HE SELLS HIGH-END WHEELCHAIRS AND POWER SCOOTERS...
BUT CUSTOMERS AREN'T GETTING THE PRODUCT THEY ORDERED....
DESPITE MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS, CHIEF INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER ERIC ROSS FOUND THIS MAN IS STILL IN BUSINESS AT A LOCAL SENIOR LIVING CENTER.
"IN 2008, I GOT AN INFECTION IN THE FOOT OF THIS LEG.
I TRIED AND HAD FOUR OPERATIONS TO SAVE MY FOOT."
A FEW YEARS LATER...HE GOT AN INFECTION IN HIS OTHER LEG ...REQUIRING ADDITIONAL SURGERY.
TODAY--HE NEEDS A WHEELCHAIR TO
GET AROUND.
"IT'S IN THE CORNER HERE.
IT'S MODEL GP 620.
IT'S THE GOLDEN COMPASS HD.
THIS WHEELCHAIR HERE." IN FEBRUARY---RON PAID EDWARD FICKAS---THE OWNER OF "BEST PRICED MOBILITY SCOOTERS" $2,240 FOR THIS SPECIALIZED WHEELCHAIR....BUT IT NEVER CAME.
"HE DOESN'T ANSWER THE PHONE WHEN I CALL HIM AND HE DOESN'T CALL BACK WHEN I LEAVE HIM MESSAGES." RON SAYS HE REQUESTED A REFUND MULTIPLE TIMES.
"HE TELLS ME---THE LAST CONVERSATION THAT WE HAD THAT HE'S GOING TO GO OUT OF BUSINESS.
HE'D STILL GET ME THE MONEY.
HE'D BORROW THE MONEY FROM HIS MOTHER OR SOMETHING." AFTER WAITING MONTHS FOR HIS MONEY BACK...RON CONTACTED NEWS
FIVE INVESTIGATES FOR HELP.
I REACHED OUT TO MISTER FICKAS---WHO TOLD ME IN AN EMAIL THAT HE "LOST HIS BUSINESS" AND BLAMES HIS SUPPLIER, "GOLDEN TECHNOLOGIES" FOR DOUBLING THE
COST HE PAYS FOR WHEELCHAIRS AND SCOOTERS.
THROUGH HIS OWN ADMISSION----MISTER FICKAS SAYS HE OWES $6,500 IN REFUNDS AND CLAIMS HE'S IN THE
PROCESS OF REIMBURSING 4 OTHER PEOPLE.
CHARLES COPLEY...THE EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES AND MARKETING OF GOLDEN TECHNOLOGIES SAID "MR FICKAS' ACCUSATION OF PRICING IS FALSE.
ADDITIONALLY, HE HAS AN ACCOUNT WITH GOLDEN THAT IS DEFAULT OF PAYMENT AND NOT MEETING PAYMENT TERMS." SO WHERE DID THE MONEY GO THAT RON AND OTHER CUSTOMERS PAID??
WE HAD TWO STATION EMPLOYEES
CALL MISTER FICKAS TO ASK ABOUT ORDERING THE SAME SCOOTER RON HALL IS WAITING ON.....
FICKAS SET UP AN APPOINTMENT AT THE BROOKDALE SKYLINE SENIOR LIVING CENTER..
AND WHAT HE TOLD OUR UNDERCOVER
EMPLOYEES IS FAR DIFFERENT THAN WHAT HE TOLD US.
"I DO OVER $100,000 A YEAR IN CHAIRS.
I BUY $60,000 TO $70,000 A MONTH...A YEAR....FROM GOLDEN TECHNOLOGIES." AND WHEN OUR EMPLOYEE ASKED HOW SOON HE COULD ORDER THE
GOLDEN TECH COMPASS H-D MODEL WHEELCHAIR....
PRODUCER: "IF WE WERE TO ORDER THIS ONE...HOW...?
EDWARD: 2 AND A HALF WEEKS IS WHAT IT IS.
IT'S THREE IF I DO A CREDIT CARD OVER THE PHONE." 2 AND HALF WEEKS TO ORDER SOMETHING RON HALL IS STILL WAITING ON.....
AT THE VERY LEAST---RON WANTS HIS MONEY BACK.
"IT'S STILL MY MONEY AND I'D LIKE TO HAVE IT BACK AND SHOULD HAVE IT BACK BUT THOSE PEOPLE, A LOT OF THEM MIGHT BE SENIORS AND THEY PURCHASE IT OUT OF THEIR POCKET AND SO THAT MAY BE THE
ONLY MONEY THEY HAVE IS THE MONEY HE TOOK FROM THEM FOR THE DEPOSIT AND MY GUESS IS IF HE CAN'T PAY ME BACK, HE'S PROBABLY NOT DOING IT FOR THEM EITHER."
AND FICKAS REPEADEDLY TOLD US HIS BUSINESS WAS DONE AND HE WASN'T MAKING ANY PROFITS....
BUT HE CONTRADICTED HIMSELF TO
OUR TWO EMPLOYEES.
"THIS IS MY GOLD MINE.
THIS IS MY CASH COW!" AS A RESULT OF OUR INVESTIGATION--- MISTER FICKAS DID REFUND RON HALL $900.
BUT NOWHERE CLOSE TO THE $2,240 HE PAID.
HALL DID GO TO COLORADO SPRINGS POLICE FOR HELP...BUT WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO AS THIS IS A CIVIL MATTER.
MEANWHILE, BROOKDALE SKYLINE SENIOR LIVING TOLD US IN A STATEMENT THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF MISTER FICKAS' SELLING WHEELCHAIRS AT THEIR CENTER AND WILL REVIEW THE SITUATION TO
MAKE THE APPROPRIATE BUSINESS DECISION MOVING FORWARD.
ERIC ROSS, NEWS FIVE INVESTIGATES.
================================ = SBAR NOW WE SHOULD NOTE THAT IN THE
COURSE OF OUR INVESTIGATION--- IT CAME TO OUR ATTENTION THAT MISTER FICKAS ALSO OWES KOAA NEWS FIVE MONEY FOR ADVERTISING.
HOWEVER- THAT DID NOT CONTRIBUTE TO OUR DECISION TO AIR A STORY ON HIS BUSINESS.
OUR DECISION WAS BASED SOLELY ON A VIEWER-INITIATED NEWS TIP ALONG WITH CONFIRMATION THAT MULTIPLE OTHER VICTIMS EXIST.
NOW IF YOU WERE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF BY MISTER FICKAS..
OUR INVESTIGATES TEAM WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU..
CALL OUR TIP LINE----719-228-6275 OR SEND AN EMAIL TO NEWS FIVE INVESTIGATES AT KOAA DOT COM