Toronto-area homeowners shocked by shoddy renos from contractors RBC touted as 'trusted'
CBC
When Sandy Klein received an email from the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) in September 2021 advertising a program for home renovations through a bank subsidiary that could directly connect her with "trusted" contractors, she thought she was in luck.
Klein and her husband, Steven Klein, were initially looking to fix up a bathroom in their Thornhill, Ont., home for their son who was moving back in. But a year and a half — and several incorrect and incomplete renovations — later, Sandy Klein says she wishes she never received the email about RBC's Smart Reno platform.
"I trusted my bank," she said.
"The referral came from them and the whole program was about trusting the bank to send us someone trustworthy, licensed, insured and capable of doing the work properly," Steven Klein added.
Instead, a third-party inspection the couple obtained found the contractor they hired through Smart Reno left them with issues — including improperly installed showers, which could cause water damage; a deck without proper structural support; and several incorrectly installed windows.
The Kleins say they spent roughly $70,000 on that work and other shoddy renos to their bedroom, including a new bed frame and closet storage that wasn't completed. They say it could cost up to about $30,000 to redo two bathrooms and fix some of the work they already paid for.
"At the beginning [RBC] seemed all helpful and sensitive and whatnot, and then they essentially dismissed our concerns saying, 'Well, it's not our problem, go back to Smart Reno and deal with them,'" said Steven Klein.
Online reviews for Smart Reno show other customers have had positive experiences with contractors found through the platform. But in at least two cases, Greater Toronto Area (GTA) homeowners didn't.
RBC recommended the Smart Reno platform to the Kleins and a Milton, Ont., couple. Both say they hired contractors through Smart Reno based on longstanding relationships with the bank. They say it came as a shock to later learn the contractors weren't qualified based on their shoddy work, which the homeowners have, or will have to, spend even more money to fix.
In an email statement, a RBC spokesperson told CBC Toronto, "we value our client relationships and we take concerns of this nature very seriously."
RBC said it couldn't comment further on client-specific matters because of privacy concerns. But did confirm the two contractors hired by the homeowners included in this story are "not currently advertised or available for matching on Smart Reno."
"Once matched with a homeowner, the renovation agreement and fulfillment is between the homeowner and contractor, and it is the contractor's responsibility to fulfill the agreement terms," said the RBC statement.
CBC Toronto is not naming the contractors involved.
The bank didn't answer questions from CBC Toronto related to how Smart Reno vets contractors. But the Smart Reno website says each of its "verified and trusted renovation contractors" have "been verified for insurance, past lawsuits, and is licensed to work in their designated province."
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