Seal Smart GM responds to BBB claims

Roy Vermillion, general manager of Seal Smart LLC in Monett, thought the matter was closed when he last spoke with the Better Business Bureau in November concerning customer complaints.

“I thought that we had actually fixed everything,” Vermillion said, surprised by a news release issued this week by the BBB warning customers of doing business with the company that applies sealant to wood decks, outdoor concrete and masonry.

Vermillion, the brother of Seal Smart owner William Vermillion, said that, in November, he discussed complaints filed with the BBB that centered on the company’s 25-year warranty. The BBB cited more than 50 customer complaints and negative reviews indicating they were unhappy with the warranty process. Talking with the BBB, Roy Vermillion blamed employees who made promises the company couldn’t keep and the use of old documentation that confused customers.

When speaking yesterday with Springfield Business Journal, Vermillion denied claims that Seal Smart is not properly communicating with its customers. He said complaints were largely related to misunderstandings.

“For instance, we don’t guarantee the concrete,” he said. “You don’t know how it’s poured. We’ve never guaranteed it.”

Seal Smart’s website indicates the warranty covers new sealant applications in the event the original service did not get conducted as stated in written statements from company officials. The warranty, according to the website, doesn’t cover defects, decay or damage that exists in wood or masonry prior to Seal Smart’s work; intentional damage or “acts of God” that may harm the wood or masonry; property attached to the wood or masonry; and “consequential damages or loss of use.”

“If something’s not guaranteed, it’s not guaranteed,” Vermillion said, noting Seal Smart performs about 1,500 jobs annually.

Vermillion said he has not received further communication from the BBB since speaking with representatives last November.