BBQ RENU

He charges by the hour. Told me that it would be about $285 which was the same as San Deigo BBQ. Decided to go with the local guy. Needed to do a bit a QC after the work on both clean up and BBQ. Biggest issue, felt a bit hustled since he saw the condition of the BBQ before and then after the job increased the price to $325 saying it took longer than expected.

Derrick originally cleaned our small smoker and barbecue on April 16th.
We paid him $500.00 for the job. That day he did finish the initial
cleaning the barbecue but it did not worked properly again until we
hired another company to replace parts and complete the job. Derrick
told us on his initial visit that some of the parts were worn out and
gave us a quote for new parts. We agreed to purchase the parts and have
Derrick install the new parts as the barbecue was 5 + years old and was
an expensive built in model. We waited about a month for Derrick to
deliver and install the the new parts. In the meantime, Derrick had to
come back twice to adjust the barbecue because it was not lighting or
working properly. After one such adjustment, my husband attempted to use
the barbecue but flames came out through the knob and burned his hand.
Derrick said the burners needed to reinserted in the gas valve and he
would fix the problem.  While our barbecue had initially needed
cleaning, it had been working before Derrick's cleaning and we had never
had any safety issues with it. On May 19th Derrick came back and
installed some of the parts but said the burners he ordered were the
wrong size. He asked for payment in full, including $300.00 for the two
new burners and $250.00 for new briquette trays. We paid him an
additional $750.00 on the 19th. Derrick said he would be back the next
day with the proper size burners. He never showed up the next day nor
did he call to let us know he would not be there.
   On May 22nd, Derrick again promised to return but, once again, did
not show up. We had planned on using the barbecue for dinner guests and
told him that when he promised he would indeed come. He did not show up
and, when pressed, Derrick then told us that the burners he was supposed
to pick up were accidentally sold but we could use the barbecue as it
worked "fine". This was the time that flames came through the knobs and
burned my husband when he tried to use the barbecue.  On May 27th, we
were still waiting to get the burners and for Derrick to fix the
barbecue. He finally showed up on May 29th after several requests by us.
On May 29th, my husband told Derrick we were not comfortable using the
barbecue until the new burners were installed and, after the burned hand
incident, everything was completed and checked out. Derrick reiterated
that the barbecue was safe to use. It was, in fact, not safe. On June
8th, we again asked Derrick when he would install the burners we had
paid for on May 19th and he said he would be there at an unspecified
time that day. He again never showed up and later said he was "slammed"
and would be there June 9th in the AM. We once again arranged to have
someone wait for him. He never showed up that morning. He texted us
later that day and said he was in the hospital with a finger injury but
his associate would deliver the parts to us in the morning on June 10th.
Again, no one showed up or called. We expressed our sympathy about his
injury but told Derrick we were, by this time, completely fed up with
the un-kept commitments and no shows, We asked him for a date he would
DEFINITELY be able to deliver the parts or give us a refund of our
money. On June 15th, we still had not heard from Derrick.  On Wednesday,
June 17th, Derrick told me he would be at our home before Saturday the
20th to deliver the parts. He did not show up on Thursday June 18th but
on Friday June 19th said he would be at our house by 3 PM the next day,
Saturday, June 20. For the last time, we arranged to have someone wait
for him and, once again, no one showed up on Saturday. When he
originally told us he would be there Saturday June 20th he added that,
if he was not, we would have a refund of the money by Monday June 21 or,
at the latest,Tuesday June 22.
  To date,we have not received a refund and we had  another company come
to inspect our barbecue and install the new burners.  It has now been
two and a half months of broken commitments, excuses, missed
appointments and general frustration with derrick and BBQ RENU. We are
now preparing a small claims action to recover our $550.00 and cover any
work that needs to be redone by the new company as we do not trust
anything Derrick has said or done. On his initial visit, Derrick tried
to sell his services to have our patio furniture redone, our patio tiles
refinished and our cars detailed. The only bright spot in this
experience that our contact with Derrick was limited to our barbecue! 
Today is June 30. We still have not received payment and have had an
established and reliable BBQ contractor come and inspect our BBQ. Our
BBQ parts have been replaced and installed by a new, established  and
reputable company. This was done within three days of their initial
visit.  When the new company inspected the work Derrick had done, it was
discovered that Derrick had plugged holes in our  old burners with
aluminum foil and that was how he determined that the burners would
"work just fine" until he delivered new ones. The new contractor told us
the burner was indeed a safety hazard and a liability for anyone to
suggest we use it that way as Derrick did. We also discovered that
Derrick had not replaced  the two briquette trays which he had charged
us $250.00 for. We now had a new charge for the parts Derrick charged us
$550.00 for. The parts were replaced and installed  for $150.00 less
than what Derrick charged us for 5 1/2 weeks ago and never delivered.
Since this all began, I have  looked up Derrick's "License" that he
represented on this site as TL12467017  and that he was licensed as a
 Handyman.The State of California does not issue Handyman's Licenses.
There is, in addition, no record that we could find of  a valid
Contractor's License with the State License Board. The State also
requires all licensed contractors to display their license number on all
advertising. The Angie's List ad did not have a valid California
Contractor's License in it. A Trade License is not the same as a State
Contractor License. In addition, the State Board website states that it
is a crime to contract for home improvement services (for which built in
BBQ repair qualifies - I checked) for more than $500.00 without a valid
State Contractor's License. Derrick charged us $505.00 for his first
service and $750.00 for his second service including $550.00 for parts
never delivered. Both amounts are in violation of State law for
operators without a valid Contractor's License.The penalty for doing so
is a monetary fine and or 6 months in jail. The State site said it is
currently very active in cracking down on offenders. We intend to pursue
a complaint with the State in addition to our small claims action. As
my husband and I are also over 65 years of age, we intend to report BBQ
RENU to the State Consumer Affairs Board as "Elder Abuse" statutes also
apply for payments made and merchandise and services not supplied to
consumers over 65 years of age. On Friday, June 26, Derrick said he was
putting a refund check to us in the mail. When it did not arrive on
Monday, June 29, we asked Derrick if it had indeed been mailed. He
stated that it had not been mailed on Friday but had been mailed on
Sa

All went well and Derek is a great resource for many things besides bbq servicing.  He power washed our patio, this week he will refinish all of our patio teak furniture.

On time great result

BBQ very clean. Repairs never completed had to call other repair person. He also started and finished power washing my pool cover withou my consent. Charged 250. Would tell me he is coming never show. When I gave up he d call. I found it easier to find some one else.

Great--grill didn't heat up BBB before

unknown

Derek came out cleaned it, got rid of the rust outside and in, reassembled it and checked for proper operation. Problem came up - grill grates where rusted, beyond repair. It was an old BBQ - grates no longer made. Derek ordered two, had them cut to fit and installed them. We can use the BBQ now.

Excellent work--looks like new. If wanting to avoid messy dirty job, this is the man.