AALL Bright Window Cleaning, Paul "Sal" Salsbury Required advance payment and failed to perform service, no recourse, no remedy offered Tampa Florida
I had previously used Aall Bright via an Angie’s List Big Deal and had a very positive experience. I even left two “A” grade reviews. Because of this I used them again to do other, to be clear non-Groupon, Living Social or Angie’s List Big Deal work. I had Sal and his two man team come out to pressure wash/clean my paver deck and screen enclosure. Prior to their coming out we only had a brief conversation about the job and I had wanted some cleaning done in front as well as the back of the house. He started right off by saying they would not have time to address the front, which was disappointing and meant I would have to either do it myself (what I was trying to avoid) or have him come out again. My priority was the enclosure and deck (we spend most of our time there) so we proceeded to review the work. I wanted them to start from the roof to get all the pollen and leaves off from the neighborhood trees (no pollen or small Oak leave bearing trees on my property). Sal sent one of his guys up there (so he said, I didn’t see it, my wife and I work from home and are very busy which is why we can and want to pay others to do this work for us at times) and made the determination that cleaning the roof was not necessary. I was very skeptical even as he said it would save me $100 not to have them do it. I told him that I would go with his opinion but reserve the final call until he was done from below.
After about 20 minutes I noticed the guy cleaning the screens near my office in the back was just fanning the screens and not cleaning off the green cocoons (from Oak tree caterpillars/moths). I got Sal and asked him to make sure these would be addressed. He started to say they may be difficult to remove, but in trying himself was able to clear all the ones from the screens in sight of my office door in a few seconds and little to no effort. I went back to work and about 30 minutes later Sal knocked on the office door and got me to say they were done. I walked with him to the area of my previous concern where the enclosure meets the roof and pointed out (see first picture below) that the pollen, leaves and mess where still there. I told him that I was unhappy with this and asked him to address it. I was fully prepared to pay more. He said there were just a few leaves that would blow off or they were stuck in the screen and nothing could be done. I told him that I didn’t believe that was the case and that I was unhappy with the work. I even had my wife come out and she confirmed it was not acceptable. I could understand the couple of pine needles hanging through the screen, but not the bulk of the loose mess and what I did notice is that every screen out of the sight of my office had leaves, pollen and other debris including some of the rafters had not been touched at all. There were plenty of those cocoons on all the screens along the side of the enclosure as well. There are there today still, this job was done yesterday. I told Sal I would get my hose or my own pressure washer and I bet I could get them off. I reminded him that I paid him ($280 in advance regrettably by his insistence, I NEVER would have done that had I not had the positive experience I did via Groupon) to do the work. $280 for 3 people that worked less than an hour to clean the paver deck and an eight (8) rafter screen enclosure.
He left without addressing the problem. Given his lack of desire to address the issue in any way, even after additional emails with bad attitude and legal threats, I have filed a complaint with the BBB and Angie’s List, left bad reviews (e.g. Yelp, Google, BBB, FB and Angie’s List (that I overlooked)). In the process I have run across many bad reviews with similar circumstance, yelp.com/biz/aall-bright-tampa-bay, https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&es_th=1&ie=UTF-8#q=aall%20bright&es_th=1&lrd=0x88c2edb1f27cb2f9:0x54c13a7eeaeac6b6,1) and I get the feeling he does this on purpose. I also get this from what he writes on his invoice and the website he has (see bottom, aallbrightwindows.com/). He does not sell a product, just a service and claims “all sales are final.” He makes people pay up front, which you are more likely to do since you had Groupon, Living or Angie’s list experience. I will never again of course and this exposes a serious weakness in current review systems…. A service provider can essentially bury his bad reviews on big jobs by a stream of low-cost quick jobs facilitated by your services. I’m not faulting them at all, just pointing this problem out.
2 Updates & Rebuttals
Andrew
St Petersburg,United States
The problems with Sal's Rebuttal..
#3Author of original report
Wed, November 08, 2017
1. We specifically looked at and reviewed in detail what I wanted done before he agreed to do it. I even asked that they double-check the roof (he admits they checked the roof) and specifically asked if all the leaves and items would be cleaned as I expected and I had done myself in the past. He makes pressure washing out to be rocket science and anyone who has done it knows otherswise. Its just a tedious, time-consuming process when done correctly. The took less than an hour. This and the photos tell the story.
2. The screen enclosure (cage) was 1 year old and there was no buildup on any of it. I was paying for leaf and pollen removal. If he wasn't going to do that, again we covered this in detail before they started, then he should have not taken the job, simple, no hard feelings. If he had saif all I will do is clean the aluminum I would have passed on this service. It was all about the leaves and pollen. When I, not his "trained professionals," went behind him I was able to easily do it myself. There were no leaves left, no piles, of pollen remaining. The photos I posted were taken the SAME DAY right after they left. There was no wind and all the pollen had already fallen... I wouldn't have called them if pollen season/leaf fall wasn't over. I don't want to clean it weekly. I alos didn't want to do it myself even though any simpleton can do it. I paid a supposed professional, which this man is clearly not.
3. I don't understand his talk about haggling. My point was that I paid him what he asked for to do the work we had both agreed to and he failed to do. He makes you pay in advance so that he can run off with your money. For him the customer is always wrong. I offered to pay more to have it done right before he even started. He refused and said it wouldn't be necessary. He would do what I asked for the price he quoted, he didn't, period.
4. As you read the many, many negative reviews on Angie's, Google and other places which may be buried under his Groupons which he uses to do just that you'll see any time anyone questions him he questions their sanity. If you read the many reviews I have written and if you look me up on ebay (DeepRaver) you'll see my 100% reputation. Its not me that has a problem. Ask the people I receommend all the time about all the business they get from me and my associates... All the business this guy has lost... tsk tsk.
5. He says "By the way, I really didn't "make" you do anything. It's your home, your money. If you don't like the way I run my business, simply use someone else next time." He's right.. he didn't make me do it. He lured me in by doing 2 simple jobs well and then running off with my money on the 3rd job. It isn't my money any more. He ripped me off. He didn't do the job. I would never, ever use him again and it will make sure I take every opportunity to help him lose 10-fold the business to make up for the money he ran off with.
6. I never used profanity. He's a pathalogical liar.
7. Cars in the driveway. He's right we didn't talk about cleaning the driveway. I asked if he had time to do it. He said no. No reason to move the cars. I had all the keys, would take what a whole minute?
8. He admits I have a point to prove. The thing is that its my point and I'll decide when I'm tired of proving it. This costs me nothing. I'm a quick typer. I want a public apology and a partial refund if you really want this to ever end, but i think old Sal is to narcissistic and unfamiliar with proper customer relations for that to ever happen.
Until then, enjoy! I would never hire them.. only recommend this guy to your enemies.
Paul Salsbury
Tampa,Florida,
USA
Sorry you're unhappy
#3REBUTTAL Owner of company
Wed, April 29, 2015
Sorry you're unhappy. Of course I am already aware of your feelings. Perhaps this all comes down to a misunderstanding. You're complaint boils down to some leaves that were left on the top of your cage. Of course we do try to blow the debris off the cage. But screen enclosure cleaning literally refers to getting the algae off the frame and screen. That is what I charged $20/rafter for. Again, of course we try to get as much off the cage as we can. Even the pictures you keep posting on line show that the aluminum is clean. Yes, a few leaves remain. This is not uncommon when you have trees around your yard. It's funny that you keep attacking me personally, but I'm not even the one that cleaned the majority of the cage. I did some at the end and of course I'm the captain of the ship. So if something goes wrong, I accept responsibility. However, a few leaves, (again; your own pictures show), left behind on your screen does not constitute a refund. You also continue to say you didn't even "haggle" with me and 3 guys for less than an hour of work. So, had you"haggled" with me, we probably would have left. I don't haggle or bargain. I price jobs as fair as I can. I always have. I'm sure anyone would realize it costs money to run a business. I have to pay my trained, professional, safety oriented pressure washer operators. Or as you say, 3 guys. And we were there for over an hour. Not less than an hour. Regardless, this is what we do. We have the equipment and experience to do what we do, very well and expeditiously. I pay my crew regardless if I get paid. You like to keep mentioning that "I made you pay up front!" This is why! By the way, I really didn't "make" you do anything. It's your home, your money. If you don't like the way I run my business, simply use someone else next time. As it is, I'm beginning to question your sanity. Not only did you act strangely in person when we were there. But you emailed me several times. To let me know you contacted BBB and put an F review on Angies List. Fine. You have the right. However, you don't have the right to make threatening comments. I asked you to stop contacting me because of your use of profanity. Then, a tirade on Google. Followed by Yelp. Then a formal complaint on BBB. And the latest, reporting me to Ripoffreport. Are you kidding me? All over a few leaves on your cage. In addition, you mention a "small" area out front. You didn't mention the driveway when you scheduled. Only the pool area. As it was, you had 3 cars in the driveway anyway. You weren't ready for us. We even helped you take the t.v. off the wall on the porch. More potted plants and furniture on the deck, not to mention dog **** in the yard. We ask on our website to have poo removed so we don't pull our hoses through it. We did all that, plus we did a real nice job, despite your rants all over the internet. I think you've made your point. You're a grown man, but you're acting like some adolescent, school yard bully. My website and the service order you signed and have a copy of, state: "all sales final-no refunds." Ours is a service. Not a product that can be returned. If you're not happy, just call someone else.