The backyard itself turned out nice, and overall, the construction only took one day to complete,…read morewhich was definitely a positive. Unfortunately, our overall experience with the communication and professionalism--particularly with Otem--was extremely frustrating.
When we initially discussed the project, Otem told us that we wouldn't have to make a payment until the following month. Based on that conversation, we understood that we had time before anything was due and felt comfortable moving forward.
What made the situation even more frustrating is that construction was started before we were even approved for the loan. We were never clearly informed about what our financial responsibility would be if the financing didn't work out as expected.
Once the backyard was completed, we were suddenly told that we owed around $3,800. We were understandably confused because this was not what we had been led to believe. Ultimately, we had to take out two separate loans to cover the project.
We understand that financing terms and APR are based on credit, and we are not blaming Otem for the interest rate we qualified for. Our issue is that this conversation should have happened before construction started. If our financing hadn't even been approved yet, we feel that we should have been made aware of the potential costs and financial responsibility before the work was completed.
When we tried explaining this to Otem, it felt like he wasn't understanding what we were actually upset about. Regardless of whether he personally handles financing or another department does, customers should be clearly informed about their financing, payment expectations, potential out-of-pocket costs, and APR before a major project begins.
Unfortunately, the financial issues weren't even our only concern. During the construction process, our backyard gate was left open, and our dogs got out and ran away. Thankfully, we were able to find them, but this was incredibly stressful and could have ended very differently. When working in someone's backyard, especially when there are pets on the property, making sure gates are securely closed should be a basic responsibility.
Overall, we are happy with how the backyard looks and appreciated that the project was completed in just one day. However, the lack of communication regarding the financing, the unexpected $3,800 balance, having to take out two loans, and the incident with our dogs made the overall experience much more stressful than it needed to be.
We hope the company takes this feedback seriously and improves communication about financing before construction begins, as well as being more careful about securing gates and protecting customers' pets while working on their property.
