Who Can You CAll when scammed in St. Joseph
Some people dont know where to turn when they are being scammed or cheated.
If your being over charged by a contractor in the St. Joseph area you should call the attorney General at 537-751-3321.
In Kansas City you can call 816-889-5000.
The consumer protection Hotline number for this area is 1-800-2392-8222.
The number for Legal aid in St. Joseph is 1-800-892-2101 or 816-364-2325
Ripoff Report Sites Pinnacle in Overbilling Scams
Someone asked me the other day if Pinnacle Electric of St. Joseph is involved with the companies called Pinnacle who are listed in the Ripoff Report which is a leading website for consumer rights. Although I know someone who is trying to find out whether this is the case as far as I know at this time there is no connection. Even though some of the over billing practices may seem similar to some this could simply be a coincidence. Buchanan county authorities have investigated contractor fraud connected to some contractors, but the vast majority of cases are never reported to anyone. In the case of electrical work most of the time insurance takes care of these problems. Often only those who cant afford insurance are the most taken advantage of because insurance companies will fight unscrupulous billing practices if there is enough reason to suspect it.
Sheriff Warns of Scams in St. Joseph
The Buchanan county sheriff’s department has warned of shysters in our area who take advantage of people who need repair work done. Alot of these repairs are done in the summer. If a person is without a fan or air conditioning that can be almost as dangerous as someone being left alone in the dark to freeze during the winter.
Over Billing Scams in St. Joseph
Usuallly a person can get a free estimate for work that needs to be done on their property. Whenever possible you should get one. However there are times during weather emergencies when a company may claim that they are so busy they can’t do this. In such a case people will then ask how much the company charges for an hourly rate and hope the company completes the job in a reasonable amount of time. I know of people who have had an electrical job done by one company at a reasonable price and then been charged over twice as much by another company that quoted a similar hourly rate but ended up sending out more people to do the same job. In this way an unscrupulous company can charge the hourly rate quoted on the phone but send out extra people and suddenly your bill is two or three times what was quoted on the phone. Actually the job done by the extra people required less labor than the one done at a reasonable price. This type of practice is often done by some companies during emergency weather situations when people would freeze and can’t get around well. On top of that the company will later bill you for overtime for each person. These extra people are often trainees or worse friends who don’t actually work for the company. This doesn’t just happen in St. Joseph, MO but can happen anywhere.
Greed and Corruption in St. Joseph Mo.
There are sick people who prey on the poor and desperate. I have focused some of that attention on electrical contractors such as Pinnacle simply because it is that customer base which has been giving me the most complaints lately. The weather related emergencies such as the ice storm and tornado have created desperate times for people which suffered further under predatory contractors.
Does Pinnacle Electric in St. Joseph Mo practice Fraud
I have come to wonder why I keep hearing bad stories about Pinnacle Electric in St. Joseph. Shoddy workmanship and over billing are the main problems. I’ve come to wonder how corrupt this company really is. Recently I’ve been told another story about their billing people for more hours than they actually have worked. It may be a reasonble mistake if you over charge for one hour but this latest case I was told amout involved someone being overcharged by seven hours on a two hour job. I can’t comment on any other companies using the name Pinnacle or even those that may be affiliated with Pinnacle electric of St. Joseph that work out of other towns. This post concerns only Pinnacle Electric operating in the town mentioned.
St. Joseph Fraud Alert
Pinnacle Electric of St. Joseph may have to be added to the list of companies that commit fraudulent billing practices in our city. It will take more time to determine because I’m sure for every unsatisfied customer there is another who probably was not cheated by this company. Its sad when companies take advantage of poor people during desperate times but it happens all the time. Do you suspect any companies in our area of commiting fraudulent practices.
