Author: admin

Response to Yelp

 

Updated April 10, 2020 – Simple Tank performed an OPRA request with NJDEP to see the work that was performed at this site. This client hired another contractor who performed a remediation and wrote a report requesting a NFA. If her property didn’t warrant a case number this wouldn’t of been done. Unfortunately, the client was upset about the fact her tank leaked and that she needed to cleanup the property which is understandable. It’s not OK to try and tarnish our reputation because of it.

 

This is our response to a false Yelp review from a previous client. The Yelp would not let us attach photos and screen shots of conversations to prove the client was misleading in her review. Her and her husband both made separate reviews on Yelp about the same job to tarnish our reputation. CLIENTS REVIEW – We had a horrible experience with this company. The owner/CEO Teddy ****** **. is the most unprofessional and unethical person. We had the misfortune of employing him for removal of an oil tank during the sale of our house recently, after we had moved to a different state. The tank was removed and the next day the city inspector passed it for no further action. To our utter surprise, Teddy ***** turned against us and was threatening to report oil contamination to NJDEP and told us that he took soil sample (which we never approved nor requested) that showed soil contamination. We contacted NJDEP and were horrified to discover that Teddy Slack has quite a reputation there! They told us he was not even authorized to collect soil samples. He was running a shady company called Qualified Tank Services that he had shut down. It had a “F” rating in BBB. Google ‘BBB and Teddy *****’ and you will see ratings for Qualified Tank Services. So we employed a different oil tank company to get a “No Further Action Report” from NJDEP. We asked Teddy ***** **. for these documents (1) local permit for tank removal (2) Tank content and the tank disposal documents. He ignored our repeated requests even after we paid the agreed amount for the tank removal. This delayed our house closing by more than a month and cost us 1000s of dollars. Our advice please avoid this very shady operator!

I understand that selling a home is a very emotional experience. Especially when you lived there for that long not knowing you had an oil tank on your property! Instead of responding to your allegations with emotion, I will state the facts of what actually occurred.

You contacted our office on May 8^th and explained your situation with the buyer finding this “area of concern”/possible oil tank on your property during their inspections. You stated that this had to be rushed since your closing was being held up now. I explained that Westfield will take 2-3 weeks to approve the permits before we can schedule your project. I also explained how we were booking 2-3 weeks out once we receive the permits back from Westfield.  This means you would be looking at 4-6 weeks before we can schedule the tank removal.

May 10^th you signed the contract with Simple Tank to remove your tank. You mentioned that you chose Simple Tank because of the wonderful reviews online. Permits were mailed to Westfield Township building department.

May 30 – this was the first scheduled date we gave you for the tank removal. Almost 3 weeks exactly from the date you signed up. Due to us overbooking the day to accommodate your project, we had to cancel the job that day.

June 4 – We put your project back on the schedule and arrive at 5pm to pull the tank. The inspection was set for the next day so we were just going to remove the tank and set it up for inspection. This was the only time we could get the project done that week! We understood that this was a very important transaction for you so we did everything in our power to get it done quickly!

You let us know that your realtor and your neighbor would both be on site when we remove your tank since you were living out of state at this point.

The tank was cut open, the sand was removed, and tank was lifted from the ground and placed on plastic. The neighbor asked what the heavy oil odor was at that time. I walked him over to show him the soils that were discolored! He was standing a good 30 ft back when he noticed the odor.

I showed the realtor the holes in the tank and also showed the soils that were discolored. Since the realtor was the one who would be meeting the inspector in the am.

I grabbed one sample of the contamination directly below the tank.

We wrapped the tank in plastic and left it on site for the township inspector and possible homeowners insurance coverage. We explained that since the tank was very close to the neighbor property line, there could be third party contamination that could trigger the coverage.

We sent you and your realtor pictures of the corrosion holes in the tank and pictures of the discolored soils. Advised that this would not pass inspection.

June 5 – When the inspector arrived on site to meet the realtor in the am, she told him that I said the tank looked good. He passed the inspection on her word even though there were visible holes in the tank. When I reached out to him to explain what I saw when the tank was removed, he was shocked that the realtor our right lied to him! He immediately asked for the NJDEP case # which I sent to him.

We returned that same same day to remove the tank from your property at your request.

June 6 – we sent the final invoice for the tank removal and gave you the contact number to call NJDEP with any questions you had.

June 11 – Soil sample came back from the lab at 8,070 ppm. Well above the clean up standard.

July 3 – We received the final payment for the tank removal.

ALL TEXT MESSAGES TO AND FROM THE CLIENT ARE ATTACHED BELOW.

ALL PHOTOS FROM THE PROJECT ARE ATTACHED BELOW.

Response to false claims –

The owner/CEO Teddy ****** **. is the most unprofessional and unethical person – TEDDY IS NOT THE OWNER OF SIMPLE TANK SERVICES.

The tank was removed and the next day the city inspector passed it for no further action. – THE CITY INSPECTOR WAS TOLD A LIE BY YOUR REALTOR. HE WAS SHOCKED WHEN I TOLD HIM WHAT WAS REALLY HAPPENING. THE CITY DOES NOT ISSUE NO FURTHER ACTION. AS A CERTIFIED COMPANY, WE ARE OBLIGATED TO REPORT TO NJDEP ANY SUSPECTED RELEASE.

They told us he was not even authorized to collect soil samples. – THIS IS CORRECT! IF WE WERE GOING TO SUBMIT THIS SAMPLE TO NJDEP FOR REVIEW WE WOULD NEED A SPECIAL LICENSE. ANYONE CAN GRAB A SAMPLE AND SEND IT TO A LAB TO TRY AND DETERMINE THE BEST PLAN OF ACTION NEEDED TO CLOSE OUT A CASE NUMBER. WE DO THIS TO GIVE OUR CLIENTS OPTIONS TO CLOSE OUT CASE NUMBERS. WE ARE KNOWN FOR SAVING OUR CLIENTS THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN CLEAN UP COSTS THAT ARE NOT REQUIRED FROM THIS SIMPLE METHOD.

He was running a shady company called Qualified Tank Services that he had shut down. It had a “F” rating in BBB. Google ‘BBB and Teddy *****’ and you will see ratings for Qualified Tank Services. – THIS IS FALSE. QUALIFIED TANK SERVICES WAS SOLD AND HAD A VERY GOOD REPUTATION. THE COMPANY WAS IN BUSINESS FOR 9 YEARS AND HAD 160 GOOGLE REVIEWS WITH A 4.7 RATING WHEN SOLD. YES, THERE WAS 3 NEGATIVE REVIEWS IN 9 YEARS ON THE THE BBB AFTER SERVING THOUSANDS OF CLIENTS!!

We asked Teddy ***** **. for these documents (1) local permit for tank removal (2) Tank content and the tank disposal documents. He ignored our repeated requests even after we paid the agreed amount for the tank removal. – THE DOCUMENTS ARE NOT RELEASED UNTIL YOUR FINAL INVOICE IS PAID IN FULL. YOU DRAGGED YOUR FEET IN PAYING US FOR OVER 30 DAYS AND THEN DEMANDED WE SEND YOUR DOCUMENTS RIGHT AWAY.

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You may have heard a lot of different phrases tossed around when it comes to testing the quality of an oil tank. How do you know which ones are the ones to stay away from and which ones to consider? Testing an oil tank needs to be done so with a guarantee. If you decide to hire a company without a guarantee, you will be financially responsible for any leakage or soil damage there is. We will discuss below the best way to test an oil tank and one of the worst ways.

Tank Tightness Testing

There is not a company in the state of New Jersey that does tank tightness testing with a guarantee in the state of New Jersey. Tank tightness can be done using a variety of different methods, depending on the company. What most companies are looking for is any leaks in your oil tank. The problem is that they are doing so without a guarantee. Having a guarantee in place keeps your contractor honest. Without a guarantee, if your oil tank is actually leaking then the contractor you hired does not owe you anything and you could not sue. You will then have to pay for everything associated with cleanup. The test would be null and void if there is oil in the ground.

Simple Tank does not do tank tightness testing because they are not always that accurate. That is why contractors do not usually offer the service with a guarantee because there is room for error for that type of testing.

Soil Borings

Instead, Simple Tank conducts soil borings. Simple Tank will be able to let you know if there is discharge or oil in the ground by probing through the soil and letting you know if there is oil in the ground. Simple Tank will then take those samples and send them to the lab. If the soil samples come back clean, then Simple Tank will offer you a guarantee good for six months. Let’s just say you want to have your tank pulled within that six month period. If Simple Tank comes in, pulls your tank, and finds any issues you are completely covered. No matter what Simple Tank has to do to fix the problem, they will do it because you are covered. There are no stipulations on a Simple Tank guarantee.

If another company offers you a guarantee for soil boring, you will want to make sure you ask questions. You will want to know what price they go up to that you are covered for repairs and damages. Often, companies will say they offer a guarantee, but will cap the price covered. Simple Tank is different and does not cap the price of a project under a guarantee. Make sure the guarantee you are getting is worth it. You will want a contractor to be able to back up the work they are doing. This not only covers you, but allows you to trust your contractor.

Since the industry of tank sweeping has become somewhat overrun, it is important to accurately gauge just how reliable your tank sweeper is going to be. You do not want to invest in a company that will not do a thorough job and will end up costing you more in the long run. There are a few things you want to look for.

Check The Credentials

Look at what companies a potential oil tank sweeper has worked for in the past. You can usually find this information on either Facebook or LinkedIn. You will want to know if he actually has any experience with pulling oil tanks. How many years has he been an oil tank removal contractor? You will need answers to these questions before you should feel comfortable moving forward. You do not want to just hire anyone who has a metal detector to perform your tank sweep.

Make Sure They Come With A Guarantee

Before you hire a company, you will want to make sure they come with a guarantee. If you do not, you run the risk of the company either being untruthful or not doing their job properly. You will be out that money if you put your good faith into a company and later on find a tank after you have bought a home. Do not put yourself at risk by allowing a company to come in without a guarantee. You will also want to make sure that you read all the fine print associated with a guarantee. Contracts can differ from company to company, so it is important to choose a contractor with a guarantee after reading their contact thoroughly. You would not want to find a tank later down the line that has a leak after purchasing a property.

Factors To Consider When Buying Or Selling A Property

Home buying and selling can be a complicated process. A lot of investors want to focus on speed and price. They want things done quickly and at the lowest price. This could potentially end up costing them more in the long run however. When it comes to oil tanks, it is important to do your research on contractors and companies to maximize the value of your home and property. You could find some problems with your oil tank, such as leakage. You will want to make sure that your contractor will still remove the oil tank even if it is leaking, as per their guarantee. Do your research and make sure you have a level of trust with your contractor and their credentials line up with professional quality. You will want someone coming to your home and property that has experience under their belt and can do a good job the first time around, preventing you from having to go through any unnecessary hassles. If you do not adhere to these guidelines, you run the risks associated with finding an oil tank after you have already shelled out the money for someone to tell you there is no oil tank on the property.

Properly testing an oil tank of a house can take longer than some homeowners and home buyers expect. Having a company come the next day that claims they will do it for less will not give you a proper oil tank inspection and may cut corners, especially if they do not have a guarantee. If you go to buy a property after it has been inspected by a contractor who does not take their time to give a proper inspection, you will then be responsible for what ever damage the oil tank has incurred.

Do Not Skimp on Costs

Hiring a contractor that can do the inspection for you right away, could end up costing you thousands in the long run. Having a thorough and proper oil tank inspection by an experienced contractor will cost you, but it will give you all the information you need going forward. Be prepared for this when you are researching homes to purchase and factor this into the cost because it is an essential process in most cases. You want to make sure you have a contractor that will take their time and provide you with a guarantee.

What Is The Timeline?

If you hire Simple Tank to do the oil tank inspection, here is an idea of what a standard timeline could look like. The first thing Simple Tank needs to do is call for utility mark outs. You may be wondering, “what are mark outs?”. A company will come out and they mark out your utility lines. They do not mark out any drains or wires. They mark out major utilities. This process takes around three business days. The contractor has to wait until the company’s mark outs are completed.

This is important to note because if a contractor says they can do your inspection the next day, then they will have no time to perform utility mark outs to do a proper quality inspection on the property.

There tends to be customers who do not want to wait this timeline for a contractor to come out because they are in a rush with their property. Unfortunately, this leads them to hiring someone who may not perform utility mark outs. It is not legally possible to do a soil boring test that quickly. Do not put yourself in a risky situation.

It Is Worth Every Penny

If you hire the cheapest contractor and he reports back to you that your oil tank is in good shape. You could then discover, after you have bought the home, even if your oil tank is covered by insurance, that the oil tank is actually not working properly. This could lead to you having to pay tens of thousands of dollars in damages. Simple Tank provides you with a guarantee and follows the proper steps, including utility mark outs. Doing a fast and cheap job is not always the best option. Simple Tank understands that this inspection is an investment and will help it pay off for all of their customers.

When you choose Simple Tank for your soil services you are getting more than just a soil test. Simple Tank will be able to determine any leaks, tests, and services at a fixed price upfront. There are no surprise costs for the work Simple Tank conducts. Invest in a company that gives you the numbers and sticks to them. Simple Tank values the excellence of their premiere soil testing and providing the best services at a fixed cost to their consumers.

• Hiring a professional from Simple Tank for soil samples provides you with soil delineation for a fixed price and a guarantee of excellence.

Soil testing is a relatively simple process and most companies provide consumers with cut and dry results. While it is great to receive an upfront yes or no answer, to have further details could save you money in the long run by providing you with more useful information.

For example, if we run a test of your soil and find that it is contaminated, we will run an additional test called soil delineation.

What Is Soil Delineation?

Simple Tank Services will be able to determine how deep the contamination has spread and how wide the contaminants are located. Contaminants are unpredictable in how they spread throughout the soil, but they will not simply just sink into the earth and remain straight down from the source. Simple Tank will be able to provide you with where exactly the contaminants have spread.

You may now be curious at how much soil delineation costs. Other companies offer this service with upfront costs in the thousands. Simple Tank has perfected their algorithm and understands the importance of affordability to receive this service, making it available for only $599.

Will I Know If Groundwater Is Affected?

Simple Tank’s soil delineation will be able to determine if your groundwater is being affected by contamination. Having groundwater that is polluted can cause some vulnerabilities. This can lead to determining which wells are safer to drink from than others.

How Can Simple Tank Afford To Offer Soil Delineation For Less?

The equipment is made readily available. Soil testing is not done by hand and equipment is already brought to the testing site, meaning the necessary tools are already in the location to the job. The Simple Tank employee is experienced and trained in soil delineation, as part of their extensive training through Simple Tank. Everything is done on site.

This is a very important question for anyone who has an oil tank, especially if you are planning on removing it. You will want to be asking this question to yourself when you are shopping around for an oil tank contractor. If you do not, you will be making a mistake. Contractors are not always created the same and you will want a contractor that is honest about what needs to be done on your propery. You will want to hear the scenarios given to you by these different contractors with the hypothetical problem that your tank is leaking. There are three scenarios that could play out.

1. Once the tank is out of the ground, Simple Tank can have it inspected by a township official. This official is going to inspect the tank for holes and stained soil. Let’s just say that when the tank is removed, you can see oil in the ground. If you have that happening, you have to do remediation. Simple Tank would recommend a remediation.

2. Simple Tank could pull the tank. The official comes and holes are found to be present. There are visual signs of contaminated soil, such as stains. Simple Tank will tank a sample from the worst noticeable area where the leak has occurred. Simple Tank then sends that sample to a lab for testing. This process takes five days to get the results. The results will determine what the next steps are that are taken.The DEP has a threshold of 5,100 parts per million. If it is higher than 5,100, you will have to do remediation. You may have options to drill and extract samples to prove to the DEP that all samples are below the 5,100 mark. Simple Tank can also go out and remove a little bit of soil and make sure you are getting clean samples.

3. Simple tank could pull the tank and there could be noticeable holes, but no contamination. That would bring us to our third scenario. If your contractor calls the DEP and gets a case number without proving to you that there is contamination, that is not the proper thing to do. This will cost you extra unneeded money. Simple Tank will take three center line samples from the excavation and sending them to the lab. If those samples come back as nondetect, the results go to the town official.

Now, you know the steps that are to be taken if holes are found in your oil take upon removal. Clients have to be careful when choosing a contractor, and sure really make sure that their oil tank is insured. Clients should be asking themselves and their contractors, “what will happen if my oil tank is found to be leaking and what options do I have”. You do not want to stick with a contractor who is going to make you go through unnecessary remediation. You are now equipped with the knowledge you need to hire a skilled experienced contractor who will provide you with a quality inspection.