On or around April first we contacted Benchmark Financial Group through and internet search for Equipment Leasing Companies in California. We e-mailed them and quickly recieved a reply. We filled out a leasing application and credit check. Theresa Billick called in a few days and told me we were approved for the lease and asked when we wanted to fund. They e-mailed over the Equipment Lease Agreement that required the first and last month's lease payment. We signed the agreement and paid the first and last month's lease payments - total of about $6,000.
Then Theresa Billick vanished. We tried multiple calls (you can only leave voice mail no one ever answers the phone) and e-mails. After about two weeks a Brian Bernal called us back and said Theresa had "bronchitis" and could not talk on the phone? He was now going to handle our account and we were NOT appoved as Theresa had said and they needed more documentation. We provided the new documentation. Again a few weeks go by and nothing. Finanally after a number of calls and e-mails Brian Bernal e-mails us back saying he "was in a car accident and can barely talk".
We never received our lease funding. The lease agreement states that if we do not get approved for funding our deposit will be returned. It has been over four weeks with again more unanswered calls and e-mails and still no refund.
I strongly encourage all of you that are ripped off by this company to do as I have done. Contact the Orange County Office fo the Districk Attorney and file a complaint. You can downloand there complaint form online. Only with criminal action can people like this be stopped. I wish I had known about usacomplaints.com before I did business. Also, if you go to yellowpages.com there are a bunch MORE victims there.
A class action lawsuite would also be a great idea if there are attorneys out there.
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