NOW TO A NEWS 5 INVESTIGATION----- "HOME-ADVISOR" SAYS IT RECOMMENDS PRE-SCREENED CONTRACTORS SO YOU DON'T G RIPPED OFF....
BUT CHIEF INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER ERIC ROSS DISCOVERED THE COMPANY IS FALLING SHORT ON ITS PROMISE TO PROTECT CONSUMERS.
AND ERIC---YOU LEARNED THE SAN FRANSISCO DISTRICT ATTORNEY IS SUING THE COLORADO-BASED COMPANY FOR "DECEPTIVE ADVERTISING"....
YEH---SOME PRETTY SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS OUTLINED IN THAT LAWSUIT WHICH WE'LL GET TO IN A MOMENT....
HOME ADVISOR IS SUPPOSED TO CONNECT YOU WITH LICENSED PROS....
BUT SOME HOMEOWNERS SAY THE COMPANY SENDS THEM UNLCIENSED CONS....WHO TAKE THEIR MONEY...AND DISAPPEAR.
TV AD: "HOMEADVISOR PROVIDES CRIMINAL AND FINANCIAL BACKGROUND CHECKS ON THEIR SERVICE PROFESSIONALS." BUT
THAT'S NOT TRUE ACCORDING TO SAN FRANSISCO DISTRICT ATTORNEY GEORGE GASCON.
HIS OFFICE IS SUING HOMEADVISOR FOR FALSE AND MISLEADING TELEVISION AND RADIO ADVERTISEMENTS.
THE LAWSUIT CLAIMS THE ADS ARE "LIKELY TO DECEIVE CONSUMERS" AND SAYS "HOMEADVISOR PERFORMS NO BACKGROUND CHECKS AT ALL ON THE EMPLOYEES WHO WILL BE COMING INTO A CONSUMER'S HOME.
THE ONLY PERSON WHO UNDERGOES A BACKGROUND CHECK IS THE BUSINESS OWNER".
THE COMPANY ALSO UNDER FIRE FOR SENDING UNLICENSED CONTRACTORS WHO SHOW UP...TAKE YOUR MONEY...AND NEVER FINISH THE JOB.
"THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE ROOF, WINDOWS, FENCE, THE GARAGE DOOR, JUST EVERYTHING WAS DAMAGED." AFTER A MAJOR HAIL STORM RIPPED THROUGH EL PASO COUNTY IN 2016---SHERRY MURRAY FOUND DEAN
MARTIN---WITH WESTWINDS CONTRACTING.
HOME ADVISOR LISTS HIS BUSINES AS SCREENED AND APPROVED.
IF ONLY THAT WERE TRUE....
NEWS FIVE INVESTIGATES CHECKED WITH PIKES PEAK REGIONAL BUILDING AND FOUND DEAN MARTIN IS NOT A LICENSED CONTRACTOR.
"I FEEL HOMEADVISOR LIED TO ME AS A CONSUMER.
I FEEL DEAN HAS LIED TO ME FROM THE GET GO AND I FEEL LIKE HE TOTALLY TOOK ADVANTAGE OF ME AND PLAYED ME." MURRAY SAYS SHE PAID MARTIN $16,000 TO PERFORM ROOF AND
SIDING WORK....BUT HE ONLY COMPLETED THE ROOF.
"ALL THIS WOOD WAS SUPPOSED TO BE REPLACED AND LOOK AT THIS.
IT LOOKS LIKE A KID DID THIS.
I COULD HAVE DONE A BETTER JOB." SHE FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU AND POLICE.
MARTIN RESPONDED BY HAVING HIS ATTORNEY THREATEN LEGAL ACTION AND REQUESTING SHE WITHDRAW HER COMPLAINT WITH THE B-B-B.
COLORADO SPRINGS POLICE TOOK MURRAY'S SIDE---AND AN OFFICER TOLD THE CONTRACTOR'S ATTORNEY THAT THIS WAS "THE WORST PAINT JOB/WORK" HE HAD SEEN IN HIS LIFE.
NEWS FIVE INVESTIGATES HAS CONFIRMED POLICE HAVE AN ACTIVE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION INTO MARTIN....
YET HOMEADVISOR STILL LISTS MARTIN'S COMPANY AS A 5-STAR BUSINESS WITH STELLAR REVIEWS.
"WE COULDN'T FIND ANY OF THESE PEOPLE WHO SUPPOSEDLY LEFT THESE GREAT REVIEWS." AND THOSE GREAT REVIEWS HAVE GIVEN OTHER CONSUMERS A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY.
LAST YEAR---NEWS FIVE INVESTIGATIVES EXPOSED YET ANOTHER FAKE CONTRACTOR WHO DUPED CUSTOMERS OUT OF TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS.
JOE PACHECO...OWNER OF J-P HOME IMPROVEMENTS HAS NO LICENSE---BUT SOMEHOW BECAME A RECOMMENDED CONTRACTOR ON HOMEADVISOR.
"THE TV IS ON AND HERE IS HOME ADVISOR SAYS WE PICK THE PROFESSIONALS, WE DO THE BACKGROUND CHECKS AND I THOUGHT "PERFECT", BECAUSE IN TODAY'S WORLD, WHO DO YOU TRUST." JOHN
CREEK USED HOMEADVISOR TO LOOK FOR A CONTRACTOR TO REMODEL HIS KITCHEN....
HE'S ONE OF PACHECO'S MULTIPLE VICTIMS.
"HE CAME IN JUNE 1 AND STARTED DISASSEMBLING AND TEARING EVERYTHING OUT AND JUST LEFT." HE NEVER SHOWED BACK UP TO FINISH THE JOB.
"HE WAS SUPPOSED TO PUT A FLOOR IN AND HEAT IN." HOME ADVISOR ALSO RECOMMENDED PACHECO TO JOYCE LERI WHEN S WANTED AN ENCLOSED PATIO OUT BACK...
AFTER POURING THE CEMENT AND PUTTING UP A FEW PIECES WOOD---PACHECO VANISHED.
"AFTER THAT, I COULDN'T GET HIM TO ANSWER THE PHONE." AND IT'S NOT JUST CUSTOMERS WHO HAVE LOST TRUST IN HOMEADVISOR'S ABILITY TO RECOMMEND PROFESSIONALS.
"IT WAS A LOT OF BAD PHONE NUMBERS.
SOME WERE OUT OF TOWN, SOME WERE OUT OF STATE SO WE DIDN'T KN WHAT WAS GOING ON." DIMITRY LIPINKSI, OWNER OF STORM GROUP ROOFING SIGNED UP WITH HOMEADVISOR...AND CLAIMS HE PAID
THE COMPANY $1,800 FOR LEADS THAT ENDED WITH NO JOB.
"IT DIDN'T WORK.
THE RESULTS WERE HORRIBLE." HIS COMPLAINTS ARE ECHOED IN THIS CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT FILED AGAINST HOMEADVISOR....
ALLEGING THE COMPANY PARTICIPATED IN "FRAUDULENT, DECEPTIVE AND MISLEADING PRACTICES WITH THE "SALE OF BOGUS LEADS" AND "SOLICITING NEW MEMBERS THROUGH COERCIVE MEANS,"
INCLUDING "THREATENING TO POST BAD REVIEWS IF THEY REFUSED JOIN HOME ADVISOR." ONCE YOU JOIN---LIPINKSI SAYS IT'S NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE TO CANCEL.....SOMETHING HE
BUSINESS, LIPINKSI ALSO DEDICATES HIS TIME---MAKING YOUTUBE VIDEOS ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCE WITH HOMEADVISOR.
"WOULD YOU PAY SOMEBODY $127 DOLLARS FOR THE PHONE NUMBER AND YOU WILL NEVER REACH THE PERSON.
HE WILL NEVER CALL YOU BACK OR PICK UP THE PHONE--NOTHING.
WOULD YOU PAY SOMEONE $127 FOR THE INFORMATION THAT NOBODY KNOWS IT EXISTS OR ANYTHING.
YOU GUYS GIVE ME PHONE NUMBERS AND SAY HEY THIS CUSTOMER NEEDS SOMETHING.I CALL THEM 20 TIMES AND TWO MINUTES AFTER YOU GIVE ME THE NUMBER YOU CHARGE ME $127 AND I TELL YOU IT'S NOT FAIR A
YOU WON'T REFUND IT." REP: IT'S NOT GUARANTEED JOBS.COM YOU KNOW, YOU DO PAY WHETHER OR NOT YOU GET THE JOB.
IT'S AN INVESTMENT.
DIMITRY: IT'S NOT AN INVESTMENT, IT'S A RIPOFF." AFTER THIS YOUTUBE VIDEO WAS UPLOADED....HOMEADVISOR OFFERED TO REFUND LIPINSKI $1,000----BUT ONLY IF HE TOOK DOWN THE VIDEO.
"IT'S BRIBING.
YOU'RE BUYING MY FREEDOM OF SPEECH PRETTY MUCH." LIPINKSI SAID "NO"....
AND IF THERE'S ANY DOUBT ABOUT HOMEADVISOR'S DESPERATION TO GET CONTRACTORS TO SIGN UP.....
"TO THIS DAY THEY STILL CALL ME.
THAT'S THE MOST MESSEDUP PART.
THEY STILL CALL ME TO SIGN UP FOR A NEW PROGRAM, THEY JUST DON'T KNOW WHO I AM.
THEY WILL NOT GO AWAY!" AND THE COMPANY IS PROFITING....
ACCORDING TO THIS CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT---HOME ADVISOR TOOK IN MORE THAN 360 MILLION IN REVENUE JUST IN 2015....
UPSETTING NEWS FOR PEOPLE LIKE JOYRCE LERI, JOHN CREEK, AND SHERRY MURRAY----WHO ALL NOW CAUTION PEOPLE ABOUT WHO THEY HIRE THROUGH HOMEADVISOR.
"I'M OUT THIS MONEY BUT I DONT' WANT ANYONE ELSE GETTING SCREWED.
==========
SCREWED." ==========
THE PUEBLO COUNTY D-A'S OFFICE CONFIRMS IT HAS AN OP CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION INTO JOE
PACHECO BASED ON OUR REPORTING AND CONSUMER COMPLAINTS.
AS FOR HOMEADVISOR---THE
COMPANY WILL NOT COMMENT ON EITHER LAWSUIT ITS FACING...
BUT DID TELL US IN A STATEMENT THAT IT HAS PLACED DEAN MARTIN'S COMPANY---WESTWINDS CONTRACTIN ON HOLD WHILE THEY CONDUCT MORE RESEARCH INTO THIS PARTICULAR
CASE.
9 PANEL TIGHT BRIE--- A LOT OF PEOPLE WANTING TO KNOW WHERE TO GO TO FIND REPUTABLE,
LICENSED CONTRACTORS....
THE ANSWER---REACH OUT TO YOUR REGIONAL BUILDING OFFICE AND IT NEVER HURTS TO A A NEIGHBOR FOR A REFERENCE.
AS ALWAYS---IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM OR ISSUE YOU'D LIKE NEWS FIVE INVESTIGATES TO CHECK OUT---SEND AN EMAIL TO NEWS FIVE INVESTIGATES AT KOAA DOT COM OR CALL OUR TIP
LINE----719-228-6275.