In April, 2009, my husband and I negotiated a contract for 2 garage doors (Inter-Urban Garage Doors, Andrew B, 604-985-3667) and paid a deposit of $1200 (50%). The cheque was cashed 5 days later. The garage doors did not arrive the next week as promised, but instead, a month later the wrong set of doors were delivered to be installed. We sent them back and were told the correct ones would be reordered.
The short of it is, we have not received any product or services from this North Vancouver company and it is now 4 months later. Our calls are not picked up (unless I phone from a new phone number, like a friend's cell phone). Andrew B says he does not return deposits and will not respond to a variety of suggestions we have made for resolving this.
We have talked to the RCMP and Better Business Bureau. The best that they can suggest is small claims court, but it is pretty clear from my few conversations with the owner of this business that this process will not be successful. My impression is that even if our claim is successful, it doesn't guarantee that he will pay.
The two addresses this fellow gives for his business (listed on YellowPages, CanPages, weblocal.ca, homestars.ca, etc.) are not 'real' (my husband drove by and one is for lease and the other had an old fridge and motorcycle in it?), so we don't even have a correct mailing address for him. There is also an inactive phone number (604-983-9124)listed on some sites.
We initially found Inter Urban through one of the big home shows in Vancouver 2 years ago. Although we looked up the door manufacturer, we did not look up this company on the Better Business Bureau until we had the trouble. Unfortunately it looks like he's done this before. (The installer who brought the wrong doors actually commented that Andrew often tries to install cheaper doors when customers don't check carefully on delivery.)
It looks like I'll probably end up losing my $1200, but I'd like to limit how many more people Andrew misleads out of their money. It is not ethical for me to just let others go through the same thing.
Do you have any other ideas for us?
Thanks for your time.
- Jennie Boulanger
Coquitlam, B. C.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $2,400.00