A snow removal company stopped doing its job until one family turned to the Call For Action team

WEST BLOOMFIELD, Mich. (WXYZ) - Removing wet, heavy snow can be a health concern for some people.  That’s why one family hired a snow removal company.  But when the crew stopped showing up, they turned to the Call For Action team.

"I've lived in Michigan my entire 66 years," said Fern Cohen.  So she is no stranger to snow.

"As you get older you know you should stop shoveling. So I hired companies for the past probably 8 years,” she explained.

She agreed to pay a company a lump sum for ten plows of her driveway this season.

It’s a 1500-square-foot L-shaped drive.

"It's a huge driveway!" said Cohen.

But she was left snowed in when her snow removal company stopped showing up.

"I hired them in late September -- early October. And they showed up in December and then didn't show up [after that]. And I called and called and called," she explained.

Cohen said she probably called the company 30 times, and she left a message each time.

Then she decided to contact WXYZ’s Call For Action team.

"I called because you get to a point where you're frustrated and you get no response, and you see that that may work. That may be the answer. They don't want bad press," said Cohen.

Our Call For Action volunteers took the case.

While they were working, Fern’s son David took on driveway snow-shovel duty.

Wednesday, February 27 ^th was one of those snowfalls that left very wet, heavy snow to clear.

"[David] indicated that it was about 45-pounds a lift. And he lifts weights, so he knows it was about 45-pounds a lift,” said Cohen.

But when David was almost finished with the task, the much sought-after snow removal company finally showed up to finish the job.

"The gentleman indicated that he was sorry that I had to call Channel 7. So my feeling is it was because of what [Call For Action] had done that they showed up,” explained Cohen.

Got a consumer problem?  WXYZ’s Call For Action hotline is open Monday through Wednesday from 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m.

CALL FOR ACTION Hotline:

(248) 827-3362

Or you can submit your consumer complaint here.