Ameritel Pay Phone Co. Are rip-off artists. I responded to an ad in the local newspaper about a payphone company selling pay phones in the area. The pay phone industry was an industry I always had interest in and I decided I would not let this opportunity pass me by. I never had any prior experience with pay phones before, so I walked into this venture blind, however, Mr. Garofano, a sales representative of Ameritel, said he would take care of everything for me.
Initially, Garofano was pressuring me to by five pay phones at $10,000, but I told him and kept telling him that I didn't have the funds. Garofano later said he could sell me 3 pay-phones but would not offer me anything lower for $6500 which would include locator fees, installtion, the phones, equipment, etc. I agreed.
After I agreed, Garofano called me continously for the funds. I sent him a $500 deposit, and $4417 for the actual phones. The remaining $1583 due was suppose to complete the transactions and my phones were to be up and running in no time. This occured in late January. After Ameritel received the initial $4917 for the three phones and deposit they totally changed their attitude.
At the beginning of the process, before Ameritel received the money, Garofano called me continously, asking how things are going, how much money I would soon be making, and giving numerous guarantees. After Ameritel received the money, I never heard anything from them unless I called. I was anxious because it was late January when I first purchased the phones, but time kept going by and I still did not have my phones up and running yet. I felt like it was something I was doing wrong. A locator came and got three locations for me at the end of February, but I had to end up getting my own installer! All this time I thought Ameritel was suppose to take care of everything because of the large cost and the promises that were made to me, but I finally saw the writing on the wall.
Before I got my own installer, I was calling Ameritel continously. Roy Goodman, owner of Ameritel, is the most rudest person I have ever met. When I first purchased the three phones, he called my home a couple of days later, thanked me for my purchase and then asked when I would buy some more! When I was calling Ameritel looking for an installer, Goodman would act as if I was interrupting him and taking up his time. One time I even called at about 5 P.M. One evening in february, and he promptly said, "I don't have time for this, call in the morning, " and hung up immediately. Roy Goodman better be glad I do not live in Florida.
The thing that upset me the most about Ameritel, is the fact that they didn't even tell me I had to get certified by the utilities commission, in order to have my phones active in public places, until the beginning of March via mail. All of those telephone conversations with Garofano and Goodman, and no one tells me I have to be certified until almost two months later. I could have gotten that out of the way in late January!
Currently, I do have those three phones up and running and have even purchased some more through another company. However, the trials and tribulations Ameritel put me through still makes me furious. I want to be compensated for what they put me through. Ameritel needs to be shut down permanently for there deceit and unscrupulous activity. I want to be informed if there is a way I can take legal action against Ameritel and if the Better Business Bureau can bring these monsters down.
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