Fire and Water Damage Restoration
Water Mold Fire Restoration of ChicagoHeadquarters
This business is NOT BBB Accredited.
Find BBB Accredited Businesses in Fire and Water Damage Restoration.
Complaints
This profile includes complaints for Water Mold Fire Restoration of Chicago's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see
Customer Complaints Summary
- 2 total complaints in the last 3 years.
- 2 complaints closed in the last 12 months.
If you've experienced an issue
Submit a ComplaintThe 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:05/03/2024
Type:Order IssuesStatus:UnresolvedMore 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.
Due to roof leaks, we suspected we had a mold issue in our ceilings that was causing our daughter health issues. We reached out to Water, Mold, Fire Restoration for an inspection of our property and quote on repair. They gave me an estimate on repair if it turns out we had mold and directed us to get the property tested by a mold science company. So I set up an appointment with another company to get the property tested. On the morning of the appointment (9:30am), I was on the way to drop my daughter off at daycare when I received an email from Water, Mold, Fire Restoration. Thinking it was the company that was on the way to complete the inspection, I signed the documents and paid the deposit thinking I needed to complete before the appoint I had with Mold Inspection Sciences *****. When I realized my mistake mixing the two companies up within a couples minutes, I emailed Water, Mold, Fire to explain my mistake and get a refund of the deposit. After an email exchange explaining a $500 cancellation fee, I then I exchanged multiple phone calls over the course of a few days with someone. They insisted on the fact that I signed the contract and would not issue a refund. 5 months later, we do not have any mold issues. I received a call from Water, Mold, Fire about scheduling the job and I explained to another person that I tried cancelling the contract and explained what happened again and still no movement without the cancellation fee. I never intended to sign the contract with Water, Mold, Fire until I had confirmation from Mold Inspection Sciences that we actually had mold. And within minutes of realizing my mistake, I contacted Water, Mold, Fire to explain the situation and even reiterate that if we did have positive results for mold, Id resign the contract and continue with the work. The estimate for the work to be completed by Water, Mold, Fire did not include anything on the exterior, just interior that was only necessary if mold was present, which wasnt presentBusiness Response
Date: 12/12/2024
Upon review this review is regarding our Dallas franchise which has since closed its doors, we are sorry we cannot assist any further.Customer Answer
Date: 12/12/2024
Complaint: 21661519
I am rejecting this response because:
I am either owed a full refund for the project that never occurred or a refund minus the deposit paid up front. I have records for communication with this business and have submitted a full account of multiple attempts to attempt to resolve the matter with this business.
Sincerely,
***** ********Initial Complaint
Date:09/23/2022
Type:Service or Repair IssuesStatus: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.
(I am rounding numbers to simplify the narrative)WMF was hire to provide flood remediation. The quote was $7000. While the work was proceeding I was very unhappy with how it was being done and I was also made to feel unsafe by a member of the crew. Once the work was completed it was discovered that they had damaged my desk. They offered a discount of $500 to compensate for the desk damage and our overall unhappiness. I paid $6500.Among the services provided, we were charged $140 for batt insulation removal and disposal. A few days later I learned that there had been no insulation in the area they serviced. I contacted the company with this information and they agreed that there had been no insulation. I asked for a $140 refund. The remedy they offered was to send me an updated invoice (reminder: I've already paid) that removed insulation from the original quote and then simply change the $500 discount to $360. This is an attempt at numerical sleight of hand and in no way addresses the issue. I have responded and asked to be refunded the $140. But more importantly, I would like to have my voice added to whatever database of complaints is maintained that I felt that this business dealt with me in bad faith.Business Response
Date: 10/03/2022
DisagreeCustomer Answer
Date: 10/06/2022
Complaint: 18119374
I am rejecting this response because: I'm not sure what there is to disagree with. It is objectively true that the $500 reduction in the cost of the remediation was made in response to my complaint about the damage to my desk and what I considered to be unprofessional behavior on the part of the company. It was made BEFORE I discovered that they had charged me for services that they did not perform and that they agreed - in writing - were not performed (the insulation). Re-expressing the numbers of the final bill as a way to satisfy my new complaint was cynical and insulting and, I believe, intended to be so.It is also the case that since I made my BBB complaint I have made a new discovery that there is additional woodwork (not baseboard...that's a whole separate complaint) missing that apparently was torn out because of carelessness and haste to finish the job. It had no connection to flood remediation.
They have a payment system in place where, even if a person is unhappy with the work and just wants to be done with them, one is unable to pay the final bill without signing a form expressing complete satisfaction. This is a terrible way for them to boost their customer satisfaction numbers.
So obviously I have other problems with this whole experience but would settle for a reimbursement of the charge for insulation removal and disposal.
Sincerely,
*************************Business Response
Date: 10/12/2022
Once again, disagree.Customer Answer
Date: 10/17/2022
Complaint: 18119374
I am rejecting this response because: This is ridiculous. The company is making no effort to address my assertions, which are factual and documented. There is no point in continuing this. If I ever have occasion to recommend a company for this service I will vigorously discourage using WMF Restoration since they have only functioned primarily to compound the misery of our flooding.
Sincerely,
*************************Business Response
Date: 12/12/2024
We attempted to resolve this amicably outside of a public forum. We do not feel the need to address each and every one of your points as we do not agree with them nor do we believe the requested refund is justified. Sometimes you just have to agree to disagree.Customer Answer
Date: 12/12/2024
Complaint: 18119374
I am rejecting this response because:The assertion that they tried to resolve this amicably is a lie. But its not the first lie I heard from them. There was no hint of amicability in any of my interactions with anybody related to this episode. This company is part of a predatory enterprise that takes full advantage of people who are suddenly bewildered by their situation.
agree to disagree? Im sure this sounded very sophisticated in his head when he wrote it. mostly just serves to acknowledge that they are indeed condescending ******.
Sincerely,
**** ********
Water Mold Fire Restoration of Chicago is NOT a BBB Accredited Business.
To become accredited, a business must agree to BBB Standards for Trust and pass BBB's vetting process.
Why choose a BBB Accredited Business?BBB Business Profiles may not be reproduced for sales or promotional purposes.
BBB Business Profiles are provided solely to assist you in exercising your own best judgment. BBB asks third parties who publish complaints, reviews and/or responses on this website to affirm that the information provided is accurate. However, BBB does not verify the accuracy of information provided by third parties, and does not guarantee the accuracy of any information in Business Profiles.
When considering complaint information, please take into account the company's size and volume of transactions, and understand that the nature of complaints and a firm's responses to them are often more important than the number of complaints.
BBB Business Profiles generally cover a three-year reporting period. BBB Business Profiles are subject to change at any time. If you choose to do business with this business, please let the business know that you contacted BBB for a BBB Business Profile.
As a matter of policy, BBB does not endorse any product, service or business. Businesses are under no obligation to seek BBB accreditation, and some businesses are not accredited because they have not sought BBB accreditation. BBB charges a fee for BBB Accreditation. This fee supports BBB's efforts to fulfill its mission of advancing marketplace trust.