There is a manufactured home business based in Washington, Utah, which has recently moved to Montana that is ripping people off. This business has several names, including Quality Homes, Quality Wholesale Homes, DSH Housing Group-West LLC, DSH Financial, and most recently, Goldbilt or Goldbuilt Homes. There are many victims of this fraud, and this company targets those who can least afford to have their money stolen from them. Our story represents the scam they run.
My husband and I were trying to purchase a manufactured home. The Quality Wholesale Homes Company web site (previously www.qwhomes.com now www.Goldbilt.com) claimed they could offer lower prices than what we had been quoted in California, and they gave us a price on a mobile home of $67,000. The salesmen became very aggressive, and told us that a $5000.00 deposit would "lock in" the price, which was going up significantly, and the deposit would also give us a discount on set-up and delivery.
We sent the money across state lines, and signed a contract via fax, which was one-page and one-sided. Later, the salesman tried to get us to sign additional paperwork to make this deposit "non-refundable", but we refused. The company completely changed after we sent the deposit, ignoring our phone calls and emails, and finally, after many calls, the price of the home more than doubled to $129,000.00 and we could not afford it.
It took us almost two years and many hours of work before this company would refund our money, but we are one of the few. And the Utah BBB was unable to assist us because this company refused to participate in the BBB arbitration process, even though they initially agreed. This company will claim that the "back side" of their contract (which most people do not see or sign) allows them to keep all deposits, even though this is not agreed to and no product has been provided.
As we further researched this company and its owners, we discovered another victim, a Christine Wallace, who had almost the same scenario happen to her. Ms. Wallace researched this business thoroughly for over two years, and found literally 100's of other folks that this company has similarly defrauded and stolen from. According to Ms. Wallace, besides this "non-refundable deposit" swindle, they also operate a "clean up your credit" aspect that is ineffective and based on false promises; however, this gives them another angle to use to take peoples' money.
Once a deposit is made, the company then drastically increases the price of the home, and then claims that the person cannot qualify for financing, and then they keep the deposit and the money they charge for the credit repair, while providing the buyer with nothing. Ms. Wallace has collected statements from former employees of this company who claim they were trained to get these deposits, and not to sell homes. The current economy is already so hard on many Americans, and this kind of "bait and switch" pricing tactic is deceitful and misleading. But the "deposit fraud" also scams many people out of their hard-earned money, especially those who can least afford it, while providing no product, so their actions are seriously harmful and illegal as well.
Christine W was able to get a judgment against DSH Housing Group from the Utah BBB for this deceitful practice. The BBB arbitrator claimed that Quality Wholesale Homes et al (now Goldbilt) was using this "contract" to take money from people without providing a product, but this company just keeps victimizing people all the same, and they will no longer participate in the arbirtration process offered by the BBB in Utah. The Utah attorney Generals office has fined this company as well. But when their victims get serious about getting their money back, they move or change their business name.
Your Desired Resolution:
The Montana BBB needs to be aware of what kind of company they are dealing with. This business has a history of packing their tent and moving or changing their business name when too many of their victims get serious about getting their money back, which is why they have now become Goldbuilt or Goldbilt. If you check the domain name's registry for Goldbilt, however, you will find that this company is owned by the same people— Dave Higbee, DeVon S. Howard (his son is Christopher Howard), Brock Henning, Victor Harris, Clarissa Abbegglen and Mark Gibson— that Quality Wholesale Homes and DSH Housing Group-West LLC were registered to. This company has left a wake of shattered dreams and finances, and the total damage to people in terms of money and stress is large indeed. Please check out this company thoroughly before Montanans also are subject to their scheme and more folks are swindled. Please do not do business with these people. They are not trustworthy.
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