Last year in May 13 I had reluctantly signed a contract with American Image for four graphs (a graph is actually a hair piece, but American Image refers to them as graphs), in any event, I got three of them and actually had to miss three appointments due to work (traveling to Korea) for extended periods of time for the Boeing Company, for which I work.
I am a senior project manager for the AEW&C Korea project for The Boeing Company and as I had mentioned to Ted Lingren on numerous occasions, I will be required to travel for one perhaps up to three months at a time, though Ted Lingren said he “didn’t see a problem with that we could work something out very easily.
And Ted’s solution to my traveling to Korea for a few months at a time was to add the time that I missed, like the three months I had missed last year (almost every other month), to the end of the current contract on (05/13/09), this way we end up using all the graphs and I won’t miss a beat, which I was ok with at the time and nothing was said after that.
A few months ago, in the January time frame, Ted began hassling me regarding the signing a three year contract. And I knew I had planned to sign another contract with him for some additional graphs, however as reluctant as I was, I chose to go with a one year contract as opposed to the three year Ted had his heart set upon. I am a disabled minority and can’t move very quickly. I also have constant inoperable pain, so I am required to take a ton of schedule two drugs to elevate some of my misery however it really does little to help.
Ted, I believe, is under the impression I am a stupid minority who can be taken very easily. One of the reasons I feel this way, is simple. My wife, who is German, had noticed the difference in customer service between someone who just walked in (tall white Caucasian) to me a minority of distinction, though he doesn’t know that.
The Caucasian was treated with great respect, he was only about 33 or so, and bald. I had already signed the contract, was disabled, and couldn’t do a thing about it. Well, with my disability and medical expenses, I can’t really afford to lose any money – however people like Ted see it differently.
Ted talked me into a contract with three week visits as opposed to the normal “come in after four weeks and with 5 graphs for $4,100. I put down $2,000 in cash as a down payment on 3/29/09, knowing my 2008 contract didn’t expire until 5/13/09. Plus adding the three months Ted owed me, that extended the first contract until 8/13/09, in which time the second contract wouldn’t go into effect until then.
Ted clearly stated to my wife and I, since I expressed some concern about the last contract not being completely executed and the three months he still owes me, per our agreement. Ted statement was, “we can make the contract now, and start it after the first is completedâ€.
Ted and I had agreed, as gentlemen, to conduct our business as men, grown up, adults – but remember, I was the minority and not very well respected nor treated very well. I don’t believe minorities are welcome in his shop, for some reason, I get that feeling, as did my wife which I pan to advertise in the community paper.
Come to find out, Ted never planned to fulfill his part of the verbal agreement, of which my wife is a witness as well as his secretary, though I doubt she will testify against him, however he insisted I sign because I will be better for it.
Though I believe, in fact, Ted had planned to start executing the second contract before the first was executed, and that was exactly what he did.
So, working both contracts at the same time is something he does routinely, I come to find out, talking with people here at Boeing, who are willing to testify, as long as their names are kept out of the paper. But Ted does this without saying a single word to his customers about it, and I was one of the many customers he has taken advantage of like this. I just wondering how I am supposed to wear two graphs at the same time – doesn’t he know I only have one head?
I am of the feeling, if he is that money hungry, he can certainly keep it; however I will see to it he never Steels from people again, at least not in Seattle or outlining areas.
After learning about Ted’s intentions regarding the contract, I was currently in Korea, I had called him and made email contact. He assured me he wouldn’t refund any part of the money, nor had he any intentions of doing so anytime in his immediate future, even though after I signed the contract it was only three days when I wanted to cancel the new and second contract which supposedly hadn’t started. And according the RCW 19.110.110 “Business opportunity contract – Content – cancellation period is three days after signingâ€. And RCW 19.110.120 Unlawful acts, which Ted had committed with his running both contract consecutively, which was not what I wanted and when confronted, he simply said it was part of doing business and it would all come out in the wash.
People like Ted have no idea about the consumer, I can certainly say that. Ted has taken me for $4,100 and I am making it my personal goal and focus to dedicate 80% of my free time on the internet, in the Blogs, etc. To let the people know the kind of business he runs, and how he’s been robbing people in the past. Plus I will display his contract online, and highlight the areas of it.
I will report him and his company to the Better Business Bureau (done), Bureau of Justice Assistance (done), national White Crime Center (done), Human Rights Commission (done), KOMO (I have several friends there, as I did a few interviews a while ago) and plan to contact the consumer help to see if I can get remedy, KIRO Complaint and investigation, Seattle Police Department complaint department, Complaints.com, newser.com, Washington State Legislature, Seattle Weekly consumer rip-off complaint department for publication, iRipoff.com Consumer Complaint Online, so that everyone in Seattle knows the kind of business he runs and display the contract he uses to RIP people off, Consumer Watchdog.org, Yelp Seattle, Federal financial institution (these people know what to do know when consumer get ripped off by businesses and will investigate the matter to the nth degree), Department of Executive Admin consumers affairs, Seattle. Gov complaint department. Docstac.com complaint, Consumer action website of Seattle, King 5 News complaint department Blog, and Internet crime complaint center.
As you can see, I have had some law experience and my brother is also lawyer. I also plan to focus my attention on this to my fullest extent possible.
He can keep the $4,100 but that is all he is going to get, if I have anything to do with it. Http://www.aihair.com/http://www.aihair.com
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