Complaint Review: Cavco Of Litchfield And Home Outlet - Goodyear, Chandler Arizona

We purchased a new Cavco home early in 2004 from Home Outlet in Chandler. The home was built in the Litchfield factory in Goodyear. Numerous aspects of the home, inside and outside, were unacceptable from the very beginning.

When we first tried to stay in the house, we discovered that the air-conditioner did not work. When we tried to use hot water, we had none. When we tried to use the dryer, the cord sparked.

The air conditioner was new, yet we would have to pay extra if we wanted it fixed on the weekend. Three differnt people had to come before someone knew how to repair it. We were without air-conditioning for several days during hot weather.

We had no response when we asked about the hot water. We finally discovered that the dryer was connected in the electrical box to the spot for the hot water heater. That did not take care of the sparking problem. After three weeks, I called the dealer and the factory to tell them that I planned to call the contractors state office. That day, two people came. That is when the uneven counters were improved, and some of the other items were repaired. The electrical problem was not found, even though the workers had been there for 4 hours. Since neither person was a licensed electrician, I decided to put an end to the dangerous situation. I called an electrician. He found the source of the problem in less than 20 minutes. The entire group of wires under the house in the "J box" were crossed. He wired them correctly and charged me $172. That money was never refunded to us. Home Outlet told me that it is the factory's responsibility, and the factory said it is the dealer's responsibility. That is the answer we have received for each of our complaints.

When the house was delivered, the corners were to be filled and repainted. It was never done. The cracks are still there as they were when we first moved in.

The doors to the den were shipped loose. They were to be hung before we moved in. Several weeks after we were living in the house, someone came to hang the doors and paint the trim. There was not sufficient material to complete the job, so the area is still unfinished.

Several weeks ago, when we moved more of our furniture into the house, we discovered that the roof is not even. We called and requested that a representative from the factory come and evaluate the roof, but no one has come. When I called the state to ask about our rights, I was told that the roof sinking in places would probably be considered a "cosmetic issue."

The "deluxe" appliance package was to include an upgraded dishwasher. The model that we received was a bottom-of-the-line G.E. dishwasher. The G.E. company verified by phone that the model was not an upgrade or a "deluxe" model. The unit was also damaged. We bought our own dishwasher and installed it ourselves. We were not allowed to return the damaged dishwasher and receive a refund for the unit. It was considered "our loss."

The kitchen faucet that we thought we were receiving was a "pull-out single lever". Unfortunately, we failed to notice that the order listed "single lever." What we have instead is a cheap faucet with no sprayer. That also was said to be our loss.

Not a single counter in the house is level. The response during the walk through was "Most people don't care about that, and it's not off that much."

The stove did not fit into the area between the counters. That improved afer the counter was raised. I will have to level the top myself as I put in ceramic tile.

The refrigerator still tips toward the back wall. It is noticable to anyone who looks at it. The floor is not level, so that could be the reason.

The house was never cleaned before we moved in. I had to do it myself. There was paint on all fixtures, on the blinds, and on the kitchen and bathroom floors. The drywall dust was everywhere including in the registers, in the sinks and in the tubs. They also had to be cleaned.

Dust comes in the windows like silt. The windows are too flexible and thin to be air-tight. The glass is very hot on days when the temperature is high. That means the quality if very low.

The sliding glass door and the back door leaked water when it rained. That was fixed by the worker who tried to level the counters.

The door to the water heater would not close. The paint on the roof over-hang was spotty. That was also repainted; however some remaining sections require paint.

The shower stall in the master bath leaks. The medicine cabinets are crooked, and the vanity lights are not even. One has a hole showing above the light and will need to be filled and painted.

The tub faucet is poor quality. It sprays water on the wall when it is turned on.

The insides of the kitchen cabinets are uneven. The cabinet and counter covering is coming off and needs to be glued. The microwave rattles and vibrates for it is not level either.

The ceiling in the kitchen and family room shows every section of drywall. There are numerous places where the painting of the dry wall is not finished.

When the mirrors in the master bath were hung, a mistake was made in the positioning of the hangers. The mirror hanger was moved, but the hole was never repaired.

The shelves in the cabinets above the washer and dryer are cut too short. If I use them, they fall in.

The air-conditioner was supposed to be big enough for the size of house we purchased. It does not cool the house. We have 2026 sq. ft., and a 5 ton unit. It will not cool to 75 degrees on a day when the temperature is above 100 degrees. The unit runs continuously. The family room is much hotter than the rest of the house.

There are no locks on the bedroom doors. That is truly one of the craziest things, yet. New homes have locks on the bedroom doors.

We paid an extra $100 for carpet to be placed in the master bath closet. It was not done. We didn't receive a refund.

The air-conditioner allowance on our cost sheet was $2,200. The unit cost was $1,700 and then we asked for an upgrade to 12 seer, which was another $300. That was paid for by Home Outlet since the cost of the unit did not go over the amount listed in our loan agreement. We believe that our unit should have been a more powerful unit to effectively cool our large home. The air-conditioner company and Home Outlet should have known that the 5 ton unit would not be efficient or sufficient.

There are other items of concern, but it would take more of my time to list them all. I feel that there is no way to fight a dishonest and misleading industry. The dealers and the factories have it made. They are not above the law, because there is no law to enforce. The quality of homes is not monitored.

I do believe that the person who came to level counters, fix the leaks, paint the trim on the house, repair the water heater door, and pull the counters closer to the wall did the best he could. When the quality of the home is so poor, some things just can't be improved without starting over from scratch.

We plan to contact the state to complain, but we have no faith that our plea will be successful. We have read too many articles that tell us that the "big guys" always win.

D.

Mesa, Arizona
U.S.A.

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