We hired this guy to reno our bathroom based partly on his homestars reviews. We wanted new tile on the floor and walls, new toilet, vanity and tub. By the third day the tile was up, but we noticed there was a gap between the tub and the tile on the surrounding wall; in some sections the space was wide enough that I could stick my hand in and behind the tile so I could feel the dry wall and stud - he told us that it was a new way of tiling that allowed the drywall to “breathe” and that the water and moisture wouldn’t be a problem. Sealing your bathroom is an “old fashioned” way of doing things, according to Robbie. He claimed it wasn’t necessary, but he would fix it by attaching strips of tile to the underside of the wall tiles just above the tub. We did not believe this was the way to fix this mistake. My father, who has 40 years of construction experience, came to look at it that night and right away said it was done incorrectly and must be fixed properly.
Robbie came back the next day and we gave him several options on how the problem could be fixed. He continued working on the rest of the bathroom and a few hours later he asked for FULL payment - for an unfinished bathroom! My wife informed him we would not pay until it was 100% finished and finished properly. There was no agreement made for any deposit or payment schedule. He began accusing her of ripping him off; he said he was going to call the police or destroy the bathroom with a sledge hammer if he wasn’t paid. In order to get him to leave my wife reluctantly wrote him a cheque for half the quoted amount. Later that day we talked to several people including the tub manufacturer, the store that sold us the tub, and friends in the trades. They all said there should not be that big a space between the tub and the tiled walls. The woman at Sterling Kohler said the space should only be big enough to fit a credit card - the tub installation instructions confirm this as well. So not only had Robbie misled us but he threatened to destroy our bathroom! Based on this we immediately canceled the cheque and sent Robbie an email explaining why we did this and we offered him the chance to come back and fix his mistake. Looking back I don’t know why we would ask someone back into our house who was threatening to "remove his work” from the bathroom, but we just wanted it done and over with as quickly as possible. He emailed back arrogantly blaming our “old crooked house” for the problem and that he was coming down to collect the money (he added: “whether you are there or not makes no difference to me”). We called him and tried to settle the issue but were told we would be hearing from his lawyer and were hung up on. We would have welcomed his lawyer to come to our bathroom and stick his hand in the hole in the wall!
Not knowing whether he would come back we asked a few other contractors to look at the job to get more quotes just in case. They couldn’t believe their eyes when they saw the space between the tub and the tiles! Real contractors don’t like fixing other peoples mistakes and they would only quote us for a full bathroom reno. We sent two emails that week explaining how we wanted the bathroom fixed and again gave him the opportunity to fix it.
Robbie came back on Monday with a huge chip on his shoulder and proceeded to fix the bathroom with the solution that my father came up with. Not once did he admit he made a mistake or even apologize for his huge mistake or his attitude problem. The bathroom is done but the truly awful experience takes away any pleasure we might have had. We should have hired a real professional to do the job.
RESPONSE TO ROBBIE: Let's examine your claims one at a time:
1/ You didn't ask for a deposit so we didn't give you one. The reason you rec'd $0.00 is because the bathroom was not "completely finished". Why would we pay you for leaving us with an unfinished bathroom where I can stick my hand in the wall and feel the drywall behind the tile?
2/ We informed you that the gap between the tub and the walls was an issue two days after you started.
3/ As I pointed out in my review, the solution you have the nerve to take credit for was not yours at all. How dishonest can you be?
4/ Your response to my father-in-law (not my father)was correct that moisture goes everywhere in a bathroom - where was this logic when you were telling us that you didn't have to seal the tub because the walls had to "breathe"? My father in law was not there as an expert, he was there to ensure you completed the job correctly (ie. baby-sitter).
There are other false statements in your response but I will just warn anyone reading this: find yourself a real, honest contractor not a jack of all trades master of none.
We are not giving you permission to use the photos of our bathroom in any way.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $6,000.00
- Company Response
Wow....My mistake here was foregoing the standard deposit prior to starting because they seemed nice and honest. After doing a beautiful job and guiding them through every step of the process, they had an issue with the space between the new tub and the tiles. I was only informed of this when the job was completed and we were packing up our tools to leave! come payment time!. They had been forewarned that an 80+ year old house with tilted floors could cause some slight uneven gaps. Nevertheless they were worried, so i agreed to come up with a solution to their liking (as is my practice, no customer is left unsatisfied) we did not argue or disagree with their concerns, we took them seriously. We had agreed that i would fix it the following Monday (after my week vacation). At that time the job was complete
(Except the small fix which took several hours), and all i asked for as payment was the initial deposit (they never gave me) so i could pay my apprentices and material cost). Please keep in mind that so far we had received 0.00$ for a completely refinished bathroom including materials. After 2 hours of explaining this, they gave me a check for 1/2, which they promptly cancelled the next morning (i was informed by e-mail).At this point i was skeptical of their intentions and told them that only the cancelled deposit must be paid back,and suggested that an attorney could arbitrate if they preferred. Regardless of their actions and true to my word, i returned on Monday and implemented a solution of mine which was to their satisfaction. The only thing i did not do was to "stuff" newspaper in the wall to fill the gap, as requested by their expert (father).
It is unfortunate and disappointing (i dont quite understand )that they feel as they do, as we take great pride in our workmanship, cleanliness, and completion (no matter what the circumstances are). Please see the pictures in our gallery under "Serge and Erin" and judge for yourself.