Media contact: Janet C. Hart, APR, CFEE (704)927-8617 office
Top Twelve Businesses Combine for 202 Unanswered Complaints
CHARLOTTE, N.C.
– The Better Business Bureau today announced its ‘Dirty Dozen’ list of area
businesses with the most unanswered complaints in 2010. In 2010,
consumers filed 15,118 complaints with the BBB against businesses in the
Southern Piedmont area of N.C. and S.C.
“Fortunately, the majority of
businesses in our area work to resolve complaints that consumers file with the
BBB,” said BBB President Tom Bartholomy. “However, there are businesses that
don’t respond to consumer complaints at all, which earns them a well-deserved
spot on the BBB’s ‘Dirty Dozen’ list.”
The top 12 businesses with the most
unanswered complaints from January 1, 2010 through December 31, 2010 are:
1. Patriot Waste Systems, Inc.
– (BBB status: out of business) – Owners Tony and Teresa Salvi, Shelby, N.C. –
Customers who prepaid Patriot Waste Systems, Inc. for garbage removal services
were left holding the bag. The company went out of business after having
financial problems that prevented them from operating and maintaining their
trucks. Patriot Waste has 51 unanswered complaints in 2010 and 61 total
complaints in the last 36 months.
Link
to BBB report: http://www.bbb.org/charlotte/business-reviews/waste-collection/patriot-waste-systems-in-shelby-nc-199624
2. Nation High School
– (BBB Grade F) – President, Steven O. Neal, Charlotte, N.C. – Complainants
allege that the GED certificates and diplomas they purchased from Nation High
School are not worth the paper they are printed on because Nation High School’s
Accreditation is in question. Using a fake Charlotte address, Nation High
School’s employees refuse to disclose their actual address because they do
business online. The BBB suspects the company of being a diploma mill. Nation
High School had 49 unanswered complaints from victims nationwide in 2010
and 65 total complaints in the last 36 months. An additional five
complaints have been filed against Nation High School so far in 2011. This
company is a ‘repeat offender’ which the BBB defines as a company that has made
the annual Dirty Dozen list previously. In 2009, Nation High School was
ranked eleventh.
Link to BBB report: http://www.bbb.org/charlotte/business-reviews/schools-home-study/nation-high-school-in-charlotte-nc-218555
3. Mrgooru.com
– (BBB Grade F) – Contact Paula Brooks, Charlotte, N.C. – Mrgooru.com sells
computer software, components and other products via the Internet. Customers
allege that they did not receive the brand name products that they ordered and
have not been able to reach the company to get a refund. Mrgooru.com had 22
unanswered complaints in 2010 and 24 total complaints in the last 36
months.
Link to BBB report:
http://www.bbb.org/charlotte/business-reviews/computers-software-and-services/mrgoorucom-in-charlotte-nc-237243?nostat&gid=1&gen=1&lid=1
4. TechDeckDirect, Inc. –
(BBB Grade F) – Owner Mitch Heffner, Charlotte, N.C. – TechDeckDirect, Inc.
sells brand name computer software, components and other products via the
Internet. Customers allege that they did not receive the brand name products
that they ordered and have not been able to reach the company to get a refund
because the telephone numbers and website are no longer in service. TechDeck
Direct, Inc. has 19 unanswered complaints in 2010 and 24 total
complaints in the last 36 months.
Link to BBB report:
http://www.bbb.org/charlotte/business-reviews/computers-software-and-services/techdeckdirect-in-charlotte-nc-217456
5. T & L Engine Development (BBB
status – out of business) – Owner Lloyd McCleary, Stanfield, N.C. – Customers
allege that they ordered engine parts through T & L Engine Development and
paid as much as $5,000. These customers state that they did not receive the
parts they ordered and have not been able to obtain refunds for the money paid.
T & L Engine Development had 13 unanswered complaints in 2010 and 63
total complaints in the last 36 months.
Link to BBB Report:
http://www.bbb.org/charlotte/business-reviews/auto-machine-shops/t-and-l-engine-development-in-stanfield-nc-187687?nostat&gid=CIDFILES&gen=CIDFILES&lid=1
6. American Shingle Roofing Company LLC
- (BBB status – out of business, filed for bankruptcy)
–President Rich Steffy, formerly located in Charlotte, N.C. - Instead of
putting roofs on homes, American Shingle Roofing Company took money from
homeowners. American Shingle had 11 unanswered complaints filed
with the BBB in one month in 2010. After American Shingle abruptly
closed its locations in ten states, the company filed for bankruptcy in September,
2010. When civil and criminal investigations began in multiple states including
N.C., the BBB referred local victims to file complaints with the N.C. Attorney
General’s office, in lieu of the BBB. Otherwise, American Shingle Roofing
Company would have led the BBB’s list in 2010 as the company with the most
unanswered complaints. The total number of victims from N.C. and S.C. is
estimated to exceed 300 homeowners with total losses estimated at nearly two
million dollars.
Link to BBB report: http://www.bbb.org/charlotte/business-reviews/roofing-contractors/american-shingle-roofing-in-charlotte-nc-232240?nostat&gid=1&gen=1&lid=1
7. Time to Go Travel, LLC - (BBB
status – out of business) – Owner David Rodway, formerly located in Fort Mill,
SC. Time to Go Travel sold discounted travel memberships ranging in price
from $1,000 to $4,000 and promised savings of up to 50 percent on travel
packages. Complainants decided that it was time to get a refund when they found
out they could book the same travel packages themselves for the same price or
less. However, they have not been successful in obtaining refunds since the
company closed down in Fort Mill. Time to Go Travel had 11 unanswered
complaints in 2010 and 21 complaints in the last 36 months.
Link to BBB report: http://www.bbb.org/charlotte/business-reviews/vacation-certificates-and-vouchers/time-to-go-travel-in-fort-mill-sc-219707
8. Queen City Paint and Body Shop
– (BBB Grade F) – General Manager, Gabe Leonard, Charlotte, N.C. – Customers
who have been in auto accidents allege that they were contacted by Queen City
Paint and Body Shop representatives who gave them the impression that this was
the auto body shop authorized by their insurance or the other party’s insurance
to repair their vehicle. Customers stated that they were told to bring their
vehicle there for repairs, but the customers’ insurance adjusters did not
confirm that this company had been authorized to do the repairs. Customers who
tried to retrieve their vehicles were charged storage fees or were charged for
the work that had been done on their vehicle. Queen City Paint and Body Shop
had 10 unanswered complaints in 2010 and 26 total complaints in the last
36 months.
Link to BBB report:
http://www.bbb.org/charlotte/business-reviews/auto-body-repair
and-painting/queen-city-paint-and-body-shop-in-charlotte-nc-216876?nostat&gid=1&gen=1&lid=1
9. Delta Financial Corporation
– (BBB status: out of business ) – Contacts, Nancy Burke or Michael Crespe
(possibly fake names), Charlotte, N.C. - Using a fake Charlotte address, Delta
Financial Corporation operated an advance fee loan scam that guaranteed
consumers loans in exchange for a fee for ‘insurance’ or ‘collateral’ on the
loan. Consumers paid the fee via wire transfer sent to Canada, but then did not
receive the loans as promised. The N.C. Debt Adjusting Act makes it illegal for
businesses to charge N.C. residents an advance fee for any type of debt
adjusting service. Delta Financial Corporation had nine unanswered
complaints in one month in 2010 and nine total complaints in the
last 36 months.
Link to BBB report:
http://www.bbb.org/charlotte/business-reviews/advance-fee-brokers/delta-financial-corporation-in-charlotte-nc-235332
10. HPI Painting (BBB
Grade F) – Owner James Honeycutt, Charlotte, N.C. - HPI Painting does interior
and exterior painting. Complainants allege that the quality of the work does
not meet their expectations, and they have not been able to get a refund or get
the work redone. According to BBB records, Mr. Honeycutt has done business
under seven business names and has used nine addresses and four phone numbers.
HPI Painting has six unanswered complaints in 2010 and 20 total
complaints in the last 36 months.
Link to BBB report: http://www.bbb.org/charlotte/business-reviews/painting-contractors/hpi-painting-in-charlotte-nc-102573?nostat&gid=CIDFILES&gen=CIDFILES&lid=1
11. Intelligent Web Marketing, Inc. (BBB
Grade F) – President Rick Odom, Albemarle, N.C. – Intelligent Web Marketing
provides internet services including domain name registration. Complaints focus
on not being able to cancel the service and obtain refunds. Intelligent Web
Marketing had six unanswered complaints in 2010 and 19 total complaints
in the last 36 months.
Link to BBB report:
http://www.bbb.org/charlotte/business-reviews/web-hosting-services/intelligent-web-marketing-in-albemarle-nc-114366?nostat&gid=0&gen=0&lid=1
12. HSC Landscapes, Inc. (BBB
Grade F) – CEO Greg Howard, Rock Hill, S.C. – HSC Landscapes provide
landscaping and patio paver services. Complainants allege that they pre-paid
for work that was not started or completed. Customers state that Mr.
Howard told them that the company was having financial problems. HSC Landscapes
had six unanswered complaints in 2010 and seven total complaints in the
last 36 months.
Link to BBB report: http://www.bbb.org/charlotte/business-reviews/landscape-architects/hsc-landscapes-in-rock-hill-sc-214272?nostat&gid=CBI%20Complaint%20Form.cm.cr.rtf&gen=CBI%20Complaint%20Form.cm.cr.rtf&lid=1
Consumers can check out a
business and get a free Reliability Report online at www.bbb.org or by calling the BBB (toll-free in
N.C. and S.C.) at 1-877-317-7236.
###