ComplaintsforToday's LifeStyle Solutions

• Initial Complaint

  04/06/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My family hired ***** ***** and her company, Life Style Solutions, to help clean out items from my aunt's house. Communications with her began at the end of October. The clean out occurred on February 27, 2023. I was very disappointed in *****'s lack of communication and professionalism throughout the process. My biggest grievance, and the reason I'm contacting the BBB is because she did not submit a complete list of all of the items she and her team removed from the house, nor did she compensate my family for them. Although *****'s proposal for the work promised the itemized list and payment for the buy-out items to be issued within 15 business days of removal, I did not receive those documents until March 23. On March 28, I wrote a letter to *****, outlining my concerns, listing the items I know were not accounted for, and requesting that she either return the listed items (as well as other items she took but didn't account for) or pay us the full value for those items. In addition, I included pictures of the items in question, as well as pictures taken on the day of the clean out, showing items that she took with her that day. The following day I mailed the letter, via certified mail. The tracking shows that it was given to an individual at her residence at 12:36 pm, on March 30. Since then I have gotten no follow up phone calls, texts, or mail from ***** in regard to this matter. The fact that ***** is making no effort to resolve this issue is appalling and unacceptable. I feel that ***** ***** has stolen many items from my family and she should be held accountable for her actions. I hope that your office will be able to help us resolve this issue. If she doesn't comply with one of the two choices for the resolution that I suggested, could this be something that should be brought to the attention of the police department?

  

  Business response

  06/12/2023

  Business states they will have a response to the consumer by 6/16/23. 

  Customer response

  06/18/2023

  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.
  
  On Monday, June 12, I received the following response, through the BBB, from Today's Lifestyle Solutions:  "Business states they will have a response to the consumer by 6/16/23."   It is now June 18 and I have not had any contact from the company since I filed my complaint.  It appears that ***** ***** has no remorse for her actions and has no intention of trying to make amends for what she did.  Please advise me in what my next steps should be.  Should I file a police report and/or contact a lawyer?  

  I appreciate your help in this matter.

  Regards,
  
  *** *****

  

  Business response

  06/21/2023

  Client will receive an update at the end of the week

  Thank you 

  Customer response

  06/26/2023

  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.
  

  On June 21, I received a message that Today's Life Style Solutions would provide me with an update by the end of the week.  That did not happen.  It seems that ***** ***** is just stalling and stringing us along, with no intention to try to resolve this issue.  In your communication with her, has she indicated what she intends to do about this?  She didn't respond to the BBB within the initial two week time frame.  The BBB had to follow up to get in touch with her.  We patiently gave her an additional month to respond, due to *****'s hospitalization and health issues.  Since the beginning of June, she has made two empty promises to contact me by a certain time.  I have little faith that ***** ***** is going to do what's right.  She has repeatedly proven that she is dishonest and untrustworthy.  

  
  Regards,
  
  *** *****

  Customer response

  07/21/2023

  On Tuesday I received a letter, dated 7/16/23, along with a check, for $122.50, from ***** *****.  I'm surprised that she finally responded and I am disappointed in her response.  Neither of my desired resolutions were fulfilled.  She credited us for a handful of items that I specifically mentioned in my letter and refunded half of the charges for unloading vehicles at her shop.  I am confident that more items were taken and that ***** didn't account for everything that had been taken from my aunt's house.  Looking back at the photographs that were taken on the day of the clean out in February, I saw a porcelain decoration of an old lady playing the piano, as well as an old metal breadbox.  As I reviewed the list of inventoried items, I didn't see those things identified.  Perhaps they were listed with a different description that I didn't recognize.  Perhaps she didn't account for them.  ***** said that the Homer Laughlin china set was sold in May.  If she wasn't going to pay us the full value of the items she took, I wanted them back - especially the china set.  I'm upset that she sold it!  She knew at the end of March that I was dissatisfied with our interactions with her and she was aware of how I felt about the set of dishes.  In her letter she stated that many items that were removed from my aunt's house had been donated.  In this week's correspondence she included a copy of those items.  If items truly were donated, why wasn't that list included in her original inventory and the information that she sent to me?  ***** stated that the vintage blender (which I had included a picture of in my correspondence to her and to the BBB) had been donated, due to its condition.  However, the blender is not listed on the itemized list of donated items.  That seems strange to me.  The magnetic kitchen towel bar that was taken, was addressed in her letter, but not given a monetary value for compensation.  ***** said that she donated the large ceramic cookie jar that had been in the kitchen.  It was in excellent condition.  Within the past couple of months, I saw similar items at an antique store for close to $100.  I don't know why that would have been donated, especially since, based on my observations and comparisons, it seemed to be of substantial value.  When we agreed to work with *****, it was my understanding that our family would be compensated for everything they took from the house.  Her team was very selective with what they took.  They boxed things for donation, which we helped haul away that day, and also threw some things away (many of which I felt could have been donated).  She wanted everything they took, and should have compensated us for all of those things.  Whether she sold it or donated it afterwards shouldn't matter.  She makes plenty of money on what she takes and sells.  I'm sure that she made an overall profit on items taken from my aunt's house.  She got paid $35 per hour, per person, to sort through and take everything she wanted and deemed of value, and then typically gives clients 10 percent of the value of what she takes.  ***** gave us 20%, without an explanation.  I wondered if that was her way of compensating us for what she took but didn't account for.  She never gave any explanation as to why she did that.  On the copy of the inventory list that she included with her correspondence this week, ***** highlighted line items 25 and 26, Cunningham and Pickett (Norway rose) china.  I'm not sure why that was flagged.  That was not the full china set that I wanted back.  She identified taking 10 pieces of those dishes.  The Homer Laughlan Briar Rose set was a complete set, and even included serving dishes.  (Pictures were sent of those dishes in the built-in china cabinets at my aunt's house).

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