Complaint Review: Double S Companies

I would like to post my complaint about Double S Company of Delaware and their repair work.

My wife and I purchased a brand new double S home in 2002. The first day, the master bathroom sink leaked water all over the dinning room ceiling and rippled the wall and ceiling dry wall. After a month, Double S finally sent out a repair man who smoothed the ripples and put primer on the spots, but then never came back to paint the primed spots!

The first weekend we were in our home it rained and the water came in above our front door, around the door and under the door. The foyer composite tiling was ruined out 2 feet from the door and came loose. Double S caulked the door 3 months later, but it still leaked. They replaced the door and all of the siding around the door 2 months later, and it still leaked. They caulked again the next month, and now we are waiting for a hard rain to see if it leaks again. Now that they have waited so long, 4 rows of tile need to be replaced, the interior walls and insulation around the door must be replaced, and possibly the sub-flooring will need replacement.

The sewer drain pipe foundation access has also leaked since day one. They have patched it three times, and it still runs water into the basement when it rains. We are still fighting for them to excavate outside and patch from the exterior.

The basement foundation walls are already cracking in two places, as well as numerous cracks in the basement floor (this house is only seven months old!).

There was also a leak in the roof that damaged one of the bedroom ceilings. I fixed the cause of the leak, and then two days later they came out to "fix" the leak. Guess what? It started leaking again after they "fixed" it. They still have not fixed the stains or wall board damage in this ceiling.

There was a leak in the upstairs second bathroom that caused staining in the downstairs bathroom. It took two weeks to get anyone out to work on this, and then my wife ended up repainting the bathroom because it looked so bad.

We now have a new leak on a kitchen vent hood that has caused water to run under the stove and out onto the floor. They have no idea when they can get out to repair this.

The sub-flooring in our downstairs used to bounce when our 15 pound Cook-a-poo walked by. They agreed that the bounce seemed like a lot, but every thing was within specification. I ended up getting additional wood from the builder, so that I could brace the floor myself.

The kitchen cabinets are not hung straight, but they claim that it looks fine.

When we moved in we noticed a lot of white paint splatters through out the carpeting. When we mentioned this and put it on our discrepancy list, they suggested we get some "Goof Off" to remove them. We informed them that we wanted the carpets cleaned, but once again we are still waiting for any results.

We have submitted all the paperwork that was required by Double S, but they have either lost it, or just said they will get to it when they can. We have had enough! We have started telling prospective home buyers just what to expect from this outfit! We are also talking with some neighbors about legal assistance to remedy this.

Addendum
This is a follow up to my complaint. Double S finally finished all of the repairs to our "new" home a year and a half after we took possession. It took a large sign in our window, several letters to the Better Business Bureau, and a lot of wasted time waiting for the subcontractors to show up. I would not buy another new home from Double S until they get their act together! People that moved into Double S homes after us are now asking us how to get their problems fixed too. Some of the homes have much worse problems than what we encountered. If you are thinking about having a Double S home built for you, talk to people who have lived in one for 6 months to a year to see how they have handled their problems.

By the way, Double S Companies sent out their first customer satisfaction survey last week. Needless to say we will voice our opinions loudly.

Disgruntled
Middletown, Delaware
U.S.A.