ComplaintsforSERVPRO of Lafayette/Moraga/Orinda

• Initial Complaint

  06/25/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I engaged with SERVPRO of Lafayette/Moraga/Orinda. And they said to come onsite would be $495, but that fee would be credited to any additional services if I chose to authorize future fees. ******************************* (Project Manager) came onsite and we discussed next steps and he advised me to do an air quality test at $675 plus $75 per sample collected, which I authorized. A total of 10 samples were collected.the air quality testing would cost $1425, which would have the inital callout fee of $495 applied for a remaining balance of $930. They ended up billing me $1946.40, which exceeds the agreed upton quote by $521.40.

  Business response

  07/12/2024

  To whom it may concern,
  
  Customer,*********************, reached out on 06/19/2024 requesting a mold inspection for property *******************************************************************************************. Inspection was set up for 06/20/2024 with an arrival time between 2:30 3:30 PM. At the time of scheduling, it was explained that there was a $480 inspection fee that would be applied to the mold remediation bill should he decide to proceed with services.It was explained that there would be a 3% processing fee for the $480 credit card charge. He was emailed a receipt for the transaction, please see attached(subject: E8266-MR Inspection Receipt 06.20.24).
  
  During inspection, project manager, *******************************, recommended air quality testing,it was explained that there would be base fee and each additional sample would come at an additional cost. Please be advised, our company standard is to inform our customers that base testing fees can range from $700-$900 and additional samples can range from $70-$90 per sample, depending on the type of sample.
  
  Customer decided to proceed with testing, our office emailed him an authorization form to schedule the test. Customer emailed our office requesting we add a *** (Not to exceed). Our office adjusted explaining that we included a *** $1932, of which $1,452 is for the testing and $480 was for the inspection fee. It was notified to the customer that the $480 would be applied towards any remediation services billed as a result of inspection and testing results. Please see attached email (subject line: RE: Please sign: E8266 - Auth to ******* Services and Direction of Payment -05-2018)
  
  The authorization form signed by the customer explains the breakdown of charges and the *** limit. Please see attached.
  We invoiced for the $1,452 testing fees and the $480 inspection fee (please be advised the fee covers the travel fee4s, time for project manager to inspect and coordinate testing), the additional $14.40 was for the 3% processing fee,no additional processing fees were charged for the balance amount charged.Please see attached the email sent to the customer with the paid invoice copy,receipt, and testing results (subject line: RE: Please sign: E8266 - Auth to ******* Services and Direction of Payment -05-2018).
  
  We can provide a reimbursement check for the $14.40 processing fee, as that was the only amount that was exceeded from the *** on the authorization form.Unfortunately, we are unable to refund the full amount as requested. 

  Customer response

  07/13/2024

   
  Complaint: 21902592
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

      Their response is not what happened.  I was told the air quality testing would be an explicit $675 + and explicit $75 per sample, I was not provided any potential range on prices.  And I was explicitly told that the initial $480 would be applied to the cost of the air quality sampling.

  Their staff who came onsite, ******, told me multiple times the that inital $480 fee would apply to the air quality testing.  After testing was completed and I was trying to get my air quality report, on the telephone when I talked to him he told me the total would be $1,452 total and I'd owe the balance of $1,452 minus the initial $480.  I could here a feminine voice in the background tell him "we don't do that".  So then he said he'd call me back and a few minutes later he did call me back and then told me the air quality testing was $1,932 and that the $480 would be applied to that.  I believe this started as an honest mistake with ****** not knowing the companies policies and therefore misrepresenting the company policies, but once the mistake was found the company starts lying about the transaction.  This was the vendors mistake and they want me to pay for it.  I needed the air quality test report for me home owners insurance and to determine if my personal health is being impacted and since the representatives of ServPro were now openly lying to me to cover their mistakes I signed the *** to put a maximum cap on their extortion and be able to move forward with addressing the issue with my properity.  A "Not to Exceed" codifies the maximum amount, not the agreed amount.  The amount agreed was $675 + $75 per sample (10 samples taken).  ServPro must refund me $521.40 per my agreement with their representive, ******, for this issue to be considered resolved.
  

       
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************

  Business response

  07/23/2024

  Good morning, 

  We understand there was a miscommunication issue, we will be speaking to the parties involved internally. To resolve the matter, we will be reimbursing the difference between what was charged and what you are stating our project manager quoted. We can provide a refund check of $521.40, please provide the address where you would like the check mailed to. 

  Respectfully, 

  Servpro 

  Customer response

  07/23/2024

   
  Complaint: 21902592
  
  The check can be sent to:

  --------------------

  Jesse Berks

  ************************** A

  El Sobrante, CA 94803

  --------------------

   

  Thank you.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************

  Customer response

  08/12/2024

  I received payment, please remove the complaint.

  Thanks,
  *********************

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩