William knows his stuff. Not going to argue that. He was recommended to us as a top inspector and after reading glowing reviews, decided he was right for the job. Initial inspection went well and William took extra time to answer any and all questions we could throw at him. We had read reviews regarding the short inspection time and lack of detail in the report. However responses to those reviews by William were reasonable and sufficient. In hindsight, should have taken those concerns more into consideration.
At the time we felt the report was lacking. But we let it pass because we dont buy homes or have inspections done on a regular basis and figured it was the norm. After all, William seemed very knowledgeable and would extensively highlight true concerns, right? One area of concern, William offered to come back out and re-inspect once repairs were initiated and/or completed. Little did we know that re-inspection came with what we felt to be a significant cost. But he was our guy, so we again requested his services.
Our realtor ordered the re-inspection and notified that we would be present. Apparently that message was not received. The re-inspection was scheduled for 10am. We showed up at 9:50 and he had already completed the re-inspection and left. He didnt inspect what we wanted, but claimed we didnt specify exactly what was being requested. Instead he relied on the seller to advise what was needed. Even though WE were his customer. And even though he offered to do the re-inspection in the first place and was the one who pointed out the concerns initially. I compared it to an auto mechanic telling me my car engine has a knocking noise and should be repaired, but then asks me where he wants me to look.
Initially William offered to refund the re-inspection fee, but when we asked for that, he refused. Ultimately he did end up refunding the fee after an email or two. Although we had started the process to dispute the charge on our credit card. So not sure what the true motivation may have been for the decision to process the refund.
During this ordeal, despite only one email from us and despite our realtor handling most of the communication with William, he still emailed us directly, telling us we were being unfair and responded in condescending and arrogant tones. At one point even mentioning that he doesn't usually recommend re-inspections and that it is really just a goodwill gesture on his part. (An expensive goodwill gesture). William's associates and office staff were great to work with, but you have to consider who's running the show.
We ended up having another company, HouseScan, do the reinspection and they were fantastic to work with. I wish we had used them from the get go.
I feel somewhere along the way William forgot who is customers were. I respect his knowledge in his field and would never question his opinion on such matters. But the customer service side of things should be left to others. A simple return phone call could have addressed the issue and may have given an opportunity for understanding and making things right. Instead it became a battle that partially soured an otherwise exciting time.
As a side note, Property360 uses a drone for the roof inspection. We initially thought that was a genius idea. Until I later had a colleague of mine that had some roof issues of her own that were only highlighted and identified once someone walked the roof. Just something to consider as well when looking at the level and depth of inspection you are expecting vs the price you are paying.