August I spoke with a local Enrolled Agent (EA) about doing business for me. Mainly, I needed the EA to contact the IRS and workout a few issues I had at the time. I would have done the simple work myself, but I did not have the time to work those issues out. Therefore, I was willing to pay someone to do the work for me. Naturally, the EA was more than willing to do the work (so I thought).
The EA stated that he required a $1500 retainer to get started on my issue. Reluctantly, and against my better judgment, I gave the guy $1500. He wanted me to sign a contract as well, but I decided against it. Be that as it may, he allegedly started the work.
After a week, I called the EA and asked about the status of my account. He assured me he was working with the IRS on my account and that he would take care of everything in a matter of days. Well, the days went by and I had no results. I contacted the EA again and asked for an itemized statement of what he had done. Unbenounced to me, he asked his receptionist if she could get my file. When I asked him why his receptionist was listening in on our phone call, he said, "That's how I do business." I asked him politely not to have people listening in on our phone calls. When I inquired about client confidentiality he refused to respond in a manner consistent with any code of ethics. His receptionist continued to listen in on every phone call I made to him. That was the beginning of major problems down the road.
After a month my issue with the IRS had not been resolved. Repeatedly, the EA had me fax him the same forms over and over again.By now, I am very concerned by his level of organization and professional ethics.
After five weeks and no results I asked the EA to fax me an itemized listing of the work he had done. To my chagrin he informed me that his accounting program would not allow anything to be printed out for two months.By then he would know what I was being charged for.
On September 26, I called the IRS and handled the issue myself. I took a day off from work to take on what I thought would take all day if I were lucky. It only took me two hours of my time to settle my issue with the IRS. After completing business with the IRS I called the EA, informed him that I no longer needed his services and I asked for my money back. Of course, he said that he would not give me my money back and that I owed him money.
Two months later, he sends me an itemized statement showing that I had a balance of $3286.
The things he charged me for would shock the conscious.
1. $270 to create a fax cover sheet.
2. $300 to transcribe a letter my wife wrote for him on my behalf.
3. $37 to leave a message on his answering machine.
4. $37 to leave a message with his receptionist.
5. $200 to review a form 433a. (three times)
6. $325 for an alleged phone call to the IRS
The list goes on. The bottom line is I hired this EA to do what I did in two hours. Now he wants $3286. Ridiculous!
May I took him to small claims court in Texas and I won a judgment for $1000. During the proceedings I learned that the EA continued to bill me even after I terminated the relationship and he signed my name on the contract.
The EA and his attorney appealed the decision (in progress as of this date).
Not only is this EA unethical, unprofessional, and criminal, he's a liar. He informed the judge that my IRS problems have gotten worse. I have documentation to prove otherwise.
The business:
Redd, Hudman & Greaves, P.C.
8866 Gulf Freeway, Suite 340
Houston, Texas 77017
This EA is out of control and needs to be stopped. I'm sure I am not the only person he has ripped off. I want my money back and I want it back NOW! I will now stop until I get my money back from this crook.
Collis Redd should be ashamed of his unconscionable business practices.
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