ComplaintsforRestoration Doctor 24/7 Rapid Response

• Initial Complaint

  03/20/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We had a flood in our basement from a burst water pipe at the end of December. We were out of town and started calling water remediation companies to try to get someone to come out and pump the water out of our basement. Restoration Doctor agreed to do it that night. In order for them to come out, they said I had to give them a credit card which I did because my basement had over a foot of water in it. They told me they would work with my insurance company to get the charges reimbursed. They told me not to worry about it - they work with insurance all the time and always get their fees covered. They came out and removed the water. For weeks we and my insurance company tried to get them to give us an estimate or invoice for the work. They delayed and delayed. Then they issued and invoice and charges by credit card over $20,000. My insurance company, ******* insurance, estimated the work at $4,300. They tried to talk to Restoration Doctor - specifically *****, and he refused to talk with them. ***** at Restoration Doctor said their charges are their charges and they won't discuss it further. Travelers said they have several clients right now in the same position and that Restoration Doctor is notorious for preying on people in a crisis and then charging their credit card and refusing to talk to insurance and charge a fair market rate for the work done. I can put you in touch with the manager at Travelers who we have been working with. Right now we are out of pocket $15,000 because of the preditory practices of Restoration Doctor. They refuse to negotiate in the common way contractors do with insurance companies. Please help! We don't know where else to turn.

  Business response

  04/25/2023

  Dear BBB Representative,
  
  We are writing in response to the complaint filed with the BBB regarding the water damage restoration services we provided at a property following a CAT3 sewage loss in December. We understand the concerns raised and would like to address them in accordance with BBB guidelines.
  
  Our commitment to delivering the best possible service to our customers remains our top priority. In this particular case, our team encountered unique and challenging circumstances, which we believe justify the invoiced amount.
  
  The project began on December 29th, during which our crew worked tirelessly around the clock, through the holidays and into the New Year, to mitigate damages to the property. The invoice reflects the extenuating circumstances involved with this project.
  
  Our pricing structure adheres to industry-standard invoicing software, *********, which takes into account labor and service charges for work performed over holidays, after normal business hours, and when a technician works over 40 hours per week or 10 hours per shift.
  
  Additionally, an extreme cold front in the Washington, DC area during late December caused widespread flooding due to frozen and burst pipes. This resulted in a shortage of drying equipment among local vendors, forcing us to procure equipment from out of state at a significantly higher cost.
  
  Moreover, our technicians worked 16-hour shifts for two weeks without interruption. In compliance with state and federal laws, we compensated our employees with overtime and double their normal hourly rates.
  
  It is worth noting that none of *********' in-network contractors were willing to work during the holiday season for the prices specified in their contracts. As a result, the client had to seek the services of an out-of-network contractor like us. Now, ******** Insurance expects us to accept the same pricing structure that their own vendors refused to work within during the holiday season.
  
  We are transparent with our pricing structure and go into great detail about what it means to use an out-of-network contractor like us in our contract. Since we do not work for insurance companies and have no contract with them, we provide a much higher level of service and work directly for our clients. (A signed copy of the agreement with this client will be attached for review)
  
  While we understand that the insurance company's estimate differs from our invoice, we firmly believe that our charges are fair and within industry standards given the unique circumstances of this project. We are open to further discussions and negotiations in order to reach a mutually agreeable resolution.
  
  Should the client wish to identify specific line items on the invoice they believe to be problematic, we are more than willing to examine and offer detailed explanations for those charges. As it stands, we have only been informed that Traveler's estimate is substantially lower. In order to address the concerns adequately, we require a clear understanding of which line items the client perceives as excessive.
  
  Thank you for your attention to this matter. We look forward to resolving this complaint in a satisfactory manner.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Restoration Doctor

• Initial Complaint

  02/07/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On December 23d,2022 at 12:45 Am I spoke with **************** at Restoration doctor about having water coming in from the basement wall , **************** came an hour later and set up all equipment needed to dry the water , and asked me to fill out an authorization form that he sent through a link and asked to have a credit card on file, because i have thier equipment and will not charge because the company will get paid through my insurance all state. prior to filling out authorization form was asked to call Allstate and get the claim number after informing them of my issue. allstate denied my claim the next day because the cause was due to flood from the rain which was not covered . in the meantime ****** told me he will send his crew in the morning and assess the water issue and they will be taking out the wall and two cabinets, that never happened next day even i called few times at no avail, each time will make an excuse. on December 26th crew came and removed two cabinets only . never removed the wall like was promised . on December 27th11:10om I was charged $2500, next day a young man came and was taking measurements and i asked him if he can convince the insurance com. to pay for the work he said he will call me and never did.in the meantime crew was there same time and picked up all equipment. and never assessed or find out the problem cause of where water was coming from or removed any wall , same afternoon i called restoration doctor numerous times plus leaving messages with office **************** did not return my call when i called from a different number he answered , and i specifically asked him about the charge of $2500, he said the insurance will send me the full $2500 within 3-4 days i said are you sure have you spoken with Allstate he said yes and assured him about sending the mentioned amount. in the meantime he never mentioned i will be charged at a later date more money( i didnt feel the conversation was truthful) i waited about a week and called restoration doctor asking about the money and told me same thing, they suggested to call ******** which i did they told me my claim was denied. . was going back and forth with **. ***** he told me that if all state refused to pay that they will Refund me the $2500 .00. on January 10 was charged again $3245.93after i emailed and called daily at no avail from anyone contacting me. I urge you please to help me settle this matter peacefully.p.s there is charges on the billing form was not performed thank you very much sincerely *********************

  Business response

  03/24/2023

  Hello,

  Replying to this complaint to make everything clear. ********************* had informed us that the mitigation job we did will not be covered by insurance and wanted us to lie to insurance to get it covered. We refused on such a thing and told her we can help by refunding %50 of the mitigation invoice to her as a discount as a kind gesture. However, seeing this complaint changes our decision and will waive the %50 discount. 

  Please review this reply and let us know if you have any questions or any documents are needed. 

  Thank you!

  Customer response

  04/03/2023

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  From: ********************* <*********************>
  Date: Sun, Apr 2, 2023 at 12:10 AM
  Subject: Re: You have a new message from the BBB of Metro Washington DC & Eastern Pennsylvania in regards to your complaint #********.
  To: Better Business Bureau <info@mybbb.org>
  
  Hello , 
  My intention is to resolve this not to keep repeating I said and he said ,  I have tried numerous times reaching out to this company and spoke with several people not in mgmt left any messages at no Avail , before seeking help . Doors were closed in-front of me   my only choice was to reach out starting with Better Business Bureau  to resolve this issue  peacefully . Obviously they have no intention to resolve this by thinking I will get tired and forget about it and since I reached out to BBB. That's the reply they can come with , which is not acceptable by my standards .  

  Regards,
  
  *********************

  Business response

  04/10/2023

  From: Restoration Doctor <info@restorationdoctor.com>
  Date: Mon, Apr 10, 2023 at 1:35 PM
  Subject: Re: Complaint ID ********
  To: *********************** <****************@mybbb.org>
  Cc: *********************** <*********@restorationdoctorva.com>
  
  *****,
  
  Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. We at Restoration Doctor understand the concerns of our customer, *********************, and would like to provide an updated response that adheres to the BBB's guidelines. We regret any inconvenience that this situation may have caused and would like to assure our commitment to resolving this issue in a satisfactory manner.
  
  Upon reviewing the facts of the case, we acknowledge that there have been miscommunications between our team, ****************, and her insurance company, Allstate. We apologize for any confusion that may have arisen during this process.
  
  To clarify the situation, our team initially provided water damage mitigation services, setting up equipment to dry the water and removing two cabinets. It is important to note that, contrary to ******************** claims, our team never promised to remove the wall as it was determined to be unnecessary upon inspection. Unfortunately, ******************** insurance claim was denied due to the cause of damage being a flood from rain, which was not covered under her policy.
  
  Her claim that our representatives told her that we would not charge her for our services if her claim was denied is not supported by any evidence and is in direct contradiction with the terms of our contract. Our work authorization, which was read and agreed to prior to any work being done, clearly states that our payment is in no way contingent on insurance company payouts and she is ultimately responsible for all charges. A copy of the contract she signed is available for review if it is needed. 
  
  We understand that **************** is concerned about the charges on her credit card. As a gesture of goodwill and taking into account her financial situation, we had initially offered a 50% discount on the mitigation invoice, which was communicated to her. However, in light of the complaint and in our pursuit to provide the best possible service to our customers, we would like to clarify our position on this matter.
  
  While we empathize with ******************** situation, we are unable to provide a full refund, as our team has already rendered the mitigation services and incurred the associated costs. Furthermore, we would like to point out that she already filed a dispute for the charges on her card with her credit card company; upon review of our agreement and the facts of the case, her credit card company denied her dispute and found in our favor.
  
  Please be assured that we value the trust of our customers and the opportunity to rectify any grievances they may have. We will continue to take appropriate actions to ensure that our customers receive the highest level of service from Restoration Doctor.
  
  We hope this response effectively addresses ******************** concerns and contributes to finding a mutually agreeable resolution. If you have any further questions or require additional information, please do not hesitate to contact us.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Restoration Doctor
  

  Customer response

  04/10/2023

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:their response is LIES.  
  I’m only asking for $2500 as promised (not even half of the amount )I’m not asking for the full amount .second I never filed a dispute with my Bank . This Business is giving me the runaround from day one and no ending they’ve taking advantage of me because I’m a woman an elderly 67 yr old . They’re intention Not  to pay me all along . Before I decided to write to BBB I contacted them for over a month non stop at no avail never responded back . 
  
  Regards,
  
  *********************
  

  Business response

  09/05/2023

  Attached please find the signed contract which clearly states the customer is responsible for the full amount regardless of coverage.

  Her claim that our representatives told her that we would not charge her for our services if her claim was denied is not supported by any evidence and is in direct contradiction with the terms of our contract. Our work authorization, which was read and agreed to prior to any work being done, clearly states that our payment is in no way contingent on insurance company payouts and she is ultimately responsible for all charges. A copy of the contract she signed is available for review if it is needed. 
  
  We understand that **************** is concerned about the charges on her credit card. As a gesture of goodwill and taking into account her financial situation, we had initially offered a 50% discount on the mitigation invoice, which was communicated to her. However, in light of the complaint and in our pursuit to provide the best possible service to our customers, we would like to clarify our position on this matter.
  
  While we empathize with ******************** situation, we are unable to provide a full refund, as our team has already rendered the mitigation services and incurred the associated costs. Furthermore, we would like to point out that she already filed a dispute for the charges on her card with her credit card company; upon review of our agreement and the facts of the case, her credit card company denied her dispute and found in our favor.

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