BBB complaint #36034805
Link to compalint is below:
http://app. Greatermd. BBB.org/complaint/view/36034805/c/dr948p.
On 8-11-08 Mr. Stewart of Stewart Enterprises came to my residence to repair warranty work on a previously installed sliding glass patio door. His labor charges were $90.90 and he was written check #1262 the same date for the labor charges. He provided a receipt of payment. There has been no further communication with Stewart Enterprises until:
On 2-7-09 I received a bill from Stewart Enterprises stating that I not only owed $90.90 for the labor for repairing the door, but also a late fee of $29.90 for 30 days past due, a 2% service charge for November 08, December 08 and January 09, total charges were now $127.25.
On 2-9-09 I contacted Stewart Enterprises asking to speak with Mr Stewart, whom I have had an outstanding relationship with for many years. Harold Lindsley, who stated he was now the President of the company, refused to let me speak with Mr. Stewart. Mr. Lindsley further stated that I could lodge any complaints with him. I advised Mr. Lindsley that I did not appreciate his billing practices, first for charging me a late fee, and then three 2 percent late fees for three months for a service that I had previously paid. Mr. Lindsley said that he was trying to re-coup fees and charges that he believed were stolen by a previous employee.
I feel the practice of recouping fees from an employee who embezzled funds by billing conscientious paying customers is a poor business practice, especially since there were no prior bills sent by Mr. Lindsley for over 6 months.
Mr. Lindsley asked that I provide him a copy of the check #1262, paying the account and I refused to mail him a letter, but said he was welcome to stop by and review a copy of the check. He then refused to stop by or send me a retraction letter of the charges. My refusal was based on his poor business practice of attempting to collect stolen proceeds from paying customers, his unprofessional demeanor on the telephone, and his refusal to submit a letter retracting his charges that I did not pay the account.
Except for warranty work for the windows and doors Stewart Enterprises has previously installed, I will not do any further business with Harold Lindsley, President of Stewart Enterprises.
On 3-5-09 I received another letter from this company regarding the same complaint that I rectified with Mr. Harold Lindsley on 2-9-09. This letter was from Office Manager Jaime Fortman accompanied by another bill increasing the charges from $127.25 to $129.79 and threatening me with legal action should I not pay. I called Ms. Fortman on 3-13-09 after returning from an out of town trip. I asked her if she had spoken with Mr. Lindsley and she said, "No." I advised her that Mr. Lindsley and I have spoken in 2-9-09 and had rectified that I had paid the charge of $90.90 on 8-11-08 with check 1262 and that my account was closed and cleared. Stewart Enterprises continues to attempt criminal methods of "double banging" past customers for charges that they have previously paid on time.
There practices are despicable and deplorable and anyone who does business with this company will be sorry they ever did. They refuse to answer the complaints I have filed with the BBB. I have gladly said I will show them the check I wrote, but will not take the time to make a copy, accompany it with a letter, use my stamp, envelope, and my valuable time for their unprofessional, criminal, business practices. They can't even talk to one another in their own office, about my previous call on 2-9-09 with Mr. Lindsley, so how do they expect to properly operate a viable business? The left hand does not know what the right is doing and they continue to
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