Action Interior Cabinet Refinishing & Kitchen Renovations

Cabinetry & Millwork
North Vancouver BC V7G 1G2
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Write a Review

JenK
JenK
2 reviews North Vancouver, BC
0/10

Horrible experience! Stay far away!

I can't even begin to describe the ordeal we had with Action Interiors. We were the upper end of the spectrum from what their websites say their typical jobs cost and by the end of it, I was told by another company they wouldn't touch the kitchen with a 10 foot pole to fix. It was an absolute disaster but I'll let you judge for yourself:

1. Day 1: The came in to remove the cabinet faces and paint. The area's on-site that were painted had missed patches and streak marks EVERYWHERE. I was told: the guy FORGOT HIS GLASSES.

2. They left my house a MESS and doors unlocked. It took a full hour to clean. I was told: The vacuum broke and "I told Suzanne I was leaving so what am I supposed to do".

3. Instead of removing our pot lights, the painted OVER THEM! Plastic, glass, everything!

4. The kitchen was 2 DIFFERENT COLOURS! Two! I was told: it was my eye sight by both the painters, as well as Randy, the owner. The cabinets were cloud white and the built-in pieces were stark white, anyone walking in could see it immediately.

5. There was paint splotches on our floor and appliances (Stove, fridge, espresso machine and dishwasher...everything).

6. After 4 days of 'fixing it' the kitchen was STILL TWO COLOURS and there were STILL parts that hadn't received a single coat of paint, brush marks, paint chips and smudges galore!

7. I was told in writing they would be using, and I quote "Lacquer - not paint" on the built in parts of my kitchen. It ended up being paint and I was then told, the misunderstanding was on my part. It's hard to debate when it's in writing. I was also told it was crazy to think they would lacquer the built-in pieces although the other company I was vetting would have done this. I thought I was comparing apples to apples, but instead, I was comparing an apple to a rotten banana.

8. When they took out the cabinet faces, they scattered all the knobs and screws everywhere! When they came to install them again and "stay until the job was done" (which they didn't), they couldn't find all the pieces and (Randy - the owner) told me that "I" LOST THEM. The knob resurfaced weeks later in a random drawer they stuffed it in. The kitchen after this day was still horrific.

8. The absolute worst part about the whole thing was HOW the company made me feel about THEIR incompetencies. It was always said that "I was the one who misunderstood", or "My eyes were seeing things".

Conclusion: The job was so beyond bad, the other company I was vetting wouldn't touch it! Suzanne ended up hiring another renovation company that apparently comes in quite frequently for Action Interiors to fix projects that are too far gone for them to do. When he walked in, the job went from an afternoon repair, to a 3 full day job!

The minute I found out this guy was with a different company, even though he was 2.5 hours late, I was instantly relieved. There are so many other elements of this experience that were horrific but I'm only sharing the cole's notes. Please, if you value your kitchen, don't use them.

Suzanne is a sweet talker and I'm sure the only reason most clients don't complain, but my experience was so beyond bad, that although I was dreading writing a review, it needs to be said to warn others of this company.

Approximate cost of services:
$4,000.00
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Company Response

Hi Jen - Hope all is well with you. Please allow me to make a few general comments about your very surprising review before addressing some details.

First, Action Interiors is a proud family business that's been working in the renovation and remodel industry since 1986. Since our start, we’ve grown considerably - all on the strength of customer satisfaction and strong reviews. We take genuine pride in ensuring our customers are truly happy with our work and their savings. We’ve had a Better Business Bureau rating of A+ for many years.

Next, let me state the obvious. While positive reviews are without question really important to our continuing success, on very rare occasions we’ve become involved in a project that seems destined not to be a great experience for either us or the customer. In our 30 years of history, I suppose I can count them on one had. Unfortunately for you and for us, your project seemed to fall into that category. Let me explain a little more:

We employ different crews for different tasks on a particular project. We discovered - perhaps too late on your project - that our crews each requested they not return to your job site, simply because they felt they didn’t deserve the discourteous personal treatment they were subjected to while in your home. These crews aren’t made up of fragile primadonnas - they’re professional carpenters, painters etc. They can take their share of impoliteness. But we found, once we started running out of personnel to send to your particular job site because our crews refused to go, that something really unusual was happening in your case.

For the benefit of anyone who might read this response, I can say very confidently that we only use professional painters, and that our own crews (not another contractor as you have claimed) did in fact finish the job. Perhaps more important, we were led to believe the job was finished to your satisfaction. That is what you had told us when we dropped in later to request that we take a few “after” images, a request you seemed happy to grant us. The shots looked terrific, and the kitchen, we felt, would make another proud addition to our portfolio of projects.

Earlier in the process, our crews found there were some challenges, for example in painting some items like the rope twist pillars, or tracking down a missing piece of hardware - which we eventually had to purchase before it was finally discovered in one of your drawers. Were there some minor paint droplets where they should have been? Perhaps. But overall, our honest view - as shown in the “after” photographs we have on file - was that we felt nothing less than pride in our work and in your home.

While a review such as yours, written with such apparent enthusiasm, is new to us in our 30 years in operation, we trust that readers will simply google our company name and realize our reputation is not only excellent - but also very important to this family business. In the meantime, we wish you nothing but great success with your beautiful kitchen and your growing family!

All the best,

Suzanne - Action Interiors