due. OR 2 – refund for $2550 and they would still be willing to
touch up the paint and clean the carpet stain. He said they would not normally offer a refund but their
lawyer said it would be faster and cheaper to offer the refund.
We were so frustrated with the current state, what had transpired since the summer and attempted fixes and amount of time this was taking, the fact they promised to re-do the kitchen and even rescheduled it, just to change their minds and break another promise to us. I then replied with corrections to his statements
regarding the original staining and payment issues in [redacted]’s email because he
had payment dates and details incorrect. I told them we wanted all the issues
resolved and the kitchen cabinets redone to our desired color or a full refund
of the stain job of $4000. I reminded them that they were in violation of their
contract in regards to collection of payment before job was complete and
changes that were made (which they were claiming were done per our request,
which we never made a request to make them darker) that were not in writing. 12 - We have not heard from S&D Brushworks since 9/26/14. I guess they consider me calling, emailing, texting, begging them to call us and try to work this out (to avoid lawsuit) harrassment. I was considerably nice in my messages, trying to get them to come to negotiate. The week before Christmas, I did threaten a bad review for them, in hopes that would get them to reply. I actually thought they went out of business or something because of the lack of communication, but when I viewed their website, I could see that they had updated it an seemed to still be in business. I continued to call and ask them to call me back over the next month or so before finally filing the complaint with Revdex.com.If they could have fixed the situation in the summer and matched the too-dark color, we would have let this go, but since they could not and even had the nerve to ask for more money to fix it, we just couldn't let it go. That's why we asked for the full refund. When they didn't accept that we asked they negotiate with us (my "harrassing" emails, phone calls, texts). I feel that is much more than they deserve at this point, and after reading their response to my Revdex.com complaint. We do not want to hurt their business and that is why we didn't sue or make a bad review until the Revdex.com complaint. I still wish they could resolve this with us in some way. Anyone that sees our kitchen is in disbelief that it looks so bad, is so inconsistent in color, has many flaws, has two black spray-painted door/drawer fronts, and was just left like that. I doubt anyone would want to hire them if they saw the results we got. The fact remains that they tried to do a job, failed, made promises to fix it and then didn't come through on their promises. I can't beleive that it took a Revdex.com complaint for them to finally communicate with us again. Of course, it was with great inaccuracy, but I have the truth in my document, text messages, photos, and a constant, daily reminder ... our cabinets!
Regards,
[redacted]

Complaint  #[redacted]
 
On April 7, 2014 S&D Brushworks started a cabinet refinishing and painting project for [redacted] (client) at [redacted]. The job included painting all walls in entry, living room, dining room, and kitchen as well as staining...

of the cabinets in the office, living room, and kitchen.  Normal protocol for staining is to do all staining onsite so none of the cabinets leave the home at any time. A color sample of the client’s choice for stain is always made and showed to the customer prior to starting the job, which was done for [redacted] on several occasions.
[redacted] (owner) stopped by to check on the job and go over the details of the job with the client. At the time all doors and part of the cabinets had been stained with the client’s choice of color. [redacted] went over how the cabinets looked with [redacted] and the client expressed they seemed to be darker then what she had in mind. [redacted] at this time could tell that this was not what the client was looking for and had S&D Brushwork employees stop the job.
[redacted] had employees strip all doors and work we had done with staining. At this point, [redacted] then took over the project and let the clients know our goal is always 100% customer satisfaction. To attain this goal  new samples of color for the cabinets were offered to Andruss.
 3 samples of color were made for Andruss, but the client felt the colors were to red so 3 more samples were made the same day. The client then requested to look over the samples with her husband and I returned the following day to discuss it.  After the clients picked a sample they liked, again another sample of the stain was done on one of the striped doors to preview the finished product and to assure that the client liked the color. We did this again to make sure the client would be happy with her choice of color before we began the process of re-staining again. After the sample was completed, the customers assured [redacted] it would suffice. S&D Brushworks then proceeded to re-stain the cabinet’s onsite over the course of 3-4 days. The finished products were dried in the living room of the client’s home and at no point in the duration of the job and the drying did [redacted] express any concerns or inform employees of any Dissatisfaction. All the painting and staining was finished on Friday. The foremen reviewed the job with the client and received payment for the work. At this point the customer looked over the job seemed satisfied and issued the payment making the contract completed.
[redacted] sent a text message to [redacted] expressing that she was unhappy because the color was uneven. An official face-to-face meeting was arranged again where the client complained about uneven color and that the cabinets looked lighter in some spots, and darker in others-which is common for stain and that was explained to the client. An offer was made to re-mask and prep kitchen to re-stain so all the cabinets look more even (staining never comes out even as wood accepts stain differently in areas). [redacted] was informed that it would result in all the color changing to the darkest shade on the cabinet. The client agreed, stating that she did not mind a darker color as long as the cabinets were more even, and a re-stain was scheduled again.
[redacted] took responsibility of re-staining the kitchen cabinets and the living room entertainment center. Since the client was absent at the time of completion, [redacted] left the premises after informing [redacted] that the job was done and asking about her thoughts on the result.  [redacted] sent a hostile text regarding her feelings about the re-stain and another face-to-face meeting was arranged with her husband present as well. In the meeting the clients showed [redacted] the parts they
were unhappy with and expressed that the stain was now too dark and [redacted] preferred the previous color. 
[redacted] informed [redacted] there  was nothing that could be done  to make them lighter, so [redacted] husband suggested to re-face them and then asked for a full refund. [redacted] then replied that a refund could not be issued as S&D Brushworks had over-invested in the job and exhausted materials on a high-quality stain for their cabinets.   Negotiations began for other options and it was agreed upon that [redacted] Deason (employee) with over 20 years of experience would come for a consultation. Deason spent a few days working on the entertainment center and when discussions on the kitchen began, the client then demanded that they receive a full-refund for the job or again re-do of all the kitchen cabinets. Mrs. [redacted] threatened a law suit if their demands were not met. S&D Brushworks then offered to do another touch up similar to the entertainment center, but the client refused. S&D Brushworks then consulted a lawyer who advised that all contact between the clients and S&D Brushworks should be done via email, and that a refund should be issued as lawyer fees can be expensive.  An email was sent to the client, [redacted] that she would be refunded $2100 for the job, but the client demanded the full $4000 cost of the job, even though this was the amount that included a desk with cabinets and entertainment center cabinets which had no concerns of dissatisfaction. The client at this time had only threats to sue, but no representation of a lawyer.  S&D Brushworks did not retaliate and after a few days with no communication to Andruss, the company received a notice allegedly from the client’s lawyer stating that S&D Brushworks had 5 days to issue a refund or the company would suffer a lawsuit.  No issue of a refund was made to the client and the company awaited contact from Andruss’ lawyer, but no communication was ever received.  Shortly after [redacted] began harassing S&D Brushworks with phone calls and text messages threatening a bad review if the company refused to respond. 
S&D Brushworks satisfied the contract when [redacted] reviewed the job and issued payment for work performed on the cabinets. [redacted] still owes S&D Brushworks $700.00 for a separate contract that was signed for painting, which was completed with no dissatisfaction.
S&D Brushworks has gone above and beyond for [redacted] Andruss, and we continue to provide quality service to all our customers. [redacted] signed a contract with S&D Brushworks, got a high quality stain more than once valued at more than $12,000 for the price of $2100, continued to receive impeccable customer service after having to fix the cabinets several times because the client wasn’t satisfied with her choice of color, and was offered a refund for just the cabinets which she then refused.  S&D Brushworks has remained loyal to our company values and this client has taken advantage of the company services. The company now requests that this review be taken down from Revdex.com, so we can continue to grow as a business and assure new and old customers that S&D Brushworks will remain in their lives, and we will never let their colors fade.
Thank you for letting me express my side to this matter,
[redacted] R Deason Jr
Owner
[redacted] ll
Co-Owner

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Address: 5694 Mission Center Rd #512, San Diego, California, United States, 92108

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