ComplaintsforServpro of Citrus Heights. Roseville & Carmichael

• Initial Complaint

  07/06/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On March 15, 2021, I called ServPro to clean up water damage from a broken toilet to 2 bathrooms, 1 bedroom, laundry room and hallway to my home at **** *********** ****** ********** ** *****. While the manager, ****** ****, was talking to me in the front room of my home, packers were taking everything out of my dressers in the bedroom and items from the bathroom and packing everything in boxes. I told them to stop and that they could just leave everything as it was but move the furniture to the dry side of the bedroom. They insisted that their policy (for insurance purposes) was to box everything and take in to their storage for a few days while the floors were drying. I was left with few clothes and no bed, clothing and personal items. Value approximate: $40,000. As of today, June 28, 2021, ServPro has not and will not release my property to me. The ********, my insurance company, will not pay the full bill because they believe the charges are highly inflated and not comparable to other companies locally nor federally. As a side note, I ask ServPro for estimates of the cost but they would not offer any estimates. The charge is $34,379.77 with costs for storage climbing. This does NOT include any restoration nor repairs to my home! ******** initially sent me a check for $7895.10 but then sent me an additional check for $4633.61 (total $12,528.71). Neither ******** nor ServPro can come up with an agreement to settle this claim. Last week I offered ServPro 12,528.71 to release my property. They have not responded. I am a 78 year old woman with several health issues. I am still without a bed and my furniture and belongings. In these 4 months I have suffered with back, hip and neck pain as well as the trauma of losing my belongings.

  Business response

  07/06/2021

  *******,
  
  Thank you for your letter. Please note for the file, Najolia Enterprises, INC, dba. Servpro et al has not received any notice, complaint or concern until this complaint has been filed. This complaint has only come at the time Servpro has made the request for payment from your insurance carrier.
  
  I will address each item per your letter.
  
  PACKOUT: **** ******, your were notified and agreed to having your contents packed out of your home for repair purposes. Servpro further explained that water damaged building materials were to be removed through your home. Removing these building materials with your personal belongings still in the home would cause further damage to your belongings. I have interviewed all staff members who have been to your home individually, during this pack out. At no time was there any instruction to stop. Our staff would have complied with your request at any time.
  
  BEDDING, CLOTHING AND PERSONAL ITEMS: **** ******, per your instruction several items were set aside in order for you to continue your regular state of living, or as closely as possible due to your circumstances. Our staff took the time to ensure you were as comfortable as possible. Our understanding was there was another bed in the house in which you stated you would utilize. Additionally, your insurance carrier per your insurance policy would have arranged additional living housing in order to make you comfortable, to this day you had not accepted this help from your insurance carrier.
  
  BILLING: As to your charge of inflated pricing, this comment is directly from your insurance carrier adjuster who job it is to reduce all insurance claim expenses at all costs, even if it affects insurds like you. Which now has been echoed by you in fear that The ******** Insurance will not pay your bill. The ******** created their own internal "estimate" of costs. The ******** is not restoration company, and do not set pricing for such services. Setting such pricing is called "price fixing" and is illegal per California Law. As to estimates, we provide free estimates quite frequently to our customers and would have happily provided you an estimate. However, an estimate was not asked for.
  
  Our pricing is consistent with the market, according to the United States Department of Labor Consumer Price Index (CPI) score for inflation, market value, and geographical location. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a measure of the average change over time in the prices paid by urban consumers for a market basket of consumer goods and services. Indexes are available for the U.S. and various geographic areas. Average price data for select utility, automotive fuel, services, and food items are also available. This method of pricing is fair for the customer and the vendor in that it can be determined by any public entity using publicly available information.
  
  ********* fails to include the increased costs that are incurred due to inflation, is selected from a preferred group of users of their particular system, and not the industry as a whole. Our company has spoken with ***** ******, Structural Data Analyst for ******** and this is the process that is followed.
  “We do not apply a factor to pricing for such things as inflation etc.”   ***** ******, Structural Data Analyst for ******** September 29, 2020 3:12 PM.
  
  Our pricing is fair and reasonable for this claim. 
  
  In addition, your insurance carrier, The ******** is in breach of your insurance policy and may be held by law for this breach. Most namely called "Bad Faith." The following is from the Department of Insurance and the California Code of Regulations
  
  California Code of Regulations 10 CA ADC 2695.183 Standards for Estimates of Replacement Value.
   
  (a) The estimate of replacement cost shall include the expenses that would reasonably be incurred to rebuild the insured structure(s) in its entirety, including at least the following:
  (1) Cost of labor, building materials and supplies;
  (2) Overhead and profit;
  (3) Cost of demolition and debris removal;
  
  TIME FRAME: In regards to your 4 months, Servpro was onsite for less than 2 weeks within your home, the remainder of the balance of the time was your insurance adjuster approvals and the re-construction of your home performed by another contractor.
  
  SETTLEMENT: In regards to this complaint, the primary reason is the payment portion. Which your adjuster has failed to "indemnify" you per your signed contractually binding policy with them. I have spoken with your adjuster and have offered a 5% discount to the entire claim. Your adjuster has failed to communicate his position. I am still awaiting his communication.
  
  **** ******, we side with your plight, we take these matters seriously. You, like many of our other customers have been taken advantage of by your insurance company. We see this most commonly with the elderly, second language citizens and the impaired. We as a company don't expect you to know insurance law code however, your insurance company uses this to their advantage.
  
  I would ask your insurance adjuster, per your insurance policy, specifically what portion of the claim they are denying? They must inform you of these denials by law. If they do not, I would seek legal council. If you need assistance with this, we are more than happy to assist you with this process to ensure a fair and timely payment.
  
  I sincerely hope we can put closure to this claim and ensure this is put behind you. I look forward to hearing from your adjuster. I have attached additional information regarding Insurance Regulations.

  Thank you.

  
  

  Business response

  07/08/2021

  A settlement has been agreed to, between SERVPRO and the The ********, payment will be issued to you. Please send an email address so that we may send you the settlement agreement to put closure to this. Once the settlement agreement has been signed and paid, SERVPRO will release the lien and schedule your contents for delivery.

  Thank you.

  Customer response

  07/08/2021

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to my concern, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  

  e-mail address is  *******.*********************     

  Thank you.

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