Banjamin Bij
map-marker Asheville, North Carolina

Unethical Salt Cave owner

We have been contracted to install a Salt Cave in Asheville, NC. According to the contract, the owners (Appels) should have informed us regarding the specifications for electricity, and any special requirements from the local authorities. The provided misleading and wrong information. So according to the contract, they had to hire a local electricity company to do the electrical installation according to Changeland's guidance and pay them for that. Furthermore, any extra work we did to meet the requirements from the local authorities was to be payied by them. They let us finish the installation, officially received the salt cave, signed the corresponding documents, took smiling pictures with us inside the salt cave, and then denied paying us for the extra work, and sent us the bill of the electricity company!

They owe us 16000 USD plus interests.

Given this situation, we declined to them the option of representing us in the USA and selling our salt caves. They then started accusing us of unethical practices, etc.

All their customers are giving very positive feedback for the salt cave we installed. This is because we are the only ISO certified company in the world for Salt Cave installation and management.

The Appel's behavior is unethical. We know that they have not paied other contractors as well. May God forgive them.

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Loss:
$16000
Cons:
  • Do not meet their agreements
  • Use unethical means to damage reputation
  • Do not value their contractors
Reason of review:
Problems with payment

Preferred solution: Let the company propose a solution

2 comments
Guest

This comment from Basilis an his company Changeland is so totally erroneous he actually makes my case of my previous post. I am willing to post all my contracts with other contractors marked paid in full.

I will post his contract stating that I am buying and have paid in advance for a total package of 1 Salt cave of 450 sq. ft. with the height of up to a specified level. Basilis signed this contract knowing all the specs for a 'complete package salt cave'.

In the English language that means there will be NO additional charges. He had no idea what a 'change order was until he got here and was 'screwing' things up with the electrical sub contractor he had to hire since he was not licensed to do work here in NC which he was told COUNTLESS times during the 5-6 months of correspondence and skyping with myself and my project manager and general contractor. Basilis just thought that he was 'above' all the laws and that they 'didn't apply to him, that he was some how SPECIAL'. He never understood that US laws and NC laws and Asheville laws and the downtown Business District had rules and regs that had to be followed, he refused and was told he had to hire a lic.

electrician.

Now for the acceptance of the cave with smiling faces, we never had the cave up and running for a period of time because had we done that we would have seen all the problems and faults in the construction. We have had to REBUILD both water features in the cave twice, 1 within 6 months of the cave opening and one for the second time now 3 yrs later. They've both ruined the walls and floor of our cave and walking area outside the cave. The lighting in the cave has had to be redone and because of Basilis' arrogance in his 'knowledge' of the heating system for the floor, I had to spend an additional $8500 to correct his mistake.

He is a disreputable businessman who doesn't honor his word given to a fellow businessman for money owed on a contract. He now owes me over $15,000 for the electric contractors bill since I paid it. I'm a local businessman and I understand the value of a man's word.

As far as that ISO certification I've seen trucking companies with ISO certifications so I'm not sure how significant it is.

They didn't withhold our being their representative, we REFUSED being their representative.

We also spoke to an owner in Spain who had her cave delivered by Basilis, and even though she has a WARRANTY from him, it is worthless since when she has a problem, he has yet to provide the services she has paid for and needs.

I stand behind all my statements as being 100% true. Neal Appel Appel Enterprises of NC LLC

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1058294

Beth Apple's arguments are very far from the truth. In the contract we signed it is written that the Apples would either inform Changeland in advance regarding any special requirements for electricity, etc.

or they would pay for it. They never responded to our repeated requests, nor did they follow the agreed requirements for preparing the room for the installation as stated in the contract.

Despite that, we did much more than was agreed to deleiver to them the excellent salt cave they have. If that was not the case, they would neither pose smiling with Dr Basilis Masoulas inside their salt cave when it was delivered to them, nor would they have signed the offitial Minutes of Acceptance they did, recognising as well all the extra additional services which they received from Changeland.

[all documents and photos are available on request sales@***.com].

Later, when we diclined to them the US representation, they started with all their accusations, in order to ensure that Changeland will not deliver any other high quality salt cave in the US.

Our guarantee is clear and applicable and we honor it, although non of our customers had any problems with our salt caves. Other non certified contractors, are obligated to maintain continuously the caves they deliver, Changeland salt caves require zero maintanance if the Customer followes what is on the manual and what he has learned during the Training Seminar we deliver during the installation of he salt cave.

Finally, as with any business investment, if the business fails, it is the business man to blame, not the salt cave!

In Spain for example, our cave in Barcelona is successful (same as in Asheville!), whereas in San Cugat, the lady owner failed to follow our recommendations, and their business was not doing so well. Of course we are always available to provide all our customers any support they may need becuase we want them to be very successful.

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Anonymous
map-marker Dallas, Texas

UNETHICAL SALT CAVE BUILDER FROM GREECE

THE COMPANY IS CHANGELAND CRYSTALOTHERAPY FROM GREECE. BASILIS MASOULAS, OWNER, LEFT ASHEVILLE, NC OWING OVER $8000 TO AN ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR WHO PERFORMED MUCH OF CHANGELAND'S WORK SINCE MASOULAS NEVER INQUIRED ABOUT RULES & REGULATIONS GOVERNING CONSTRUCTION IN THE USA. MY COMPANY PAID AN ALL INCLUSIVE PACKAGE PRICE FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE CAVE, THE TRAINING, THE MANUALS FOR THE OPERATION OF THE COMPONENTS OF THE CAVE, AND ALL MATERIALS NEEDED. COMING FROM GREECE MASOULAS WAS TOLD HE WOULD NEED ELECTRICAL ITEMS THAT ARE 'UL' LISTED AND APPROVED FOR U.S.A. USE. HE AGREED TO PURCHASE THOSE MATERIALS HERE AND PAY FOR THEM, SINCE WE PAID FOR A COMPLETE PACKAGE. HE DID NOT HAVE A N.C. LICENSED ELECTRICIAN SO HE AGREED TO USE MY CONTRACTOR AND PAY FOR THEIR WORK. HE AGREED TO PAY WHEN HE RETURNED HOME TO GREECE SINCE HE "MAXED OUT HIS CREDIT CARDS AND NO ONE AT HOME COULD WIRE THE MONEY TO HIM HERE IN ASHEVILLE". ONCE HE RETURNED AND THE CONTRACTOR SENT HIM A BILL HE EMAILED BACK THAT HE WAS 'NOT PAYING'. THIS AFTER BEING RECORDED SAYING THAT HE WILL PAY. WE ONLY RECEIVED 2 MAUALS AND ARE WAITING FOR 2 MORE AND A PLAYLIST OF MUSIC AND A SAMPLE OF THE INTAKE AND EXIT FORMS.

THERE WERE NUMEROUS ADDITIONAL OVERAGES DURING THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE CAVE DUE TO MASOUALS' CONSTANTLY CHANGING IDEAS OF THE WORK NECESSARY TO PROCEED. ONE ALWAYS ANTICIPATES EXTRA EXPENSES BUT NOT WHEN THE COMPANY REP. DOESN'T EVEN KNOW THE INFORMATION ABOUT PRODUCTS HE USES ALL THE TIME. HE WAS TOLD THE NETTING HE USES MUST BE FIREPROOF HIS WAS NOT AND HE COULDN'T FIND ANY. WE FOUND ONE HERE AFTER A 5 MIN. GOOGLE SEARCH. HE REFUSED TO BUY IT SINCE IT WAS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN WHAT HE USES. HE COULDN'T GIVE ME THE CORRECT MEASUREMENTS (EVEN THOUGH HE HAD THE PLANS HE APPROVED). I HAD TO PAY FOR THE NETTING TO GET APPROVAL FROM THE CITY.

IF INTEREST IN A SALT CAVE CONTACT ME FOR A MORE DETAILED ACCOUNTING OF HIS ERRORS AND OMISIONS AND POOR BUSINESS PRACTICE. I CAN ALSO HELP IN BUILDING A SALT CAVE USING OLD WORLD IDEAS AND MODERN TECHNOLOGY. SOLA SALT CAVE OF ASHEVILLE, NC.

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3 comments
Guest

I worked as a contractor the Appel's establishment doing work before and during the installation of the Salt Cave from Changeland. I am from the USA.

The Appels did not pay us for our work and they did the same with most of the contractors, including Changeland. We all did an exellent work but the Appels did not pay us and accused us.

I have heard that the Appels wanted to represent Changeland in the USA, but Dr Masoulas did not give them the franchise/agency. So apparently they went against him for that.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1058005

Who are you? Don't be a chicken and hide behind 'anonymous'.

If I owe you money I'll pay you, but I think you're full of BS.

There is no contractor that has not been paid fro my cave.

I REFUSED TO BE A FRANCHISEE OF CHANGELAND because Basilis was not giving me anything I was not capable of doing myself better and cheaper. He could do nothing for me.

Guest

I went to Sola in Asheville to check out the 'cave' and was amazed it looked so real. When I spoke to one of the owners, Jodie, she told me they had to completely rebuild the salina from scratch since it repeatedly broke down.

Since the rebuilding its been fine.

I guess good old American know how won out again. Seriously, the Appel's have done an amazing job on both the cave and retail sides to make it a very warm and exciting place to spend some time and relax and maybe pick up a chunk of salt for home decoration, really loved it and will be back again.

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