Lincoln Storm Cellar Builders

I found Tornado Tough with a google search.  The price was very reasonable so I called them to ask a few questions.  I spoke with Frank, the manager of Tornado Tough.  He was very talkative and friendly on the phone.  We agreed on a shelter, and he spent at least a half an hour taking my details and credit card information for the deposit.  We set a date for the work to begin.  When that date approached, I called to see if we were still on schedule, and he told me he was running behind so we pushed the installation to the next week.   When the day came, his crew showed up with a small excavator.  I didn't meet Frank.  I haven't been able to reach him since the initial call.  More about that later.  The crew began cutting into my garage floor to dig out the concrete and dirt.  I wanted to watch, but there is a policy in the contract stating Tornado Tough does not allow anyone to watch the work being performed because it causes their installers nervousness.  They're digging a giant hole in my foundation, and I'm contractually obligated to not watch.   Altogether, it took about six or seven hours to complete the job.  They cut a rectangle into my garage floor with concrete saws, they removed the dirt with the excavator, and they inserted the "high quality, premier line of storm shelter" into the hole and began pouring concrete to lock it in.  The contract states they will "make an effort to make sure that the existing concrete floor and drive way do not crack during installation of your storm shelter."  It goes on to say "Tornado Tough is not responsible for concrete blemishes that occur during the installation process."  So all I could do was hope and pray they didn't screw something up while I contractually wasn't allowed to watch the installation.  At the end of the day, it looked pretty good.  There were a few cracks in the concrete, but nothing I was upset about.  They packed up their equipment and drove away. Fast forward four short months, and the outside of the shelter is already rusting away.  The paint is chipping and giant rust spots are forming on the top.  At no point during the conversations with Frank did he tell me I would have to paint the outside exterior of the shelter every couple months to prevent rust.  The contract states they are not responsible for water entering the shelter.  It doesn't say anything about the outside of the shelter rusting.  I tried calling, texting, and emailing Frank at Tornado Tough, but he has never answered or responded.  Once the sale and installation was complete, he completely disappeared.  He never called to make sure I was happy with the installation.  He didn't leave me with any maintenance tips to keep the shelter free of rust.  The contract has a little section with a limited life-time warranty that says I shouldn't let moister or debris settle INSIDE the shelter.  It says I should maintain the interior paint to keep it free from rust.  It says I should grease the roller bearings on the door every 6 months, and it says I'm responsible for keeping the unit painted and keeping water out of the shelter.  I really wish he had stressed the importance of having to repaint the OUTSIDE of the shelter every couple months to prevent rust.  The inside of my shelter looks fine, but now the outside looks like a rusty antique trap-door in the middle of my garage floor.   It only took a matter of weeks for the High Quality storm shelter to start rusting away.  I must not have gotten one of the "Premier Line of Storm Shelters" for which I though I purchased.  Again, I've tried calling, texting, and emailing.  No one has responded.  I called from a friend's phone number, and guess what...Frank Answered.  I told him I'm interested in purchasing a storm shelter, but I have a few questions.  I started with "How often will I need to repaint the shelter to prevent rust."  He paused for a moment and said "That's a really good question."  He went on and on about some story of a soccer mom parking a minivan on top a shelter.  I have no clue where he was going with that, but he did not once provide an answer as to how often the shelter needs to be painted.  He just wanted to sell an unsuspecting customer another rusty metal box in the purpose of "protecting my family." Morel of the Story --> Tornado tough will sell you a rust-prone shelter and dig a big hole in your garage.  You can't watch the installation, and they're not responsible for ANYTHING going wrong.  After the transaction is complete, Tornado Tough will not respond to any questions or concerns.  All I want to know is how often I should have to repaint the outside of the shelter.  The shelter has a web address cut into the outside of the door that also serves as the vent.  The web address, SSCNWA.COM does not currently exist on the internet.  Be sure to ask every question possible before the sale is final.  Tornado Tough Frank isn't going to warn you about the monthly maintenance required to keep the shelter's exterior from rusting.

Frank the project manager (and I think owner) becomes offensive, threatening and rude if any issue arises.  I had to block his calls they were so numerous and heated and feel like I should save them them for future reference in case we need to involve law enforcement. Their contract includes no clear cancellation policy and you forfeit your right to an attorney once you sign.  The project manager tried to strong arm us into paying $300, then $600 then $200 for cancelling the contract within 6 hours after one phone call.  Even though he approved the cancellation via email and nowhere in the contract does it state you owe anything if you cancel.  The contract clearly states you MAY forfeit your deposit if you cancel.  Nothing more.  He even confirmed later in writing that his TOTAL hard cost for installation is $600 so demanding $600 for cancellation after one call was completely unjustified when NO cancellation fee is outlined anywhere in the contract.  We obviously refused to pay them that amount. Luckily I was smart enough to stop payment on the $1000+ deposit I gave via phone before they were able to process it after I'd heard from my neighbors about similar experiences they'd had. His initial email response back to me confirming the cancellation stated only "that's fine' with no discussion or reference the deposit he told me was required by phone to do the contract.  The next day when he realized they didn't get my money, he immediately began threatening me and accusing me of 'taking food off his kids' plates." They required the entire deposit by phone when they send you the contract and before they do any sort of site visit -- even though the actual contract only and clearly states the deposit is required before the day of installation.   I've since heard of this company keeping the full deposit in many cases like this and not doing timely refunds solely because the you sign away your right to sue in the fine print of the contract. There are so many other professional, reputable small business owners that can meet this need in Arkansas.  DONT WASTE YOUR TIME ON THEM.  They are the worst of the worst

Unfortunately the services that I paid for were never performed. I paid $3500 to have a storm shelter put in and from the point I paid for it I got the run-around. The owner (Joel Woody) said he could install it in a few weeks, but a few weeks turned into two months of calling and trying to get him to come do the job, but there was always an excuse. I repeatedly asked for copies of his business license as well as insurance, but he would never provide anything. I was finally able to get a refund after threatening to call the police. This companies prices make it look like a good deal in comparison to other reputable installers, but don't be fooled. Stay away from this company!