Letdown

COMPLAINT: Dana Harrison, Indianapolis

"I purchased 12 Gerbera daisies from the Fenton Ave. Andrew's Florist at $3 per stem. The flowers looked great when I purchased them at 2 p.m. Within 15 minutes of purchase, I trimmed the stems, put them in vases and added the provided preservative. By 5 p.m., one flower had already 'dropped,' wilting so badly that it faced straight down.

"At 11 a.m. the next morning, five had completely dropped and two more were severely drooping. Gerberas are delicate, but I felt this was ridiculous. I called, explained the situation and requested a partial refund. They said I had to bring the bad flowers back to receive money. I felt this was unreasonable. I asked if digital pictures would be acceptable and was told no."

DESIRED RESOLUTION: "I want $21 back for the seven flowers that wilted."

RESPONSE: Anne Burns, manager, Andrew's Florist

"We're sorry this customer was dissatisfied. However, our policy is to receive the product back. We have no recourse with our wholesaler if we cannot see the product. Had she brought the flowers back, we would have given a full refund."

STATUS: Stalemate

In the mail?

COMPLAINT: Stacie Reamer, Indianapolis

"Jonas Custom Cabinetry was recommended to me by a contractor who was working in my home. I gave Mr. [Andy] Jonas a deposit for work that was never performed. I contacted Mr. Jonas to ask for my deposit back and he agreed to, but he never sent it. He hasn't returned phone calls or responded to e-mails."

DESIRED RESOLUTION: "I want Mr. Jonas to return my $230 deposit."

STATUS: Resolved

Reamer had her deposit returned.

Soaked

COMPLAINT: Scott Guenthner, Zionsville, Ind.

"Pools of Fun in Plainfield installed a vinyl-lined, in-ground pool with a concrete deck in my yard. They've significantly failed with service after construction. They didn't devote significant time to adequately educating me on pool maintenance.

"Within three weeks of completion, a large crack developed in the deck. Despite them stating that they'd be willing to fix this, trying to get this done was unsuccessful. They stated that it wasn't under warranty and that's the way the construction industry is. I also questioned if the wrinkles in the liner were normal. They said it was."

DESIRED RESOLUTION: "I want the cracked concrete replaced assuring the base is more aggressively prepared, the concrete is properly cured and the same concrete company and mix are used. At no cost, I also want the pool drained, the liner examined to make sure that wrinkles do not exist, and the pool opened and cleaned."

RESPONSE: J.R. Ewing, manager, Pools of Fun

"All Pools of Fun customers are given a pool orientation along with a pool care manual. If the member would like a refresher, we'd be glad to arrange this or he could refer to his manual. In regards to the crack, we offered to tear out and repour that section. However, the member was adamant that we guarantee that it match the existing concrete. That's something we cannot do.

"We abide by Builders Association of Greater Indianapolis standards and will promptly repair or replace any concrete that exceeds these standards within the warranty period. We've inspected the liner and found no wrinkles. The liner will conform to the concrete's finish under the liner - this is normal. We'll be glad to work with him regarding any and all issues, but we must respect warranty standards in place for all our customers."

STATUS: Stalemate