PHOENIX — The Prescott Valley area is known for its beautiful outdoor attractions.
To better enjoy the views, some residents like Dawn Little and Beckie Armstrong wanted to add onto their homes with screened-in rooms and patios, so they both decided to contract with a local business, Sunburst Patios.
While getting an estimate, both residents say the company representative warned them of delays.
"Because of COVID, things were delayed. He said [it] usually takes three months, maybe at the most, but it was going to take up to seven months," Little recalled.
She entered into a contract in October 2021 and deposited just more than $2,800.
Armstrong says she was given a six-month estimate. The contract for her project was dated September 2021 and required a $7,200 deposit.
Fifteen months later, both were still left waiting.
"They sent out these generic monthly newsletters. Basically, the newsletters continuously said, 'we have no idea when your supplies are coming in' because of all these reasons and 'we'll be in touch,'" Armstrong said.
Little expressed similar frustration with communication, "A little newsletter? No, I don't think so. Not when you've got local people in this area. This is a small community, you could have reached out to us and said, 'Hey, I'm sorry for this. Let's see what we can do.'"
In December 2022, Armstrong and Little say they received the newsletter through email like normal, but for the first time, they could see other customers' email addresses. Both women say customers started 'replying all' and contacting one another to compare experiences.
"That opened the floodgates," Little said.
Little and Armstrong then reached out to the Let Joe Know team and we reached out to Sunburst Patios.
Days after we contacted the company, Little and Armstrong emailed us writing their projects were moving forward.
Little emailed:
I wanted to let you know that Sunburst Patios is finally getting my sunroom done this week. Jody the owner called me today because you reached out to her for an interview... Thank you for your help and whatever got them to complete their job.
Sunburst Patios states Little's project is now complete,
Armstrong emailed, stating materials for her project have arrived: (updated via email confirmation)
Your contact with them surely is a major reason we are now getting some help with the completion of our project.
Sunburst Patio emailed responses to our questions:
-What is causing the delays for customers?
In 2020-2022 This industry experienced one of the largest increases in volume for outdoor living spaces. This is not just a Sunburst Patios issue; it affected multiple states and 100's of businesses in this industry. Manufacturers did not realize that raw material coming from overseas was going to become a major delay due to COVID 19 and supply and demand. During the peak of COVID 19, not all orders were affected the same as all material needed per project is not the same i.e color, lengths, quantity, style etc. Our manufacturers were advising us that the material was not obsolete, just taking longer to source. Per our manufacturer's, they had supply chain issues, along with logistics and labor. They are finally getting caught up and we are working the back log of older orders. This was a temporary issue.
-What is being done to address delays, especially for customers passing the one-year mark for projects?
The 3 customers in question: Dawn Little has already been built, (name redacted) and Beckie Armstrong, we recently received the material and we are in the process of scheduling installation. They have indicated to us they are happy that we now have their material and are moving forward with their installation. We have been working with each manufacturer to focus on date of contract and scheduling delivery of orders. A representative from our manufacturer had come in to speak with any or all customers that were concerned or had questions about their projects or lead-times.
-What refund options are available for customers whose projects have exceeded estimated times?
Per our contract there is a 3-day cancellation with a 100% refund of their deposit, however, during the delays we were up front and honest with what information we were provided from our manufacturers, both in writing and in person at the time of contract. This information included that we are working through a backlog due to supply chain delays. Not all orders have taken as long as some, which again was out of our control due to the fact that we do not manufacture the material. As we started experiencing delays, we began making modifications on a case-by-case basis. After the 3 days we begin working on their project which includes specialized CAD drawings, engineering and permitting requirements, which also includes submittals. All of which is specific to each customer's individual contract. Per our manufacturers, once we order material we only have 24 hours to cancel the order, or we are charged a 50% restock fee.
-Is Sunburst Patios taking on new contracts?
Sunburst Patios has been around for 20+ years and has been well known in the community and it is an honor for us to serve our community. Much of our business comes from word of mouth, however, out of respect for our customers who experienced long lead times, we made a decision during 2022 to stop all advertising and we did not attend the 2022 Home Show- for the 1st time in many years. Our manufacturers have advised things are improving and the delays were a temporary issue. Our manufacturers have confirmed they have material to supply us for our orders. At the time of estimate and at the time of signing contract we are in full transparency with the most up to date information that we are provided by our manufacturer's. All consumers have a choice to sign and move forward with us, based on our complete transparency and "estimated" time line. Again, Not all orders have taken as long as some, which has allowed us to continue building each day and keep us from losing any employees.
The owners of Sunburst Patios also sent us a letter from a manufacturer discussing delays and saying, "We now have materials in place for you to get your jobs completed.”
The full letter is below:
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