I chose Clean Cut based on reviews, to build a custom desk & storage using my den's closet space, however was very surprised at the outcome. The positives with explanations: The desk & cabinet visually looks really good, it seems that the materials used were good quality and a small missing piece of hardwood flooring was
replaced expertly. They did not charge me extra to fix the floor but they would not reimburse me for the knobs that I purchased, nor
take into account that 85% of the closet demolition was done for them both of which was included in the price. The work was done in a flash, perhaps too quickly. The white paint colour that I requested for the drawers & doors was used, but not until Shane made it very
clear that they charge extra for this & that they only use one colour white, plus they did not supply me with a sample for touch ups. The knobs are great because I sourced and paid for them! Here are the
negatives: The upper cabinet is too deep for over a desk (my email requested 17-18" deep & Shane's email said he was attaching the new drawings as per my request, I did not realize until much later
that he, in fact, did not follow my request and the upper cabinet was 21" deep which is too close to the 26" desk; the strip LED lighting installed under the upper cabinet as desk task lighting is not
appropriate lighting & I cannot use it as is. (think marquee lighting shining in your eyes as you are working) (Shane finally offered to install a valance, but what he was suggesting would be too close to the front and too large) I believe It needs a light diffuser; the stain on the desk is fading in different areas over time; the desk scratches so easily that I question whether suitable wood (veneer) was used; the drywall repair was to be paint ready which it was not (I paid someone to repair it); the electrical outlet over the desk was installed too high and had to be moved (I paid another electrician to have it moved); the file drawer will not soft close & Matt determined that new gliders were the culprit. In actuality, the drawers are not hung properly and the file drawer is too wide to hold hanging files. Clean Cut installed a plastic holder for the hanging file folders & they
should have known that it would not work. Besides the fact that I
have a desk and cabinets that may look good; they do not function as they should. There was no written contract which was a big surprise to Matt, one of the partners and the biggest shock to me was the poor customer service offered by Shane, the partner who deals with the customers. I received many rude emails from Shane, often blaming me, denying that he promised things, refusing to do the repairs but still asking for me to pay the balance. I paid $4,000 before I saw anything other than the drawings. At installation, since there were things that needed to be fixed, I did not pay anything further. The following week when Matt came to replace the latch & attempted to repair the file drawer, I paid, out of good faith, an additional $377 but held back $425. Matt asked for paper to document that I owe $425 less MY expenses for drywall repair and light diffuser & that the drawer would be fixed. The day after Matt was here, I received an apology email from Shane saying that he would repair anything that was needed, wanted me to be another happy customer and asked what could he do to make hat happen. I
emailed him back thanking him for his email along with the information he asked for. Over the course of a few weeks I noticed other things that needed attention and emailed this to Shane who then sent me an email saying that he wished me well but there is nothing further that Matt or him can do for me. I have responded twice since then, but have not heard back. So here I am, writing this bad review, something I did not ever expect to be doing, paid out almost $5000 with tax plus my unexpected expenses for what?? Doesn't Clean Cut have an obligation to fix everything? Is this professional? How can I pay the balance owing to Clean Cut if they refuse to respond?
- Approximate cost of services:
- $4,250.00
- Company Response
Thanks for the feedback.
We, at Clean Cut Design & Build, strive at ALL times to provide the very best in workmanship and customer service. This is reflected in the 30+ other reviews on this listing. Unfortunately, there are some circumstances where it becomes very evident that no matter how hard we try, certain clients cannot and will not be satisfied. This is one of those times. We wish this home-owner the best.