A M.
1/5
At the beginning of the year, I noticed a burning smell in my home. My home warranty company assigned this contractor, and some problems arose. I detected the same scent recently, turned off the breakers, and reported it to my home warranty. The same contractor was assigned, and I had concerns about issues arising again. There were scheduling conflicts, so I requested a different contractor through my HW that could come out sooner. I was notified that the contractor had scheduled an appointment. I called to reiterate that I was unavailable becuase it was extremely last minute, and they told me to work out a schedule with the technician when he called, which seemed odd.
I always air out the older home I have been renovating. My cats stay in the front part, where the laundry room and litter boxes are located on the opposite side of my 1,800 sqft house from the room with the outlet and is separated by a hallway door. The laundry room has three large windows and receives a lot of sunlight. My older cat stays there and uses puppy pads, so I understand the laundry room sometimes has a urine smell.
I explained everything to the tech, including turning the breakers off. He asked to see the outlet and if the breaker could be turned back on; we had to walk through the laundry room to get to the breaker box. The outlet was inspected and was fine, and the breakers were turned back on. He then remarked that he didn't smell smoke, only a scent of cat urine in the room with the outlet, and suggested that was the smell. I reiterated that I had turned off the breaker days before, so there was no smoke smell currently. I inquired about the next steps or if he had any ideas about what might be happening, and he replied that he didn't smell smoke; he only smelled cat urine. He said he no longer needed to be at my house and mentioned that the claim would be closed. I asked for guidance if the smoke smell reappeared, and he again said he did not smell smoke, only urine, and that the claim would be closed. Then he just walked out of my house. Out of all the cleaning companies, handymen, and technicians I have had in that room over numerous years, no one has ever told me that it smelled like cat urine.
I contacted my home warranty company to express my concerns about the interaction and worry since the issue had not been addressed. I shared that I found the technician's demeanor and responses distressing, to the point that I was crying, which is not ideal for me since I suffer from multiple chronic and autoimmune illnesses, and PTSD. I understand that some people are more sensitive to smells, but even with that in mind, I am still unsure why this gentleman felt he needed to vent his aggression at me. I can not work with this company again as this encounter has set a precedent regarding how I will be treated. This affected me profoundly in a negative manner, as I was still crying hours afterwards, and my health has to come first. I understand people have bad days, and I hope that was the case. And that he has a better day tomorrow.
Update
I am still affected by this incident and need the company and the gentleman to understand that their actions can have extended consequences. I am still crying on and off; I am crying while writing this. The thought of letting someone enter my house causes me to break down. To have someone come into my home, my safe space, and be aggressive towards me feels violating and has affected my ability to sleep and function. I am a petite individual, and to feel intentionally and maliciously intimidated, berated, minimized, shamed, treated like I am disgusting, and gaslighted as though I am making things up or imagining things, which warps your sense of reality, is devastating. This event happened not just in my home but in my bedroom and has left me with a sense of worthlessness and shame, and now I am questioning my reality. What I am going through is horrendous and affecting my daily life. Treating someone as I was treated is an unspeakable thing to put someone through.