ComplaintsforGulf Coast Electric

• Initial Complaint

  04/24/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We unfortunately had work done in March 2023. We were billed for 7 hours of electrical work plus a service fee and received maybe 3 hours of work. Totalling ($819) when hardly anything was completed. 1 incorrect light fixture replaced and not removed. 1 GFI outlet placed to replace a regular outlet, 12 of 13 requested can-light shells removed and replaced with only screw build caps. Light switch added but not to code and exposed electrical wires remain. Job site not cleaned upon completion. Hole in wall created in visible area and blank plate placed to cover it. We will have to pay to have the hole repaired and the exposed wires properly covered. We also had to remove and replaced the incorrect light fixture that was hung. Estimated total hours of work are 3. $82.00 was for materials which we have no break down for. We supplied the screw in can-light bulb caps. I have emailed the company twice and have not had any response. I attached the invoice. Note that the items listed on this were not completed.

  

  Business response

  05/24/2023

  Ms ******,
  The original service request from you had about 4 items on the service call. We schedule our projects the best we can based on the expectation of the time required to perform the service request. The first day our electrician was there,  many new line items were added to the list such as changing ceiling fans, adding multiple non-existing circuits to various locations, and more. Part of the labor that you were charged with that first day was reviewing this new list of items with you over the phone since you were not there for the first part of our day. Since we were unaware that all of these new items were needed, we as a company did not plan for this additional work to be done since the initial list was small. We let you know that we would be more than happy to come back in the future when we were able to schedule for these additional items, but that was unacceptable to you. I’m happy that we were able to rearrange a second day schedule to be able to give you a few more hours so we could get to the priority items.
  I would like to address the many items discussed here best we can.
  When we left your property, we were planning to reschedule the additional effort to get everything accomplished, so I would speculate that there could have been some items that were still in work and planned to be finished upon our return. When you disallowed us to come back to finish, anything in work would have been left undone. We take public statements like 'not up to code' similar to a medical professional having claims of malpractice. We take terms like 'not up to code' very seriously. With us being in the middle of the project and not given the opportunity to complete, we cannot be held responsible for anything we were not given the ability to finish.
  You mention that the light fixtures were the screw in bulbs and not anything where the fixtures needed to be removed. The trim is what we removed and we installed the trim that you provided to us. These trims you provided us were the wrong size and did not fill the entire hole in the ceiling, so there was a gap that would have needed to be repaired by your other contractors. Along with this, there were multiple other contractors, painters included, that were in your condo at the same time. If these light bulbs were the screw in style, we would not have removed any of these light fixtures but only the trim. We do not remove or dispose of any customer-owned materials unless otherwise stipulated or asked since it is not our materials. Without direction, we left these removed trims with you since they were your property.
  The outdoor light fixture was a brand new circuit, and in condos, many times there are no ways to pull a brand new circuit without cutting holes in the sheetrock. While our electricians always strive to limit this type of access, this is a fairly common element of condo construction for new circuitry. 
  From our documentation, part of your request was for us to put up 3 outside lights. Our electrician started on the task, but the third light was going to be difficult, so you decided to not perform the task at all. We then reversed the portion performed and left you the parts.
  On our second day, our electrician let you know that there were only limited hours available as we were squeezing you in on our schedule, and wanted to get directly to work to get as much accomplished as possible. While I’m sorry that you took this as ‘aggressive’, we do want our customers to feel like they are getting value for what they are paying for and that time is not being wasted.
  The materials used consisted of GFI and duplex receptacles, outdoor wire, and a few various covers and switches. Copper wire and anything made with petroleum based product (plastic/pvc) is especially MUCH higher priced than it was in pre-covid days.
  We have been in Destin for 43 years performing service calls and small remodels like your project. We have been voted Finest Electricians on the Emerald Coast for 10 consecutive years running. When a project is planned and executed with purpose, we find they normally go well within minimum and customary construction parameters. We do wish you would have been more open to our recommendations to accomplish your list. We were in the middle of working on your project and we had full intention of returning to finish your project, however, since you did not allow us to finish, we cannot pay for your decision to contact another company. We had full intentions to finish and you disallowed us the ability to complete the project.
  As mentioned above, we attempt to minimize drywall encroachment wherever possible for new circuits. However, MANY times it is not realistic to get brand new wires inside of existing construction condo walls without holes to assist getting wires from one point to another. We are not drywall contractors and we are unable to repair any required drywall holes.
  I am very sorry that you were not satisfied with our work as many other customers have been for the past 43 years. If you would like to discuss further, please call our office at ************.

• Initial Complaint

  10/26/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Hired Gulf Coast electric to preform an inspection on the electrical wiring in the home we were purchasing, spoke with Dale. They were to preform an inspection on the electrical wiring and write a report on whether the wiring was a fire hazard or safe. They went to the location on the 9th of September 2021, on the 13th we called requesting the report and invoice. We were informed the technician went to the location but has yet to write the report or invoice. Called again on the 14th, we were informed work was going to need done but not what was needed. They told us they would be writing up the quote since the house was a safety issue, still to this day have not received a quote. A report was still not done and the invoice was still unavailable. At that time to much time had passed ** were forced to move our closing date and hiring a new electrician. We still had not received a report or invoice. The new electrician had preformed the inspection on the 19th, wrote a report and invoice on the same day of service, also verified that the house was not a safety hazard and was up to code. We then received an invoice on the 20th of September for the inspection they had done but had not provided a report for. When we spoke to the owner of the company over a month later she informed us that the quote was over $8000 for work that wasn't necessary. They had originally told us this work needed to be done or the home would be a safety hazard, the other electricians we hired informed us the house was up to code and not a safety hazard. The invoice sent was dated September 17th, but was not emailed to me until the 20th further delaying.

  

  Business response

  11/18/2021

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2021/11/03) */ Ms ******, We have been in business for 41 years in Destin. We always try our best to provide the utmost customer service for our clients. When hired, we do our best to provide what our clients ask for, or need, to satisfy the original request. We only continue our livelihood by satisfying our customers. The original service call was to 'inspect panel for insurance purposes' in regards to checking for cloth wiring in the house. This is a very standard item that we get approximately 6 times per month from insurance companies. In our experience of hundreds of service calls like yours, insurance companies will not write a new policy to insure a property if there is known cloth SEU wiring, so that's why they asked you to get a further inspection. The insurance companies are very risk-averse, so they wanted to know if there was cloth wiring in the property. Yes, there is, and a request was made for an estimate to replace it. Code Inspectors will definitely grandfather cloth copper wiring if it is already installed in the property, but any insurance company we have come across for years has issues wiring a new policy to insure cloth SEU wiring. The reason we provided an estimate was to satisfy your additional request for an estimate to replace the cloth wiring. While home inspectors and insurance companies do not like cloth wiring, there are many homes out there like yours that still have cloth wiring and function fine. There is very little inherently 'unsafe' about dated cloth wiring if it is copper. The person you spoke with was not the owner. We would not say that it was unsafe, and if we did, we were definitely in the wrong, but everyone you spoke with knows that cloth copper wiring inherently works fine and it's the insurance companies that find it unacceptable and 'unsafe'. I can only guess that you may have been told that it was unsafe by the risk-averse home inspector or insurance company. We do have photos of your SEU cloth wiring feed to your interior panel where there is silicone being used in place of bushings for the main feed of the interior panel. This is definitely a code violation and would not pass an inspection as there is no strain relief on a bushing or grommet. The main interior panel, the stove, and the shed all have this 3 wire SEU cloth wiring. The original service call was for an 'insurance inspection', and while 'code' will grandfather the old cloth SEU wiring, almost all insurance companies we have worked with in the past requires the older cloth SEU wiring to be replaced. If you hired another electrician, and they allowed the main feed silicone-filled entry point without changing or adding a bushing or grommet, it is still against code and would not pass * code inspection. What we can apologize for is the timeframe associated with getting you the estimate. Our estimators were very backed up at the time, so there was a week delay on sending you the estimate on Sept 21st. If you would have called us, we would have expedited your request to get everything to you in a more satisfactory timeframe. We will void the outstanding invoice since you did not get what you expected, and we wish you the best in your new property.

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