Beware of this company, ensure you request a detailed written quote up front on what their services cost and how much their equipment will be. if they are not willing to provide that, call somebody else, no matter how panicked you are. It is worth your time and will likely save you money.
We learned this the hard way. We called this company after discovering water in our basement after a storm. While they arrived quite quickly, they offered very vague details on scope of service and pricing. Our priority was to get the water cleared and determine what other damage may have occurred. In our panic, we acknowledge we didn't ask for a detailed quote when the workers entered our house, relying on their word that one would be provided within a day.
We had pulled up the carpet up before they arrived and they then took out the underlay and cut out affected drywall (we are still skeptical that the drywall needed to be removed.) Total area affected was less than 85 square feet. They also brought in a dehumidifier and two fans. We provided a deposit of $500 that we were led to believe was for work performed that day. We never had any further work done by them, had their machines for a total of 2 days before requesting they be picked up. Our final invoice was originally for over $1500 and didn't provide a detailed breakdown of the fees being charged. We eventually determined that's what they wanted for: a maximum of 2 hrs work on the initial day, the machines and "disposal" of the small piece of underlay and drywall they had removed. When we disputed the cost, they tried to say they had told us there would be a $1500 minimum which is not true, because we would've told them thanks but not thanks, given how small an area was actually affected.
They seemed quite surprised we would dispute the charges, and felt that by knocking off 20% that would satisfy us. They never were able to grasp that we felt a discount off services that were never agreed to was not a "deal". Ultimately, without a written quote, there was no way to prove that their charges were excessive. Our dealings with them when we were disputing the invoice was less than favorable, with the end result being that if we didn't pay we'd have to get a lawyer involved and that "you can't please everyone and that's just how life is sometimes"
As such, we are left with a severe distaste in our mouths toward this company and a felt the need to warn others about this company and how they operate. The old adage of "buyer beware" is apt when dealing with Platinum Restoration.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $1,100.00
- What could this company do to improve their services?
- provide written detailed quotes before work is performed.
- Any advice to offer fellow homeowners facing a similar project?
- do not give into panic and call around and ask companies what their policies are and how they determine/bill services. It is worth the time, regardless of how much water you have puddling in your basement.