Charlotte contractor complaint

COMPLAINT: Jennifer Richardson, Charlotte

"The previous owner of my home hired Unique Custom Builders Inc. to repair a wooden deck, rebuild the deck steps and secure it to the house. The job was a condition of my home purchase agreement. I paid $500 of the $1,200 to the company, and the previous owner paid the remainder. Other contractors' estimates were almost half that price, but I needed it done quickly.

The new porch and steps looked nice at first, but it soon became obvious there was a problem - the steps started separating from the support rail and posts, posing a danger. The company returned promptly to inspect it and said they'd be back that weekend to fix it. They never showed.

I've been calling for months and each time they 'promise' to fix it but don't."

DESIRED RESOLUTION: "I want Unique Custom Builders to fix the porch steps as they promised."

STATUS: Penalty Box

Charlotte home and garage organization complaint

COMPLAINT: John White, Charlotte

"I hired Instant Install Solutions to install garage shelving and a ceiling fan. The work was mediocre at best. The shelves aren't square and included some warped lumber. I had previously purchased two fan remotes on the Internet, but Instant Install did not install a control for the 20-foot-high ceiling fan.

Due to the height of the fan and the fact that the company left it on high after installation, I then had to purchase and install a wall control. My efforts to get the work corrected were ignored."

DESIRED RESOLUTION: "I want a $171 refund to cover the cost of the wall control and the two remotes I purchased."

STATUS: Penalty Box

Charlotte HVAC complaint

COMPLAINT: John Keane, Mooresville

"I hired Morris-Jenkins Co. to replace my home's entire HVAC system. They also replaced some of the return-ventilation duct work. The installers, who were very nice and efficient, didn't install the extra filters and filter boxes that the salesman said he'd add at no extra cost, nor did they install the correct daily programmable thermostats I'd requested. Months after the installation, a problem occurred with the second-floor unit, and the company can't seem to fix it. Now they've stopped returning my phone calls."

DESIRED RESOLUTION: "I want the company to install the filtering systems as promised by the salesman, replace the two thermostats and test the system."

STATUS: Resolved

Editor's note: The member says the company completed the job and he considers the matter resolved.

Charlotte carpet installation complaint

COMPLAINT: Geraldeen Paris, Charlotte

"I hired Carpet & Rug Superstore [on North Tryon Street] to install carpet in my entire home. When I ordered the carpet, they told me it would be two days until installation; however, the carpet didn't pass inspection and I didn't get it until two months later. Once installed, I noticed seams.

They were especially bad in my master bedroom - it looked like three pieces of carpet put together. A manager looked at it and said the installers did a bad job. The installers then came out to explain their installation process and said it was a defect in the carpet.

They offered to install new carpet, but it was the same carpet with the same defects. I quickly called the manager back and told him the new carpet also had a seam."

DESIRED RESOLUTION: "I want a $700 refund."

STATUS: Penalty Box