FRAUD. There is no other word for it. Different businesses have different ways of making money, some honest and some dishonest. The owners of Chevy Chase Painting, Andrew Jones and Thomas Papageorge, have opted for the latter. Taking money for work that is not performed is not only dishonest, it is fraudulent.
These shady characters operate under a variety of business names, including Chevy Chase Painting and University Painters.
The short version of the story is as follows. Andrew Jones came to my house to give a "free estimate" for exterior house painting. He wrote up a quote and insisted on taking a deposit at that time, despite not knowing what sort of paint would be needed. His subcontractors (most of whom were non-english-speaking immigrants) came by a few days later and also could not could not say with certainty what kind of paint and surface prep would be required. They were not responsive to follow-up calls. Eventually I made alternate arrangements for the work, and tried to get a refund from Chevy Chase Painting. It has been extremely difficult to contact Andrew Jones or anyone in charge at Chevy Chase Painting. When finally reached on his cell phone, he flatly refused to refund the deposit.
Evidently Chevy Chase Painting and Andrew Jones do not have the necessary skills to succeed through honest painting, and prefer to make a living through nefarious means. I'm probably not the only person they have ripped off.
Andrew Jones may also do business under other names, including University Painters. Stay away from Chevy Chase Painting, University Painters, Andrew Jones, and Thomas Papageorge, his partner. If you see any of them coming, don't open the door!
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Actually there is another word for it and the word is "Defamation" – noun.....the act of defaming; false or unjustified injury of the good reputation of another, as by slander or libel; calumny: She sued the magazine for defamation of character.
ReplyDeleteAndrew Jones & Thomas Papageorge have painted 1000's of homes in Northern Virginia and the surrounding Washington DC Suburbs and operate a highly reputable painting business. These comments are defamatory and the business owners are unable to fully respond to any complaint of this nature when there is no custmoner name, address, or other accurate information about the person who posted this complaint. Andrew Jones & Thomas Papageorge use written contracts and give written estimates for all work and are fully licensed and insured.
Hi Josh, thank you for the comment. The definition of defamation includes the stipulation that the statements be false or unjustified. Factual assertions are not defamation. Andrew Jones and Thomas Papageorge do not contest the facts; that they have not performed any painting services, they have taken $275 from me, and they refuse to return my money.
ReplyDeleteAndrew Jones and Thomas Papageorge have my name, address, and telephone number. They could easily refund my $275 if they so choose. Evidently, any real or imagined damage to their reputation is worth less to them than $275. Moreover, they themselves have expressed no objection to these Internet posts--which they were informed of in advance and given ample opportunity to preempt. In fact, you, Josh Jablon are the only individual who has responded to the posts.
You mention they use written contracts. However, they refuse to comply with the terms of their own contracts. To quote paragraph eight (8) of the contract, "In the event Contractor has not commenced or is unable to commence Painting Services for you, Contractor may terminate this contract without any liability whatsoever upon refunding your deposit."
Furthermore, the contract document they use is illegal under the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, as well as Federal Trade Commission statutes. Hence the contract is invalid and they have no legal basis for holding my money.
Upon being contacted by the Fairfax County office of Consumer Affairs early last month, Thomas Papageorge agreed to return my money, with that office acting as an intermediary in the transaction. At that time I thought the matter had been settled. I was waiting for the check to arrive and clear the bank whereupon I would have removed/updated my blog and posts. However, Thomas Papageorge has now broken that documented promise which he made to a government regulator, and again refuses to return my money.
If these individuals are reputable businessmen, their actions in this matter demonstrate otherwise. They have taken my money illegally, effectively lied to a government regulator, violated the terms of their own contract, and make use of contract documents which are themselves illegal.
At this point I am still asking only that my deposit be returned to me. I have no desire to harbor a grudge. When my money is returned, I will make good faith effort to ensure the Internet posts are removed or updated as appropriate. However, please recognize that if my money is not returned voluntarily, additional costs may accumulate, and matters of public record or news are outside of my control. Thank you again for your comments and offer of assistance.