Metro Pest Control

Unfortunately, Ms*** had a less than satisfactory experience with Seal Smart We agree to her desired settlement and are attempting to contact her to schedule a time to clean up the damage and do the job properly The technician that was originally assigned to her project is no
longer with this company and we will be sending someone out that is competent and will address her issues

Complaint: ***
I am rejecting this response because: The way this company takes care of warranty issues is not in line with their printed warranty and when almost all of the deck after only eight years is rotting and all they will do is pay for the wood at their chosen price and not the labor is not honestThey also have failed to reseal boards that I did replace in the past as they said they would
Sincerely,
*** ***

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 9, 2015/06/29) */
Contact Name and Title: *** *** Job Process
Contact Phone: XXX-XXX-XXXX
Contact Email: ***@gmail.com
Mr*** entered into a contract with Seal Smart on 05/04/
Our office did charge the deposit amount of *** a second
time in error and refunded the incorrectly charged amount the same day that Mr*** contacted us and made us aware of it
Mr.*** called our office on May 22nd to tell us he wanted to cancel his contractAfter we told him that we were unable to cancel the contract and refund the initial deposit after the day Right to Cancel period, he then told us of the landslide activity on Gaither MountainWe told him that we would need to discuss this with managment and would get back with him
In regards to the landslide issue on Gaither Mountain, we have determined that Mr*** entered into the agreement with Seal Smart and paid his deposit after the landslide activity had been going on for a few yearsThe most recent news story regarding landslide activity we found showed it was written in March of
Mr*** then called our office and sent us a letter with an attached newspaper articleThis article was dated May 30, After reading the article, Seal Smart scheduled an appointment with Mr*** to come out and take a look at the area ourselves, in order to see if indeed Mr***'s residence was in danger of the landslideOur appointment to come out was scheduled for Friday, June 19thMr*** did not give us the opportunity to decide how to proceed before filing the complaint with the Revdex.comAdditionally, Mr*** called our office and began threatening to take things further if we did not refund him his deposit and cancel his contract
We have now forwarded this customer contract to our legal department
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 11, 2015/06/30) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
I *** *** am responding to the remarks *** *** Job Processor made in response to my complaint about Seal Smart's failure to answer my request to cancel the contract with them and refund my *** deposit for sealing my deck
The original landslide on Gaither Mountain involved land far to the East of our property and was not an issue when we signed the contract with *** *** Seal Smart's representativeWe would not have signed a contract to invest *** in a deck that was about to be destroyedWe did ask MrPalmer if something catastrophic should happen to cause us to need to cancel the contract after the days would we be able to get our money backMy concerns were my wife's heart health issues and my own healthHe assured us that the owner, Mr*** was a reasonable man and would refund our money should something happen beyond our controlHe insisted we not wait, but sign the contract that day, May 04, in order to get the special price of *** with *** deposit to be paid in advance, the remaining *** after the job was complete
I am disabled, years old and sealing the deck every year is very difficult for me, so my wife and I were receptive to a product that would protect the deck and save me from the difficult job
We had no further contact with Seal-Smart until I called them on May 22, to tell them of the problem with the landslide and the double chargeMr*** did not respond to my telephone calls, emails or to a certified letter
I called Seal Smart's office the week after they sent a young boy employee to inspect my property and take cell phone photos of the damageI was surprised that they sent someone with no authority that had only worked for the company for a short time
*** was very curt when she assured me no decision had been made, but she felt the refund would be deniedShe stated my account had been referred to their legal departmentMy comment was "I hate to see this go to court"No threat was intendedAgain, she was very rude and abrupt
On May 14, 2015, our land became involved in the landslide, each day more trees fall and the road directly behind our house has become impassableIt is now within yards of our home and there is a good chance we *** have to abandon itInsurance does not cover landslide damage so our only choice *** be to find another place to liveIt does not make sense to seal a deck we *** not be able to useSeal Smart broke the contract by charging the whole amount of the contract, did not correct it until I brought it to their attentionThis is a legitimate reason for canceling the contract, even if they *** not address the landslide issueI am asking them to refund my *** deposit
Final Business Response /* *** 13, 2015/07/02) */
Mr*** signed a contract with Seal Smart and did not cancel within the day cancellation period
Seal Smart refunded the *** charged in error as soon as Mr*** notified us that his credit card was charged twiceWe did not break our contract with Mr*** by charging the *** in error, as we did refund that amount to him
Mr*** entered into a contract with Seal Smart having the knowledge of the landslide on Gaither Mountain, as we do not reside in that area, we were not aware of it and are not responsible for it
We cannot comment as to what was said between Mr*** and the Seal Smart representative he claims told him we would cancel the contract after the day Right to Cancel period, we were not thereHowever, our day Right to Cancel contract was signed by the customer, so he was aware of Seal Smart's policy on cancellations
Seal Smart *** not be cancelling the contract entered into by ourselves and Mr***
Final Consumer Response /* *** 15, 2015/07/08) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
I did sign the contract on May 4, with *** *** Seal-Smart's Representative, because I believed him when he said if something beyond our control should occur I would be able to cancel the contract and get our money backNothing in the contract said our deposit would be forfeitedNo work has been started so they have no legal right to keep my ***
Mr*** also stated a woman called "***" would call us within the next few days to schedule the time for our deck to be sealedOn May 22, "***" had not called, our first contact was my call to her to cancel the contract and make them aware of the double chargeThe contract was broken when they charged the full amount of the job
The landslides on Gaither Mountain have been going on for years, but far from our propertyI had no idea we would experience heavy rains that would cause the land near my home to be endangeredI would not have signed a contract to seal a deck I might have to abandon nor would I have spent *** on any project

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 9, 2016/02/26) */
Our warranty policy covers the materials (wood) on the contracted projectWe reimburse for the lumber, the Customer installs the lumber, then Seal Smart comes back to reseal the replaced wood
The invoice was for rough pine 4x4xfor
$495.00, $for silicone, and $for boxes of inch screws that equates to $totalThe actual market price of the 12x4xpine is $each and can be verified at a lumber yard
Seal Smart will pay $for replacement lumber and materials
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (2000, 11, 2016/02/29) */
(The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/07/20) */
On 5/01/Mr*** and Seal-Smart entered into a contract to permanently seal his deck,rails and stepsOn Monday May 4th we called Mr*** to Thank him for his business and get him tentatively scheduled for his installation,
which we scheduled for July 8thWe had an earlier appointment come available so we contacted *** and he accepted the date of July 1st between 1-pm arrival timeOn July 1st, our morning job took longer than anticipated and the crew still had an hour drive to Mr***'s residenceThe Lead man called Mr*** and expressed that they were running behind schedule and that they would arrive at his residence at 6pm to start the workMr*** at that time stated that the time left before dark was not sufficient enough for them to do the workThe Lead man agreed and informed the Customer that he would turn it back over to the Office to be rescheduled
The Office called and left a message informing of the next available date and timeA response call came from the ***'s expressing aggravation over the time between available appointmentsAt this time it was clear that no amount of apologies nor effort on our part was going to satisfy the demands of a sooner date and timeWe here at Seal-Smart have offered many dates of availability to follow through with the contract to no availSeal-Smart can do the work as soon as Wednesday 22nd of JulyIn an attempt to express our apologies for the inconvenience of prep time on the ***'s part we have discounted the total on the contract by *** When a member of our management tried to contact and explain the discounted price as well as next available date, Mr*** expressed Seal-Smart is not allowed on his property nor would he be accepting anything other then a refund
We here at Seal Smart feel we have made several attempts to rectify the issue by offering several different dates of availability and even a discount for the inconvenienceWe are ready to uphold our end of the contract as soon as he is ready and willing
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2015/07/22) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
I got a phone call on July 19th with an offer from *** at Seal Smart to complete the work with a small discountI told *** at that time that I had already cleaned, stripped, and refinished the deckAs I stated in the original complaint, I was told by *** at Seal Smart that the earliest they could reschedule the work was for early AugustThat was as of July 2ndI had removed all the furniture, plants, etcfrom the deck for the scheduled work on July 1stI did get a call from the the Lead man at PM on the 1st that he could be here around PM to start the work, but not until I had called Seal Smart at around to ask what was going onHe agreed that completing the work before dark was not reasonable with that starting timeIt was after that call that I heard from *** about the delay until AugustThe answer from Seal Smart states I was aggravated about the one month delayThat is accurateSeal Smart expected me to do without access to my deck for a month during the summer due to their scheduling issuesThe alternative was for me to more all the items back to the deck and remove them again for another scheduled appointmentI was not at all sure I would not get the same disregard for any inconvenience to me by their not showing up or giving me even a call as they did not due for the July 1st appointmentI did not hear anything after I rejected *** offer of a day in August until after I had already stripped the deckI could not just leave it cleared with all my belongings in the grass for a monthBy the time Seal Smart made the discount offer with a time in late July, the stain was on the deckI did not get tht offer until July 19th - days after their failure to appear for their appointmentThere is no way for them to do the work for which I contracted at this timeThe deck is refinishedI could not wait with the deck cleared for a month for them to find the time to complete the workI did tell *** that I did not want Seal Smart to come to my property because the work was done - and there is nothing for them to do since I had to do the refinishing myself given their refusal to reschedule with me for a reasonably quick completion of the work delayed by them
Seal Smart has offered future dates for their availabilityNone have been within weeks of their original scheduled date, and none were made other than "early August" until I made a written complaint to the Revdex.com and to the credit card company for the card on which I made the deposit for the workNone were made before I had to complete the work or deal with "inconvenience" of repeating the hours that it took to remove and replace the furnishings, plants, and gazebo structure from the deckThat inconvenience was many hours of work that Seal Smart expected me to do solely due to their inability to meet their schedule or get the reschedule within a reasonable time
*** tole me that *** was no longer with Seal Smart and that she had made customer service mistakes other than just telling me that August was the best that she could do and that I had no recourse since Seal Smart does not put an installation date on their contractsLetting her go appears to me to be an admission of error on Seal Smart's partI think it is reasonable for me to expect them to refund the deposit for the work not done
Final Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2015/07/23) */
A decision has been made in regards to Mr.*** and he will be receiving a refund on his deposit

The customer has filed a complaint stating that we did not apply a topcoat to his concrete. He has misunderstood the process at some point. Top Coat is only applied to masonry and brick and he did not purchase topcoat. I have attached a copy of his work order and an email response
from the salesman that sold him the service in regard to this

Complaint:
***
I am rejecting this response because: In their response to me they now say they can’t find in their records where they did work for usI then sent them the invoice number of the job they did and I got a response wanting pictures which I have previously sent to them better than a month agoIt seems that their MO is to put you off till you give upI have also previously requested a representative from their company to come look at our deck to no availI have made them aware that there are several areas on the deck that are unsafe now and they have still not contacted me
Sincerely,
*** ***

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/05/05) */
Contact Name and Title: *** ***
Contact Phone: XXX-XXX-XXXX
Contact Email: ***@gmail.com
After receiving the complaint and emailed pictures from our customer, we reviewed the pictures and told the customer we would call them to
schedule a time to come back out and re-clean and seal their driveway, when our schedule had us in that area
I attempted to call the customer on 4/10/and left a message on their voice mail to call us back so that we can get them scheduled
I will attempt to call the customer again and/or they can call our office anytime
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 11, 2015/06/30) */
***
After repeated attempts to schedule an appt for follow up of the initial sealant application on 3/2/2015, a crew from Seal Smart showed up the evening of June 15th, they tried with their strongest chemicals to clean the areas in question before application of sealantThey were unable to reapply sealant and we were told the supervisor *** would be contacting usAfter one week we called the company and had to leave a message to return our callOur call was never returnedOne week later on June 29th my husband called again and talked with ***He told *** of our concerns with the concrete looking splotchy and it looked better prior to the sealant application applied 3/2/*** said there was no guarantee on concrete and we might consider a concrete stain at our expenseBottom line is they are through with us and we are out *** for nothing and our concrete driveway and sidewalk looks worse than before the sealant application
*** ***
XXX-XXX-XXXX
Final Business Response /* (4000, 13, 2015/07/02) */
As per our signed agreement, Seal Smart does not warranty the aesthetics or color of concrete
We could not help Mr*** with a Top Coat solution, which we do not offer, to help with the color
We offer a preservation product, not an aesthetics product
Final Consumer Response /* (4200, 15, 2015/07/07) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
We were led to believe by the salesman/sales manager ** *** *** after surveying our concrete that seal smart would brighten the appearanceIt not only did not do that but actually altered the appearanceWe do not feel like we gained anything from the applicationWe repeatedly asked about the appearance and were assured we could tell the difference after applicationWhen they came back the second time we were told they couldn't clean the concrete sufficiently to apply the product,Why weren't we told this during the initial application and refunded our money? Requesting full refund

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2016/08/03) */
*** *** signed up with Seal Smart on 05/20/Seal Smart sealed her deck on 06/15/Seal Smart unfortunately had no record of *** calling, so when we seen the complaint, we called her immediatelySeal Smart made contact
with *** and has set up a time to go out to the *** residents on Wednesday August 17th and try to rectify the situation

Thank you for contacting us about our customer.  We are scheduled to return to her home to take pictures of the damage that she reported on December 8, 2017.If you require any further response, please feel free to let us know.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2016/08/02) */
[redacted] and Jason Hampton signed up with Seal Smart on 04/11/2015. During the process, our estimator explained that any defects, decay, damage or imperfections that exist in the wood prior to service [redacted] not be covered under warranty. ...

This is also explained in our warranty that the customer signed off on. Our Estimator took several pictures, showing the cracking wood prior to service. On 04/28/2016 we went out to [redacted]'s and Jason Hampton's residents and removed all stain and sealed their deck. [redacted] and Jason Hampton called in two months later on 6/13/2016. They stated that they had cracking in their wood and wanted the wood replaced. [redacted] spoke to [redacted] who sent out an outside contractor to look at the wood. [redacted] had given us a couple of estimates to repair and replace her deck. The outside contractor also gave us an estimate. We take these steps with every customer during our evaluation, but it does not admit fault or responsibility on Seal Smart at anytime. On 07/27/2016 Seal Smart contacted [redacted] and explained to her that the cracking was prior to our service and would not be covered under warranty. [redacted] and Jason Hampton had a dark stain on their deck that covered up a lot of the cracking, but you could still see the cracking, which was shown in the pictures taken prior to service. Once we removed the stain and brought the wood back to it's natural state, the cracking was more visible. We do our level best to make every customer completely satisfied, but we cannot warranty something that was prior to service.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2016/08/02) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
The "cracking" that the respondent from Seal Smart is referring to is NOT the nature of this complaint. Our complaint involves warping boards and rot, not cracking of the wood. [redacted] Levinson had already acknowledged the claim being valid and we were negotiating a settlement amount. The 3rd party contractor that viewed the deck also acknowledged the rot and warping. This even took place on boards that were replaced the day before the Seal Smart solution was applied. These items ARE covered under the Seal Smart warranty that they are now NOT upholding. In addition Seal Smart cites the application was in 2016. This is NOT accurate. The solution was applied in April 2015 and the warping and rotting took place AFTER that. It has been over a years time.
We feel that Seal Smart is obligated to uphold their warranty and send us a check in the amount of $2,200.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2016/08/05) */
Jennifer [redacted] claims that her wood is rotting and warping. However the pictures that she sent have shown no rotting. Miss [redacted]'s wood has cracking and a few boards have started to come up. The boards that have began to come up, are because of improper installation. This happens when you install a pre-treated lumber with a screw or nail that is not galvanized. This [redacted] cause the screw or nail to rust and then cause the board to began to warp and come up. This isn't caused from the wood rotting. In the pictures that Miss [redacted] sent in, you can clearly see the rusted out nails, where the wood has began to bow. You can also clearly see that the boards were installed with the crown going down instead of up, when installed. Every board has a bow or a natural crown that should be installed with the crown facing up. If it is not installed properly the crown [redacted] continue to get worse and retain water in the bow and eventually [redacted] pull out. Miss [redacted]'s wood has major cracking, which was evident prior to service and was shown in the pictures prior and has a few boards warping, which does not happen from rot. At no time did the contractor or [redacted] say that Seal Smart was at fault. We go through the proper channels to make sure that each customer is evaluated fairly, before making an educated decision. We never like to see a customer that is upset with Seal Smart, but we also cannot accept a claim that is preexisting or not caused by rotting. We stand behind our product, because our product works. However, when wood is already cracking it [redacted] not reverse this and when wood is installed with improper screws or nails, we cannot prevent warping.
Final Consumer Response /* (4200, 13, 2016/08/08) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
The information in the Seal Smart response is false. The photos sent does show rotting and warping that was NOT caused by faulty installation. It was caused by the inadequacy of the Seal Smart product that I had expected to perform as promised and now I am left with a deck that needs substantial repair. With that said, our request for $2,200 reimbursement is substantiated. In addition the 3rd party contractor that Seal Smart set up (may I also add I had to wait an hour to an hour and a half for 2 other contractors that Seal Smart set up and were no shows)agreed with our evaluation and sent that information to [redacted].
It is apparent from my previous involvement in working in the housing industry that Seal Smart does not care about their customers and does not hold up to their Warranties. If they did, they would have sent their OWN representative out to evaluate our approved claim since there was a question AFTER [redacted]'s departure from the Company and the escalation of this situation. Instead they have chosen to respond with inaccurate information.
The other issue that is making me skeptical about this Company and their lack of Customer Service is that after reviewing other people's claims it appears that when a Seal Smart representative agrees to a claim, upon further communication from the customer, it appears those representatives "are no longer with the Company." Is it because Seal Smart does not want to abide by their own Warranty?
I am very disappointed with my experience with Seal Smart. As part of the home builders industry I was excited when I learned about this service and was looking forward to communicating the service throughout the Ohio area within the industry.
Now after this less than acceptable experience, I feel I should do just the opposite. Seal Smart has not taken responsibility for the Warranty Claim their now departed Customer Service representative agreed to and they are not even willing to send a Seal Smart representative out to evaluate a situation that I, as the home owner, has substantiated in addition to the 3rd party contractor Seal Smart sent to my home. Seal Smart should uphold their Warranty and reimburse us $2,200.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 10, 2015/06/29) */
Ms. [redacted] entered into a contract with Seal Smart on 5/15/15. Ms. [redacted] did not cancel within her 3 day Right to Cancel period.
We left a message on the voicemail for Ms. [redacted] on 5/22/15, to get her scheduled. She did not call us...

back.
On 6/12/15 we again tried to reach Ms. [redacted] to get her work scheduled, we left another message on her voicemail to call us back.
We received a letter and the Right to cancel on 6/12/15.
On June 16, we called Ms. [redacted] to let her know that we would not be able to cancel her contract as the 3 day Right to Cancel period had lapsed. We would however, be able to perform a potion of the work to equal the deposit she had already paid. She requested that the work performed be on the house. We informed Ms. [redacted] that we were unable to do the house portion of her work since that amount exceeded the deposit amount, we would be able to do her deck, rails, steps and support post.
Ms. [redacted] said that she would consider this and would call us back.
We did not receive a response from Ms. [redacted] before she contacted the Revdex.com.
Ms. [redacted] was provided the price per square foot when we spoke to her and explained that we could not do the house portion of her job.
We are willing to either do the entire job as per the contract or do the deck, rails, steps and support posts for the deposit amount already paid.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 12, 2015/06/30) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
First of all my deck is only an 8 by 8 and it is not worth [redacted] dollars. Next I was never called on May 22 and I have my phone bill to prove it. They did not call me until Jun 12th to set up anything and that was because they received my cancellation letter. As for the contract mine was never signed by their representative and therefore not a valid contract. I know the measurements for the 3 sides of my house are not 1500 sq ft. I was never provided a price per square foot, she did mention something on the phone about 5 dollars a square that would make my
1500 sq ft only [redacted] dollars so how did they get XXXXX dollars? I want my deposit of [redacted] dollars returned as this company does not have a right to keep it. Suggesting they do only deck would come out approx. ** dollars a sq ft is it legal? I feel they are taking advantage of me, They will not give me breakdown of labor and materials. This feels more like a scam to keep my money.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 18, 2015/07/02) */
We have a binding contract to do the work for the total amount. We were willing to do a portion of the work for the deposit amount paid. We cannot do the house portion of the work for the amount paid.
The contract was signed by the representative when received into our office.
We are not pricing her any higher than any other customer for the type of work being done.
We have never told her that we charge ** a square foot for anything.
We provided her the cost of the job on the contract that she signed.
She had 3 business days to cancel if she changed her mind.
Seal Smart is not cancelling the contract nor issuing a refund as we feel we are not in error on any point.
Final Consumer Response /* (4200, 20, 2015/07/06) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
This company has made several false statements,
[redacted] brought up something about ** a sq ft.If I am not being charged any higher then why not show me the detailed costs of labor and materials for this bid.I do not accept the price of this contract and it is not a legal contract since I do not have a copy of two party agreement. I am pursing a total refund of my deposit.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2016/08/31) */
On [redacted] "[redacted]" signed up for our services. On [redacted] we sealed [redacted]'s deck. On [redacted]'s husband "[redacted]" contacted the office and said that they had significant wood rot. I asked him to send in...

pictures, so that I could start a warranty claim. On [redacted] sent in pictures of the deck. The pictures that [redacted] sent in, showed no visible rotting. Her wood did show cracking in it. So I emailed her back and explained that Seal Smart does not warranty cracking in wood, because this is not caused by rotting and cannot be prevented by our sealant. Pre-Treated lumber is saturated with chemicals that are mixed with water. When the sun bakes the moisture out of the lumber, it creates significant tension stress within the wood fibers. This is what causes cracking. I looked at the before pictures that our crew took, prior to service. The deck had visible cracking already. She had a very heavy stain that camouflaged a lot of it, but it was still very visible. We never like it when a customer is not completely satisfied with our service, but we cannot warranty something that we have no fault in. I gave [redacted] a couple of suggestions that may help. First I suggested that she power wash her deck. Her deck is white, with an aged look. This happens because all the elements lay on the deck and then get baked on by the sun. The elements are not allowed into the wood, because of the sealer, so therefore they sit on top. A good cleaning [redacted] remove this and the wood [redacted] look great again. The second thing that I suggested to [redacted], is to put a stain on her deck. A water based stain [redacted] work great with our sealant and [redacted] help camouflage the cracks that she has. These are cosmetic issues, not integrity issues. The best way that I can explain it is, if you buy a new car with a warranty and you never wash it, cosmetically the car [redacted] not look very good, but the engine [redacted] not be affected. The same goes with Mrs. [redacted]'s deck. The integrity of her deck is not the issue, it is the cosmetic part that is the issue.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2016/08/31) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
We sent pictures of visable rot in the wood! They refused to send someone to look at the deck. We have a 25 year warranty that appears to be useless.
So I have also made a complaint with the Missouri and Kansas atty generals. No I am not going to accept their response
Final Business Response /* (4000, 13, 2016/09/12) */

The business returned and did the work to my satisfaction.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 10, 2015/10/27) */
Seal Smart doesn't offer a warranty with any concrete job. We have no way of knowing if it was poured to ASTM specifications. We provide all of our customers with a Statement of Understanding Concrete which states there is no warranty or...

guarantee against cracks, cracking, concrete pops, or popping. This information was given to the [redacted]'s on 7/15/15 where the Estimator went through each bullet point with the [redacted]'s and they initialed each one.
Our sealant does not cause damage or cause pops to accelerate. We took pictures before we sealed the [redacted]'s, Trent Bartz was one of the individuals that looked at the [redacted]'s concrete, he stated that according to the pictures all those pops were present prior to Seal Smart sealing the [redacted]'s concrete.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 12, 2015/10/30) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
Although we understand there is no guarantee to concrete work, the sales rep did state that their product would drastically slow down the popping of the top layer of my concrete. Further the previous operations supervisor, [redacted], personally came to my house acknowledged that the condition of my driveway was significantly worse then it was when they took the before pictures of the damaged areas and further stated that if he would have came out and seen the driveway prior to application of their product he would have recommended that they not take this job on. He further stated that he was going to " go to bat for us with the owner of the company and strongly encourage him to refund our money". With that acknowledgment from the then operations supervisor for seal smart I feel the damage to my driveway was indeed accelerated by their product as it is now three to four times worse in the last two months after their application then in the past 5 years without it. It's one thing to not guarantee, but another to not stand by your product. My driveway is doing exactly what I paid seal smart to have it not do.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 17, 2015/11/12) */
When [redacted] and [redacted] went to the [redacted]'s home on 9/28/2015 Trent showed [redacted] pictures that Seal Smart had taken before we sealed his driveway. This was to show him the pops in his driveway were already there, Mr. [redacted] refused to look at the pictures.
[redacted] is not authorized to give or tell anyone they can get their money back.
Our product has a silicone base, it does not cause anything to deteriorate, For example; Silicone is used for sealing around window.
In our Statement of Understanding Mr. [redacted] initialed each paragraph and signed the bottom line that he understands Seal Smart does not protect against, warranty or guarantee against cracks, cracking, concrete pops or popping.
Final Consumer Response /* (4200, 19, 2015/11/17) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
[redacted] and [redacted] were at my residence at my request. Seal smart stating that I refused to look at the pictures is an outright lie, I wanted them to pull up the before pictures so I could show them the exact spot on the driveway that was ten times worse after their product was applied. Therefore I wanted them to pull up the pictures and do a comparison they were at my residence at my request so we could do just that. I understand that [redacted] was not authorized to give money back, but in his capacity of Operations Supervisor, when he looks at the driveway and compares the before pictures to the current state of the driveway and states that seal smart should have never taken the job and he was going to highly recommend to the owner that they refund our money. And yes I understand / understood that there may be future popping, however in the two months after application the accelerated / amount of popping is absolutely unacceptable it was directly caused by the application of seal smart product.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/06/17) */
Contact Name and Title: [redacted], Job Process
Contact Phone: XXX-XXX-XXXX
Contact Email: [redacted]@gmail.com
We will be contacting Ms. [redacted] to schedule for our Operation's Manager to go to her home and evaluate the deck. At that...

time we will determine what we are able to do to resolve the deck issue. The customer has disputed the total amount with their credit card company and that amount has been charged back to Seal Smart. In order for the Warranty to be valid, we will need to receive payment in full for services previously provided.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2015/06/18) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
I do not want the faulty product reapplied. I am more than willing to let the operations manager come see my deck but it will be to reach an agreement concerning what will be done to repair my deck and bring it back to the excellent condition it was in prior to Seal Smart employees damaging the wood by improperly using a pressure washer. I have already forwarded several estimates and recommendations for total replacement as the wood is gouged too severely to allow a sanding of the surfaces. This fact was also echoed by the last crew that came to my home. The charges were disputed because of all the damage that was done.
Final Business Response /* (1000, 11, 2015/06/29) */
Seal Smart has made contact with Ms. [redacted] and our Operations Manager has scheduled to do an inspection on her deck for the week of August 17th. Ms. [redacted] requested this particular week.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2016/12/19) */
Seal Smart has called and emailed Mr.[redacted] on 12/19/16 regarding the mentioned complaint. We are attempting to get the board type and measurements in order to look up a cost so we can cut him a check for that amount. Once Mr.[redacted] has replaced...

the boards and they have properly seasoned, Seal Smart will be more than happy to come out and reseal the boards.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2016/07/19) */
[redacted] and [redacted] signed up with Seal Smart on 03/30/2015. On 04/30/2015 we went out and sealed the [redacted]'s deck. On 10/20/2015 Mr. [redacted] called in and showed concern about his deck aging rapidly. We asked Mr. [redacted] to send pictures...

of his deck and we would evaluate the situation. We reviewed the deck and found no trace of rotting or aging. We spoke with [redacted] and explained that the sun can and will bleach the wood after the outside elements sit on it, but giving it a good cleaning will restore it back to it's natural beauty. We do not guarantee aesthetics, we guarantee the integrity of the wood. We explained to Mr. [redacted] that the elements will always be there and will dirty and bleach the wood, but the wood will remain preserved and protected. Imagine a new vehicle that you never wash. It's going to become dirty, but the car itself is still dependable no matter how dirty it gets. We are not a restoration company, we are a sealant company that prevents wood from rotting.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 11, 2016/08/04) */
Revdex.com
Springfield, MO
2 Aug 16
Dear Sir,
On 30 Apr 15, Seal Smart came and worked on our deck. After it dried the deck
was white. No where near to the color that their brochure claimed it would be. We called
them back and this time a different crew came out. The boss said something about the
Silicone in the wash didn't do something. I told him that silicone didn't do that. (I used to
work at a job where we used silicone exclusively)! Well, he got into a huff and told his
partner, come on let's get out of here and they promptly roared out of the driveway, not
having done anything.
We called the company again and another crew came out and through their over use of the
pressure when they pressure washed, they caused most of the wood to have very fine
splinters and the wood was still white and has cracked as I showed you in the pictures I
sent to you. We called the Seal Smart office in Nashville and they said that they would be
back in the spring. I sent them pictures and they never showed or called. We contacted the
salesman who lives in our town and he never had the common decency to return our calls.
Seal Smart claims that the sun will bleach the wood but the deck only gets about two hours
of sun each day. They say that they guarantee the integrity of the wood. They lie!
They claim that they explained to me that the sun can and will bleach the wood. I
understand that but I'm talking of the white from too much chemical used on the wood and
which washed off when the next crew came. This time they didn't use as much chemical
and I didn't get as much stuff that made the wood white but then it started cracking. I
never said anything about the wood rotting and they never said anything like that. As a
matter of fact they never came out to explain anything! They lie through their teeth!
As far as sealer, after a rain you can plainly see that the wood is soaked with water and we
have green mold growing in the wood. That is definite proof that the wood is not sealed.
The deck is just over a year old and these clowns destroyed it and sold the Revdex.com a song and
a dance and you believed them! I realize that the pictures I sent don't clearly show the
damage. You'd have to see it for yourself to see what they did. This company should be
put out of business. They don't honor their guarantee, their workmanship is shoddy, some
of their workmen are nasty when asked a question and they lie through their teeth! I am
amazed that the Revdex.com would just wave it off as if the property owner is
lying. This company is not a member of the Revdex.com and because of all the complaints they've
received, they cannot become a member. I have always had great respect for the Revdex.com but
after conversing with you in Springfield, I'm beginning to have my doubts.
Sincerely,
[redacted]
Final Business Response /* (4000, 13, 2016/08/10) */
Mr. [redacted] has shown concern on a couple of different issues. He has stated that his wood has some splintering and is white. This is very unfortunate, but can and will happen with pre-treated lumber. Here's what's going on. Treated lumber is injected with chemicals that are mixed with water. Years ago, some of the treated lumber I worked with was so saturated with the chemical brew that when you'd drive a nail into it, this liquid concoction would squirt out alongside the nail shaft as you drove the nail. When the sun bakes this moisture out of the lumber, it creates significant tension stress within the wood fibers. Tension is the force that happens when you try to stretch or bend something. As the sun cooks out the water, the lumber shrinks. This shrinkage usually causes tiny checking cracks to form. These are often about the width of a piece of paper and perhaps only an eighth of an inch long.
Pre-Treated wood will unfortunately crack, due to high moisture levels. All wood will be susceptible to the "white" that Mr. [redacted] is referring to.
Mr. [redacted] stated that the "white" came off when we came out and cleaned it with our power washer. The "white" on the boards are a result of the elements that have been baked on by the sun. This is why it was able to be washed off. If this was a chemical stain, it would not come out. This brings me to Mr. [redacted]'s next concern. The very fine splintering that [redacted] refers to, is a natural response from wood, anytime the wood has been cleaned with a power washer. This will cause a "fuzzing" to occur. This is where tiny particles will stand on the wood. This will go away over time. We never like it when we have a customer that is upset, however our sealant guarantees one thing and that is the integrity of the wood. So in recap, Mr. [redacted] will eliminate the white from his boards with an annual cleaning. The cracking unfortunately is caused by the pre-treated lumber drying out and this cannot be reversed. The fuzzing should go away overtime, but they can do a light sanding. All of these issues, are not rotting issues.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 8, 2017/06/23) */
It is unfortunate that Mr. [redacted] had this experience. Seal Smart will refund him $2790.00 the cost of sealing process.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (2000, 10, 2017/06/26) */
(The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the...

business.)
The answer is "yes" provided the payment is made in the form of a cashiers or certified check.
[redacted]

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 9, 2016/10/03) */
[redacted] and [redacted] Signed up with Seal Smart on 09/03/2012. According to notes in their file, the [redacted]'s called in the Spring of 2013. The [redacted]'s were upset that their deck was dirty and they also had questions about staining...

their deck. We advised them that for cosmetic purposes, they could clean it once to twice a year. This would not be for the integrity of the wood, but to keep it cleaned, that's what we recommend. Then we recommended to them a water based stain, if they wanted to stain their deck. We explained that if they used an oil based stain, this would not adhere to the deck, because of our sealant, causing the stain to bubble up. So at no point, did we recommend a water based sealant to the [redacted]'s. I also might add, that I sincerely hope that they have not used any other types of sealant. This could cause an adverse reaction to our sealant. On 05/24/2016 I got a call from [redacted], stating that she had wood rot and needed to start a warranty claim. She gave me the dimensions and asked how are warranty process works. I explained that once we determine that their is definite rot, we price the wood and send a customer a check for that amount. While on the phone with [redacted], I said if all the wood is indeed rotted, we would issue a check for around $160.00. I asked [redacted] to send me some pictures so I could start the warranty claim. [redacted] sent me several pictures to evaluate. It was easy to determine that only a couple of the boards had actual rot and the other boards were just needing to be cleaned. So based on the dimensions that she gave me on the boards in question, we sent her a check for the replacement of those boards in the amount of $55.00 and told her that after they are installed we [redacted] come seal them. We stand behind our warranty and our product, but sometimes educating the customer on the difference between rot and cosmetic issues, is needed. We did find a couple of boards that showed rot and we took care of these issues per our warranty
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 11, 2016/10/10) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
As you can see from Seal-Smart's response, we contacted them within 6 months of purchase because the product was not performing as advertised or as presented by the salesman. Their advertisements, the video they show at the local Home Shows, and the salesman's presentation shows their process removing years of dirt from a wooden surface and replacing it with a sealer along with the claim "never seal your deck again".
Yes, we were disappointed the first Spring after purchase because our deck had unsightly dirt that would not wash off with a garden hose as indicated by the company. Yes, we were told we could stain our deck, however, we were also told the product would allow us to keep the natural wood look. We do not want a stained deck.
No, I was not told about water-based stains. As you can see in the company's response, "So at no point, did we recommend a water based sealant to the [redacted]'s". I was told I could use [redacted] I do not know if Thompsons is water based. When I explained that the reason we purchased their product was to prevent us having to pressure wash and apply [redacted] to our deck twice a year, the company stated while they believe a deck should come clean with a garden hose, some customers may have to use a deck wash.
One other place the company's response is in error is that he was looking at my pictures when we spoke about a warranty settlement. Contrary to what he may have thought, I do know the difference between cosmetic and rot issues with the wood.
Ours investment in this product was at a cost just under $7000. The company sent a check for $55.00. This is only enough to replace the wood and not enough to have the deck repaired. This is a huge project as railing must be removed in order to replace the rotten wood and then the railing [redacted] have to be reinstalled.
It is our understanding of the warranty that the company [redacted] send a crew to apply their product to the new wood. I sincerely hope, when that time comes, the company [redacted] not avoid my phone call as has been the practice during this warranty claim.
Resolution? We prefer a refund because, clearly, we did not get the product as advertised. Yet, our desire is to prevent other people from being deceived by this company's unscrupulous advertising and sales presentations.
Surely, the company can create advertising that is not deceitful. Advertising that [redacted] allow them to sell their product based on its merits and not on false claims.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 17, 2016/10/21) */
We [redacted] be more than happy to pay the remaining $105 to replace the wood that is needed to repair the [redacted]'s deck and as soon as the new wood is in place we [redacted] seal it. The [redacted]'s signed a statement of understanding, which they have acknowledged, that periodic cleaning is required if they want to maintain wood tone. Appearance is not something that we warranty. The [redacted]'s deck is permanently sealed. It does require periodic cleaning if it is to not look dirty, just as you would have to for carpet in your home.
Final Consumer Response /* (4200, 20, 2016/10/24) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
We offer the following resolution to this matter. The company [redacted] reimburse us the remaining $105.00 so that we can complete the repairs on our deck. Because this section of our deck where the wood rot occurred does not repel water and/or dry as quickly as the other areas of our deck, we have reason to believe adequate sealer was not applied to this section. The company [redacted] come to our residence and perform their sealing process on the 25' X 20' section of our deck, and not just on the boards that have been replaced. We [redacted] notify the company when all wood has been replaced and work out a reasonable time for the work to be completed. We contend, however, that their advertising is deceitful and their salesmen are incentivized by commission.