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Ripoff Report | General Steel Corporation Review - Lakewood, Colorado
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Report: #188089

Complaint Review: Ripoff Report | General Steel - Lakewood Colorado

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  • Reported By: Irvine California
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  • General Steel 1075 S. Yukon Street. Suite 250 Lakewood, Colorado U.S.A.

General Steel Corporation REVIEW: General Steel commitment to absolute customer satisfaction. General Steel’s approach to business spanning two decades focused on providing the highest quality steel buildings and pre-construction services to their clients throughout the United States and Internationally. Littleton Colorado, Nationwide.


*UPDATE: General Steel pledges their commitment to Ripoff Report Corporate Advocacy, Business Remediation and Customer Satisfaction Program. A program that benefits the consumer, assures them of complete satisfaction and confidence when doing business with a member business. General Steel is recognized by Ripoff Verifiedâ„¢ as a Safe business service.

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REVIEW UPDATE: May 1 2018: General Steel remains committed to increased customer satisfaction and has improved their business practices over the years to better serve their customers. General Steel is truly dedicated to making sure their customers are satisfied and that any complaints which do arise are addressed promptly and fairly.

To date, General Steel has made good faith efforts to resolve all complaints reported on Ripoff Report. Based on our experience, the member business has proven to be among the top members of the Ripoff Report Corporate Advocacy Business Remediation and Customer Satisfaction Program as a Verified Safe Business™.

Over time and since becoming a member, General Steel has remained actively engaged and improving the way they address customer service complaints. As an active and current member of the Ripoff Report Corporate Advocacy Business Remediation and Customer Satisfaction Program we are happy to report that now more than ever General Steel remains committed to improving customer satisfaction.

Remember, no company or individual can ever satisfy 100% of the people 100% of the time. There are no products or services that will always be perfect for everyone and even the best companies will receive complaints from time to time. However, by participating in the Corporate Advocacy Program, the member business has made a commitment to working with its customers to resolve complaints quickly and fairly whenever possible.

Please keep in mind that as a consumer you have some responsibilities as well. Success has many definitions that based on your past experiences, current situation and your perceived expectations. Success with any product or service is always based on the proper application and understanding. The fastest car will not run if you never turn the engine on. Look at how you used the product or service that was provided in relation with the instructions that you received. The Corporate Advocacy Business Remediation and Customer Satisfaction Program will help you get your voice heard but please be prepared with documentation and fair representation of your concern, also have an idea of how the company can fix your concern. Can they offer additional services, extend warranties, offer a fair refund or just get you talking with someone that can help. ..let them know and let us know!

*Any consumer not receiving satisfaction from a member of the Corporate Advocacy Program should email us at editor@ripoffreport.com

Ripoff Report Verified™ REVIEW:

EDitor’s UPDATE:

Positive rating and recognition has been given to General Steel for its commitment to excellence in customer service.

Representatives from Ripoff Report recently visited with many employees at General Steel’s Corporate Headquarters in Littleton, Colorado. During the visit and discussions with the exceptional team at General Steel we at Ripoff Report witnessed an ongoing commitment to customer service by everyone at General Steel. It was clear that General Steel’s only acceptable result is 100% customer satisfaction. Limitless customer service clearly defines the corporate culture throughout General Steel and the professionals interviewed and communicated that they will go to any length in order to achieve project success with every client.

The information provided in this report is based on comments made by Jonah Goldman and Travis McCain during an on-site inspection held by a third party verification company with no biases toward General Steel.
General Steel is Rip-off Report Verified
Ripoff Report Verified™ .. part of Ripoff Report Corporate Advocacy Business Remediation & Customer Satisfaction Program. A program that benefits the consumer, assures them of complete satisfaction and confidence when doing business with a member business..



General Steel’s target markets are in low-rise commercial buildings. They work to gain leads that come in from builders they have used in the past, TV ads, radio ads, referrals and potential consumers that search the internet. Once the company has a call or request for information, a quote is handled through their sales department or customer service department. The company explains the services they offer and try to have the customer request a quote or sample design. General Steel states that they are set apart from other competitors in the industry because of their network of installers that have honesty and integrity.

The customer’s experience when working with General Steel starts with their sales and customer service department who will have a conversation with the customer to discuss their needs for the project. Then, the company creates a design and submits it back to the customer for approval. Once the design is approved, General Steel develops a contract for the customer and contractor to proceed with the project. After the terms of the contract have been agreed upon, the project will start.

During the course of the project, General Steel works to have daily contact and handling issues as they come up and the company works closely with their subcontractors. General Steel’s standard for working with installers is that they are given 30 days to fix any problem that may arise and they are required to keep the company up to date on project progress. The installers have a separate contract with the client and if they do not follow through as promised, the client will usually withhold payment to installers. If that happens, General Steel will no longer work with that installer after the completion of the project.

In order to provide excellent customer service during the course of the project, General Steel has regular follow-ups with the installers and keeps in contact with the customer to provide updates and to ensure the customer does not have additional questions. Additionally, the company is working to improve their current systems by working with their staff to have better understanding of what needs to be communicated to clients and installers.

The most common complaint that they company receives are in regards to delays on the project. Many times, delays are a result of changes made by the customer. The company states, “Any change made will cause major delays to the project, even if the change only affects one square food.” General Steel also notes that their customer service and sales departments will try to solve issues with the customer and explain why there is a delay. If they do not accept their explanation, it is turned over to upper management to make sure the customer understands the terms and conditions of the contract.

Furthermore, the company has realized that most of the time, cost is one of the main reason for a customer not being satisfied with the level of service or products they receive. General Steel states that “Building codes are a big issue. Building the same building in different locations can make a big difference in the price and service for a particular building. For example, if the building is in an area that has a high risk for hurricanes, heavy wet snow, dry and arid, and very humid locations can cause a customer to be dissatisfied with the service or product.” The company works to explain to potential clients what they should expect, but in many cases complaints come from those that do not understand what the company has tried to communicate. If that is the case, the company feels as though there is not much that can be done to remedy the complaint and will close it out of their system.



Since General Steel has received complaints through Ripoff Report they have implemented mandatory ethics, compliance training and education programs for employees to keep up to date on new events and policy changes. The company states that they monitor all customer complaints to make sure they are doing everything possible to satisfy the customer. The company uses the Ripoff Report Consumer Advocacy Business Remediation and Customer Satisfaction Program as a sounding board for consumer inquires. Additionally, General Steel states that they have no unresolved customer complaints in the last year.

Jonah Goldman, Vice President of General Steel stated, “Our goal is to insure our customers that we are doing everything possible to solve the customer’s problems or concerns. We have a training room for regular training with videos and internet classes to show how and what the industry does to solve our customer’s concerns.”

Anyone who contacts General Steel for a pre-engineered building can expect guidance and direction unmatched in the steel building industry. We found that General Steel assigns impressive teams of experienced professionals to manage each phase of every single steel building project and these dedicated individuals will stop at nothing to make sure every new steel building project is as successful as the thousands of projects they have completed on time and on budget previously over the past two decades. General Steel also has a designated division of customer service representatives tasked with the sole responsibility of arriving at mutually satisfactory resolutions to any complaints or concerns. General Steel’s customer service division is one of a kind in the industry. General Steel listens carefully to client concerns and investigates each matter individually with its customer service review software for adherence to the company’s 100% satisfaction protocol. General Steel applies all instances to weekly continuing education seminars with its employees which focuses on customer communication, support, ethics and attention to project details. As the pioneer in the steel building industry, it is clear that General Steel is the model for customer service and has set the standard for business ethics which accompanies the superior quality steel buildings General Steel provides.

General Steel’s Vice President informed us during the interview that “the company’s corporate culture has been shaped and adjusted continuously by an undivided attention to customer needs.” He continued by expressing that “it does not matter how large or small your building is or whether you purchased your building from General Steel 10 years ago or last week, General Steel’s entire staff is at your service. And since General Steel is a debt free company our customers can rest assured that we will all be here when needed.”

The VP’s comments were clearly demonstrated throughout General Steel’s operation during Ripoff Report’s office visit. It should also be noted that the company’s undivided attention and culture of unlimited customer service to any individual who conducts business with General Steel is reflected by the company’s unprecedentedly low customer complaints track record of zero unresolved customer complaints since General Steel was established over 18 years ago.



General Steel Corporation / Statements from the owner.

General Steel continues to be committed to educating our customers, and prospective customers, to make their building project a true success. Throughout recent decades General Steel has been the dominating force in the steel building industry, supplying our customers with the best buildings on the market and services second to none. We have carefully developed programs to help our customers in every phase of their projects from inception to completion. General Steel has teams of professionals to meet your building needs no matter how large or small.

Over the years I have seen many competitors come and go and try to imitate General Steel. Can you blame them? There is nothing wrong with striving to try to be like the industry leader. In fact, healthy competition always works out best for the customer. However, I have witness how the internet has greatly changed the dynamics in the industry. I feel an obligation to prospective buyers to speak out on this topic. I have seen and heard too many horror stories of how people just like you, fell victim to the “internet”. Now I am not suggesting that the internet itself is bad. The internet can be a wonderful tool for many things. However, there are two major pitfalls it has created in the steel building industry. The first problem is that it makes everybody look the same! That give customers a false sense of security. When all of the websites look relatively the same you should just be able to shop for the cheapest price, right? Well the answer is a resounding NO! Why you ask? Well I will cut right to the chase; most of those websites are just that – only websites! On the other end you have nothing more than a couple of guys and a computer. When you don’t have a legitimate company with true professionals backing you up, you can only imagine the catastrophic results that can happen. My hope is that I can keep this from happening to you. You need the strength of a company you know and can trust. General Steel’s thousands of satisfied customers can attest to that. The second problem I have seen develop is that people can post anything they want on the internet regardless of whether it is true or not. What’s worse is that websites post these disparagements without vetting them for accuracy. We have been finding that since our competitors cannot compete, our competitors will try to play dirty. They even have gone as far as pretending to be customers of General Steel and posting false complaints on the internet. Despite anything that you may find on the internet, General Steel has a complaint ratio that is unprecedentedly low in the industry. We will go to the most extreme lengths to make sure that our customers are taken care of. We are so confident that we can service your building needs better than anyone else that we invite you to fly out and meet with our team of professionals. After you see General Steel first hand, you will not want to risk going with anyone else. If you choose a different company after meeting with us, we will pay you back for the flight. It is a guarantee that no other company would risk offering! I know your project will be a great success with General Steel! And remember if you need to build, you need the General!



STATED IMPROVEMENTS FROM GENERAL STEEL.

As a thriving pre-engineered steel building corporation and the clearly recognized industry leader, General Steel has not only the resources but also the experience created by thousands of successfully completed projects to evaluate, adjust and implement innovative customer service initiatives.

When dealing with other companies in the steel building industry you will find that your engineering expert, design expert, shipping expert and project coordinator are all the SAME person. In fact, it’s usually the same sales representative you spoke to in the first place. General Steel Corporation is exactly what the name implies, General Steel is a Corporation and has invested in specified divisions of experienced professionals who are assigned to each phase of your project to guarantee that the project is a success every step of the way. Each division takes pride in making sure the customer experiences 100% satisfaction and General Steel’s Customer Service division is no exception. General Steel has invested in state of the art computer software that has been developed for the management team to review each and every customer interaction in order to ensure every single customer has been taken care of completely.

Although General Steel is way ahead of the curve in regards to customer service and project success rate, the company will continue to reevaluate its service and execution of company initiatives in order to maintain General Steel’s track record of zero unresolved customer issues spanning the past 18 years and counting.

General Steel recognizes that complaints posted on Ripoff Report (whether true or not) are issues that need to be addressed, not ignored. If handled correctly, complaints can be valuable learning opportunities. With the feedback generated by Ripoff Report’s Investigation General Steel has established additional protocols for its customer service division allowing General Steel customers a more streamlined approach to problem resolution and a commitment to a great customer experience. It is clear with General Steel there are no hoops to jump through or gatekeepers, only quick mutually agreed upon resolutions.





In summary, after our investigation, which included a visit to General Steel’s Corporate Headquarters, discussions with numerous employees and top level managers as well as many of General Steel’s past and current associates, Rip-off Report is convinced that General Steel is committed to quality delivery of steel buildings and customer services resulting in total client satisfaction.

Read more about why consumers should feel confident when doing business with General Steel, a member of Rip-off Report's Corporate Advocacy Business Remediation & Customer Satisfaction Program. Yes, it’s a long name for a program that does a lot for both consumers and businesses alike.

Read about Ripoff Report Corporate Advocacy Business Remediation & Customer Satisfaction Program,.. A program that benefits the consumer, assures them of complete satisfaction and confidence when doing business with a member business. this program works.

As a matter of policy, when a business becomes a member of the Corporate Advocacy Program they agree to allow Ripoff Report to contact every client who filed a complaint so they can make things right with them. In order to confirm that the complaints were resolved, Ripoff Report is copied on all responses so we can insure that the member business did right by their customer ..

Click here to see what real customers have to say about General Steel Corporation.

NOW TO THE ORIGINAL REPORT THAT WAS FILED

------------------------------------------

General Steel Corporation, General Steel Domestic Sales, Anthem Steel, Capital Steel,Fraud, Ripoff, shameless liars Lakewood Colorado

It is bad enough to be a victim of this notoriously dishonest company, but I feel most betrayed because Paul Harvey and Rush Limbaugh are still advertising them and vouching for their "honesty". I would not have been so trusting if Paul Harvey had not said I could trust them.

This company has been sucessfully sued by the Colorado AG. General Steel appealed and their appeal has been denied. The matter will be in court for years to determine if the AG can get refunds for out-of-state customers.

The New Mexico AG has issued a warning for consumers about General Steel. The Sacramento County, CA DA is pursuing legal action against General Steel.

The Better Business Bureau has also issued a warning about General Steel and removed them from membership.

The Colorado AG believes that many thousands of people have been fraudulently deprived of their deposits by General Steel. The dollar amounts involved are enormous.

In a desperate and pathetic move, General Steel has filed a RICO (racketeering) suit against 80 individuals who work for the above mentioned public service agencies because they are "cospiring" to hurt General Steel"

GS is suing each of the named individuals for 1 1/2 billion dollars. This is going to be some circus. This suit was brought in Federal court in Sacramento, CA (wonder why???)

My case is that I called General Steel with a very special requirement. I have a narrow lot with a great view that happens to adjoin an airfield. I want a hanger that is strong enough to be able to put a 100,000 pound pre-fab residence on it. The lot is residential and I want the view, so if I cannot get them together I cannot use the steel building.

The salesman did not know if he could do that, but he promised to find out and call back.

Three hours later I got the call, which was 2 hours after they normally go home at General Steel. He said they could do it, but the price would be a little higher, $34,000, and his price was only good for today and I had to fax a copy of my $10,000 deposit check today.

That was ok, so I signed the barely legible contract they faxed to me.

Later they sent me forms to specify details such as doors, window, insulation, trim etc.

I noticed that their "factory direct" prices were about 5 times retail. I reiterated my requirements about bearing a load and they professed to know nothing about this requirement.

I was told that to get the building I needed would cost $130,000. This is just a pile of parts, mind you - no foundation and no erection. Of course they would not dream of giving my deposit back. They even threaten to charge me for delaying them if I do not accept delivery soon.

This company does not manufacture anything and has no engineers. They buy their buildings from among several suppliers. Their major supplier now refuses to do business with them. They are not a corporation, "General Steel Corporation" is just a registered trademark. It is a LLC wholely owned by Wayne Jeffery Knight.

I have some ideas for others in this predicament. The arbitration clause in their contract does not meet the requirements of the American Arbitration Association and the clause will be invalidated by the AAA if asked to do so as part of a demand for arbitration. Their filing fee is only about $350, depending on the amount at stake. See their website.

Small claims court can be used, but you can only get $7,500 plus attorneys fees and interest in Colorado. In Colorado you can use an attorney if the defendant uses one.

Arbitration may be a good route, but demand it take place in your own state. The case can be tried without your personal presence, by documentation alone if the amount is $10,000 or less. An attorney can be used and you can recover these costs.

Michael
Irvine, California
U.S.A.

This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 04/22/2006 08:24 PM and is a permanent record located here: https://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/general-steel/lakewood-colorado-80266/general-steel-corporation-general-steel-domestic-sales-anthem-steel-capital-steelfraud-188089. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year. Ripoff Report has an exclusive license to this report. It may not be copied without the written permission of Ripoff Report. READ: Foreign websites steal our content

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REBUTTALS & REPLIES:
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9Consumer
0Employee/Owner

#9 Consumer Comment

Help! I'm in the same situation

AUTHOR: Mikeg - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, July 25, 2008

Hi...unfortunately, I am a victim of this company as well...
Did you go to arbitration? I paid a large downpayment and worried about this whole thing. I can't believe they can just lie to people and steal their money!!!

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#8 Consumer Comment

In the same boat...

AUTHOR: Jeb - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, June 25, 2008

I was told many thigns by the salesperson, and none of them were true. Now, I have been working with GS, to try and get the cost down to manage the purchase. It is still much more than I could purchase a "non-discoutned" building for, and I am still not getting what I originally wanted from GS. I am ready to get after these guys to get my money back. It is the prinicple of it, not so much the money. They money is very important, but I am willing to pay some of it, in orer to make an example of them. I am very disappointed in Paul Harvey. I thought that he had more integrity than that.

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#7 Consumer Comment

All deposit no return.

AUTHOR: Chip - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, June 10, 2008

I also have given General Steel (aka Discount Steel Buildings) a large deposit for a building. The actual company drawing the plans will not work with them anymore because of confusion they insued. Sounds like I don't have to explain all the terrible details, I have read your stories and it's all there, same thing. I am willing to jump in with someone against them (General). Just let me know. I'm not letting this go.

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#6 Consumer Comment

Have not heard from you

AUTHOR: Gr - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, March 16, 2008

Hello Michael,
I would still like to talk to you. Would you contact Ripoff and ask them to contact me. These people will continue to rip people off unless some of us are willing to take a stand. They continue even today to rip people off. Help me stop.

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#5 Consumer Comment

Looking for a few good men

AUTHOR: Gr - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, March 06, 2008

Arbitration is already set up and I will be there in a few days. Somebody has to stop these people and I am one of the people who is going to try. I would really like to talk to you and see if I can get you to testify at my arbitration. They were talking to you at the same time they were talking to me and they were violating the court order issued by Judge Jackson. Judge Jackson presided over the case brought against them by the State of Colorado. I gave you my web address, but they omitted it. Can you come up with a way we can get in touch with each other. I have two of the best attorneys in the world working on this, would indemnify any losses you might have because of a lawsuit from General Steel. Give me your thoughts. Incidentally a lawsuit was filed under Rico in February of this year against General Steel and Paul Harvey - racketeering. I would really like to talk to you.

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#4 Author of original report

Response to "going into arbitration in April"

AUTHOR: Michael - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, March 05, 2008

I agree with the ROR policy of removing identifying information, especially with regard to General Steel "Corporation".

These people have demonstrated themselves to be vindictive to the extreme. If they can identify a former employess who is talking about them or someone with whom they have had legal dealings (they always require non-disclosure of any settlement), they WILL persue you and sue.

They sued dozens of people working for organizations like the Attorney Generals' Office and the BBB for 1.5 Billion dollars for each individual, under Rico racketerring laws for ganging up on them.

Of course it is ridiculous, but would you want to have to defend yourself in court against that?

For all I know you could be a private eye working for them trying to find people to go after.

If you have questions about arbitration,go ahead and ask. I will try to answer. The arbitration association listed on the contract has a good web site. Go there and read everything. You can ask them questions.

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#3 Consumer Comment

Headed to arbitration in April

AUTHOR: Gr - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, March 05, 2008

Hello Michael and also Former Employee
I also have a problem with General Steel. I would like to talk to both of you. Could you email me at (((ROR REDACTED)))
I would really appreciate it.

CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.

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#2 UPDATE EX-employee responds

I know your pain

AUTHOR: I Can't Belive It Still Happens - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, March 03, 2008

I worked there and have great knowledge of the inside working of the company. If you have been ripped off maybe I could help. General Steel operates in the gray at best, there are many lies told to make sure people get in on the allocation. General Steel is a broker, General Steel buys from Star Building Systems. Then marks the building up 100% to 150% atleast, maybe that is conservative... then the real "get ya" General Steel says that they have "Project Coordinators" (very gray). The project coordinators job is also commission driven, they sell you doors and windows marked up again 100 to 150%. They only deliver 30% of what they sell, they keep the rest of the deposits and hide behind lawers. It really is sick.... "To God Be all the Glory" it hangs on there wall.

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#1 Author of original report

Strategy for victims

AUTHOR: Michael - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, April 23, 2006

My lawyer tells me that a contract requires a "meeting of the minds" to be valid. Because General Steel lied to me about what I would get, their supposed contract that I signed is not valid. If you are in this position, do not acknowledge that a contract ever existed if they got it signed using fraud and deception.

There is a Colorado law that requires a "Commercial Telephone Seller" (not the same as telemarketer) to offer money back within a specified time or they will be guilty of class 1 misdemeaner, punishable by up to 5 years in jail.
Colorado Revised Statutes 6-1-302 (1)

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