Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/07/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I would like to address resolving the ongoing flooding issue in our basement. We were assured that drain tiles throughout the basement and two sump pumps would resolve the flooding issues. Unfortunately, the flooding is still an ongoing issue which we have already discussed by phone. It was also discussed that while construction was being completed my basement window was broken by your workers which has not been addressed either. This was a 15k job that is not correct!

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/08/2023

  Highlander was already out to this customer's property 2/7/23 to correct a problem with "seepage" (not what we would define as "flooding") and per our warranty, we have already made the correction. In regard to the window, it is our understanding that the customer had removed the studs and paneling prior to our project by someone other than Highlander, that was near this window. The window is located at the top of the wall, and at no time was our scope of work in proximity to it. All the work performed was at the bottom of the foundation wall. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/30/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  My daughter ******** ****** who is my POA is going to speak for me.I am 80 yrs old and do not know how to type. We moved in this house together 13 years ago and she is on the deed. On Febuary 18, 2021 we hired Highlander Waterproofing Co to waterproof our home. 3 months later on Mother’s Day 5/9/21 the water is still coming into the basement I called highlanders on 5/9/21 and spoke with an operator. I gave her the details of the situation. A manager name Mike calls me back on 5/10/21 states someone will come out to assess the problem. Another manager named Mike comes to my house and assesses the problem and states the problem was my patio then realizes it wasn’t the problem when I told him the patio was two years old but my water problem is 13 years old. That let me know he didn’t know what he was talking about.He then states someone else would be out to assess the problem. No one called so I had to call them back numerous times. I left a message with the operator that if someone didn’t call me back immediately I would call the BBB then On 5/18/21 the owner Jennifer calls and stated she had food poisoning and couldn’t call back until this date and she would be sending someone to assess the situation. On 5/21/21 Mike a manager comes to my home and states the water is going onto the stud nail on the inner wall and is dripping where it shouldn’t and that’s why the water is coming in and they would need to tear down that specific drywall and put up a vinyl sheet. On 5/24/21 someone came out, knocked down my drywall and put a vinyl sheet up. This is the area the water initially started. I missed a couple days of work because I had to keep an eye that the water didn’t flood my basement. I am disabled and can only work one to two days a week but I cannot do extreme work as I was doing having to carry 5 gallon buckets of water back and forth. I had to cl*** numerous gallons of water off the floor using a towel and a bucket. Now on 3/9/22 the water is coming in again. I called Highlander Waterproofing no one came out to assess the problem until 3/23/22. I once again missed work. I am a nurse. I always have to call Highlander numerous times before I can get anyone to call me back. So a new hire James D*** comes to my home with Manager Mike and they assess the situation and decide it’s multiple things wrong. They give me a to do list. I need new gutters. $1000, seal the roof $200, seal the chimney no charge, window wells $108, and put dirt around the patio $83. then James D*** breaks up a section of the patio and stated he connected a pipe but I never seen it and he never called me outside to see it and I was home. James D*** think this is what we needed to do to resolve the situation On 11/11/22 water is getting into my house again. I called the owner Jennifer’s cell phone but she doesn’t answer and hasn’t answered til this date. I then called James D*** a manager who was told he would be the one to always work on my water problem so this is why I call him direct. He comes out and makes a silicone water dam to the area that is getting wet. I told him that someone told me the floor is not sloped correctly and that it would need redone the floor is sloped away from the sump pump. I told James D*** that and he stated the person who made the patio didn’t pour enough concrete which didn’t make sense especially since the patio is three years old and my water problem is 13 years old. Anyways he build a silicone dam. I asked James D*** if the patio concrete was the problem then why would he have me to get a new gutter , caulk the roof and the chimney, get window wells, put dirt around the patio and why would he break up the patio then close it back if the problem was the patio concrete. I verbalized that they we’re starting to run out of excusing and I’m starting to get really tired of my mother and myself being taken advantage of and James D*** agreed. I had my home improvement owner here from ****** **** *********** and he heard the whole conversation and Paul actually pointed out to James that in his option the troth was sloped incorrectly and that’s why the water runs up to the corner then comes from the back wall. That back wall the water is coming from now is the garage. Paul noted that the Highlander crew plugged in the sump pump to an extension cord instead of the main source. James D*** fixed that situation. That’s shows me the workers didn’t care about giving me the best and safest work. Paul’s home improvement is here to pull up and replace flooring that got wet with all these times my basement keeps her wet. Paul’s home improvement is who found that the basement was getting wet 11/11/22. James D*** told lame in front of Paul not to throw away the flooring box so if the floor gets wet again he would pay to put new flooring in that room. Paul could not start work again until 11/30/22 since he started a new job because he had to stop work on my house because my floor was getting wet. On 11/30/22 the water is coming in the house again. I called the owner but no answer. I called the company and spoke with the operator as I usually do and asked her to contact the owner and James D***. James D*** contacted me by text and told me the company let him go. He no longer works for them. No one has called me back. This has been going on for almost two years. My mother is 80 years old and I am 60 years old. I can’t keep cl***ing water off the floor and carrying buckets of water. I don’t know what to do. My anxiety level is to the roof as it always is when my basement gets wet and Highlander takes weeks before getting someone out to my home. They are a terrible company. I have so much regret getting them out to my our home. My mother wants a refund. We lost all trust in highlanders. We have given them multiple opportunities to fix the problems. I am out of over a thousand dollars that I didn’t need to spend. Highlander should have to pay all of my out of pocket expenses which is about $5000 plus the cost of the sump pump $7500. We want to hire in another contractor like **** ***** ********* We should have started with them. Highlanders should also pay for missed work. Water cl*** up and pain and suffering as I had panic attacks and my mom gets really upset every time the basement gets wet which is every-time we have a heavy rain. Please help us.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 12/06/2022

  We have been in recent communication with this customer.  We are going to make another attempt at a service call for her, but based on the photos we have of her current concern, this is likely a wall that she did not contract work on with us. In the photo I will attach, you will see where our work was completed and contracted for, and then you will see the wall that was not included in the contract that we have not serviced.   In an effort to maintain a good relationship with our customer, we are going to return to her home to address what may be a new problem. If it is included in the work we did, and it is covered under warranty , we will stand behind our work and service and correct anything that was under contract. If not, we will propose a plan of action for her new problem.  

  

  Business Response

  Date: 01/13/2023

  We are happy to update that we provided ******, ********* daughter, additional work on a wall that was not originally contracted, but we were able to help with the repair at no cost to the customer. We confirmed today that her basement is dry, and it’s currently raining outside. We value the relationship we have with our customer, and again, we are happy to have resolved this. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/14/2023

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

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/04/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Mày 31, 2022 they supposedly waterproofed my basement. It rained and I sent them pictures of water coming so they sent a technician who caulked a small area. It rained again in July and I sent more pictures of the mess and they sent the technician on August 15 and he did nothing to fix the problem. It rained again on Labor day and the amount of water coming in was worse. I had to stay in the basement and sop up the water with towels . The technician came again on September 20 and said extra work needed to be done and it was going to cost me another $4400. This has been going on for 4 months . The problem should have been fixed in May and I don't think I should have to pay more and quite frankly I don't trust them to fix the problem.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/13/2022

  This customer reached out for service of water seepage, and upon our visit, we removed paneling and studs in the basement with his permission.  This was after our original scope of work was completed successfully. Because this customer had a finished basement, there would have been no way for us to see that behind the paneling there were wall cracks that were leaking and a deflection in the wall. We recommended additional work to reinforce the foundation at an additional price point, as this was a separate issue from our original contract. Our position is that a refund is not due, but we would gladly provide additional work if he want to proceed with our company. These are two very separate issues. The price we quoted for additional service he needs was at a discounted rate. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/17/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  Regards,
  
  ****** *******
  
  I contracted Highlander to waterproof my basement and trusted that they would take care of my problem.  The first time it rained, I got water in my basement.  I got water in my basement two more times after that.  Each time I took pictures and sent them to Highlander.  They kept sending a technician, but they never fixed the problem.  They are the supposed experts, if something else should have been done, that should have been put in the contract.  I believed the salesman's promise that they would solve the problem.  Apparently I was duped and their warranty means nothing.  Can I legally hold them accountable?

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/18/2022

  In response to the customer's response, we would be happy to share additional supporting details around our position. 

  The original contract and scope of work was designed with the customer's basement "finished" with paneling and work would be done with this major consideration tbat the customer wasn't interested in removing the panels  or "gutting" the basement.  Unfortunately, in addition to the original problem we corrected, it was later discovered that behind the wall panel was a bowing wall, which also has a crack and some seepage that was covered from our observation prior to it's removal.  Once this bowing /crack problem was discovered, we offered to provide service to our customer, at our cost, with the company not seeking to perform the work for any profit on our end,  in an effort to extend as much help as we could around the newly discovered issue. It is our position that we should not be held to a refund, as we performed our services in good faith and remedied the initial waterproofing concern, and that this is an entirely separate repair.