Leilani S.'s Profile

Last week, I placed a $566.24 order for 30 aluminum signs and 1,000 business cards with KalPrint (Kalifornia Design & Printing) and sent them a PDF of the sign design I wanted. I asked them to design business cards to match the sign and a $50 design fee was included in my estimate.

Long story short, they could not produce an acceptable proof for the signs OR business cards after a week of revisions, like telling them to center things and change font sizes, etc. They were simply supposed to "duplicate" the sign, but they just couldn't. The last business card proof didn't even contain my e-mail address, another "oopsie!" on their part.

The owner then asked for payment IN FULL for the business cards, (even though they haven't even given me an acceptable proof yet) plus a $75/hr. design fee...in addition to the $50 design fee already included in the estimate!

He also wanted a 50% deposit on the signs (no deposit was required on the estimate), but I have already ordered them from another sign company who got everything right the first time around...and their signs are screenprinted, which has a more professional appearance than the decals Kalifornia Design & Printing were going to apply on the sign.

Update regarding #4: We finally received communication back from William Webb Farrer (aka Billy) on 12/1/2008...only 30 days after he said he'd send us an email!

0 points for punctuality...

This Chevron is in the most beautiful setting in the Tri-Valley.

This Chevron is the most expensive gas station in the Tri-Valley.

People who come here aren't bothered by paying 20-30 cents per gallon more than the average gas prices in the area. It's across the street from Ruby Hill (on the other side of Isabel, where Pleasanton becomes Livermore) so you almost never see this gas station empty. It's also fun to "car-watch" from the outdoor patio at Starbucks, as you see more exotic cars here than at your average Chevron!

They also have diesel fuel here...in case of emergency or if you don't mind dropping extra $$$ than anywhere else!

As of 4/17/09, prices are: $2.49 - $2.69 - $2.79. Diesel is $2.49 (wow...it used to be more than premium!)

How do you spell Western Wall Systems? P-R-O-B-L-E-M-S.

1) Sheetrock/Drywall.

a. They sheetrocked my new construction custom home and did not finish the job as of today, 11/7/08...and yet, they placed a mechanic's lien on my home on 10/20/08. (Evidence shown in photo of raw wood with no sheetrock; Western Wall Systems project manager is in the photo taken on 11/5/08).

b. They did such shoddy workmanship on the bullnose corners, that they had to re-do them several times throughout the entire house (see photos for an example of their work). First, they nailed the metal bullnose pieces, causing dents throughout. Next, they used a lightweight joint topping compound (intended for topping use only) on the bullnose corners and now they may be susceptible to shrinkage, which would cause the walls to crack.

c. The texture they put on the walls is very, very inconsistent. The drywall crew from Western Wall Systems did not demonstrate the ability to apply a consistent finish. In an attempt to hide these inconsistencies, we hired a faux artist to apply a faux finish technique on the walls.

2) Stucco/Lathe/Plaster .

a. They mistakenly applied a rough brown coat (intended for rough stucco finishes) when our contract specified a smooth stucco finish. So they had to apply a second brown coat, this time a smooth coat.

b. They neglected to apply a primer coat (which should have been applied under the light cream-color we selected for the acrylic stucco finish) and caused streaks and spots of gray to appear throughout (see photo for an example). When we confronted them about the primer coat, they first said they did apply a primer, then they said they put the primer in the stucco mix, then they finally admitted the truth and said they did not apply a primer coat.

c. They installed the stucco finish around the recessed windows unevenly; high on the sides, high in the middle or sloped to one side. Although they re-worked some windows, there are still uneven windows that remain.

3) Bayfoam/Baystone.

a. We paid a 50% deposit for bayfoam/baystone (simulated travertine used as window and door trim and roman columns) on 4/1/08. It has been over SEVEN months and we have not received anything yet.

4) Owner, management and staff.

a. The owner of Western Wall Systems, Tim Ritter, refused to come out to inspect our home despite our reports of problems, problems, problems. He finally agreed to come and then became a no-call, no-show on an appointment we had scheduled for 8/6/08. The one and only time he came to our house was finally on 9/5/08.

b. Bosco Leon, the superintendent, was basically absent from the jobsite most of the time. His foreman was there sometimes, but was either incapable of supervising the crew properly or the crew themselves lacked expertise, because there was absolutely no quality control. Cordell Ross, the project manager, is controlled by the owner. Our request to have him come out and do a walk-through to show him the incomplete work and shoddy workmanship was denied because the owner instructed him not to have any further contact with us without the presence of their attorney.

c. Flo Samuels, the contract and billing manager, did not even obtain a fully executed contract between us. She also billed us prematurely and when I asked her why she would bill for work still incomplete, she suggested that we deduct $1000 because that is just an amount she came up with...and she has never set foot in house to even determine this! In the spirit of cooperation, I asked her to send a contractor to finish up and fix their work for $1000 (knowing there was waaaay too much work for ANY contractor to only charge $1000) and of course, she could not perform.

If you've read all of the above...then you know why they only got 1 star. They deserve 0.