Below is an email I sent to [redacted] from the Revdex.com earlier today. Hi [redacted] My name is Chris S[redacted] and I am the President of the Housing Division for S & A Homes. I am sure you are aware but just as a reminder, we have not closed on this house the customer so the...
home is still owned by S & A Homes. One of our representatives has been meeting with the customer or her realtor on an almost weekly basis for the past few months on site ensuring that the house is to her satisfaction. At this point, we believe the house to be complete with the exception of some exterior items that could not be completed due to the weather. Those items are currently in process of being done but none of which would hold up closing on the house. S & A Homes believes we have built this house to the specifications that were shown to the customer during the purchasing process. Also when the customer bought the house, the house was a framed so any room dimensions would be been done at that time. This is a townhouse and was a spec house so the customer was able to walk through the portions that were complete at that time. S & A Homes continues to be willing to meet with the customer to review and or repair any legitimate items per the contract of the house. We would like to close as well but want the customer to believe and sign off that they accept the house along with the specifications etc. prior to closing to ensure there is not confusion. Please feel free to reach out to me to review. Also, as a quick note, this house is in the [redacted] area not [redacted] PA. Thanks, Chris S[redacted] S & A Homes Inc. President Housing Division 2121 Old Gatesburg Road State College PA 16803 Office Phone ###-###-#### Office Fax ###-###-#### [redacted]
[redacted] http://[redacted]
S&A does not send subcontractors out with "appearance" to attempt to fix issues. S&A has been out to the home multiple times to address the issues noted by the customer. We reviewed the repairs that were completed by our subcontractors and the variance in the drywall is within the...
tolerance allotted within our warranty manual. With that being said, I would be glad to discuss the issue with the customer.
Mr. & Mrs. [redacted] must follow the contractural agreement that they signed at contract signing . The warranty state a one year material and workmanship warranty and 10 year on structural . S&A continues to offer to repair and adjust all the items stated in their complaint. S&A Homes is willing to come back to the [redacted] home and review the front door and hardwood and make any necessary repairs. [redacted] was prepared to replace a few ceramic tiles but Mr. [redacted] agreed not to replace. We have made the offer to resolve the situation by replacing the few high ceramic tiles that need to be replaced. Regarding [redacted] we have made multiple calls and have not received a call back regarding [redacted]. As Mr. [redacted] was able to speak to [redacted] we would appreciate knowing who he talked to and how we could get the information regarding replacement. I would also like the opportunity to inspect your sub floor with and engineer who could document that the floor is level and meets all building standards. We would also like to inspect the sub floor with an engineer to confirm it meets all specs. Tell us why here...
My husband has been calling [redacted] for weeks and has not got in touch with anyone and has left messages. Regardless, they do not work with S&A any longer and S&A would be reliable for our floor. The new CFO - Mr. D[redacted] has recommended them coming in to fix the areas. This goes against our warranty as nails are not to be placed down through as well in fixing multiple areas trying to insert glue in them will not work as well. You would know all of this if you actually picked out your products, but you didn't, you used this product because the low balled sub contractor you paid to do our floors at the time used it. Also, why would we want S&A coming back in to fix our floor when our upstairs is still a mess from them trying to fix it. The joists were sanded down to make level (which are still not level) and new flooring was put down, which is sinking when you step on it and pinching your feet. I would think having these issues fixed to our satisfaction would be a drop in the bucket vs. loosing multiple homes in our development and other areas. I should had walked over to Rich when I saw him in our development the other month to ask him a very simple question. Before moving into our home, he said our home would be put up quicker than our next door neighbors, I was thinking in my head.... did he really just say that. Even prior to experiencing all of the issues we had experienced I was surprised to hear such a car salesman comment. Clearly that home was nicer than ours, more detail, that builder was in a completely different category than S&A (who really doesn't even build the home/ the cheapest sub contractors are the ones). That home across the street has had zero issues or headaches. I would think Rich realizes (by now) that the amount of home issues that could be caused when rushing the building process as well the issues that can arise when him or Ken are never really supervising, when they should be. That is the job of PM, right???! The number of complaints we have been reading not only on the Revdex.com site, but on Facebook before S&A "HIDES" them is unsettling. THIS IS YOUR REPUTATION?? Don't you get that? Clearly it is protocol that you all don't fix issues either by on the complaints. You just figure your customers will give up, right?! Cleary with the Pittsburgh market closing, S&A has yet to learn that happy customers equals more referrals. We continually have people coming to us asking about our building experience as well if we have had any luck with our issues. We have a handful of homes going up in our development. This includes many from other areas. Clearly you are only concerned with turning houses over and making profit as quick as you can. Hopefully the new CFO realizes what has been going on in the past and has a conscious in making things right. When you have countless CUSTOMERS complaining about the same issues, don't you think you need to own up to them and correct those issues moving forward so they don't continue to happen? It's business 101 that most customers come from referrals.
Revdex.com:
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.This DOES NOT resolve our complaint OR our main issue of our flooring not being level. We have plenty of documents, emails, pictures dating back to the walk through of our hardwood and tile being unlevel and shoddy workmanship. I would say the fact that [redacted] no longer works for you is a red flag as well. That is not our issue. I have documented emails asking S&A staff to provide us with Proof of Purchase of our flooring and Proof of Purchase of the glue used in our home. PER [redacted] REPRESENTATIVES this is needed to have A warranty. Without THIS we have NO warranty because we have no proof of purchase. This was and is S&A's responsibility. This type of information should had been filed, as well documented by our Project Manager and Flooring Company. We have multiple emails to Rich dating back to the beginning that we received no response to in regards to this and warranties. I even have emails asking about our windows leaking and if they were to still leak what does that mean. Again, with those, no response. I have been going through ALL my emails and everything else as we will purse whatever needs to be done on these MULTIPLE ISSUESS. We have only ever received an email from Tim M[redacted] stating the glue [redacted] said they "used" . AGAIN, RECEIPTS are NEEDED for warranty purposes. ALSO, per the Quality Manager at [redacted], the DriTac is NOT a product of theirs and will not warrant, so therefore this NOT an acceptable fix. In order to move forward with our flooring it is imperitive that S&A shows receipts of flooring, glue and ALSO the installation invoice. This is PER [redacted] Warranty Department. It is going on three years and we are still waiting for this.Also, the flooring is not the only issue: The following issues are ALL pre-existing issues that have not been fixed. 1)Rotting front door/ water issues. We've been advised my MANY professionals and an inspector that you can only caulk and paint things so much. The door needs ripped out. Very likely it was installed wrong, not properly flashed and that is why the water is STILL coming in/ up through and warping the flooring, AGAIN.)2)Tile is not level, nor are tiles even cut square. We were told by S&A new installer removing tiles was not recommended, he ALSO stated it all should had been ripped out when the hallway was ripped out and COMPLETELY redone. This job looks like an amateur did it, not a professional, which is what we paid for. 3)Windows are still leaking. Again, have been advised by multiple professionals the only fix is to take them out to see where the water is getting in and to make sure they were properly flashed.4)In going through emails, documents and emails not responded to I will be looking into other things that slipped through the cracks. Just like our furnace size. We have documentation of installers saying our units were too small. S&A did replace our AC due to this. I have no problem spending time researching things and contacting whomever, clearly I have invested countless hours, what is a few more. We are currently reorganizing everything and speaking to the appropriate professionals. We will not be happy until some type of realistic agreement is reached. Nor will we give up on this in any aspect until this happens, even if that means S&A not coming to the realization of making things right. We have many people that we know or work with that are in our home. We have been wanting to complete/ fix many things in our home and will continue to wait, even if that means many eyesores for all to see. It honestly does not bother me. What bothers me is a company not standing for what they say do. Clearly you have many unhappy customers, it's no secret. Hopefully you realize in rebuilding and the closure of other locations, referrals are key. We would like to say, even though it took forever, issues were resolved with S&A Homes. Good Day.
Regards,
[redacted]
Revdex.com:
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.
In reference to the front door, we brought the leak to the Project Manager Ken's attention the second time we noticed water lying on the floor. He was rarely at our home and obviously did not see the water coming through that area the first time. He told us he would have someone fix it. When we asked him about the water issue again and if it was fixed, he told us he had it fixed. We had kept an eye on it and did not see any more issues. Keep in mind, it would have to rain to know for sure if it was truly fixed. In response to Mr. M[redacted]'s comment where he said the flooring was loose and was replaced, his information is incorrect. He would need to speak to [redacted] as Mr. M[redacted] was not even a part of this as he was brought in at a later date. [redacted] was here to replace flooring by the front door AND the flooring by the window in the front room due to the water damage of the door and window leaking. The water has continued to come into these areas, something that can be hard to be detected, but by the hardwood showing signs AGAIN of water damaged and the water streaks running down the wall are clear indicators these issues still have not been fixed. The flooring in these areas have actually never been loose. The "loose" areas are a whole other issue due to improper installation. Rory had tried on multiple occassions to fix the leak of both the window and the door and the last time he tried, he told us he was not sure what else he could do. That is when we asked if it was possible that we had a defective front door and window. We never received a response in any of the emails. I did receive one return email in attempt to ask AGAIN what are we suppose to do that Tim M[redacted] was on a three month leave. I am not sure why Tim M[redacted] is sending information regarding cleaning our floor. If he would speak to the numerous people prior to him getting involved he would know we have commented numerous times on the durability of our floor. #1 We first noticed when we had water pouring through our kitchen ceiling due to our Master Shower leaking. It layed on the floor and ruined it. #2 We noticed how not durable our flooring was when we have had multiple areas with water coming into our home ruin the hardwood to which they came in and replaced. These areas have water damage again. Because S&A has been unresponsive with handling the issues and we went through months of emails being ignored... we had the manufacturer come out. It was nice for them to come out in a timely fashion. They replaced all our weather stripping, etc. They also said the door was not painted or caulked correctly by S&A. #3 We noticed when cleaning our floor from a simple drink being spilt from our child that if you do not clean up that minute it will ruin your floor. We had asked and stressed multiple times to our sales rep Anne H. that one of our must haves was durable hardwood. In order to clean up certain messes such as a spilt drink you need to use a rag and then use the product, which is spray. I have never used a "wet mop" on our floors nor have I ever owned one. I prefer to clean by hand. Also, Tim may need reminded that the board with the water laying on it for "20 minutes" was an actual loose board, an extra piece that was left over. I still have this board and a picture of it. We were not sold a durable product as we were told. ANYWAYS, this is irrevelant to the flooring not being level. We have had a more than a normal amount of issues, and Tim M[redacted] even stated this on his December visit. A spread sheet was even created with Rich. It is not normal for a brand new home owner to have a spread sheet of issues. Another thing that has not been answered is our tile. New tile was sent to our home by S&A to replace and they never fixed as they had intended. After multiple visits and people getting involved, they wanted us to be happy with the flooring "as is." How is a customer to be happy with "AS IS" when they bought "brand new." The flooring was also not level in our upstairs, which they had to rip up all our hardwood in the hallway because of this. [redacted] stated everythign would need ripped up to be fixed properly. As well, the quick job the sub contractor did and not giving the proper amount of time to "set" has contributed to our tile issues. There are cracked tile and the strip they placed in this area where the hardwood and tile line up (and is not even straight) has broke due to it being too thing. Rory placed this in there as there were no other ways to fix. My husband spoke to [redacted] who installed our flooring and they told him they would have come back and replaced all our flooring. S&A never made us aware of this. Why is this? S&A needs to answer the questions and not give irrevalant information. They have been doing this to us for two years. No one can blame us for not wanting them back into our home. We want someone to fix it properly and be done with it. It has been two years of getting ignored and the run around. They have stated that we are not allowig their engineer to come in. We would like to know what do they plan to do if they find our subfloor is not level as the Inspector found. Do they plan to rip out and replace? Gluing the floor down is not going to fix our issues, it is a temporary fix. [redacted] Flooring told us this is not a fix, especially if doing in multiple areas, which it would be. The hardwood manufacturer also told us if the floor is not level it will always pop up, that gluing is not a fix.
Regards,
[redacted] & [redacted]
On Mon, Aug 29, 2016 at 11:46 AM, [redacted] wrote:Hi [redacted],Since my last response, nothing has changed in terms of the position from S & A Homes. We would feel that the home meets the contract that was signed and we are willing, able and ready to close with [redacted]. We also did receive a letter from her brokers attorney with similar information that was in the Revdex.com complaint. Our attorney has responded with similar answers to her complaints and requests. I authorized our attorney to make a small concession as good faith effort to try to get her to closing on the house. I am very hopeful over the next 2 weeks we can resolve this issue. Please let me know if you have any other questions. Chris S[redacted]S & A Homes Inc.President Housing Division2121 Old Gatesburg RoadState College PA 16803Office Phone [redacted]Office Fax ###-###-####[redacted]
I apologize for the length of time it has taken to address the customer's items; however, the truth of the matter is that we can not address the items until our subcontractor was on board. We have provided the subcontractor with several projects to ensure they perform good work. We will get to the customers work, again we apologize for the length of time it has taken.
[redacted], Regarding the [redacted]’s spoke to [redacted] about replacement. We have no record of such a comment from [redacted]. S&A will repair the areas mentioned on the December 2016 letter regarding the glue releasing from the sub floor in 3 areas.Regarding an engineer reviewing the sub floor. The independent inspector [redacted] who was hired by the [redacted]’s indicated that the sub floor is not level. S&A Homes would have and engineered measure the floor to insure it is within industry standards.Regarding communication from [redacted] and [redacted]. Please share where the manufacture says rip out. If that was the case it would be a product warranty and [redacted] would need to do so and [redacted] would warranty the installation.Regarding the front door.I’m happy to hear that you were pleased with the manufacture and their support on your front door. Regarding Atrium technician returning. Atrium closed the complaint. There is no longer an issue.Regarding the ceramic tile. I was told by Rich from S&A Homes that after we explained the action that could be taken that the [redacted]’s decided not to repair.This response is not a refusal to address the problem. S&A Homes offers a one year in house material and workmanship warranty, product warranties from the manufacture, and a 10 year structural warranty from American E Warranty . Sincerely Tim M[redacted]
The exterior work has been completed with the exception of the ridge vent which we are in the process of scheduling. We spoke with the customer this week and have proposed to send several workers to the 3 month warranty review to completed needed work as we go through the review as opposed to waiting to schedule(which is our normal process). We are assuming this will be acceptable as it is the most efficient avenue to address any remaining concerns.
Revdex.com:
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.
Regards,
[redacted] there is a warranty claim system through which these were submitted. Customers shouldn’t have to live with a broken door lock and damaged screen door until the 12 month mark. Handling warranty claims is not exclusive to twice a year. Especially since the interior drywall damage was caused by repair of another problem. Please have vendor actually take responsibility for their work and do what their representatives tom and GEORGE had promised.
Revdex.com:
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.
The response provided is not acceptable for the driveway. We have been asking for the driveway to be sealed for several months now knowing that the asphalt plants would be closing and continuously put that in our correspondence with S&A personnel. We will not close this case until the driveway has been sealed and is done to our satisfaction. As it is currently, the driveway is not acceptable.
Regards,
[redacted] [redacted]
Please check back in with the customer as the issue was corrected within 48 hours of receiving her complaint. It was my understanding that she was going to contact you to let you know things had been addressed. If that is not the case, please let me know as soon as possible. Thank you.
S & A Homes has inspected the door multiple times between Randy K[redacted] (Regional Construction Manager) and myself Chris S[redacted] (President of Housing Division) We both feel that the door is within our warranty tolerance. In addition we had a manufacture representative from the door...
manufacture on July 17th 2015 visit the home and inspect the door. It was their professional opinion that the door is well within acceptable tolerances. I told the customer I felt the door was fine and I still believe that today. Please let me know if you need any further information. Thanks,Chris S[redacted]
The landscapers started on 7/14 as my response indicated we had a plan. The landscaping is expected to be completed this week. It is obvious that the landscaping will not be completed by June 30th; however, as I mentioned in my response we had a plan to complete which we are effectuating. I drove to Pittsburgh last week and met with Matt along with our construction manager and he was fine with the plan we discussed to get his work completed.
Guarantee Or Warranty IssuesselectProblem: I have had 4 outstanding warranty issues for several months. 1) fasten hose bibs to house, as they were hanging freely 2) fix drywall damage to interior office that was...
caused when repairing exterior stone problem 3) replace my screen patio door as the current one doesn't' fit the track properly and is causing damage 4) replace interior garage door know as the lock has broken S&A warranty claims department stopped responding to me. The employee responsible for handling my claims initially is Tom M[redacted]. He had my items for approximately 2 months without addressing. I escalated to his boss, George. George responded initially, was given my 4 outstanding items. He followed up on one of them (the exterior hose bibs) and then stopped responding. I haven't heard from him since late August. I then escalated to RIch E[redacted] on 9/18, who responded once just saying that he doesn't know of my outstanding issues. These guys are scam artists. I have a 1 year warranty, which is going to expire without them fixing these basic items. The stress and time they have caused me in having to constantly follow up is ridiculous. JUST DO WHAT I PROMISED!!Desired Outcome: DO THE WORK that has been guaranteed!!!
We are working on getting the customer's issues addressed. We have had electricians out several times over the last few months and are in the processing of addressing the problem.
Revdex.com:
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.
The builder has stated that my recently built house flooded due to an "anomaly rain event." It is true that it was a heavy rain. But, in order for this argument to make sense, there would need to be some explanation for why my house flooded and the other houses surrounding my house DID not flood? Was it that it rained more on my house than on my neighbors house? If the rain event was indeed anomalous, than it would make sense that not only my house, but other houses should have flooded too. As that is not what happens, we are let with two conclusions... it either rained more at my house OR, there is something different about my house than my neighbors house and other houses in the neighborhood.That is my complaint. There is something different and incorrect about my house. Yes, they did some testing but I did they do the right testing or are they being truthful about the results? Is there other testing or a non-partial engineer who should be brought in?I asked a professional landscaper to look at our property and they indicated that there is a significant seal on the side of my house that is directing water to my foundation. I have included their description and proposal here. Maybe my house is different because there is essentially a hill in my yard that directs water to my foundation. This hill/ swale was not here when I purchased the house. It was created when this builder built the neighbors house. We complained about it and the builder acknowledged the problem when they put a single drain in.. but this only catches a portion of the water off of the swale in the rear of the house.I do not accept the builders claim that an anomalous rain would only effect our house and not other house? That makes no logical sense. Too much rain should have flooded many homes. My neighbors on either side did not flood but I did.... something is wrong with home and I want it fixed. The builder created the swale, one identified problem that has not been corrected. I ask that they finish and complete the correction they acknowledged through previous partial correction.
Regards,
[redacted]
S&A has answered this complaint numerous times and the reason for the water infiltration has not changed- it was an anomaly weather evernt. The region was inundated by rain over the past several weeks and there were no issues. It is not failed logic- it is fact. S&A can not and will not be responsible for these types of weather events - no different than any other builder. S&A has offered to pay the customer $1,250 as a goodwill gesture, even though we have no fault in this matter, to resolve the customer's complaint. The offer still stands.
Below is an email I sent to [redacted] from the Revdex.com earlier today. Hi [redacted] My name is Chris S[redacted] and I am the President of the Housing Division for S & A Homes. I am sure you are aware but just as a reminder, we have not closed on this house the customer so the...
home is still owned by S & A Homes. One of our representatives has been meeting with the customer or her realtor on an almost weekly basis for the past few months on site ensuring that the house is to her satisfaction. At this point, we believe the house to be complete with the exception of some exterior items that could not be completed due to the weather. Those items are currently in process of being done but none of which would hold up closing on the house. S & A Homes believes we have built this house to the specifications that were shown to the customer during the purchasing process. Also when the customer bought the house, the house was a framed so any room dimensions would be been done at that time. This is a townhouse and was a spec house so the customer was able to walk through the portions that were complete at that time. S & A Homes continues to be willing to meet with the customer to review and or repair any legitimate items per the contract of the house. We would like to close as well but want the customer to believe and sign off that they accept the house along with the specifications etc. prior to closing to ensure there is not confusion. Please feel free to reach out to me to review. Also, as a quick note, this house is in the [redacted] area not [redacted] PA. Thanks, Chris S[redacted] S & A Homes Inc. President Housing Division 2121 Old Gatesburg Road State College PA 16803 Office Phone ###-###-#### Office Fax ###-###-#### [redacted]
[redacted] http://[redacted]
S&A does not send subcontractors out with "appearance" to attempt to fix issues. S&A has been out to the home multiple times to address the issues noted by the customer. We reviewed the repairs that were completed by our subcontractors and the variance in the drywall is within the...
tolerance allotted within our warranty manual. With that being said, I would be glad to discuss the issue with the customer.
Mr. & Mrs. [redacted] must follow the contractural agreement that they signed at contract signing . The warranty state a one year material and workmanship warranty and 10 year on structural . S&A continues to offer to repair and adjust all the items stated in their complaint. S&A Homes is willing to come back to the [redacted] home and review the front door and hardwood and make any necessary repairs. [redacted] was prepared to replace a few ceramic tiles but Mr. [redacted] agreed not to replace. We have made the offer to resolve the situation by replacing the few high ceramic tiles that need to be replaced. Regarding [redacted] we have made multiple calls and have not received a call back regarding [redacted]. As Mr. [redacted] was able to speak to [redacted] we would appreciate knowing who he talked to and how we could get the information regarding replacement. I would also like the opportunity to inspect your sub floor with and engineer who could document that the floor is level and meets all building standards. We would also like to inspect the sub floor with an engineer to confirm it meets all specs. Tell us why here...
My husband has been calling [redacted] for weeks and has not got in touch with anyone and has left messages. Regardless, they do not work with S&A any longer and S&A would be reliable for our floor. The new CFO - Mr. D[redacted] has recommended them coming in to fix the areas. This goes against our warranty as nails are not to be placed down through as well in fixing multiple areas trying to insert glue in them will not work as well. You would know all of this if you actually picked out your products, but you didn't, you used this product because the low balled sub contractor you paid to do our floors at the time used it. Also, why would we want S&A coming back in to fix our floor when our upstairs is still a mess from them trying to fix it. The joists were sanded down to make level (which are still not level) and new flooring was put down, which is sinking when you step on it and pinching your feet. I would think having these issues fixed to our satisfaction would be a drop in the bucket vs. loosing multiple homes in our development and other areas. I should had walked over to Rich when I saw him in our development the other month to ask him a very simple question. Before moving into our home, he said our home would be put up quicker than our next door neighbors, I was thinking in my head.... did he really just say that. Even prior to experiencing all of the issues we had experienced I was surprised to hear such a car salesman comment. Clearly that home was nicer than ours, more detail, that builder was in a completely different category than S&A (who really doesn't even build the home/ the cheapest sub contractors are the ones). That home across the street has had zero issues or headaches. I would think Rich realizes (by now) that the amount of home issues that could be caused when rushing the building process as well the issues that can arise when him or Ken are never really supervising, when they should be. That is the job of PM, right???! The number of complaints we have been reading not only on the Revdex.com site, but on Facebook before S&A "HIDES" them is unsettling. THIS IS YOUR REPUTATION?? Don't you get that? Clearly it is protocol that you all don't fix issues either by on the complaints. You just figure your customers will give up, right?! Cleary with the Pittsburgh market closing, S&A has yet to learn that happy customers equals more referrals. We continually have people coming to us asking about our building experience as well if we have had any luck with our issues. We have a handful of homes going up in our development. This includes many from other areas. Clearly you are only concerned with turning houses over and making profit as quick as you can. Hopefully the new CFO realizes what has been going on in the past and has a conscious in making things right. When you have countless CUSTOMERS complaining about the same issues, don't you think you need to own up to them and correct those issues moving forward so they don't continue to happen? It's business 101 that most customers come from referrals.
Revdex.com:
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.This DOES NOT resolve our complaint OR our main issue of our flooring not being level. We have plenty of documents, emails, pictures dating back to the walk through of our hardwood and tile being unlevel and shoddy workmanship. I would say the fact that [redacted] no longer works for you is a red flag as well. That is not our issue. I have documented emails asking S&A staff to provide us with Proof of Purchase of our flooring and Proof of Purchase of the glue used in our home. PER [redacted] REPRESENTATIVES this is needed to have A warranty. Without THIS we have NO warranty because we have no proof of purchase. This was and is S&A's responsibility. This type of information should had been filed, as well documented by our Project Manager and Flooring Company. We have multiple emails to Rich dating back to the beginning that we received no response to in regards to this and warranties. I even have emails asking about our windows leaking and if they were to still leak what does that mean. Again, with those, no response. I have been going through ALL my emails and everything else as we will purse whatever needs to be done on these MULTIPLE ISSUESS. We have only ever received an email from Tim M[redacted] stating the glue [redacted] said they "used" . AGAIN, RECEIPTS are NEEDED for warranty purposes. ALSO, per the Quality Manager at [redacted], the DriTac is NOT a product of theirs and will not warrant, so therefore this NOT an acceptable fix. In order to move forward with our flooring it is imperitive that S&A shows receipts of flooring, glue and ALSO the installation invoice. This is PER [redacted] Warranty Department. It is going on three years and we are still waiting for this.Also, the flooring is not the only issue: The following issues are ALL pre-existing issues that have not been fixed. 1)Rotting front door/ water issues. We've been advised my MANY professionals and an inspector that you can only caulk and paint things so much. The door needs ripped out. Very likely it was installed wrong, not properly flashed and that is why the water is STILL coming in/ up through and warping the flooring, AGAIN.)2)Tile is not level, nor are tiles even cut square. We were told by S&A new installer removing tiles was not recommended, he ALSO stated it all should had been ripped out when the hallway was ripped out and COMPLETELY redone. This job looks like an amateur did it, not a professional, which is what we paid for. 3)Windows are still leaking. Again, have been advised by multiple professionals the only fix is to take them out to see where the water is getting in and to make sure they were properly flashed.4)In going through emails, documents and emails not responded to I will be looking into other things that slipped through the cracks. Just like our furnace size. We have documentation of installers saying our units were too small. S&A did replace our AC due to this. I have no problem spending time researching things and contacting whomever, clearly I have invested countless hours, what is a few more. We are currently reorganizing everything and speaking to the appropriate professionals. We will not be happy until some type of realistic agreement is reached. Nor will we give up on this in any aspect until this happens, even if that means S&A not coming to the realization of making things right. We have many people that we know or work with that are in our home. We have been wanting to complete/ fix many things in our home and will continue to wait, even if that means many eyesores for all to see. It honestly does not bother me. What bothers me is a company not standing for what they say do. Clearly you have many unhappy customers, it's no secret. Hopefully you realize in rebuilding and the closure of other locations, referrals are key. We would like to say, even though it took forever, issues were resolved with S&A Homes. Good Day.
Regards,
[redacted]
Revdex.com:
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.
In reference to the front door, we brought the leak to the Project Manager Ken's attention the second time we noticed water lying on the floor. He was rarely at our home and obviously did not see the water coming through that area the first time. He told us he would have someone fix it. When we asked him about the water issue again and if it was fixed, he told us he had it fixed. We had kept an eye on it and did not see any more issues. Keep in mind, it would have to rain to know for sure if it was truly fixed. In response to Mr. M[redacted]'s comment where he said the flooring was loose and was replaced, his information is incorrect. He would need to speak to [redacted] as Mr. M[redacted] was not even a part of this as he was brought in at a later date. [redacted] was here to replace flooring by the front door AND the flooring by the window in the front room due to the water damage of the door and window leaking. The water has continued to come into these areas, something that can be hard to be detected, but by the hardwood showing signs AGAIN of water damaged and the water streaks running down the wall are clear indicators these issues still have not been fixed. The flooring in these areas have actually never been loose. The "loose" areas are a whole other issue due to improper installation. Rory had tried on multiple occassions to fix the leak of both the window and the door and the last time he tried, he told us he was not sure what else he could do. That is when we asked if it was possible that we had a defective front door and window. We never received a response in any of the emails. I did receive one return email in attempt to ask AGAIN what are we suppose to do that Tim M[redacted] was on a three month leave. I am not sure why Tim M[redacted] is sending information regarding cleaning our floor. If he would speak to the numerous people prior to him getting involved he would know we have commented numerous times on the durability of our floor. #1 We first noticed when we had water pouring through our kitchen ceiling due to our Master Shower leaking. It layed on the floor and ruined it. #2 We noticed how not durable our flooring was when we have had multiple areas with water coming into our home ruin the hardwood to which they came in and replaced. These areas have water damage again. Because S&A has been unresponsive with handling the issues and we went through months of emails being ignored... we had the manufacturer come out. It was nice for them to come out in a timely fashion. They replaced all our weather stripping, etc. They also said the door was not painted or caulked correctly by S&A. #3 We noticed when cleaning our floor from a simple drink being spilt from our child that if you do not clean up that minute it will ruin your floor. We had asked and stressed multiple times to our sales rep Anne H. that one of our must haves was durable hardwood. In order to clean up certain messes such as a spilt drink you need to use a rag and then use the product, which is spray. I have never used a "wet mop" on our floors nor have I ever owned one. I prefer to clean by hand. Also, Tim may need reminded that the board with the water laying on it for "20 minutes" was an actual loose board, an extra piece that was left over. I still have this board and a picture of it. We were not sold a durable product as we were told. ANYWAYS, this is irrevelant to the flooring not being level. We have had a more than a normal amount of issues, and Tim M[redacted] even stated this on his December visit. A spread sheet was even created with Rich. It is not normal for a brand new home owner to have a spread sheet of issues. Another thing that has not been answered is our tile. New tile was sent to our home by S&A to replace and they never fixed as they had intended. After multiple visits and people getting involved, they wanted us to be happy with the flooring "as is." How is a customer to be happy with "AS IS" when they bought "brand new." The flooring was also not level in our upstairs, which they had to rip up all our hardwood in the hallway because of this. [redacted] stated everythign would need ripped up to be fixed properly. As well, the quick job the sub contractor did and not giving the proper amount of time to "set" has contributed to our tile issues. There are cracked tile and the strip they placed in this area where the hardwood and tile line up (and is not even straight) has broke due to it being too thing. Rory placed this in there as there were no other ways to fix. My husband spoke to [redacted] who installed our flooring and they told him they would have come back and replaced all our flooring. S&A never made us aware of this. Why is this? S&A needs to answer the questions and not give irrevalant information. They have been doing this to us for two years. No one can blame us for not wanting them back into our home. We want someone to fix it properly and be done with it. It has been two years of getting ignored and the run around. They have stated that we are not allowig their engineer to come in. We would like to know what do they plan to do if they find our subfloor is not level as the Inspector found. Do they plan to rip out and replace? Gluing the floor down is not going to fix our issues, it is a temporary fix. [redacted] Flooring told us this is not a fix, especially if doing in multiple areas, which it would be. The hardwood manufacturer also told us if the floor is not level it will always pop up, that gluing is not a fix.
Regards,
[redacted] & [redacted]
On Mon, Aug 29, 2016 at 11:46 AM, [redacted] wrote:Hi [redacted],Since my last response, nothing has changed in terms of the position from S & A Homes. We would feel that the home meets the contract that was signed and we are willing, able and ready to close with [redacted]. We also did receive a letter from her brokers attorney with similar information that was in the Revdex.com complaint. Our attorney has responded with similar answers to her complaints and requests. I authorized our attorney to make a small concession as good faith effort to try to get her to closing on the house. I am very hopeful over the next 2 weeks we can resolve this issue. Please let me know if you have any other questions. Chris S[redacted]S & A Homes Inc.President Housing Division2121 Old Gatesburg RoadState College PA 16803Office Phone [redacted]Office Fax ###-###-####[redacted]
I apologize for the length of time it has taken to address the customer's items; however, the truth of the matter is that we can not address the items until our subcontractor was on board. We have provided the subcontractor with several projects to ensure they perform good work. We will get to the customers work, again we apologize for the length of time it has taken.
[redacted], Regarding the [redacted]’s spoke to [redacted] about replacement. We have no record of such a comment from [redacted]. S&A will repair the areas mentioned on the December 2016 letter regarding the glue releasing from the sub floor in 3 areas.Regarding an engineer reviewing the sub floor. The independent inspector [redacted] who was hired by the [redacted]’s indicated that the sub floor is not level. S&A Homes would have and engineered measure the floor to insure it is within industry standards.Regarding communication from [redacted] and [redacted]. Please share where the manufacture says rip out. If that was the case it would be a product warranty and [redacted] would need to do so and [redacted] would warranty the installation.Regarding the front door.I’m happy to hear that you were pleased with the manufacture and their support on your front door. Regarding Atrium technician returning. Atrium closed the complaint. There is no longer an issue.Regarding the ceramic tile. I was told by Rich from S&A Homes that after we explained the action that could be taken that the [redacted]’s decided not to repair.This response is not a refusal to address the problem. S&A Homes offers a one year in house material and workmanship warranty, product warranties from the manufacture, and a 10 year structural warranty from American E Warranty . Sincerely Tim M[redacted]
The exterior work has been completed with the exception of the ridge vent which we are in the process of scheduling. We spoke with the customer this week and have proposed to send several workers to the 3 month warranty review to completed needed work as we go through the review as opposed to waiting to schedule(which is our normal process). We are assuming this will be acceptable as it is the most efficient avenue to address any remaining concerns.
Our regional construction manager was on vacation from September 1 through September 11. He will begin addressing issues now that he has returned.
Revdex.com:
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.
Regards,
[redacted] there is a warranty claim system through which these were submitted. Customers shouldn’t have to live with a broken door lock and damaged screen door until the 12 month mark. Handling warranty claims is not exclusive to twice a year. Especially since the interior drywall damage was caused by repair of another problem. Please have vendor actually take responsibility for their work and do what their representatives tom and GEORGE had promised.
Revdex.com:
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.
The response provided is not acceptable for the driveway. We have been asking for the driveway to be sealed for several months now knowing that the asphalt plants would be closing and continuously put that in our correspondence with S&A personnel. We will not close this case until the driveway has been sealed and is done to our satisfaction. As it is currently, the driveway is not acceptable.
Regards,
[redacted] [redacted]
Please check back in with the customer as the issue was corrected within 48 hours of receiving her complaint. It was my understanding that she was going to contact you to let you know things had been addressed. If that is not the case, please let me know as soon as possible. Thank you.
S & A Homes has inspected the door multiple times between Randy K[redacted] (Regional Construction Manager) and myself Chris S[redacted] (President of Housing Division) We both feel that the door is within our warranty tolerance. In addition we had a manufacture representative from the door...
manufacture on July 17th 2015 visit the home and inspect the door. It was their professional opinion that the door is well within acceptable tolerances. I told the customer I felt the door was fine and I still believe that today. Please let me know if you need any further information. Thanks,Chris S[redacted]
The landscapers started on 7/14 as my response indicated we had a plan. The landscaping is expected to be completed this week. It is obvious that the landscaping will not be completed by June 30th; however, as I mentioned in my response we had a plan to complete which we are effectuating. I drove to Pittsburgh last week and met with Matt along with our construction manager and he was fine with the plan we discussed to get his work completed.
Guarantee Or Warranty IssuesselectProblem: I have had 4 outstanding warranty issues for several months. 1) fasten hose bibs to house, as they were hanging freely 2) fix drywall damage to interior office that was...
caused when repairing exterior stone problem 3) replace my screen patio door as the current one doesn't' fit the track properly and is causing damage 4) replace interior garage door know as the lock has broken S&A warranty claims department stopped responding to me. The employee responsible for handling my claims initially is Tom M[redacted]. He had my items for approximately 2 months without addressing. I escalated to his boss, George. George responded initially, was given my 4 outstanding items. He followed up on one of them (the exterior hose bibs) and then stopped responding. I haven't heard from him since late August. I then escalated to RIch E[redacted] on 9/18, who responded once just saying that he doesn't know of my outstanding issues. These guys are scam artists. I have a 1 year warranty, which is going to expire without them fixing these basic items. The stress and time they have caused me in having to constantly follow up is ridiculous. JUST DO WHAT I PROMISED!!Desired Outcome: DO THE WORK that has been guaranteed!!!
We are working on getting the customer's issues addressed. We have had electricians out several times over the last few months and are in the processing of addressing the problem.
Revdex.com:
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.
The builder has stated that my recently built house flooded due to an "anomaly rain event." It is true that it was a heavy rain. But, in order for this argument to make sense, there would need to be some explanation for why my house flooded and the other houses surrounding my house DID not flood? Was it that it rained more on my house than on my neighbors house? If the rain event was indeed anomalous, than it would make sense that not only my house, but other houses should have flooded too. As that is not what happens, we are let with two conclusions... it either rained more at my house OR, there is something different about my house than my neighbors house and other houses in the neighborhood.That is my complaint. There is something different and incorrect about my house. Yes, they did some testing but I did they do the right testing or are they being truthful about the results? Is there other testing or a non-partial engineer who should be brought in?I asked a professional landscaper to look at our property and they indicated that there is a significant seal on the side of my house that is directing water to my foundation. I have included their description and proposal here. Maybe my house is different because there is essentially a hill in my yard that directs water to my foundation. This hill/ swale was not here when I purchased the house. It was created when this builder built the neighbors house. We complained about it and the builder acknowledged the problem when they put a single drain in.. but this only catches a portion of the water off of the swale in the rear of the house.I do not accept the builders claim that an anomalous rain would only effect our house and not other house? That makes no logical sense. Too much rain should have flooded many homes. My neighbors on either side did not flood but I did.... something is wrong with home and I want it fixed. The builder created the swale, one identified problem that has not been corrected. I ask that they finish and complete the correction they acknowledged through previous partial correction.
Regards,
[redacted]
S&A has answered this complaint numerous times and the reason for the water infiltration has not changed- it was an anomaly weather evernt. The region was inundated by rain over the past several weeks and there were no issues. It is not failed logic- it is fact. S&A can not and will not be responsible for these types of weather events - no different than any other builder. S&A has offered to pay the customer $1,250 as a goodwill gesture, even though we have no fault in this matter, to resolve the customer's complaint. The offer still stands.