Customers say driveway company 'ghosting' them when it comes to warranty work: ABC11 Troubleshooter

Diane Wilson Image
Thursday, September 28, 2023
Customers say driveway company 'ghosting' them
Concrete company paid thousands for driveway replacement, now accused of not honoring warranty.

"They had the best warranty. They weren't the best price, but they had the best warranty," homeowner Linsey Dyson says it's the warranty that got her to hire a driveway company.

And now Dyson says it's the lack of action when it comes to the warranty that has her along with homeowners across the Triangle looking for answers. Durham homeowner Sadie Davenport adds, "They were the only one with the 10-year warranty with any types of cracks they would come back and replace."

Sadie and Herman Davenport signed a contract with Concrete Driveway Co. for more than $20,000 for a full driveway replacement. Sadie says, "This company we chose had pretty good reviews so we are going to stick with them." The job went on as planned, but shortly after the Davenports said there were problems. "It was a real tiny little crack. Then it escalated from here to all the way across here," Herman adds. Then one crack grew to several down the driveway. The Davenport's say they reported the cracks to Concrete Driveway Co., "They assured us within 72 hours someone would come back and let us know about the claim. Have not heard anything, nothing," Sadie added.

They also had issues with water flowing underneath where they say the driveway was not finished properly, which caused a washout. Herman says, "So I don't know what the future holds for this job, but I don't think it holds in our best interest." Despite several attempts, the Davenports say they couldn't get the company back to fix the problems covered under the 10-year warranty. "It's like we're being ghosted, we text them, email them, we call them," but Sadie says no response.

Durham couple says driveway company not responding to driveway issues that are under warranty.

Cary homeowner Linsey Dyson says she is experiencing the same thing. Dyson adds, "We just wanted a conversation. Please, someone, come out, tell us how bad this is going to get anything and they're not responsive at all." Dyson also paid more than $20,000 when she hired the company when it did business as Madewell Concrete, now known as the Concrete Driveway Co. She said she also hired them due to having the best warranty.

Dyson says the job went as planned up until the end. "When the job was done. I felt a little bit of pressure to close it. They didn't finish the drain in the back as well as we had talked about all the way down to the street. But they were like, Linsey will figure this out. I'll bring another crew out. We'll finish this the right way, but I need you to sign off," Dyson said,

After signing off and paying in full, Dyson said there were problems, "This was the drain that they told us was going to be pulled all the way to the curb and obviously, they stopped it well above the curve and then, of course, we had the crack almost immediately." Besides a crack there, more developed at the top of the driveway. Dyson adds, "It started to expand, and then the crack started going and that's across two whole slabs of it."

Dyson filed a warranty claim and got confirmation from the company that they'd look into it, but months later she still doesn't have a response. "We just want them to come and say, here are some options for you or this is what we would do, or at least talk to us."

Cary homeowner says they're not hearing from the company after paying for driveway work

Both Dyson and the Davenports say they are speaking out to warn others about what they are going through as they both spent a lot of money on the driveways, thinking their investment would be protected. Dyson says, "I was really hoping that they would just be as responsive, post-sale as presale because obviously this space, I have a lot of traffic. I had so many people asking for referrals, so I thought it would be a very natural conversation for them to say, Oh my gosh, of course, we want to be responsive to her. And it was not we've not found that at all, unfortunately."

ABC11 Troubleshooter got in touch with the Concrete Driveway Co., a representative said she'd get these customers' concerns to the owner. They send Troubleshooter a text, not addressing the customer complaints; instead, it appears to be what appears to be a generic response they'd send someone looking for a project quote.

No one from the company ever got back to ABC11 Troubleshooter Diane Wilson.

As for the Davenports and Dyson, both say they just want the company to stand behind the warranty promised.