Smart Design Build

I paid $5,000. and he only did $1,000. worth of work. He said he did not have to pay me back, but he said if he got some work he would. That was in July and I have not heard back. Now he has filed for bankruptcy.

1/2 deposit plus the $199. Angie's List was paid. Not work completed or dialogue since the start of December. Excuse after excuse!!!

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We signed this deal in *mid-April* to be completed in *mid-June*. They were to tear out a short sidewalk leading from the driveway to the front door, tear out the front stoop, and install a patio and front stoop with a couple of stairs. *June 17* we were told due to the weeks of rain he hoped to get to us the week of *June 29*. No response to a* July 21* email. They left a pile of rocks in front of our house in *August*. Received an email on *Sept. 11* stating they have scheduled start and finish next week. On *Sept 19* email stated that materials would be delivered on the *23rd*with project completed by *Friday (25th)*. They completed tearing out the sidewalk and front stoop over the course of weeks. Finally all rubble was removed by *Oct. 19*. Since then we have had yellow tape over our front door due to the large step down where the cement stoop was removed. Grading was done on *Nov. 2*. No response to a *Nov. 18* email. *Nov. 23* I emailed and he responded that he hoped to get two days of work done Thanksgiving week. Nothing was done that week. Yesterday *(12/6)* I sent an email stating I would give him until *Dec. 18* (two more full weeks) to complete the work to our satisfaction. On Dec. 21 I plan to begin legal action if necessary.

Kevin took 50% deposit for patio & deck that was never started/completed. Kevin stated that deposit was to purchase materials necessary to start/complete the job. He has providing nothing but excuses for 4-5 months. We do not have a patio/deck & he still has our money.

The materials left do not in any way compensate for the money spent.Member Comments: My husband has been in contact with him occasionally since May and he continues to promise completion with one excuse after another. The weather was dbeen responedeefinitely a factor early on but after 6 months of disappointment, we are unable to find anyone else to complete the job this late in the season. He emailed us last month promising to finish the job at a discount and thanking us for our understanding. Our last contact was just before Thanksgiving , Kevin promised he would be start Monday of Thanksgiving week and be complete before Thanksgiving. We still have not seen him and our LAST attempt to contact him has not been responded to. Kevin is the type of guy that gives contractors a bad name.

*Potential Fraud Alert* <br /> 50% ($3250) Deposit given to Kevin on 6/27/2015. Install date rescheduled 4 times. Kevin required constant follow-up and status requests to provide information regarding the install date and building permits. Kevin promised to obtain all relevant building permits prior to the install. After having to reach out to Kevin, again, for status updates, I required Kevin to put into writing the agreed upon final install date of 10/5 or he will provide a 100% refund. On 10/5 I had to call Kevin for a status update. He arrived at noon without build equipment, without a labor team and without evidence of building permit for the City or HOA. Although he appeared to the work site on the start date, no work could be conducted without the build permit. <br /> Kevin promised to provide the 100% refund but could not provide a date. <br /> I am taking legal action to ensure he fulfills his obligation to refund the money and will update this post with the resolution.

Terrible.  Kevin Davis is one of the most dishonest people I have ever encountered.

I can send you copies of the emails between us and describe the meetings.

Just like everyone else on here, found this thief and charlatan through the Big Deal and he gave us a quote on a patio and told us that he was a bit behind after the summer rain. We decided to go with him instead of another company our neighbor used, stupid us as they have a wonderful patio at the quoted price and gave him a deposit. The deposit he wanted was the entire cost, but at least I wasn't that dumb. I only gave him half. Well.. just like everyone else, no contact, no response, no nothing after he got our money. I am filing a complaint with the Attorney General's Office and please contact me if you'd like to join in and at least recoup some of your money back. Contact me at chrisatboa at gmail dot com and I'll give you the information on how to join.

We purchased the BIg Deal and signed a contract in the spring of 2015. We were told the patio would be completed in 30-45 days, The actual patio was completed in mid-July, over 90 days after signing the contract, and the day before a large summer BBQ party. <br /> My impression is that the owner lined up too many jobs and over-promised all of his clients to get the work. I do think the rainy spring put him behind schedule, but day after day would pass with no communication from him. He would respond to our emails and texts, but never followed through on any of his promises. For example, he told me he would break ground on Thursday and then we'd have to email him again in a week to figure out what happened to him. <br /> Then one day the stars aligned and the patio was finished in a matter of 3 short days. I consider myself one of the lucky few. In the end, we do have a nice, completed patio to enjoy but the time to get there was one of the most frustrating home remodeling experiences that I've encountered. I understand delays will happen, but communication will go a long way in making a customer happy. <br />

I put half down ($4500) up front. He has continually made excuses for not showing, said he doesn't like Angie's List customers and thinks we're too demanding, and told me that he doesn't owe anyone an explanation for when he shows up to work and when he doesn't. The original contract was for the work to be done in a week and we agreed on an extension but I haven't had steps for two weekends now. He initially told me I would only be without steps for one day.

This is a Scam by an Angie's List vendor who successfully upsold me and took my money an ran.  This vendor is now on the Angie's List "Exclusions List" and not recommended. <br /> <br /> Details: <br /> <br /> <p>In response to an Angie's List Big Deal email solicitation, I contact Smart Design Build on 9/26/2015 and Kevin Davis, owner of Smart Design Build came to my home on 9/27/2015 and gave me an estimate of $2,100.00 to install a 12x12 paver patio at my home on 70 Woodlake Drive in Mount Vernon.  The Big Deal was for $999 and I was told I needed a retaining wall around the paver patio for an additional cost of $1,101.00. Smart Design Build was to install a 12x12 pave at my address 70 Woodlake Trail, in Mount Vernon OH).  The vendor "upsold me for the retaining wall around the patio and I agreed to that and I paid the vendor $1350.00 ($800.00 for the Big Deal + $550.00 as a 50% deposit on the $1,101.00 additional work).  I paid via my Visa credit card when the estimate for $2,100.00 was made on 09/27/2015. After several request to Angie's List to charge me the $199.00 for the Big Deal, I paid Angie's List $199.00 on 10/05/2015 (Order Number 2327277). This week, I requested a refund of the $199.00 paid to Angie's List since the vendor is on the Exclusion List and has been totally unresponsive to all my efforts to contact him about scheduling the job.</p> <p>Smart Design Build owner Kevin Davis is unresponsive to email (kdavis@smartdesignfirst.com) and unresponsive to phone calls and text (614-309-0299) over the past two weeks.  I sent him an email on 10/16/2015 and have received no response in about two weeks.  I have called Kevin Davis' cell phone on 9 occasions over the past two weeks and the "mail box is full".  I have sent text massages to the cell phone number (which the owner Kevin used to text me before he came out to give the estimate) and have no reply.  I have left a message on his website (www.smartdesignfirst.com) and asked for a return call, but there is no response.  There is no listing of a city or address on the vendor's website.  I called Angie's List Customer Service on 10/26/2015 and was told the vendor Smart Design Build is on Angie's List Exclusions List.</p> <p>The Smart Design Website lists this Promise"</p> <p>"We understand the stress involved with any home remoldeling <sic> project. We promise to always consider our customers prospective. Projects are planned to the letter. We give you a schedule and time frames for each stage. Smart Design will keep you informed with daily reports and pics upon request."</p> <p>The vendor is unresponsive all efforts to contact him and the work has not been performed.</p> <p>The estimate was done on 9/27/2015 and the work was scheduled in approximately 45 days (next week) but the vendor has failed to provide any communication.</p> <p>When I called Angie's List Customer Service on 10/26/2015, I was told that the vendor was no longer an approved vendor and was on the "Exclusion List" and that I would have to contact my credit card company to get my $1,350.00 deposit refunded. Angie's List offered no assistance to help me. I am making efforts with Navy Federal Credit Union to have the $1,350.00 that was charged and paid on my credit card refunded because the vendor (Kevin Davis) has been unresponsive and has not performed the work.</p> <p>I believe as a matter of policy that once Angie's List has determined that a vendor is on the "Exclusions List" Angie's List should contact all customers who have done business recently with that vendor and share information about that vendor so stop payment proceedings can be made in a timely manner and not just say "you are on your own and contact your credit card company" as Customer Service did in my case.  There is a chance that Angie's List knew that Smart Design Build was no longer a reputable vendor prior to my paying my credit card bill on 10/15/2015 and I could have withheld payment based a bad vendor having taken my money with no intention of performing the work. The vendor may have gone out of business and I feel that $1,350.00 has been stolen from me by a scam artist recommended and advertised by Angie's List.  </p>

I contacted Smart Design Build on 9/26/2015 and Kevin Davis, owner of Smart Design Build came to my home on 9/27/2015 and gave me an estimate of $2,100.00 to install a 12x12 paver patio at my home on 70 Woodlake Drive in Mount Vernon. The Big Deal was for $999 and I was told I needed a retaining wall around the paver patio for an additional cost of $1,101.00. Smart Design Build was to install a 12x12 pave at my address 70 Woodlake Trail, in Mount Vernon OH). The vendor "upsold me for the retaining wall around the patio and I agreed to that and I paid the vendor $1350.00 ($800.00 for the Big Deal + $550.00 as a 50% deposit on the $1,101.00 additional work). I paid via my Visa credit card when the estimate for $2,100.00 was made on 09/27/2015. After several request to Angie's List to charge me the $199.00 for the Big Deal, I paid Angie's List $199.00 on 10/05/2015 (Order Number 2327277). This week, I requested a refund of the $199.00 paid to Angie's List since the vendor is on the Exclusion List and has been totally unresponsive to all my efforts to contact him about scheduling the job. Smart Design Build owner Kevin Davis is unresponsive to email (kdavis@smartdesignfirst.com)and unresponsive to phone calls and text (614-309-0299) over the past two weeks. I sent him an email on 10/16/2015 and have received no response in about two weeks. I have called Kevin Davis' cell phone on 9 occasions over the past two weeks and the "mail box is full". I have sent text massages to the cell phone number (which the owner Kevin used to text me before he came out to give the estimate) and have no reply. I have left a message on his website (www.smartdesignfirst.com) and asked for a return call, but there is no response. There is no listing of a city or address on the vendor's website. I called Angie's List Customer Service on 10/26/2015 and was told the vendor Smart Design Build is on Angie's List Exclusions List.The Smart Design Website lists this Promise""We understand the stress involved with any home remoldeling project. We promise to always consider our customers prospective. Projects are planned to the letter. We give you a schedule and time frames for each stage. Smart Design will keep you informed with daily reports and pics upon request."The vendor is unresponsive all efforts to contact him and the work has not been performed.The estimate was done on 9/27/2015 and the work was scheduled in approximately 45 days (next week) but the vendor has failed to provide any communication.When I called Angie's List Customer Service on 10/26/2015, I was told that the vendor was no longer an approved vendor and was on the "Exclusion List" and that I would have to contact my credit card company to get my $1,350.00 deposit refunded. Angie's List offered no assistance to help me. I am making efforts with Navy Federal Credit Union to have the $1,350.00 that was charged and paid on my credit card refunded because the vendor (Kevin Davis) has been unresponsive and has not performed the work.I believe as a matter of policy that once Angie's List has determined that a vendor is on the "Exclusions List" Anhie's List should contact all customers who have done business recently with that vendor and share information about that vendor so stop payment proceedings can be made in a timely manner and not just say "you are on your own and contact your credit card company" as Customer Service did in my case. There is a chance that Angie's List knew that Smart Design Build was no longer a reputable vendor prior to my paying my credit card bill on 10/15/2015 and I could have withheld payment based a bad vendor having taken my money with no intention of performing the work. The vendor may have gone out of business and I feel that $1,350.00 has been stolen from me by a scam artist recommended and advertised by Angie's List.

<p> I first met with Kevin Davis at the end of July so he could inspect the project site and scope the work. At that time he proposed additional work to replace some old retaining walls.   When he provided an estimate of $13,000 for the retaining a few days later, I declined this additional work.  He then lowered his price to $12,000, saying he couldn?t , with clear conscious, build our patio without doing the retaining work because of risk to the patio foundation washing out.  I again declined and asked to cancel the patio deal, at which point he agreed to build the patio with limitations on the warranty.</p> <p> We met again in late August to finalize our agreements for the patio.  I requested a small increase in square footage for the patio and accepted the final price of $1129.  I gave him a deposit check for $600.  We agreed on a start date the week of October 5.  </p> <p>I called Mr. Davis the week before work was to start since I hadn?t heard from him since our meeting in August.  He requested a 2-week delay in the start date to October19 which I accepted with the caveat that there be no more delays.</p> <p>The start date has come and gone and I have been unable to reach Mr. Davis.  No work has been done.   I have called and sent him email several times but his voice mail box is full and he has not responded to my phone calls or my email.  I would like my $600 returned.  I?m thankful I didn?t accept his proposal for additional work because I would be out much more money at this point if I had.</p> <p><br /> </p>

.No work done. I believe I have been scammed! Shame on Angie's List for misrepresenting this contractor.

They don't follow up, keep commitments, and are very unprofessional. We feel like we have been robbed. There has been little to no communication. We purchased the deal in July and it is now late October and no work has been done whatsoever.

Kevin was unresponsive once my initial estimated completion date passed by back in August.  I have gotten him to answer his phone one time back in early September, but since then have received no responses to my email or my phone.  His voicemail box is full so there is no way to leave a message, either. <br /> I paid $199 to Angie's List and an additional $1300 to Smart Design back in July when Kevin came out to give me an estimate.  I am very disappointed, as I wasted my whole summer waiting for a project that never happened, and am now unable to pay for any other services to anyone else until that money is returned to me.

Based on the other reviews on here you can see that this business is a fraud and a scam. Very disappointing.

While initially this seemed like a good idea, as Kevin was responsive, this became as many have reviewed, something that just didn't work out. <br /> I hope to get my money back and simply move on and say we just didn't connect and I will find someone else to bid and complete the project. <br />

When Kevin came by to see what needed to be done he asked in advance for the $800 he would get on completion. I gave him half; a mistake I won't make again. He made multiple promises to begin work but never delivered. <br /> <br /> We also now understand Angie's List policies a lot better than we'd like to know. Since the 30 days from inception has passed from the time we signed up for the Deal and paid the $199 Angie's List fee, there is no refund. However, if we buy another Angie's List Deal then they will refund the money. Not optimal but OK. <br /> <br /> But the 30 days has already expired, so if provider for the 2nd Deal also fails, there's no refund. And once work has begun on any Deal, even if it's only a little bit, there's no refund from Angie's List. Not so OK. <br /> <br /> So, caveat emptor!

I paid Angies List roughly $1000 and got an estimate of additional work from the contractor of $1500. I paid him half of it to do the work by July 15th. ..........I am still waiting and have only had ONE reply from him of my numerous emails and two phone calls.

They came out and gave me an estimate on June 4 for $4900. I gave $1950 which was half of the total on June 22. Was going to purchase BD from Angie's List for $999.00@144 sq ft. of patio with his company but never purchased deal because it had already expired. SP said they would call Angie's List to get BD purchased. Due to rainy weather the job was postponed til August. Checked back with him on July 30 and Aug 19 I was following up the status on my back patio. On Aug 20th he said he would be out for the cut out.which means to start digging out the area and he never showed up. Sent out another email on Aug 25, and on the Aug 27 he called because I was going to cancel. He said he was going to come out the following week to do the job. Aug 31, emailed company again to start refund process since I have no responses. He said once again he was going to start work on Sept. 4. I asked again on Sept 3 about a refund and did not get a reply until Sept 4. The check that he collected for $1450 will go out at the end of the month but the $999 will get refunded thru Angies List but I never purchased a deal through Angie's List. On Sept 8 I emailed him to ask if he meant the end of September. On Oct. 5 I talked to him and he said that he talk needed to talk to someone else about my refund. I called him this morning with no response and I left a voicemail staing that I have been more than patient and I need my money back.

See above. They did nothing except cut down bushes that were supposed to be REMOVED, remove and stack approximately 25 bricks from a large walkway and patio and then run when they uncovered a ground bee nest. The removed several railroad ties and did not haul them away and they still clutter my driveway and patio. I do not want a walkway and patio completed by this company because I have no confidence in them. BEWARE. This man has had $1700 of my money since June 10 and Angie's List has had $999 since late May. This is a travesty!!!!  As I stated above, I cannot relate every time they said they were coming and did not show.  But it is now October 14 and this job was to be completed by mid July.  I paid out $2700 in late May and early June and all that I have to show for this is 25 bricks removed (about 1/200th of the total there),  a few railroad ties taken out and still laying in the yard and driveway and several bushes cut down that were to to REMOVED (the roots and stumps remain).

<p>contract was signed 7/11 and we were scheduled for August 28, 2015.  He claimed he was behind because of weather.  The week before the 28th I called to ask about scheduling.  He said they were still way behind.  I told him this was okay but that I had family coming in to celebrate my parents' 60th wedding anniversary on 9/15 and it needed to be done before then.  He said he would call me with a date certain.  He didn't.  I called back 10 days later.  He promised to start it the Wednesday after Labor Day.  He never called or showed up so my husband called and he promised to complete by 9/21.  I told him this was unacceptable and that if he couldn't have it done by the 15th to not complete it and leave our old patio in place.  We never heard back.  I called him on 9/15.  He said he would start the next day and be done in 2 days.    on 9/16 he dumped gravel in my driveway but otherwise did not communicate or show up to start work.  I told him to remove the gravel and give me my money back to which he responded that he thought he had until the weekend to complete.  AGAIN for the 7th time I told him no that I had family coming in for a big celebration.  He promised to start on Wednesday in earnest and be done by Thursday.  I told him I had no reason to trust him and that if it wasn't done by Thursday, he was in trouble.  He removed the old patio and prepared the foundation for the new Wednesday.  Thursday, no show until 3:30 but promised to stay until it was complete.  7 PM he started packing up.  The patio is 1/2 done.  I yelled at him and told him he had misrepresented himself and his company, that he lied to me and ruined my family's weekend together.  </p> <p><br /></p> <p>He responded by saying I had no right to disrespect him.  But I do have that right and I do not respect his work ethic, his communication skills, or his character.  He will lie right to your face to keep a job and then not complete it.  My family and I decided to go elsewhere for the weekend and he promised my husband the patio would be finished when we returned.  We are back.  No progress was made on the patio.  It is half done.  He has left 2 large piles of gravel in our driveway so we have no use of that piece of it and our backyard is unusable.  We are now looking for a new contractor to complete the job but do not know how to find additional money to buy the rest of the materials that he has not delivered.  He has $2,898 of our money.</p> <p><br /></p> <p>In our opinion, he is a dishonest businessman.</p>