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I contacted, Aspen Exteriors, a BBB accredited company, to get an estimate on hail damage repairs to my home. When their representative arrived, he wasn't even interested in looking at the damage. He was more concerned about how much my insurance company was paying out for the damage and "selling" me on Aspen Exteriors inexpensive, worry-free, handling of repairs.
I had already gotten other estimates, from reputable, local contractors, for the repair of the roofs on the house & garage. Those estimates were detailed and ranged between $12, 000-$15, 000. When the Aspen representative told me they'd be able to do the repairs on both roofs, replace the gutters on both buildings, and repair the slate siding for under $7, 000 I was skeptical. So, I asked him, are you sure you can redo the house roof for so little? He didn't even blink. "We'll make all the repairs for whatever your insurance company says they'll pay. No hidden fees, costs, etc." A lot of promises that really sounded too good to be true.
What really bothered me is he didn't even inspect the damage nor did I get any verbal or written estimate, other than the promise of "completing the work for whatever the insurance company says". I nearly had to force him to walk the property and look at the damage, which he only glanced at from the ground, when I pointed it out. It was obvious he had no idea what needed repaired or what it would cost. He also informed me that they don't actually employ any repairman or technicians, they "sub-contract" or "hire contractors" to do the work. So you have no say in who actually works on your property, and Aspen doesn't oversee the work itself.
After visiting with my husband, we remembered this company renting an office next door to my husband's, just a year or so back. They had rented the office space immediately following another hail storm & flood in our area, taping a cardboard sign to the door. They were only there for a couple of months following the storm and there was never anybody at the office, not even a telephone or desk. Mail had stacked up in front of the door, many envelopes obviously contained insurance company checks. Then, one day POOF! They were gone. It was as if Aspen Exteriors had never existed.
Although we did not hire this company for our repairs, I just want to warn people, BE CAREFUL! I did my research and there have been several complaints by consumers waged against this company for their business practices. They magically arrive following storms, then disappear once the insurance checks arrive.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
Company has a A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. I can't complain. That is my complaint.
I would like to address the before mentioned complaint in
the same order the complaint was written so that each area of concern can be
addressed. I actually find it kind of unfair that this homeowner has remained
anonymous and I can’t address their specific claim, but I will do my best on
the small amount of information I have…..
“When the representative arrived, he wasn’t even interested
in the damage.”
When we arrive at a
homeowners house who has already had an adjuster inspect the property, there is
no need to look at something that has already been addressed by a
licensed/trained adjuster, what would be the purpose of “looking at the damage”
again?
“He was more concerned with how much my insurance company
was paying out for the damage.”
Once a house has been inspected for damages and an estimate
created for that particular claim, the next step is to choose your contractor,
which, what I can gather from the complaint, that company was us, Aspen
Exteriors. We then must address the estimate and make sure the figures are in
line so that we can do the work for the price the insurance company has agreed
to pay. What’s wrong with that? When someone purchases a new car they certainly
ask the sales person how much the vehicle is going to cost so you know whether
or not you can afford the vehicle. It would be foolish to pursue a storm damage
restoration project without first knowing the numbers are in line with what is
actually being done.
It’s going to be difficult for me to address the next
paragraph without knowing the specifics of the claim. But it’s the paragraph
that starts with “I had already gotten…..” and ends with “A lot of promises
that sounded too good to be true.”.
All I can really say about this is when this homeowner got
estimates from other contractors, did the homeowner show them their insurance
paperwork and tell the contractors, ”I only want you to bid out the items
that’s listed on the insurance company’s estimate, so please base your estimate
directly off this insurance paperwork. Do not leave anything out and give me an
estimate that’s based exactly off the insurance company’s estimate.” If they did not, then they weren’t comparing
apples to apples. The homeowner may have been getting estimates that didn’t
include all the damages the insurance company was prepared to pay for. Again, I
wish I knew the specifics of this particular claim, which I don’t.
As far as being “Too
good to be true.”
If you suffer damages
to your home and you have insurance, the insurance company pays to have those item’s
fixed, for just the cost of your insurance deductible, so then no, it’s not too
good to be true, it’s just called insurance.
The next paragraph I would like to address is the one that
starts out with, “What really bothered me…”
Again, why is this homeowner so hung up on us looking at the
damage that has already been addressed by a licensed/trained adjuster? We’ve
seen damage, we know what it looks like, but if it’s already been addressed by
the adjuster, what does this homeowner want us to do? Stand outside and say, “WOW,
look at all this damage.” Why? What for?
As far as this homeowner concerned about getting a written
estimate from us, this also serves no purpose. The homeowner has already gotten
an estimate from the insurance company, THAT’S THE ESTIMATE. Why would we do
something as redundant as create another estimate that’s going to be higher
than the insurance company’s estimate, just to send it to them and they say,
“Your price is too high, this is all we’re willing to pay.” That’s why we don’t
give homeowners estimates, it’s already been created by the insurance company.
This homeowner goes on to say, “It was obvious he had no
idea what needed (to be) repaired.”
If this homeowner
would have given the salesrep from our company their insurance paperwork, which
they are supposed to do, it would have told the salesrep exactly what was in
need of repairs, line by line. The salesrep wouldn’t even have to go outside
and look at the property, they would have known exactly what was damaged by
looking at the insurance company’s paperwork.
The next line, “He
also informed me that they don’t actually employ any repairmen or technicians,
they “subcontract” or “hire contractors” to do the work.” So you have no say
who actually works on your property, and Aspen doesn’t oversee the work
itself.”
If we asked our roofers or sider’s if they considered
themselves technicians, they would probably laugh and say, “No, I’m a roofer,
or no, I’m a sider”. Who knows if they consider themselves technicians, who
cares, as long as they do a good quality job. Of course homeowners have a say
as to who does the work, if they choose our company, then they CHOSE Aspen
Exteriors to do the work. Does a homeowner have a say as to what specific crew
shows up on their project? Of course not, we’ve determined over being in this
industry over the course of more than a decade, who is qualified to do the
roofing or siding work on their property, and who is not, that’s called a
general contractor. And yes, we do oversee our work. We have been using the
same crews for years and each crew has a foreman, HE is the overseer. If he
doesn’t do good quality work, he doesn’t get paid, so it’s in his best interest
to make sure his guys are doing a good quality job. Our crews take pride in
their work, they must, or they don’t get paid. Works out pretty good.
The next paragraph starts with, “After visiting with my
husband….”
We do rent offices when we follow storms across the country,
they are for salesreps to send and receive faxes. That’s pretty much all these
satellite offices are for. We apologize if they didn’t look pretty enough for
this homeowner, but our salesreps haven’t ever complained about the décor yet.
If mail was piling up, I can assure you it was junk mail. This homeowner
doesn’t need to worry about any “insurance company checks piling up.” Because
all insurance checks get sent to the HOMEOWNER.
All-in-all it’s pretty obvious this is a confused homeowner
who doesn’t understand how this industry works, and for her to scrutinize our
business practices with absolutely no experience as to how all this works, is
pretty unfair. We have been in business for over a decade, work in about 15
states, and after all that, STILL hold an “A” rating with the BBB. We have done
over 250 jobs in Waterloo/Cedar Falls over the last decade, and although we
don’t wish natural disasters on anyone, it’s going to happen, and if it happens
to the Wateroo/Cedar Falls residents again in the future, we will be there to
help them. Who knows, maybe we’ll even rent that same office and decorate it
this time….