Bank of America
PO Box 982234
El Paso, TX 79998

Re: Your letter of January 7, 2020
Fraudulent charge by Home Advisor

Dear Sir or Madame:

First, we reject your office’s attempt to impose a ten-day deadline for my response to your letter. My wife advised your office that I would not be able to respond until after my return from an out-of-town trip on January 22. Your deadline is of no force or effect, so far as we are concerned; and we interpret your refusal to allow a reasonable extension as a hostile act by Bank of America, with whom we’ve had a credit relationship for many years. Please be advised we will NEVER pay this fraudulent charge.

In early November 2019, I contacted Home Advisor by using a form found on their website. I requested the services of a local handyman to hang several African animal trophies on the walls of my home. A few days later I received a telephone call from a Home Advisor representative who offered to complete the job for $183. I informed her it would take two people to do the job, and asked how she could quote it without ever seeing what had to be done.

The rep insisted that Home Advisor would hang the trophies for $183, so I said yes. I provided her with my credit card number only after she assured me that I would not be charged until the job was complete and I had signed off on it.

Two men claiming to be from Home Advisor arrived at our home a few days later, and I took them into the garage to show them the crate of trophies. I also showed them the walls where I wanted the trophies hung. They said they needed to get their ladder from their truck, went out of our front door, and never returned. When I went on the porch to check a while later, their truck was gone. They never returned or contacted us.

When I didn’t hear anything further from Home Advisor, I waited a week or so and then hired Fisher Services, LLC to perform the work. Fisher performed the work to my satisfaction, and gave us his invoice (copy attached) and we paid him by check #350 in the amount of $225 (copy attached).

The next thing I heard from Home Advisor was a form email inquiring as to my satisfaction with the job! There was no individual’s name on the form, and no email or other address by which to reach them. In reply, in the spaces allotted on their form, I informed Home Advisor of the facts and that they had never performed the work; and I returned the form via internet as instructed.

We were quite surprised to see Home Advisor’s charge on our Visa statement, as I had never signed any acceptance of work or the charge.

This is not a complicated case of alleged defective goods or services. It is a simple case of FRAUD, of a charge knowingly imposed for services that were never provided.

We hereby exercise our right to back-charge this FRAUDULENT amount to the merchant. Please be advised we will never pay this amount. If Home Advisor (and/or Bank of America) persist in collecting this charge, or do anything to impair our credit rating, we will SUE in Alaska District Court for credit slander, breach of contract, statutory and common law penalties for FRAUD, court costs, attorney’s fees, and any other damages that may apply.

My wife and I hope we’ve heard the last of this dispute.




James Sarafin

Good for you. I read it and agree 100%. Stick it right back to them in no uncertain terms.

Great letter.

Can we see those trophies?

Good going!

I'm sure they'd refund your money..........just give them your bank account #.......

B of A wont lose any sleep over your rant. Trust me!

Don't know how old you are James but threaten them with elderly abuse too if that applies!

X2

Might want to go into the branch office where you normally do business and talk to someone. Nothing easier to do than blow off a letter when it's unlikely you will suffer any personal consequence. Probably circulating around the water cooler right now.

X3

Wow! Excellent response!

I think you should pay them, Jim.

you know...re-distribute a little of your wealth.

Great lawyerease in there -- there always has to be a threat to sue. -- I do completely agree with you though no services no payment. Sometimes lawyerease makes people much less maleable though.

Nice letter and great trophies!!

From left to right: a sable from Zambia, Alaska mountain goat, gemsbok (S. Africa), nyala (S. Africa), Alaska Dall's sheep, puku (Zambia), and kudu (S. Africa).

Jim

Nice

Bruce Banner got nuttin on you James!

Boy was I off...when you said trophies I thought you meant for debate Team!

Those are mych Nicer!

Nice mountings -- looks like the people you hired got the job done for you too. Any more in your future? might have to get a bigger wall.