Coldwell Banker encourages you to use their Concierge Service when you buy a home from them. Concierge offers "prescreened" vendors such as movers, painters, interior designers, etc. According to their brochure, "it's like getting a recommendation from a trusted friend" and "they follow up to ensure your satisfaction." They also state in online publicity that their goal is to achieve "100% customer satsifaction."
In April they referred us to a custom drapery service.
We believed we were hiring a high-quality, full-service company.instead the vendor did not supervise the workmanship or installation, and the result was defective, mediocre, and incorrect drapes and shades.
I contacted Concierge at the time the problems began, and I was instructed to write a letter detailing the problems, to send it to the vendor and to Concierge, and to not pay the balance until the work was properly completed.
The Concierge rep was very reasurring, saying that they would back me completely and that the situation would be resolved to my satisfaction. We never heard anything from Concierge or the vendor again, much to my relief, as the vendor turned out to be a non-stop b.S.'er, with no intention of making good on the job.
Two years later, I received a summons to go to Small Claims Court - the vendor was suing me! I called Concierge, certain that they would help me.instead, I was told that there was "no record of my case, it's been too long, there's nothing they can do." I contacted the woman who worked on my case, and she remembered it well, and is certain that my case still exists in their files.
However, she now works at another company, and Coldwell Banker refuses to contact her to verify this information - or they just don't want to bother. I would have been better off picking a company out of the phone book, blindfolded, than using the Concierge referral. I trusted Coldwell Banker to choose an honest service provider. I followed Concierge's instruction to the letter, and now I'm being sued for the first time in my life. I've since found out that this vendor has ripped off and then sued other customers - is that what Coldwell Banker means when they say they "pre-screen" their service providers? Or are they just interested in collecting fees from any company that is willing to pay to be a Concierge referral? Be careful when you use any company referred by Coldwell Banker Concierge!
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