BBB Urges Extreme Caution Dealing with ‘What Don’t We Do’ General Contractors
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) urges consumers in need of home remodeling to use extreme caution when dealing with What Don’t We Do General Contractors, P O Box 4175, St. Louis. The business also has used an address of 11014 Sugar Pine Ct., Ste. A, St. Charles, Mo.
In the past 10 months, the BBB has received four complaints against What Don’t We Do. This firm has an unsatisfactory record with the BBB for failure to respond to complaints.
Three BBB complainants said they paid What Don’t We Do a combined $7,100 and no work was started. Complainants also said they had difficulty contacting a representative of the firm.
The Missouri attorney general’s office has received three complaints concerning this firm. Two are pending. One was closed as unresolved.
On March 15, 2005, Dan Paulette was registered as the owner of the fictitious name, What Don’t We Do General Contractors, according to the Missouri secretary of state’s Web site.
A St. Louis complainant said that she paid What Don’t We Do $1500 to repair her basement in January 2005. She said the firm came out on March 14, 2005, collected another check for $2000, and said they would be back in four days to begin the work. The firm failed to return and when the consumer contacted Dan Paulette, he informed her that he “had some delays and had started another project,” she said. The consumer said she was unable to contact the firm to schedule a time for them to start the work and finally left a voicemail asking for a refund, which has not been provided, she said.
A Florissant, Mo., complainant said that he paid this company $2100 down to remodel his bathroom and the work was to be completed by Thanksgiving 2004. When the work was not started, the consumer contacted Paulette who informed the consumer that he “was having trouble getting the materials from the supplier,” he said. The consumer said that he contacted a police detective and that Paulette informed the detective that he had been in the hospital and was therefore unable to start the work. The consumer left messages for Paulette asking for a refund, but has been unable to contact him since, he said.
The BBB suggests that consumers interested in home repair or maintenance work should consider the following general information tips:
* Check for a permanent place of business, telephone number, tax ID number, certificate of insurance, bonding information and (where required) a business license.
* Look for a company with a proven track record that readily offers customer references and a list of completed projects. Call these consumers to determine whether they were satisfied.
* Insist on a written proposal and examine it for complete descriptions of the work and specifications, including starting and completion dates and warranty information. Make sure all oral promises are included in the proposal.
* Never pay a contractor for the entire job in advance and avoid paying in cash whenever possible.
* Obtain a lien waiver. By giving you a signed lien waiver, a supplier of materials or services for your home repair project acknowledges that he or she has no right to file a mechanic’s lien against your property. In other words, the supplier acknowledges having been paid in full for those materials or services.
* Contact the BBB at (314) 645-3300 or www.contactbbb.org for a customer experience report on a company with which you are considering doing business.
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