ComplaintsforVancouver General Contractors

• Initial Complaint

  30/12/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I signed a contract with Vancouver General Contractor about our en-suite and the powder room renovation project in Jan 2022. Then I had two meetings with the interior designer to finalize the costs for the scope of work and the materials we chose during Jan to Oct 2022. The whole process took me more than 9 months. Since I signed the contract I was not contacted with the project manager again. The materials recommended by the company did not meet my expectations I chose to buy the materials myself and decided to renovate on the en-suite only. In July, they threatened me to apply $200/day if they were not able to start the project. All materials I purchase were sent to the designer in Aug/Sept. I had not been contacted until I followed up. In Oct this year, i came to the office to approve the quotes and designs which were verbally agreed back in April or July. This is the last to do they requested from me before they could start the project. They did not start the project until I follow again in Nov. and i asked for other options if I were to terminate the contract. VGC asked me to pay the remaining balance owing including the back charges since August and the 22% administration charge. However, nothing was done to the en-suite at this point with the 30% deposit made in Jan $10128.77. I decided to continue with the project if they could get the process started and get it done by the year end. A new project manager contacted me to coordinate with the project. He asked me for the payment again in our first meeting. I asked for the adjusted cost of the remaining work as they are not required to renovate the powder room. It was not provided to me within a month after I followed verbally and in writing a few times. The crew did not show up or late to get the job done and asked for access to the house without notice when they were outside of our house. I doubt the companys business practice and do not believe they are acting in the clients best interests. I need help to resolve this dispute. I do not want to be fooled around and continue delaying the project for no reasons. Thank you

  Customer response

  04/01/2023

  If the company is not able to finish the job with the clear breakdown of the cost estimates  for the scope of remaining work and the timeline, I would like  the partial refund. 

  
  

  It has been taking too long for them to get the job done. If they are not able to get thee job done in a week, I would like to request a partial refund. 

  Thank you. 

  
  

  

  Business response

  18/01/2023

  Good evening, ****
  Id like to assure you that your project is our priority, and we intend to complete the work as soon as possible. The project was progressing efficiently, and demolition work was completed on time/schedule. 
  
  There were several challenges when our trades were not granted access on multiple occasions, and were not given enough time to fulfill the tasks assigned. We suggested access resolutions/arrangements but unfortunately the resolutions were not accepted. We made attempts to reach you before and after the holidays to arrange a meeting with you, discuss the scope of work, costs, and proceed with the work, but we did not get a response to our message.
  
  At VGC, we will go above and beyond our duties to complete your project with great quality and efficiency. I will contact you tomorrow, Wednesday, to arrange a site meeting with you and resolve this matter ASAP.
   
  Best regards,
  
  
  **************

  Customer response

  18/01/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  

  I have no faith in the way the company is doing business.

  If the company  not able to provide me with the final costs to finish the project in 5 business days and amend the payment schedule based on the new final costs, I would like to proceed further with the company and also request a reasonable refund without the administration fee.  I did not cause any delay on my end during the process. Thank you.

  Sincerely,
  
  *** ***************

  

  Business response

  19/01/2023

  Hello ***,

   

  This is ******* and I am the owner of Vancouver General Contractors, I have emailed you but you requested that I respond to you through BBB. I am happy to accommodate your request and here is the cost to finish the project.

  Your Original budget to do the ensuite as well as the powder room is $33,762.55

  The powder room credit is $5,375.09

  The new total for the project is $28,387.46, you already paid a deposit of $10,128.77 when you signed the project, and the remaining balance is $18,258.69. 

  We are not going to charge you the 22% cancellation fee for the powder room which is $1,182.52 in good faith, as we just want to get your project completed, since we have purchased the materials and the trades are on stand by right now. 

  You next payment that is due right now is $4,064.96 which is due at the start of demo. 

  Your remaining payments will be the following; Start of Drywall $8,516.24, Start of Painting/Flooring $2,838.75, Final Payment at completion $2,838.75. 

  I believe this is a fair solution to your request, and I want to finish this for you because we have all worked so hard to get to this point. Karar is excited to work with you, and I assure you he will be a lot more effective in communicating and ensuring that trades show up when they say they will. 

   

  Please let me know if this is acceptable and I can action everything to get this project moving long. 

   

  Thank you, 

   

  Customer response

  19/01/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  The costs for the remaining scope are way higher than the fair market price. The original costs include $7500+ of materials, what is the total material cost of the remaining project? I already paid for the large items and accessories out of my pocket. If the remaining cost for putting the tiles and installing the toilet, bath, fan, lighting and shower are $18k+, this is not acceptable to me.

  Please amend the costs or process the refund as soon as you can. Otherwsie, it doesnt make sense for me to proceed further with VGC 

  Thank you.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *** ***************

  

  Business response

  02/02/2023

  Hello ***, 

   

  Thank you for your patience, as there was a lot of information for me to gather. I have spoken with all my team and I can confirm that the last price we gave you was accurate for the ensuite bathroom with removing all the items that you are supplying and the powder room. 

  I managed to bring it down to $28,059.87 with all taxes in. I have attached the scope of work and the allowance sheet for your review along with the design package.

  It is true that you removed items from the scope and and cancelled the powder room, but the fact remains that there is still a lot of labor involved in the renovation. We are tiling the entire bathroom, as well as doing a lot of electrical work with accent lighting. I think the design looks beautiful and you will be very happy with the end result. 

  If you want to decrease the cost, I am happy to make some suggestions. There would be costs associated with the revision of the plans, if we decide to do that. Some things you can consider is removing a lot of the tiles on the walls, although they are nice they are not required. Also we can remove the accent lighting using LED, again although it is nice it is not required. Another is removing the custom millwork, as well as the niche. 

  You have to keep in mind labor costs are the highest they have ever been and we value of trades and want to pay them fair market value. The cost of this bathroom renovation is not outside the norm. We have don't a lot of bathrooms projects and your bathroom cost is right in line with many others if not even lower. 

  If you decide that you do not want to move forward, there is a cancellation fee of 22% of the remining work and we will bill for all the time and work we have already done. At this stage if you cancel, you would end if owing VGC some money, but if you want to cancel, we will gladly just wave what we are owed and both walk away. 

  Please let me know what you would like to do and I am more than happy to accommodate you. 

   

  Thank you 

  ***********************

  Customer response

  02/02/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

   

  this is my final offer to continue the project with VGC without going further with this complaint. I received the quote on renovating the en-suite alone for $23,944.37, including $4,817.8 on materials. Since I already bought the materials suggested in the budget such as toilet double sink, tub, bathroom accessories and wall and floor tiles. The scope of work is only $19126.57. After the first deposit, the remaining balance owing should be around ****. Please let me know if you would like to move forward with the proposed solution. 

  I cannot accept the proposal of walking away without receiving any service provided by VGC for my over 10k of the initial deposit.

  thank you. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *** ***************

  

  Business response

  07/02/2023

  Hello ***,

  
  

  We can match that price, but that means that we will need to match the exact scope. The scope you have there is not exactly the same as what you have asked for on the final drawings.

  
  

  If you can scan all the pages and send it to me, I will gladly match it line item by line item, and let you know what the cost is exactly.

  
  

  But that scope does not include tiling on all the walls for example.

  
  

  Thanks 

  Customer response

  07/02/2023

  Hi *******,
  
  This is 100% not true. When *** ( the project manager) went through the quote with me, he did not go through the items line by line with me. Based on the trusted relationship I confirmed the details with him verbally and thats why I wrote the notes on the cover page what is included. I made sure the quote is for the tiled bathroom entirely. From day 1 I already made up my mind to tile the whole bathroom. 
  
  Thats also the reason why I filed the complaint. Your company business practice is very questionable. Even though I signed the contract and the contract says it supersedes all prior negotiations, representations or agreements either written or oral,  both parties to the contract must keep their words and make every effort to carry out the duties. 
  
  I did not do anything wrong on my part. However, the lack of actions on your side  will constitute what is described as a "breach" or violation of the contract. I paid a price for someone leading the project. But a project manager did not show up or communicate with me ever since the contract was signed. Interior designer was not helpful in sourcing the right materials to match the design. I ended up buying most of the project materials myself.   VGC did not start the demolition 10 months after the contract was signed. VGC simply failed to fulfill their contractual responsibilities in the manner specified in contract provisions.
  
  Thank you.
  *** ****

  

  Business response

  07/02/2023

  Hello ***, 
  
  Thank you for your reply. With regards to the scope you signed off on, we did create 9 different variations of scopes, as there was a lot of back and forth with you and ***, that being said you decided to move forward with a scope that is outlined in what you signed.
  
   Also, we did not start your project because there were months when you did not reply to any messages, calls, or emails, and we have all of this document. We do our best to service our clients, but it seems that there were challenges in communication and correspondence early on your part. 
  
  The costs that I am using to create the revised scope for only the ensuite, are based on the prices of when you signed the contract and not today's prices. This would have been the price then, and I am willing to honor this price now.
  
  We are an ethical company and we do close to 70 jobs a year, and this is the first time that we have had a complaint of this nature. Again like I said before I am happy to work with you on this but there has to be a reasonable understanding, and not just simply saying a random number of how much you feel you should be paying for this renovation. 
  
  I look forward to hearing back from you. 
  
  Thank you,  

  Customer response

  07/02/2023

  Hi *******,

  
  

  I did not believe your crew communicated clearly to you

  And shared the truth with you. All the numbers I provided were based on the evidence and verbal

  communication. The 9 different variations of scopes were created before the contract was signed. 

  The hours spent should not be included in the scope of labor of the project.

  
  

  I did not receive any updates from Mahsa from February to

  Mid May. I always responded to the requests by phone, texts and emails. Someone

  dropped the ball but not me.

  
  

  VGC had the responsibility to follow up and get things done, the responsibility seems to fall on me. 

  I got penalized and was threatened to be back charged the admin fees if the project was

  Not able to get started by August.

  

  Business response

  09/02/2023

  
  Hello ***, 
  
  Thank you for letting me know about the scope that was presented to you. Can you please scan it and send me all the pages so that I can look it over please? The option I have is different from the one you sent me, as there were changes made and that was the option you signed.
  
  Once I receive it, I will go over it line by line and compare it to the options we have on file. 
  
  Thanks
  

  
  

  Customer response

  31/03/2023

  I already declined to response when ******* asked for it. I will proceed with the arbitration. I do not wish to spend time on negotiating a better offer with VGC. I had been doing this for over a year with them but nothing got done to my benefits. Their prices are out of the reasonable range compared to the market.
  
  I am not obligated to provide the scope at this point of the process but I am happy to do so upon the arbitrators request.
  
  Thank you.
  
  *** ****
  

  
  

  Customer response

  12/04/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I will not share the information with the vendor to keep the negotiation going as it has been a waste of time. I need a neutral third party to resolve this issue as soon as possible. I will provide the information to the arbitrator when the arbitration process is started.

  Thank you.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *** ***************

  Customer response

  14/04/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because I had a verbal agreement with *** after going through the proposal of doing the en-suite only  that the design included tub tiles wall tiles niche and the niche with LED. Please see attached. Thank you. 

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *** ***************

  Customer response

  15/05/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of Arbitration. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

  Better Business Bureau:

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID .********, , and find that arbitration is necessary.

  Sincerely,

  *** ***************

  

  Business response

  16/05/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of Arbitration. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

  Better Business Bureau:

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID .********, , and find that arbitration is necessary.

  Sincerely,

  *** ***************

  

  Business response

  16/05/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of Arbitration. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

  Better Business Bureau:

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID .********, , and find that arbitration is necessary.

  Sincerely,

  *** ***************

• Initial Complaint

  01/10/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I came to know about this company through ******** to get my home up-gradation done. They sent me an estimate of $50000-$100000 for the job. They asked me to deposit $7500 which will be adjusted towards the construction cost. They described that all drawings and 3-D visuals will be provided and will be supported by a team to get all done. They overpromised and when I went with my family to have a look at the visual nothing was shown to us. The talks were only focused on depositing 10% to confirm the job. They showed me the papers with a budget of $323000. They put me in a situation to go with them only to get a credit of $7500 I paid initially. When I approached them for a refund, they said can only refund $1600. I have not received anything for the money I deposited, no support, no revert but promises to talk once the head will return back from vacation. They ****** reviews also mentions some kind of reviews I need help to get my refund in full, the money I paid for nothing.

  

  Business response

  04/10/2021

  Mr. ****** approach VGC for a site consultation to discuss their renovation plans. Our Project Consultant Sal went out to meet ****** and discuss what they are looking to do, and discuss the VGC process. Sal explained to ******, that inorder to get an accurate quote for what they are looking to do, they would need to get a design first, which is best practice, and keep everybody on the same page. Mr. ****** agreed to to that, signed off on the design and gave VGC his $7500+GST payment. VGC then went out to the home, measured the entire property, drew the existing condition, as well as create the new design for the home. 

   

  Sal then invited ****** and his family to review the design as well as the scope. ****** was very happy with the design, and the 3D renders, which are attached to this response. ****** then negotiated a price and scope, and signed off on the build. ****** said he would provide us with a cheque after the weekend. 

   

  After the weekend ****** approached us saying that the scope is more than he wants to spend, and we said we would be more than happy to revise the scope to meet his budget. After some discussion, the expectation from ****** were such that it was impossible for VGC to meet those expectations with scope and budget. We told ****** that we are happy to help, and if he wants to explore other options he is more than happy to do so, as he only committed to the design. This is exactly the reason why we have a separate design agreement than the build agreement. 

   

  ******, then contacted us asking us for a refund of his money, because he didn't want to move forward with us on the Build. We explained that was not possible as the service for the design was already rendered, and there is no reason to even ask for a refund. In good faith I explained to ****** that I would be happy to give him a credit of $1500 in good faith, he said that was not acceptable, which is confusing because the service was already rendered. That's like ordering food, eating it, then asking the restaurant for a refund. 

   

  At this time, we are no longer interested in giving ****** any sort of credit as we are not obligated to, and this behavior is unethical and we will not condone it. ****** has all the documents he signed on for, and is more than happy to do with them as he pleases. 

   

  Thanks

  Customer response

  06/10/2021

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: There is no truth what has been mentioned there.The first email I received had a projected cost of $50000

  He made me sign on the first agreement with the proposal of $125000 as the total cost of the project.

  Everything was discussed in details about the renovation. Every change was talked about.  I did forward the video and pictures of the house. ******* involvement in the discussion took it to all together different direction and project cost tripled. 

  Sal mentioned to deposit $7800 as initial deposit, which will be adjusted towards the construction cost. The proposal was raised to $326000, which was nearly 3 times wha was presented to me initially. I was told to either go with or simply forget the initial deposit. They made agree for the deposit on different and false parameters. Initially started with $50000 and then $125000 and finally to $325000.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** *****

  

  Business response

  13/10/2021

  The statement are not accurate as per ****** response. It is clear to see with the documents I submitted that the cost of $7500 is just for the design, and the client has the chance to proceed if they choose, the money for the design is non refundable as the services have already been rendered.  

  Customer response

  13/10/2021

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  I was convinced to pay the deposit money with a commitment to adjust it towards construction cost. I paid after receiving the quotation for lease than $100000. It was a foul play to get deposit and then asking for $325000 construction cost. I have not received anything which is worth $7500. I was tricked to get into the company's trap. Didn't receive anything except those few pictures which doesn't make any sense.

  They trapped with wrong messages. 
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** *****

• Initial Complaint

  21/07/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I had hired Vancouver General contractors as a company known for "One shop stop" service so that I could make few changes in my apartment. My main goal was to remove my carpet and replace it with a hardwood floor and change my blinds since they had become health hazards, and if my budget allowed I would consider replacing kitchen and bathroom countertops and paint the walls. I had paid $3,675.00 on May 25th to start the process which they name it as “Design Agreement”. The design agreement includes conceptual drawings, estimation, and material selection revisions. They failed to provide a transparent estimation and breakdown of the cost on their scope and had forced me to agree on a contract I found too expensive. Refused to review material selection and ordered a product I did not sign to order or paid any deposit for. I offered to pay for their service portion but they insist to charge me for the material cancelation fee.

  

  Business response

  27/07/2021

  Without Prejudice, 

   

  The client signed on with VGC to help them with their renovation project. The first step with VGC is to sign on for a design in order to get a clear understanding of the clients expectations, so that we can price the project properly. 

  In doing so, VGC have done a site measure and completed the design based on the clients needs. 

   

  Once we had a clear expectations of what the client wanted we prepared 3 price point options. I want to attach them all, but there is a limit to what I can attach. 

   

  After presenting them to the client, they expressed that it was over their budget and they wanted to scale back. We did that and presented them with alternative options. the client decided that all they wanted to do was the floors. Our project consultants went above and beyond to try to accommodate the clients requests with facilitating a meeting with a floor supplier and providing a quote for demo, supply and install.

   

  The client was adamant that they needed this done right away. Our rep, communicated that to the client, the client gave a verbal ok, and the floors were ordered. The client later changed their mind, which resulted in a $1000 cancellation fee to our vendor from their supplier. 

   

  The client then decided to go with another company, and has requested that we give them back their money for the design. I communicated with the client as asked them why they feel they were entitled to the refund, which they stated that they did not want to move forward with VGC. This is fair, but the service for the design process was already complete and services were rendered. I told them that they would not be entitled to anything. 

   

  In an effort to accommodate the client, we offered to give them a credit for $1750 in good faith at in which they declined. 

   

  They then filed a complaint to the BBB on no grounds, as the services where rendered, and simply deciding to go with another vendor, does not discount the work we did, nor does it justify a refund. 

   

  At this time, we are no longer offering a credit, and would be happy to setup a mediation with the BBB to help resolve this matter. 

  Customer response

  04/08/2021

  August 4, 2021
  
  Complaint reference number: ********
  
  To Whom It May Concern,
  
  Thank you for providing the opportunity to present my case and reply to the Vancouver General Contractor’s narrative. I will first present the facts and then my reasoning from a customer’s rights standpoint.
  
  Chronology of Facts

  
  May 7, 2021My partner and I (hereinafter The Customers) attended our first meeting with VGC, intending to discuss the possibility of getting their service to make renovations in my unit involving new wood flooring in a 900+sqft unit, new countertops for the kitchen and bathrooms, painting, and blinds change. We met only with Shwan A**********, VGC´s project manager (hereinafter VGC-PM). During the meeting:
  VGC-PM explained their one-shop stop service scheme, emphasizing their advantage as contractors who could get 40 to 50% discounts from the suppliers of the materials needed for the renovation project (please see attached evidence, handwritten by VGC-PM).
  VGC-PM walked us through the structure of the contract reflecting VGC´s service, making clear that the $3,500.00 upfront payment was to be used partially on the design phase, and the balance was to be put on the purchase of materials once they were chosen.
  We made clear that our available budget was around $20,000+, and that we were intending to get the job done by July, given our interest to get rid of the current carpet that represents a factor affecting my health. We also emphasized that we were looking for sustainable materials for our project.
   May 10, 2021VGC-PM introduced us to the Canadian Home Style flooring supplier (hereinafter CHS).
   May 20, 2021
  We took the initiative to visit the CHS store in North Vancouver and liked a sample color. CHS´s salesperson told us it might take months to be produced and shipped due to high demand and COVID-related issues. The salespersons offered to call the wood company and ask for the availability of the wood. She refused to provide a price of the wood when asked.
  May 21, 2021
  CHS salesperson called to inform me about the availability of the wood and if she could come and measure my apartment. This was confusing since we had not asked for this visit, and we thought the VGC-PM and his team are in charge of this task. I informed VGC-PM of this initiative and he approved the CHS visit. I asked CHS’s salesperson for the cost again and she refused to provide it. While measuring, she mentioned that she has ordered the wood to reserve a spot in the queue for the July delivery, without any intervention, request, or instruction from us in that sense. No printed or electronic evidence of such order was handed to us.
  May 25, 2021
  VGC-PM and his colleague came over to measure the apartment and the contract was signed in good faith with the belief that we were going to work with them. Payment of $3500+ tax (total = $3675) was made by money order.
  June 1, 2021
  We had a virtual meeting with VGC-PM to review the proposed design and the estimation for the whole project. The estimation was set for $41,700 which was twice our set budget. When asked, he said that we have chosen the top-of-the-line product which costs $16 per sq ft, and he has managed to reduce it to $12 per sq ft. We decided to eliminate the countertops.
  June 2, 2021
  VGC-PM sent a second revision which surpassed our budget again ($31,000), and we noticed no itemized breakdown of the scope of work was provided.  We asked him to provide a breakdown of their scope and he answered their computer system does not provide such detail. We asked for a third revision which only covered hardwood flooring and also the cost breakdown.
  June 4, 2021
  A third revision was sent to us with no cost breakdown and on the same day, I wrote to VGC-PM that we need the cost breakdown to justify the total cost of $24,000. I also wrote to him that we find the estimate to be high for our budget and we are considering other options (E-mails attached).
  June 5 to June 8, 2021
  Given VGC-PM´s reluctance to provide a detailed budget, we restarted our search with other wood suppliers and contractors. To our surprise, we found that the price for the same wood is ranging from $10.99 to $12.35, without any special discount or bargaining on our behalf. The merchants listed their prices, and each of these businesses provided free consultation, in-home inspections, measurements, and detailed estimation for material and manpower involved so that we could make an informed decision.
  June 7, 2021
  I received another E-mail from VGC-PM on this day to ask again if I wish to go ahead with the project. I repeated my request for more detailed information and if he can help us find a better-priced wood. He refused to consider another alternative and mentioned vinyl plank could be an option, while we were looking for a sustainable product. He also mentioned that the order for the wood is still in the queue, and I need to let him know by the end of the day if I wish to cancel or not. I called VGC-PM on the same day at 3.54 pm and explained again that I cannot afford to move forward with this offer (E-mails and document attached).
   June 11, 2021
  I received a text from VGC-PM, informing me that the order was placed after all and there is a $1000 cancelation fee. He mentioned he is discussing the matter with his general manager to revise the price.
  This was extremely upsetting and lead to complete distrust.
  June 22, 2021
  I had another phone conversation with VGC-PM and requested to work with them on a smaller project such as blinds and he refused to accept my offer.
  My reaction was to ask him to connect us to his supervisor or general manager since their performance did not match standard business practices or good consumer reports. He did not reply, and we did not hear from the general manager or a supervisor (E-mails attached).
  July 7, 2021
  After days of no response from VGC, I reached out to the office and receive a phone call from VGC general manager on this day. I had a phone conversation with the general manager, and a meeting was set up to discuss the matters with all parties involved to try to agree on a solution.
  July 15, 2021
  After much discussion, VGC general manager only offered to pay $500 back. My partner asked VGC general manager and VGC-PM to internally discuss the matter and inform us of their most fair proposal. We expressed that we are happy to pay for the time and service they provided (up to $1000), even though the design plan has never been sent to us and is not in our possession. I was disappointed that VGC general manager never apologized or expressed regret to receive us as unsatisfied as we were, regardless of who is right or wrong.
  July 16, 2021
  I received an e-mail the next day. They offered to refund $1750 which includes a $1000 restocking fee for the wood. VGC-PM explained that $750 is for their time and work and $1000 for the restocking fee of the wood and highlighted the importance of their relationship with the flooring company. We found their assessment and offer unreasonable, which lead us to seek a third-party mediation (E-mail attached).
  Our Interpretation of the Facts
  From the sequence of the facts detailed above, it is clear that the VGC’s narrative misrepresents the process, which has brought us before BBB. We could not make any use of the alleged deliverables and I find their convenient persistence in providing a design service that is at best substandard, unfair, and unacceptable.
  From our standpoint as customers who in good faith have looked to get a standard contracting service for a set of simple home renovation projects, all these facts added up to make the experience very upsetting, and the mismanagement and unprofessionalism lead to complete distrust, causing me and my partner a great deal of distress. We find that VGC has failed us integrally, due to the following:
  1. No deliverables: First and foremost, no deliverable meets what they committed to. Even the design that VGC encloses in their submission to BBB was not delivered to us. We just saw it through a shared screen during the June 1st zoom meeting. The design consists of a simple change of floor and countertop color and does not even include the bathrooms. Furthermore, such deliverable fails to present the different components of the signed agreement.
  2. False sales offer: VGC-PM used a special 40 to 50% discount from their suppliers of materials as a unique feature of their service. This has proven to be absolutely false and the presented information to us does not reflect the actual price of the market price.
  3. Not responsive to the client´s budget or need: As an experienced contractor, VGC should have been responsive to the $20,000+ budget we set in our first meeting. On the contrary, it started with a budget doubling that figure, and in all three presentations, we had to remind VGC-PM of our budget. There was so much resistance to my request for a change of material with a better price so that we could meet our budget. There was no offer to cooperate to facilitate the change and explore other options.
  4. Lack of transparency: From the description of the facts and presented evidence, it is evident that the VGC business model neither clearly explains their contracting formats, nor discloses basic information which is key for clients to make an informed decision. In our specific case, at least we count these three items where there’s no minimum transparency:
  4.1. Design Agreement: 
  A) VGC´s contract template works differently than what VGC-PM explained to us in our first meeting. What was explained to us in the first meeting was that the upfront money was to be spent in the hours needed to come up with a design, budget, and schedule, and the balance was to be put on partially paying for the materials. In the presented estimation, it is not clear how many percentages have been used for the design and how many percentages are forwarded for the rest of the project.
  B) The 40-50% discount on materials was not in the presented estimation and was just a sales strategy. As customers, we were left wondering about the original price of the wood, and the discounted percentage. When asked, a false original price was quoted.
  4.2. Scope of work costs: VGC never came back to me with a detailed budget of the Scope of Work, despite formally requesting it in a written fashion at least twice. Even at their lowest quote (the third one presented to me on June the 4th), there was a scope of work of $11052 for demolition, installation, and other activities that were not broken down into figures that would allow us to understand where my money is going for a schedule of 7 days of work on site. No amount was forwarded from $3500 toward the project. The simple rendering should not cost $3500.
  4.3. The “Wood Order”: Aside from the fact that I had never ordered the wood and was still assessing the cost estimation, I had never been presented with a formal document showing the wood has been ordered, and how long the customer has time to change his/her mind and what is the cancellation fee. In my last communication, I asked VGC-PM to present any documentation to show an order for the wood, but his response only highlighted their relationship with CHS and the importance of recovering the restocking fee for them.
  
  Our Conclusion and What I Demand from VGC:
  I do not accept their claim of me asking for the project to be done “right away”. We approached them on May 7th and communicated our interest in completing the project by the end of July, broadly speaking.
  I accept paying for the time and materials that VGC has put into the aborted project. I find their June 16 offer to reimburse $1,750.00 does not reflect fairly.
  I do not accept the $1,000.00 restocking fee they claim they have paid to the wood company directly via CHS. I never authorized VGH to put an order, but only to save a spot on their backlog, which I called off on the 3:54 pm call of June the 7th.
  Therefore, what we expect from VGC is a $2925 reimbursement and I am happy to pay $750 for their work as estimated by their assessment.
  
  Thank you for your time and service.
  
  Sincerely,
  ***** ******

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