OC Floor Gallery, Dustin Levy, Glen Levy, Bait and Switch Pricing; Poor Customer Service; Lousy Installation Ocean City Maryland
My family hired OC Floor Gallery to install laminate floor and carpet in our rental condominium. While the staff were friendly, our experience was NOT pleasant.
In March 2013, Dustin Levy of OC Floor Gallery came and measured the condo so he could work up the estimate to remove all the existing carpet (living room, dining room, hallway and two bedrooms). The two bedrooms were to have new carpet and padding installed, while the hallway, living room and dining room were to have laminate flooring installed.
The first estimates were provided on March 29, 2013. The prices were agreeable, so we paid our deposit to have the intermediate grade laminate flooring and intermediate grade carpet installed. Around April 5, 2013, we received an email from Dustin Levy that apologized for using incorrect measurements that resulted in an incorrect (low priced) original estimate. The difference was about $500-600.
My family emailed Dustin and stated because it wasn't our error that caused the incorrect estimate, we shouldn't have to pay extra. Further, we would report the "Bait and Switch" tactics to the Better Business Bureau. On April 9, 2013, we received a response (in all capital letters) from Glen Levy, the business owner.
Glen Levy stated, "As far as the Better Business Bureau goes, I'm not concerned either way. We do not play the "Bait & Switch" game. We never have & never will. As an honest, practiving Christian, there is more at stake here than money . . .
That being said, as a businessman, I won't be able to lose money on this job. I will call you & discuss any part of this issue that you're not comfortable with. Mistakes happen in this business, as I'm sure in your business, and they have to be corrected (Not absorbed by the company). When there is a miscalculation or other error on the salesperson's part, then I am willing to cut my margins to make my customers happy."
Let me repeat, that the above text was typed in ALL capital letters. Since OC Floor Gallery had been recommended to us, my family agreed to pay for the difference in material cost. The flooring was installed by our Memorial Day 2013 visit. Things seemed fine until we visited our unit November 16 2013. At that time, we noticed that a section of floor near the front door had developed a large air bubble. We reported it to OC Floor Gallery before we returned home on November 17, 2013.
Since I didn't hear anything from OC Floor Gallery, I called on Tuesday November 26, 2013 and spoke with Dustin. I asked whether he'd been out to the unit to confirm what repairs would be needed. He advised that due to the Thanksgiving holiday rush, he had been busy, but that he would check on the unit in early December. During the conversation, Dustin pointed out that humidity (it's a beach town) can be a factor in laminate flooring "bubbling". I mentioned this to a contractor friend, who said that is true, except my family has a second floor unit and the humidity stays closer to the ground.
I didn't hear anything from OC Floor Gallery between Thanksgiving and Christmas, so I called OC Floor Gallery on December 27, 2013 to check the status of the repairs. I spoke with Dustin who said he would check with his installers and call me back.
Since I didn't hear anything by January 16, 2014. I sent an email to Dustin reminding him of our last conversation in December. I also stated that I would retain legal counsel if necessary and that Dustin could pay to have the flooring fixed by a different company.
Dustin responded to my January 16 email by saying that I "must have misunderstood" him. "Moisture" is the problem and that perhaps whoever is cleaning the floor is over saturating the flooring which is causing the edges of the floor (seams between the strips of flooring) to curl.
(NOTE: The unit is a summer rental unit that is cleaned between tenants.)
Dustin further stated that he'd be happy to work up an estimate to have the affected flooring replaced.
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On January 19, 2014, my family visited the unit and noted that the original "bubble" we had noticed in November was no longer there. As indicated in Dustin's email, there was evidence of curling along the seams of the laminate floor.
At this time, the floor looks okay, but not as if was installed less than a year ago. We estimate that we will need to replace the laminate floor within the next three to four years. (Average life for a laminate floor is closer to 10 years.)
We will NOT be using OC Floor Gallery in the future.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
OCFloor
Ocean City,Maryland,
Laminate Floor
#2REBUTTAL Owner of company
Thu, January 23, 2014
I'm one of the owners of OC Floor Gallery. First and foremost, I am very sorry that you did not have a good experience with our company. We take customer satisfaction very seriously. OC Floor Gallery has won numerous local and regional awards for the quality of our product and services, as well as our customer service. Our reputation is the best in the area.
I appreciate the comment that you found our staff "friendly". We take great pride in our service. You mentioned that Glen (who is a manager here, not one of the owners as you thought he was) typed a response to you in all Caps. Glen will be the first to admit that his typing skills need improvement, and he types all of his emails in Caps to save time. I can assure you he was not "yelling" with his email, as it can come across. As you mentioned, we are a very friendly company and Glen certainly was not trying to be confrontational. I apologize if you felt that Glen was yelling at you. As you can tell from the body of the email that you posted, he really was trying to help and make you happy.
In our business, "bait and switch" is a very very serious claim. I talked to Dustin this morning. He showed me in his notes that he made an honest error when calculating the quantity needed to do the job, and pointed out to you that the quantity he sent in his original quote was not enough to do the job. This was an honest mistake when he added the square footage of all the rooms, and he brought it to your attention immediately (well before the install). The pricing per square foot did NOT go up (in fact it went down). And as we put the quantity on the first quote, it was clear that he had not included enough material.
It looks like you both discussed it and there was a compromise where you agreed to pay some of the extra but Dustin cut the margin way back to absorb most of the error. In any case, he was very open and upfront with his mistake and you both mutually agreed on the new price prior to any install. I don't feel this was "bait and switch" at all. I can assure you that did not happen, and does not happen at OC Floor Gallery. We would have gladly refunded your deposit had you not wanted to go ahead with the work at that time.
Based on your report and my conversation this morning with Glen and Dustin, the floor "seemed fine" from installation on April 16 until your visit on November 16th. So based on that statement, for six months there was no problem reported. It lasted an entire beach rental season with no complaints. Since the floor looked good for that long, something in the environment had to have changed to cause the problem. Any problem with the installation as you claim should have shown up earlier than that.
Our installers are top notch, and we do moisture tests prior to any job. When we installed it, there was no evidence of excess moisture, or we wouldn't have proceeded until that was corrected. We give a Lifetime Warranty on all of our labor, so we don't cut corners or take shortcuts. I can assure you the labor was done to a very high standard. Upon secondary inspection last month, we found no evidence of any problem with the installation.
The heart of the issue is that the floor was bubbling and the edges were "curling" up. Any flooring inspector (or you can google that problem and see the many responses that support this) would agree that these are problems caused by moisture/humidity. Dustin mentioned that to you when you reported the initial complaint. Upon inspection, we noticed that the edges were starting to curl (which you have also seen and referenced in your letter). The most common causes of this would be a leak or the way the product is being cleaned.
It is very important to us that you are happy. I would like to suggest that we call in a certified third party inspection. They will give an unbiased view and will determine their own opinion of what the problem is. If they agree that the problem is with the excessive moisture being used when the product is being cleaned, it may be the support you need to go back to the cleaning company with a claim for reimbursement due to improper cleaning. If they find that the product is defective or that the installation was done outside of industry standard, we will process a warranty claim to get the floor replaced.
Dustin said he has left you numerous voicemails and emails in the last 2 weeks trying to discuss options/solutions with you, and you have not returned any calls or emails. This online report is the first response we've gotten to his many messages to you. We are trying to make this right, but we can't work with you if you won't call us back. Please call us when you have a moment to discuss this. I am more than willing to meet with you personally as well.
Thank you, and I look forward to talking with you about how we can help you.
Chris