Lowe's installation disaster -- help!

[WishIwerethere]

Sorry in advance for the long post. I contracted with Lowe's in November 2009 to install on my home siding, roofing, guttering, and soffits and to wrap all of the wood trim, which was rotting, in aluminum. Long story short, it was a disaster (completed in February 2010 without any sign off by me). A professional inspection last week established the entire project needs to be torn off and redone, and that the workers damaged my house in other ways during the work.

Most of the problems were obvious to the inspector, and some are obvious to any casual observer (like siding and wrapping which has buckled substantially and an attic vent which is falling out of the enclosure because it is 2 inches short and was never attached in any way to the enclosure). They covered all of the roof vents with roofing paper, so my roof has not been breathing in any way for 8 months. I may have mold as a result -- mold is definitely in my HVAC system (which is directly below the attic).

I submitted a copy of the inspection (very thorough with pictures) to Lowe's and requested a response within 7 days. Lowe's has forwarded the claim to a "Third Party Administrator" named SRS, a "risk reduction specialist." Also, SRS has asked the contractor who did the work to contact his insurance company. Although I have no problem with Lowe's seeking relief from the contractor's insurer, my contract is with Lowe's only -- I never contracted in any way with the contractor and, in fact, the warranty/guarantee specifically refers only to Lowe's making it right. I would not have done business with Lowe's otherwise.

I am not having much luck getting information from SRS, including how it is that I need to deal with them when I have a very specific warranty/guarantee with Lowe's which requires replacement within one year where the work is not done appropriately.

I know the legalities of the situation, but I am wondering if anyone else has dealt with Lowe's and/or SRS under such circumstances. If so, what was your experience? What relief did you get (that is, replacement of the defective work?) and how quickly? Thanks for any help! Oh, and for those of you who were thinking of going with Lowe's, DON'T!!!!

 

[MommyJack]

Sorry to hear about your problem and I don't have any direct answers to your question, but I would call a lawyer. You'd be surprised at how quickly you get results when they get a letter from an attorney.

 

[ancestry]

I completely agree. You need to consult with an attorney and have him/her send the letters and speak on your behalf.

 

[GoofyMomInOhio]

We had a problem with Lowe's doing a horrible job on our roof. Long story short, after months (almost a year) of fighting with them and getting nowhere, we gave up. Our city is a joke when it comes to inspections and passed them even though they did an awful job. It isn't even straight and it leaks. Oh yeah, we have a footprint that they were supposed to fix in our vaulted ceiling where the roofer stepped. I'd contact a lawyer and wish someone had given us that advice several years ago. Good Luck!!

 

[WishIwerethere]

We had a problem with Lowe's doing a horrible job on our roof. Long story short, after months (almost a year) of fighting with them and getting nowhere, we gave up. Our city is a joke when it comes to inspections and passed them even though they did an awful job. It isn't even straight and it leaks. Oh yeah, we have a footprint that they were supposed to fix in our vaulted ceiling where the roofer stepped. I'd contact a lawyer and wish someone had given us that advice several years ago. Good Luck!!

Did Lowe's deny there was a problem? Or did Lowe's admit there was a problem but simply refuse to repair it? Did Lowe's want you to work with the contractor or did Lowe's contact the contractor itself to try to get relief for you? Was your case ever referred to SRS? Thanks for any information, if you are willing to share it. I'm just trying to figure out whether my claim is being handled differently than others.

This referral to SRS and the ignoring of the warranty/guarantee is what is throwing me, as there is no way that Lowe's can deny that at least a good part of the work was completely defective and the warranty specifies Lowe's itself will correct defective workmanship. (The inspector says there is no denying the defective nature of the entire job, and friends in the construction industry who have seen the work say the same thing.)

 

[carebee21]

Having worked handling SRS worker's comp claims, I can help with some of your questions.

SRS, operated by Hartford Insurance is a third party administrator. Basically, instead of purchasing an insurance policy, Lowe's uses their own money to pay claims. But since they don't know the laws and insurance forms, etc, they pay an insurance company to handle everything for them.

You have to deal with them because they're pretty much Lowe's insurance company. If you had a small claim, they might just fix it themselves but since it's a large claim, they'll use their insurance. A good example would be, if your car hit my car and there was just scratches, I might just let you pay a hundred dollars to repaint the scratches and avoid having to file an insurance claim. However, if it was a large car accident, I wouldn't deal with you, I'd deal with your insurance. Same for them, they had a large accident and now you have to deal with the insurance company.

If I was you, I would contact my homeowner's insurance. Depending on your policy, they may help you by going after the contractor (or in your case, Lowe's) for you. If they can't help you, I would, at the very least, consult with an attorney. At least figure out what the timelines are for the insurance company to accept or deny the case, what your options are as far as settling the case vs. having the work repaired and what you should do if you disagree with their professionals' findings (they will have their own inspector come out, inspect your home and give recommendations on everything; and I would expect that you will disagree with at least one of their findings.) All of this information is very state and contract specific. So at least if you don't hire an attorney you have some idea of what to expect.

I can't advise you on the timelines and how long it should be take, as I don't have the slightest clue, but good luck and I hope it all gets taken care of quickly!!!

Oh, and one last note, if you are having problems getting anywhere with anyone, call your local newstation. Most do a community, you ask, we investigate type of segment. The'll broadcast your issues and contact Lowe's about why they aren't taking care of you. Once pressure is put on them, they'll put pressure on SRS to fix the problem or settle the claim...

 

[WishIwerethere]

Thank you, carebee21!

 

[carebee21]

You're welcome! I hope that makes you feel better about why the claim was sent there and that they're not just picking on you

 

[dis-happy]

I had a nightmare problem with Lowe's and the installation of kitchen flooring. Halfway through the initial installation problem I sent a registered letter listing the issues to the company president and the store people who had been stonewalling me called me the next day to fall all over themselves to get things rectified.

They did get the floor put in, but several months later I had mysterious yellow stains coming up from underneath. Called and they sent an inspector out. The floor ended up being replaced under Armstrong's warranty although it was definitely the fault of the installation (they used the wrong stuff to patch the floor). At that point I didn't care who paid, just wanted it fixed, which it was.

Never again will I use a company like Lowe's to do work. Their "contractors" are just run of the mill people that they pay (and they pay quite a bit less than what you are paying for installation). The first idiot who tried to do my floor was really a countertop installer; I was also sent a subcontractor to the Lowe's subcontractor. No accountability and very poor technical skills.

Good luck. Sounds like you did a lot and spent a lot. Personally, I'd contact an attorney. Also, be careful with the mold issue---if your homeowner's insurance gets a wind of the problem they might drop you.

 

[Colleen27]

Never again will I use a company like Lowe's to do work. Their "contractors" are just run of the mill people that they pay (and they pay quite a bit less than what you are paying for installation). The first idiot who tried to do my floor was really a countertop installer; I was also sent a subcontractor to the Lowe's subcontractor. No accountability and very poor technical skills.

This is something we tell people all the time. The application process to become a Lowes installer is primarily about the right insurance coverage and licenses, with virtually no verification of skill. You might get a great installer - we know several skilled contractors who do work for Lowes now to help stay busy in this economy even though the payment rates are much lower than for jobs they book on their own - but then again, you might not. We also know a couple of big box installers who went that route because they lack the skill to build a positive name for themselves.

OP, we've had a few customers who had problems with Lowes installations and the company did eventually make things right for them. I don't know a lot of details, but my impression is that it is a pretty long process since you deal with Lowes who deals with their insurer who goes after the contractor's insurance. It should eventually come out in your favor, but as someone else said, be prepared to be persistent/pushy and have your own independent inspector out if needed to counter any parts of Lowes' inspector's findings that you disagree with. Good luck to you in getting this put right as quickly as possible!

 

[Cindy B]

I've also worked with SRS with regards to workers' comp claims.

I've had no problems with working with SRS. In my case, they are usually very responsive to inquiries and easy to work with.

Good luck!

 

[QT Pooh]

Sorry in advance for the long post. I contracted with Lowe's in November 2009 to install on my home siding, roofing, guttering, and soffits and to wrap all of the wood trim, which was rotting, in aluminum. Long story short, it was a disaster (completed in February 2010 without any sign off by me). A professional inspection last week established the entire project needs to be torn off and redone, and that the workers damaged my house in other ways during the work.

Most of the problems were obvious to the inspector, and some are obvious to any casual observer (like siding and wrapping which has buckled substantially and an attic vent which is falling out of the enclosure because it is 2 inches short and was never attached in any way to the enclosure). They covered all of the roof vents with roofing paper, so my roof has not been breathing in any way for 8 months. I may have mold as a result -- mold is definitely in my HVAC system (which is directly below the attic).

I submitted a copy of the inspection (very thorough with pictures) to Lowe's and requested a response within 7 days. Lowe's has forwarded the claim to a "Third Party Administrator" named SRS, a "risk reduction specialist." Also, SRS has asked the contractor who did the work to contact his insurance company. Although I have no problem with Lowe's seeking relief from the contractor's insurer, my contract is with Lowe's only -- I never contracted in any way with the contractor and, in fact, the warranty/guarantee specifically refers only to Lowe's making it right. I would not have done business with Lowe's otherwise.

I am not having much luck getting information from SRS, including how it is that I need to deal with them when I have a very specific warranty/guarantee with Lowe's which requires replacement within one year where the work is not done appropriately.

I know the legalities of the situation, but I am wondering if anyone else has dealt with Lowe's and/or SRS under such circumstances. If so, what was your experience? What relief did you get (that is, replacement of the defective work?) and how quickly? Thanks for any help! Oh, and for those of you who were thinking of going with Lowe's, DON'T!!!!

Sorry to hear this, my in-laws just went through this exact same thing but through Sears installation. After a year of dealing with SRS, they finally got someone scheduled to come out and redo it (this week actually), but it was a long, painful process. Good luck with everything.