S. Affatato Asphalt Paving Inc.

We are writing in response to the complaint by *** *** *** *** states she was not aware of the cost of the permit, however, this is very difficult to believePermits to remove the first to feet of the driveway have always been required in the *** ** ***In 2014, all
driveway contractors were contacted by ***, who works for the *** ** ***, to discuss the lack of permits being obtained by all home***sWith ***’s assistance, our company created a pamphlet to pass out to all customers at the time of the estimate to inform them of the town requirement and the potential cost to the home***In the first paragraph of our contract, which the *** signed, it states, “Any permits that are required is the sole responsibility of the home ***.” We do not reimburse a home*** for the cost of the permit; it is an additional cost that would be incurred regardless of which contractor the home*** chooses to install their drivewayAdditionally, we do not create the town code, but we do follow it closelyAs *** *** stated, we would not remove her driveway until she received said permitWe will not be reimbursing *** *** for the cost of the permit, nor did we ever state we would soSAffatato Asphalt Paving excavated the driveway at the *** residence on July ***What *** *** is calling a root, was actually a large stumpRegardless, the *** family was aware we do not cart away stumps or roots, nor do the majority of driveway contractors without previous discussionAgain, this is stated in the contract which the *** family signedOn the contract it states , “All wood is placed curb side.” Our company policy for any wood, which includes roots and stumps, is placed at the curbPrior to excavating the driveway, the stump was not apparent and was discovered during excavationWhen the crew removed the stump, the home*** requested for them to place the stump in the bed of his pickup truckThis is not our company policy and our crew advises *** *** they did not recommend it due to the weight of the stump*** *** told the crew he understood their hesitations, but continued to request them to do soWhen the stump was place d into the bed of the truck, it dropped quickly, as our machines are not designed for this type of maneuver*** *** told the crew he knew it was not their faultOur crew never stated they would pay for repairs or be held responsibleAdditionally, *** *** spoke with the *** of the company and they discussed the situation with the truck, in which *** *** stated he knew it was the not fault of the crew as they were only trying to assist him in removing the stump from the property and protocol is to place it in the streetWe do not believe *** *** is owed a reimbursement of the damage to the truck as it was not due to our negligence, but due to the negligence of *** *** to place a stump in a truck that was not equipped for this type of hauling and for requesting this service from a crew who did not recommend itIt is therefore the responsibility of the *** to contact their insurance or to handle the damage to the truck on their ownWe do underst and the frustration, but *** ***’s poor decision is not the fault or negligence of our companyWhen the crew came on July **, to regrade the driveway, *** *** would not allow them to drive over the apronThe crew did explain to *** *** the apron would not be damaged when the truck drove over the apron, as the apron is designed to be driven overInstead, *** *** demanded the crew to place the plywood over the border of brickAgain, the crew attempting to appease *** ***, as the *** family had been very difficult during the duration of their project, followed *** ***’s requestThe brick cracked along the borderThe damage occurred on July ***, which was a ThursdayOur crews were shut down on Saturday and Sunday, and our mason returned on Tuesday, which is two business days after the incidentIn our company, when a mason begins a project, he remains on that project until it is completed and then moves onto the next projectThe reason for this is the mason carries numerous tools and equipmentWhen he sets up at a home, it is for the duration of the project in order to prevent delays in the work being performedWe are sure *** *** would not have been happy if we had removed the mason in the middle of his mason project to take care of another home***, and we feel this courtesy should be extended to every customer equallyThe repair of the brick was completed in full, as this damage was caused by our truckHowever, if our trucks and crew would have permitted to perform the regrade as normal, more than likely no damage would have occurredHowever, since we cannot be certain no damage would have occurred, we completed the repair free of charge to *** ***.The repair for the mason work was completed on Tuesday, August *, Our office contacted *** *** on Wednesday, August *, the following day after the repair, to set up a pave date of Monday, August **, as we normally prefer to have a minimum of days for mason work to settle in order to prevent damage*** *** stated he would not wait until Monday, and it must be done on FridayAt this point, we were not going to continue simply appeasing *** *** and explained to him the earliest pave date would be Monday, August *** *** said no, and told us to never contact him againWe obliged, and removed *** *** from schedulingThe payments the *** family made were for the excavation of the driveway and for installation of the mason work, all of which was completedWe do not take down payments or prepayments, we only receive payment for the work which was completedWe will not be reimbursing the *** for the truck or the permit due to the reasons stated aboveWe are happy to hear the *** are now happy with their driveway and we wish our relationship could have worked out better

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint may or may not have been corrected.
I am not totally rejecting the company responce, I am simply asking for a few days to work things out with the business. Affatato sent out a crew to try to repair the cracks in the driveway this morning. I need a few days to see how the repairs look. I will then determine how to proceed after that.
Thanks in advance, [redacted]

[Your Answer Here]
 
 
 
 
In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

We are writing in response to complaint ID [redacted]. When our crew arrived to install the driveway, they did not initially believe the driveway needed a regrade. Normally, it is the crew’s discretion whether a driveway is in need of a regrade or if it is ready to be paved. The reason the crew may...

have appeared to be in a rush is because the asphalt was on the truck at the job. If asphalt is not spread fast enough, it can potentially become very cold and cannot be installed correctly. When we design our schedule for our crew, we anticipate a regrade will be needed at a majority of the jobs on the list, therefore performing the regrade did not put the crew behind, as [redacted] states. [redacted] took a look at the driveway and does not believe the driveway has any structural issues. Normally if there are structural issues on the driveway, they will become very apparent within the first year, however, [redacted] offered [redacted] a second year guarante e in order to provide him with greater confidence in our belief the driveway does not have structural issues. We currently have [redacted] in scheduling for a small pave crew repair, which we tentatively have schedule for Tuesday, November [redacted]. Our office will be contacting [redacted] to confirm the date tomorrow, as we only create schedules two days in advance as we try to work with the weather as much as possible. We hope once the repair is completed, [redacted] will be happy with his driveway.

Revdex.com:
 I
have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is not completely satisfactory to me, however I will reluctantly drop my complaint against affatato paving. I will accept the company's offer of a two year warranty and a free sealcoat. Can the company please tell us approximately when the sealcoat will be done ?
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Review: Affatato Paving paved my driveway and it has been cracking ever since the day it was installed. They did dot honer there replacing the inferior product or installation as per contract. I have been calling them for at least three years and I was told they will fill the cracks. Today 6/*/2014 I paied 185.75 to have the driveway cracks filled and seal coated. They did a sloppy job on the seal coat and did not fill the cracks.Desired Settlement: Affatato Paving should replace the driveway as per there contract because of a inferior installation. They should refund the 185.75 that I gave them today.

Business

Response:

The driveway of the homeowner was not prepared by Affatato Paving. Affatato Paving does not guarantee driveways that we did not prepare for paving. We performed a small regrade for the homeowner and then completed the paving. Another company was responsible for the preparation of the base material. The base material of the driveway is the foundation of the driveway. Without proper installation and preparation of the base material, the driveway is, unfortunately, susceptible to cracking, improper settling, and poor overall appearance. As per the original contract signed in 2008, Affatato Paving was forced to follow the existing grade set by the company who performed the original excavation and belgium block installation. The homeowner was aware of the situation and signed the contract regardless. Additionally, the homeowner claims we did not perform any repairs at his home, which is false. We received one complaint in 2009, which was repaired I n August of 2009. The homeowner signed the form stating the repair was completed to his satisfaction. The next complaint we received was in April of 2013, when the homeowner requested Affatato Paving to perform the sealcoat maintenance for the driveway. In this complaint, the homeowner specifically mentioned a new crack had formed during the winter months, as we sealcoated his driveway in June of 2012, and the crack did not yet exist. Additionally, by April of 2013, the driveway is out of the guarantee period, although this specific driveway technically did not have a guarantee due to the above mentioned conditions. As a courtesy, we performed the repair in 2009. As an additional courtesy to [redacted], we offered to perform 60LF of crack fill in the driveway free of charge when completing the sealcoat. Despite 8 attempts on our behalf to schedule and perform the sealcoat and crack fill in 2013, the sealcoat was not performed. The crack fill and the sealcoat was performed on May **, 2014. The charge for the sealcoat was $171 plus tax. The sealcoat was applied at a high standard of service. We have inspected the work performed by our employees and have determined the work to be more than satisfactory. We apologize for the problems [redacted] has endured, but unfortunately, we are not the company he should be directing his frustration towards. [redacted] singed a contract knowing the potential problems with the driveway. We have made numerous attempts to resolve the situation at this point.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

The statement by Affatato Paving is partially true it does not address the fact that there employee removed many yards of base material to regrade the driveway to his satisfaction. " I am going to regrade the driveway so the water goes to the middle and runs down ". Therefor thinning the base and cause the cracking and irregularities of this driveway. The attempts to repair the driveway has been superficial at least and does not correct the problem.

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Sincerely,

Business

Response:

We did perform a regrade on the driveway. Although we do not have record of removing an excessive amount of base material from the driveway, our company was working with preexisting conditions, of which [redacted] was aware. One of the key components of driveway installation is to set the grade of the driveway in a way for the water to flow off the driveway. [redacted] was aware that our company was attempting to fix the mistakes of his previous company without charging him for additional work. We are not willing to take responsibility for thinning of the base material as we do not have record of such, and if base material was removed, the purpose was to create a better flow of water, in order to prevent cracking from water settling. The potential problems with the driveway were discussed in the initial signing of the contract. The driveway is out of any type of guarantee. We have provided [redacted] with two separate services free of c harge, while we were not obligated to do so. We apologize for the problems that are occurring with the driveway, but if [redacted] truly felt our company did not install the driveway correctly in 2008, he should not have continued to choose to use us for the maintenance of the driveway as well through this year, 2014.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

Affatato Paving admits to removing base material although not having a record of the amount is only admitting to not leaving enough base material to adequately support the asphalt they installed. I was told by the lead man on the job that he was going to pitch the driveway to the center. As a layman I let him, I thought he knew what he was doing but being there I was concerned about the truck load of base material that was removed. Afftato Paving did cut and repair a section at the very end that was disintegrating and seal coated the drive way one time under contract but never addressing the real problem.

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Sincerely,

Affatato paving was engaged to redo our driveway and build a small retaining wall. Just 7 years later the driveway is badly cracked and the wall has collapsed. They have in the past admitted that the person who did the work used a bad mix but now of course they deny that even though the 5 companies we had come for estimates all said that exact same thing. The fact is that my car tapped the wall, no damage at all to the car, but the wall went down like dominoes. All the mortar is like dust and any part of the wall you touch will fall. Now they try to blame us for our decision on wall materials, we know nothing about building a wall and trusted them. They promised to come back to discuss but have not shown up or contacted us.

Review: ON 5/**/14, I CONTRACTED S.AFFATATO, ASPHALT PAVING INC., TO RESURFACE MY DRIVE WAY AND TO FILL IN MULTIPLE CRACKS, [redacted] THE ONE WHO CAME TO ESTIMATE JOB SAID CRACKS WOULD BE FILLED IN WITH A SPECIAL TAR AND SAND MIXTURE. THE JOB WAS FINALLY DONE 6/**/14, BY TWO OF HIS WORKERS. BEFORE THEY LEFT WE BOTH TOLD THEM THE CRACKS WERE STILL THERE NO BETTER BEFORE THEY STARTED TO WORK ON THE DRIVE WAY. WE WERE TOLD "THATS THE BEST WE COULD DO". WE CALLED THE OFFICE IMMEDIATELY TO COMPLAIN AND LEFT A MESSAGE AS SUCH WITH [redacted]. COME MONDAY WE STILL HADNT HEARD FROM ANYONE, SO WE CALLED AGAIN. [redacted] SAID SHE NEVER GOT THE COMPLAINT, BUT WOULD FORWARD IT TO [redacted], AGAIN WE HEARD NOTHING. FINALLY WE CALLED A THIRD TIME, AND WERE TOLD [redacted] WOULDNT BE ABLE TO COME TO LOOK AT THE JOB UNTIL FRIDAY A WEEK LATER. IT IS NOW5:24 FRIDAY AND NO ONE HAS CALLED OR SHOWED UP TO SEE OUR COMPLAINT????????????? OR DO ANYTHING TO FIX THE PROBLEM. WE PAID CASH IN GOOD FAITH FOR A VERY POOR JOB AND NO ONE AT THE CO. SEEMS TO CARE.Desired Settlement: EITHER A REFUND OR REPLACEMENT OF CRACKS THAT ARE NOT FILLED IN PROPERLY. WE ARE NOT ASKING FOR MUCH, JUST DO THE RIGHT JOB THAT WAS EXPLAING TO US.

Business

Response:

Affatato Paving did not resurface this driveway. [redacted], our estimator, suggested to the homeowner to resurface the driveway as the driveway is currently in a state where either a resurface or remove and replace the driveway was suggested due to the quantity of cracks. Although the estimator advised the homeowner to do a resurface on the driveway, the homeowner chose to do a sealcoat on the driveway, which is maintenance of the driveway. Sealcoat does NOT fill cracks, nor do we claim that sealcoat fills cracks. The service [redacted] offered, which the homeowner is referring to in the complaint, is a slurry sealcoat. Slurry does not fill cracks. The purpose of a ‘slurry’, which is an additive to the sealcoat, is to prevent the cracks from spreading further. It does not and will never fill cracks, nor do we claim it will fill cracks. The slurry was performed on the driveway, and we had an estimator review the driveway within 3 days of the c omplaint to our office. The estimator spoke with [redacted], and suggested for [redacted] to also look at the driveway to confirm the quality of work was at a high standard. [redacted] felt the driveway could use a touch-up in certain areas, and we now have the property in scheduling to be repaired. Sealcoat scheduling is based highly on the weather, as there cannot be any rain in the forecast when we apply it. We hope once the touch-up is complete on the driveway, the homeowner will be satisfied with the appearance, although the cracks will never be filled by sealcoat. In the future, the recommendation of our company for the homeowner is to do a resurface on the driveway or to remove and replace the driveway, as a maintenance will not repair the driveway.

Review: September *, 2014, a crew from affatato paving installed an asphalt driveway at my home. from the minute they showed up, they were trying to leave. they tried to start pouring the asphalt, but I stopped them. I told them that [redacted] had told me that the driveway had to be regraded first. I made them call [redacted] to confirm. the guys were [redacted] that I made them do what he promised. it slowed them down by an hour. even after the [redacted] spoke to [redacted], he didnt want to do we [redacted] told him.they finally did what he had told them. On september *, I called affatato and spoke to [redacted] (my contact throughout the entire process). I told him there were alot of small to medium cracks and 4 gouges in the asphalt. He said I should start parking on it to see if the cars driving on it would help. I was told to call back in two weeks. the driveway didnt get any better, I called [redacted] again. he said he would look at it and get back to me. A week went by, I called to ask what was going on. he said he had stopped by last week. he never called to give me an update. we spoke on september **. he said the crew should have power rolled the driveway more and also "sand" had come to the surface, which he said was not good. He could send a crew to reheat and roll the driveway, but that it would discolor it. I suggested a new driveway. he said, "never". he said the cracks were minor and wouldnt affect the driveway life span. I told him to put his money where his mouth is, I asked for a 10 year warranty to prove his comment. he said no. he said he was putting in a repair request. im still waiting. I havent heard from affatato again. he probably assumed I went away.Desired Settlement: I want and paid for a properly installed asphalt driveway by a reputable company or a full refund or a 10 year fully covered warranty that the cracks wont get any worse. I dont think the driveway will last two long island winters.

Business

Response:

We are writing in response to complaint ID [redacted]. When our crew arrived to install the driveway, they did not initially believe the driveway needed a regrade. Normally, it is the crew’s discretion whether a driveway is in need of a regrade or if it is ready to be paved. The reason the crew may have appeared to be in a rush is because the asphalt was on the truck at the job. If asphalt is not spread fast enough, it can potentially become very cold and cannot be installed correctly. When we design our schedule for our crew, we anticipate a regrade will be needed at a majority of the jobs on the list, therefore performing the regrade did not put the crew behind, as [redacted] states. [redacted] took a look at the driveway and does not believe the driveway has any structural issues. Normally if there are structural issues on the driveway, they will become very apparent within the first year, however, [redacted] offered [redacted] a second year guarante e in order to provide him with greater confidence in our belief the driveway does not have structural issues. We currently have [redacted] in scheduling for a small pave crew repair, which we tentatively have schedule for Tuesday, November [redacted]. Our office will be contacting [redacted] to confirm the date tomorrow, as we only create schedules two days in advance as we try to work with the weather as much as possible. We hope once the repair is completed, [redacted] will be happy with his driveway.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint may or may not have been corrected.

I am not totally rejecting the company responce, I am simply asking for a few days to work things out with the business. Affatato sent out a crew to try to repair the cracks in the driveway this morning. I need a few days to see how the repairs look. I will then determine how to proceed after that.

Thanks in advance, [redacted]

[Your Answer Here]

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Sincerely,

Consumer

Response:

I

have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is not completely satisfactory to me, however I will reluctantly drop my complaint against affatato paving. I will accept the company's offer of a two year warranty and a free sealcoat. Can the company please tell us approximately when the sealcoat will be done ?

Sincerely,

Review: I signed a contract on 11-*-13 about 8 months later and me calling to have my driveway done it gets done. The day after it is paved I notice lots of wide markings. I call the company up and they said its normal. A few houses down from me got there driveway done the same day by a different company and they did not have the same look as mine. A week later more markings show up and large holes were the asphalt came out. I call them again. A few days later they come to look at it and tell me that the person that looked at it said there was something wrong and that they fired the forman because the same day they paved my driveway those home owners complained too. I requested the [redacted] to come look at it and a week later the [redacted] and there head estamator came and looked at it and said the markings are from the men useing the blow thorch and that they burnt the asphaslt for to long and thats why it looks like that. They told me that it will not break apart. They did give me a 2year warrenty and a free seal coat for next year which is great. But a week later when it rained hard the next morning I noticed that where they thorched the driveway I had discoloration and it look like beach sand and about 15 more holes that looked like the size of silver dollars. I called them again and two weeks later they showed up today and said its ok. I had three companys come and look at it and all three said by the winter it will break up and crack. How is that fine. I want the driveway redone and they wont do it. One of the marks is 6" x 38' long with all the holes in it.Desired Settlement: They should redo it. I paid good money for a solid driveway. I should not have to go throw all these steps to get it done the right way.

Business

Response:

[redacted] signed a contract with Affatato Paving in November of 2013. However, due to weather conditions, [redacted] did not have his driveway started until April of 2014, which was explained to [redacted] at the time of signing. When customers sign a contract late in the season, we allow the customer to choose whether to have the driveway removed and only have RCA material during the winter or to wait until the spring for the driveway to be started. Many customers, like [redacted], choose to wait until the spring when the weather permits us to begin the season. [redacted] called our office after the driveway was completed reporting complaints. We immediately sent a salesman to inspect the driveway. The salesman wanted a second opinion and returned with [redacted] to inspect the driveway. The area [redacted] is referring to is the seam of the driveway between the two areas. When the crew installs a large ar ea, a seam is created. The crew uses a torch to make the appearance of the seam more attractive. Both estimators agreed the driveway construction is solid. With time, the appearance of the seam will begin to smooth. Our estimators do not believe the driveway will fall apart. We have extended [redacted]’s warranty on the driveway in order to demonstrate to him we believe the driveway construction is sound. If the driveway does fall apart as [redacted] claims other companies have stated, we will replace the driveway. We are also offering [redacted] a free sealcoat, as we understand [redacted] is not happy with the current appearance of the driveway. We guarantee every driveway we install and stand by our work for over 30 years. If it appeared the driveway was not constructed correctly or we felt it would fall apart, we would remove it and replace it. We have offered [redacted] other options in order to demonstrate good faith and to ackn owledge his concerns.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

Affatato is saying they torched the seam which is not correct. First of all there are not two seams as they are saying there are three seams. That is not where the problem is. The problem is that they torched other areas where the Roller worker named [redacted] that was FIRED from the company because of all the other complaints that they had the same day they did my driveway, had left some roller marks which Affatato had said that is what must have happened. [redacted] had told me that a worker named Luis which is the owners daughters boyfriend as I was told had was told not to torch the driveway and he had done it anyway becuase he thought it was needed. [redacted] and also Affattato told me that it was torched for to long and thats why it looks like that. I was told in a few weeks it will fade, its been about two months and it still looks the same but with 20 large holes in it. Its great that Affatato gave me a 2 year warrenty and a free seal coat, But why would they do that if there wasnt a problem. Nobody gives free seal coats. The other companies that had come to see it promissed me that it will break apart in those areas my the winter. Everytime it rains more of the ashpalt breaks apart, so why wont Affatato redo it if they see the large holes. All I know is that if it does not get redone I will have my attorney file the paper work and I already have an expert that is willing to go to court and give there appnion on it. Im not asking for money back, I just want it fixed and redone.

And for where they said in there statement about them coming to see the problem right away is not true becuase I have text messages asking when someone will come or asking when ill have answers.

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Sincerely,

Business

Response:

We provided [redacted] with a free sealcoat and an extended warranty in order to appease [redacted]. We do not prefer for our customers to be unhappy and when there is an actual problem with the installation of a driveway, we always stand by our work. However, we also believe in providing customer service. We felt [redacted] was very unhappy, however, when the driveway was inspected, we did not find any problems with the installation. We have had numerous representatives check the construction of the driveway and the driveway is structurally sound. We agreed there are areas where there are cosmetic blemishes on the driveway. When we install the driveway, numerous areas are always torched in order to make the driveway more aesthetically pleasing. [redacted]’s driveway was torched for this reason along areas where there were roller marks; using the torch did not cause any problems to the structure of the drivewa y. Unfortunately, asphalt is a granular mixture and there can be areas where there are more blemishes than other areas. We attempt to remove the blemishes as best as possible in order to make the appearance of the driveway smoother. With time, asphalt does smooth as it cures. Additionally, the sealcoat will assist in creating a smoother appearance. We understand other companies have stated the driveway will fall apart. We do not believe the driveway will fall apart, but if we are incorrect, we have already stated to [redacted] we will stand by our work. When another company inspects a different company’s work, many times they will make statements that are not accurate, as they would prefer for the customer to remove their driveway. We will gladly have someone check [redacted]’s driveway again if he feels the condition of the driveway has deteriorated further since our last inspection. We provided [redacted] with a free sealcoat and an extende d warranty in an attempt to simply provide good customer service and put [redacted]’s mind at ease that we believe the driveway will not fall apart. As far as the claims [redacted] is making in regards to employees of Affatato Paving, they are not relevant to the construction of his driveway. Every member of our crew has over 10 years of asphalt experience. Our company makes it a priority to only hire knowledgeable, experienced employees. We apologize [redacted] is not satisfied with the cosmetic appearance of the driveway, but we believe the driveway is structurally sound and have made numerous gestures to put [redacted]’s mind at ease in regards to the driveway

Review: WE SIGNED A CONTRACT ON 5/**/14-WORK WAS TO START AT THE LATEST, JUNE **. CALLED THE CO ON JUNE 6/**TO ASK WHEN THEY WERE STARTING AND WERE TOLD THEY WERE WAITING FOR US TO GET A PERMIT FROM THE TOWN, FOR $**5. THIS WAS NOT DISCLOSED BY SALES REP. WHILE AT TOWN HALL, WE WERE TOLD THIS IS TYPICAL FOR THIS COMPANY. WHEN I SPOKE W/[redacted] ABOUT THE ADD'L EXPENSE, HE PROMISED US THAT WHEN IT WAS TIME TO SELACOAT, IT WOULD BE DONE FOR FREE (APPROX $295). GOT PERMIT F/U W/CUST SVCE TO SCHEDULE START DATE; ACTUAL WORK BEGAN ON JULY [redacted]. WHILE TEARING OUT THE EXISTING DRIVEWAY, A TREE ROOT NEEDED TO COME OUT. THE WORK CREW RXPLAINED THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR REMOVAL OF THE ROOT BUT COULD PULL IT OUT. MY HUSBAND ASKED IF THEY COULD LIFT W/MACHINE AND PLACE IN THE BED OF HIS TRUCK SO HE COULD BRING TO THE DUMP. THE OPERATOR LIFTED THE ROOT AND WAS MOVING TO LOWER INTO TRUCK BED; SOMETHING WENT WRORN AND THE ROOT 'FELL FROM THE MACHINE AND CAME CRASHING DOWN INTO THE BED OF THE TRUCK, SEVERLY DAMAGING THE TRUCK BED. AT THIS TIME THE [redacted] SHOWED UP AND STARTED TO SHOUT AT THE CREW THAT THEY ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO DO THAT!!!! THE ACCIDENT WAS NOT REPORTED TO OUR INSURANCE AS THE GUYS TRIED TO FIX THE DENTS AND ASSURED US THEY WOUDL TAKE CARE OF US. DURNG THE NEXT PHASE, THERE WERE DELAYS W/SCHEDULING SO WE CALLED OUR SALES PERSON, [redacted] WHO HAD APPEARED TO BE HELPFUL AND DID NOT HEAR BACK...WE LEARNED FROM THE BRICK CREW THAT [redacted] HAD EITHER BEEN FIRED OR QUIT. NO ONE CALLEDTO LET US KNOW, NO REPLACEMENT SHOWED UP AT THE SITE (THEY ASSURED US AN ONSITE SUPERVISOR WOULD ALWAYS BE PRESENT). ONCE THE BRICK WAS DONE WE WERE READY FOR THE NEXT PHASE. A CREW SHOWED UP TO LEVEL THE RCA, MY HUSBAND ASKED THEM NOT TO PULL THE TRUCK IN THE DRIVEWAY SINCE THE PAVERS WERE NEW AND HE DIDN'T WANT THEM DAMAGED. THEY ASSRED HIM NOTHING WOULD HAPPEN, THEY PUT DOWN PLYWOOD AND DRIVE OVER THAT AND IT WAS SAFE. HE TOLD THEM OK BUT IF YOU BREAK ANYTHING, IT BETTER BE REPAIRED. THEY PULLED UP ON THE GRASS TO THE SIDE OF THE DRIVEWAY, PUT DOWN A ROTTED, SPLINTERED PIECE OF WOOD, DROVE THE TRUCK OVER THE WOOD AND PAVERS AND A 20 FOOT SECTION OF PAVERS CRACKED. THE CREW SAID IT WAS A CRAPPY MASON JOB AND TOOK SAMPLES OF THE MIX BACK TO THE OFFICE. WHEN THEY WERE FINISHED LEVELLING, MY HUSBAND WENT OUT TO LOOK AT THE WORK-HE SAID IT DIDN'T LOOK LEVEL AND THE WORKER IN CHARGE SAID HE "LEVELS BY EYE." MY HUSBAND EXPLAINED THAT HE WAS GOING TO STRING IT HIMSELF SINCE HE COULD SEE DIPS. THE CREW BEGAN TO LEVEL AND REMOVED AN ADDITIONAL 2 1/2 BUCKETS OF RCA. MY HUSBAND CALLED THE OFFICE TO COMPLAIN, ASKED TO SPEAK W/[redacted]. WHEN HE DID SPEAK WITH THE [redacted], HE ASSURED HIM THE WORK WOULD BE TAKEN CARE OF IMMEDIATELY. AGAIN THERE WAS A DELAY-THE MASON DID NOT RETURN FOR A FEW DAYS TO COMPLETE THE REPAIR, HE WAS SCHEDULED TO WORK ELSEWHERE. AGAIN MY HUSBAND CALLED AND ASKED TO SPEAK W/[redacted] WHO NEVER RETURNED THE CALL, NEVER CAME TO SEE THE WORK, ETC. OUR DRIVEWAY WAS SCHEDULED TO BE PAVED BUT HAD TO WAIT SINCE THE PAVERS HAD TO BE REPAIRED AND THERE WERE ADDITIONAL SCHEDULING DELAYS. WE ASKED THEM NOT TO COME BACK AND ON AUGUST [redacted], WE HIRED ATLAS ASPHALT TO PAVE THE DRIVEWAY AND THEY DID AN OUTSTANDING JOB AND DID IT ON TIME!!. THEY ACTUALLY CHARGED US LESS THAN THE BALANCE OWED TO AFFATATO. AFFATATO WAS PIAD $11,925/CASH FOR THEIR WORK, THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE IS TERRIBLE-THEY DO NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR WORD.Desired Settlement: I AM REQUESTING A PARTIAL REFUND OF $2500 TO COVER THE COST OF THE PERMIT AND DAMAGE TO OUR TRUCK.

Business

Response:

We are writing in response to the complaint by [redacted]. [redacted] states she was not aware of the cost of the permit, however, this is very difficult to believe. Permits to remove the first 8 to 10 feet of the driveway have always been required in the [redacted]. In 2014, all driveway contractors were contacted by [redacted], who works for the [redacted], to discuss the lack of permits being obtained by all home[redacted]s. With [redacted]’s assistance, our company created a pamphlet to pass out to all customers at the time of the estimate to inform them of the town requirement and the potential cost to the home[redacted]. In the first paragraph of our contract, which the [redacted] signed, it states, “Any permits that are required is the sole responsibility of the home [redacted].” We do not reimburse a home[redacted] for the cost of the permit; it is an additional cost that would be incurred regardless of which contractor the home[redacted] chooses to install their driveway. Additionally, we do not create the town code, but we do follow it closely. As [redacted] stated, we would not remove her driveway until she received said permit. We will not be reimbursing [redacted] for the cost of the permit, nor did we ever state we would so. S. Affatato Asphalt Paving excavated the driveway at the [redacted] residence on July [redacted]. What [redacted] is calling a root, was actually a large stump. Regardless, the [redacted] family was aware we do not cart away stumps or roots, nor do the majority of driveway contractors without previous discussion. Again, this is stated in the contract which the [redacted] family signed. On the contract it states , “All wood is placed curb side.” Our company policy for any wood, which includes roots and stumps, is placed at the curb. Prior to excavating the driveway, the stump was not apparent and was discovered during excavation. When the crew removed the stump, the home[redacted] requested for them to place the stump in the bed of his pickup truck. This is not our company policy and our crew advises [redacted] they did not recommend it due to the weight of the stump. [redacted] told the crew he understood their hesitations, but continued to request them to do so. When the stump was place d into the bed of the truck, it dropped quickly, as our machines are not designed for this type of maneuver. [redacted] told the crew he knew it was not their fault. Our crew never stated they would pay for repairs or be held responsible. Additionally, [redacted] spoke with the [redacted] of the company and they discussed the situation with the truck, in which [redacted] stated he knew it was the not fault of the crew as they were only trying to assist him in removing the stump from the property and normal protocol is to place it in the street. We do not believe [redacted] is owed a reimbursement of the damage to the truck as it was not due to our negligence, but due to the negligence of [redacted] to place a stump in a truck that was not equipped for this type of hauling and for requesting this service from a crew who did not recommend it. It is therefore the responsibility of the [redacted] to contact their insurance or to handle the damage to the truck on their own. We do underst and the frustration, but [redacted]’s poor decision is not the fault or negligence of our company. When the crew came on July **, 2014 to regrade the driveway, [redacted] would not allow them to drive over the apron. The crew did explain to [redacted] the apron would not be damaged when the truck drove over the apron, as the apron is designed to be driven over. Instead, [redacted] demanded the crew to place the plywood over the border of brick. Again, the crew attempting to appease [redacted], as the [redacted] family had been very difficult during the duration of their project, followed [redacted]’s request. The brick cracked along the border. The damage occurred on July [redacted], which was a Thursday. Our crews were shut down on Saturday and Sunday, and our mason returned on Tuesday, which is two business days after the incident. In our company, when a mason begins a project, he remains on that project until it is completed and then moves onto the next project. The reason for this is the mason carries numerous tools and equipment. When he sets up at a home, it is for the duration of the project in order to prevent delays in the work being performed. We are sure [redacted] would not have been happy if we had removed the mason in the middle of his mason project to take care of another home[redacted], and we feel this courtesy should be extended to every customer equally. The repair of the brick was completed in full, as this damage was caused by our truck. However, if our trucks and crew would have permitted to perform the regrade as normal, more than likely no damage would have occurred. However, since we cannot be certain no damage would have occurred, we completed the repair free of charge to [redacted].The repair for the mason work was completed on Tuesday, August *, 2014. Our office contacted [redacted] on Wednesday, August *, the following day after the repair, to set up a pave date of Monday, August **, as we normally prefer to have a minimum of 5 days for mason work to settle in order to prevent damage. [redacted] stated he would not wait until Monday, and it must be done on Friday. At this point, we were not going to continue simply appeasing [redacted] and explained to him the earliest pave date would be Monday, August [redacted]. [redacted] said no, and told us to never contact him again. We obliged, and removed [redacted] from scheduling. The payments the [redacted] family made were for the excavation of the driveway and for installation of the mason work, all of which was completed. We do not take down payments or prepayments, we only receive payment for the work which was completed. We will not be reimbursing the [redacted] for the truck or the permit due to the reasons stated above. We are happy to hear the [redacted] are now happy with their driveway and we wish our relationship could have worked out better.

Review: I wanted to extend my driveway. They said it would eventually crack where it was extended so I needed to rip out the old driveway and install a new, which I had them do , along with a walkway, at a cost of $3000. After it settled for 2 days I walked on the driveway and walkway it to check it out. The entire driveway and walkway was covered with holes , some were deep. It was also very bumpy from the large rocks that were used. Around all the rocks the black mixture had separated a little so there were cracks and bumps all over the driveway. There was a large nail and pieces of wood visible in the driveway and walkway. On 7/**/14 , I called the office to voice my displeasure and they said they would send the [redacted] , [redacted]. When he arrived I explained that I expected the driveway to be flat like my original driveway with no holes, bumps and garbage in it. He said he would send a repair team and they would remove the debris and use a mix of tar and sand for the holes and to level the bumps. The repair crew arrived 8/*/14. They removed the debris but did nothing to level out the bumps and didn't fill in all the holes and cracks. When I told the repair crew [redacted] said you would use a mix of tar and sand to fill in the holes, they said they don't have anything like that ! I called [redacted] and said they are not doing anything to fill in the holes and make it level and he said they can't do that because that is the way the mix is. I said I am very upset with the quality of the work and I want the holes filled in. He said there is nothing he can do about. I believe they used an inferior mix because of the wood chips and nails that were in it. I can't believe that he doesn't have something that can fill in all the holes and indents.Desired Settlement: I want them to fill in all the holes( which cover the entire driveway and walkway) or reimburse me for hiring another company to take care of this unsightly driveway and walkway problem .

Business

Response:

We apologize [redacted] is not satisfied with her new driveway. Asphalt is a granular mixture of rock, sand, and oil. We do not, nor do we claim, to manufacture our own asphalt products. We purchase our plants from different asphalt manufacturers on Long Island. At the time of picking up every load of asphalt, an employee inspects the load to check for quality. Unfortunately, when the asphalt comes out of the plant, small pieces of debris can make their way in the mixture from time to time. It is not incredibly common, but it is incredibly hard to detect when spreading the asphalt. The debris appears to look the same as the rest of the asphalt as it is covered in the same oils, making it appear the same color. It usually only appears as a slightly piece of rock. Once the driveway has settled for a few days, any debris will begin to appear differently than the rest of the asphalt. This is the problem with [redacted]’s driveway. Our crew has returned to [redacted] to remove the piece of wood [redacted] is referring. Additionally, asphalt being a granular mix can appear to have many texture issues, which will smooth out with time. Loose stones can come off the driveway for up to a year as it takes a full year for asphalt to cure. The tar and sand mix [redacted] is referring is a sealcoat with the slurry additive, which is done one year after the driveway is installed. This will not fill the holes, but it does help to make the texture of the driveway appear smoother. Also, as the driveway is used more, it will become smoother naturally. Many consumers are not happy with the texture of a new driveway as the rocky mix is new, and has not had time to smooth out like an older driveway. Asphalt is not one solid surface and the texture will always vary from job to job. We apologize [redacted] is not satisfied with her driveway, but we have made the effort to repair the issues with the driveway.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

[It has been several weeks of driving on my driveway and I still have a multitude of unsightly holes all over the driveway.

I will have to have it removed and redone and I will be sure to only use a company that is actually Revdex.com ACCREDITED. My fault for trusting Affatato, a company that is NOT Revdex.com accredited.]

In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

Sincerely,