Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/07/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Two years ago best Cincinnati Chimney came and did repairs at 4315 cider mill and I am not payed over 1000 dollars to fix what was done wrong....the water was not going toward the house and flooding 6ft in before the shoulders were incorrectly sealed by them but it is now. I have called repeatedly and have been ignored and now they want another 1000 + to fix their mistakes. I am disabled and my husband has als we are both in our 60s they left two disabled elderly folks with a leaking home for 2 years. And after we paid you for service they now ask for 1100 more from elderly disabled folk on fixed income? I am only asking to be treated in a fair manner. I have been over the top patient. Two years! Most people would have gone to small claims court by now. Call me ###-###-#### or email if you have any questions

  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/07/2024

  To *****
  I understand that you did not like my advice to get a second opinion after we had been there 9 times. I am sure that other companies would give you a second opinion for free. You were warned from the beginning as to the bad design of your chimney and I offered to repair your badly designed shoulders at a significant discount, but you have not accepted my offer even after I have spent over $1000 in repairs and 9 separate visits. I have done all that we can do without a redesign.
  
  Of course, the water is running off the shoulders into the ground. That is what water repellent does. It doesn't redesign your chimney. You need to move that water away from the house with drains and pipes. We have been paid for the following items that have been applied and paid for. Nothing else was promised.
  
   2/19/22 We did a cleaning and inspection of the chimney and fireplace. $315
  At that time we recommended a crown coat for the crown and both chimney shoulders, flashing repair, and water repellent because water was being directed into the masonry from the shoulders and also into the foundation. It was recommended that you build up the dirt around the house to cause the water from collecting around the house. You did do that somewhat but the water coming off of the shoulders is just too much
  
  On April 21, 2022 We applied a crown coat on the top of the chimney and on the shoulders of the chimney, We ground out the bad masonry and tuck pointed the joints. We then treated the total chimney and shoulders with water treatment.  We had proposed the flashing be sealed as well but you had your roofer take care of that.  We reported that the shoulders were going to hold water and needed to be redesigned. Offer was denied
  
  May 7, 2022 We returned at no cost re-treat the water repellent on chimney and shoulders at no cost-  Warned that shoulders were the issue and would continue to direct water to foundation. Cracks in foundation were noted at that time and photos of shoulders and foundational cracks were noted on estimate. Shoulder repair was declined. $800 expense- No charge.
  
  
  
  November 14, 2022- Another free inspection was done with a thermo gun. No water penetration from crown or water repellent was noted but water pooling in shoulders and evidence of foundational cracks were noted and photographs provided. $250 worth of work -No charge
  
  Dec 8, 2022 another free inspection was completed. No deficits in our work were noted but we recoated the crown and shoulders again for free. Note we were only hired to make the chimney water resistant. We also wire brushed the masonry joints and resealed with water repellent. $400 worth of work - No Charge
  
  March 7, 2023 Proposal was made to rebuild the shoulders. I offered to discount it by 50% to get the job done for you and it was declined. I then suggested that you get a free second opinion from another reputable chimney sweep and you refused that as well. 
  *I have invoices to support these calls and work and many photographs.
  
  At this point I have done everything possible to make you happy but all you paid me to do was waterproof your chimney and we did that. We have done over $1450 worth of work (Which is a full refund)  and been there on 9 occasions. I have returned many calls and written many email so to say that you have been neglected is quite a stretch of the truth and we have all of that documented. I am sorry for your situation but we have done what we can and you have refused to get other help. Your chimney was designed wrong from the beginning and will always be an issue until you repair it. You are trying to hold us to something that you never hired us to do. We were hired to treat it against water and now you say that we have too good of a job.
  
  I am personally 70 years old with MS and I think it is shameful to play the age card on someone who has tried so hard to please you.
  
  Sincerely
  Chuck C****- Owner
  Best Cincinnati Chimney
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/07/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, reasons for rejection are included below.
  
  Regards,
  
  ****** ******
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/08/2024

  I did get second opinion...they won't give me itemized copy bc they were afraid to be caught in middle of legal battle.

  I do have long drainage away from home. 

  I added dirt to side of home to cause water to wash away from house. 

  I had top of chimney crown replaced and flashing done tow years ago. 

  All that's left is Cincinnati Chimney to finish their job. 

  They have not been not 9x twice for work and two or thre more x to try to prove its not them.

  All three companies they sent put said it was not my foundation and it was the flow of water off the Chimney shoulder. One person did a water test to show the flow of water. 

  I would pay for supplies concrete. Etc. As long as they give me itemized receipt. But this is a job they did that made the problem worse. The owner will not own up to it.

  I patently waited while he put me off on his schedule over and over and  those are the phone calls he is referring to. 

  I stopped calling for a few months bc my husband got a diagnosis of ALS and was told he is dying. We were told to get our affairs in order. Once I called again I was told they sent an email and my non reply told them I wasn't interested in 1100 payment for repairs. 

  Well if your husband just found out he is dying email is not first on your list. I missed it.  Plus this is a previous job they need to fix. Not a new one. 

  So I need help. Both of us are disabled and elderly and I think the owner thinks he can write us off. Because I waited 2 years with a damp home and sandbags on my chimney. 

  Please help us.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/17/2024

  You have asked me to fix a problem you have had for many years that I did not create. I was hired to seal off your chimney , crown, and shoulders from water penetration and according to your anonymous sources they have proven that we did that.
  There is no evidence that any procedure undertaken by Best Cincinnati Chimney caused anything other than what we were hired to do: seal your chimney from all leaks that we could feasibly accomplish. We sealed your crown, your chimney and your shoulders for water resistance and that is what is happening.
  
  A chimney is designed to shed water to the ground. As a chimney gets old it will absorb water and through the freeze/ thaw cycle will develop cracks that will allow more water in. This will cause water to penetrate your home if not treated. Our water-repellent service causes the water to flow off of the chimney, so it does not penetrate the home via the chimney. Your outside inspections have proven that we have done an excellent job of shedding the water off the chimney.    We have also sealed your shoulders so that no water is penetrating from there. Water was pooling there before and we put a slight angle to steer the water off the shoulders. However, by design, it will always pool somewhat on shoulders that are 90 degrees, that is just physics. If you have found a different story from other vendors, then please show me the inspection report, and please reveal their solution.

  
  Photos of your home from public sites from 2011, 2014, 2019 and 2022 indicate you had the same issue then. The only difference is that the water is not soaking into your chimney any longer, so it is being shed to the ground where it is supposed to go. By the evidence of pipes and drains that were evident then, this shows that this has been a long term issue, long before we were ever involved. 

  
  Cherri, I feel your frustration, and I am very sorry for your issues but you have an issue that we didn’t cause and are not equipped to fix. It is not in our scope of service to repair the design of your home and chimney and we never committed to do that although we have tried very hard with the services that we do offer. The water will continue to shed off of your chimney as it has for many years.  A strategy to reroute the water would be our suggestion.

  
  We have communicated very openly over two years and suddenly we are being accused of not following up. Our records show otherwise. We have not had verbal conversations with you since you started posting on Facebook on Dec 4  about our service. You made false accusations about our service. You have since then announced that three companies that we sent out, verified that we had caused a problem. First of all, we never sent anyone to your  home (although we recommended that you get a second opinion) and of those supposed visits, we have not seen one report for any of these findings, although your accusations continue.  

  We have all of our service records and your public comments saved in our files. You may address them with our attorney if you wish. Please write us at our office to request his information at *******************************.

  
  At this point, we believe your claims against Best Cincinnati Chimney are unreasonable and unfounded. Further correspondence can be directed to our attorney. 

  Sincerely, Chuck C****- Owner  Best Cincinnati Chimney