In August of I entered an agreement with this company to search for and provide me with an investor to buy a home. I paid the company (First Commercial Consultants) $3500.00 in fees. We retained a local real estate broker and followed the company's (First Commercial Consultants). We found a home that qualified for their program and they failed to provide an investor in a timely manner and our prospective home was purchased by another consumer. The company requested the full fee up front whereas the contract reads that the fees are not due until and offer has been made on the home. They requested the money before they had actually found an investor. Our local real estate agent has stated that the company's (First Commercial Consultants) policies in regard to the real estate market, are not practical in today's and in SC's market. We now have to move out of our current home and need the money to move. I have contacted the owner, Bill Lange, in writing (3 times) and verbally (3 times) in the last 3 weeks and now its to the point that he is avoiding my calls and will not address the matter of a refund. I offered to accept $3000 of the $3500 allowing $500 for them to pay for any expenses they incurred. The owner, Bill Lange, keeps trying to talk me into staying with their program but unfortunately time has run out and I need to move my family. I have 3 small children and a stay at home wife and have explained to Mr. Lange that my ability to move depends on him refunding my money. I believe that the company has made false claims in the fact that they demanded $2000 from me before the home offer was made.in addition they failed to disclose their strategies on pricing the real estate. They essentially are demanding prices far below market value which is hampering my efforts to find a home and making it impossible. Their contract states that the money is not due until the offer is made. At the time, they had no investors and admitted that to both me and my real estate agent. My goal is to reimburse them for any exp enses they have incurred which I believe to be $500 or less, and to refund my $3500 minus expenses. I have a local licensed real estate broker who will serve as a witness that the company did not perform the services and possibly committed fraud in advertising via their web site and tactics. The owner continues to avoid my calls and I believe at one time, he pretended to be an employee trying to disguise his voice.
I have since been contacted by a local news reporter who says that there are other victims and there were never any investors and that their paper is investigating other criminal allegations. The company has still not refunded my money. I have contacted 17 news outlets, the Washington Governor, Attorney General, Sec of State, FBI, Sherriff and local police. I send them daily updates on Lange. Lange is also a convicted criminal. His crime was poaching wildlife in Alaska. He and his son were convicted in 2005.
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