Complaint Review: American Home Design of Lexington, Kentucky - Internet
- American Home Design of Lexington, Kentucky 163 Old Todds Road Internet United States of America
- Phone: 859-269-0945
- Web: www.sunroomsky.com
- Category: Builders & Contractors
American Home Design of Lexington, Kentucky Sunrooms and More HOME IMPROVEMENT SCAM BEWARE BUYERS AND POTENTIAL EMPLOYEES Internet
*UPDATE EX-employee responds: Reports finally Vindicated
*UPDATE EX-employee responds: Not Respected
*Consumer Comment: This story could have been about me..........
*UPDATE EX-employee responds: Still scammin
*REBUTTAL Owner of company: Sunrooms & More is a well respected hard working company that values its employees and customers.
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HOME IMPROVEMENT SCAMS
American Home Design / Sun Rooms and More
Lexington, KY
BUYER BEWARE ALERT!
If you are visiting a festival in a small town in Kentucky or walking through Home Depot or Sams Club, you need to beware of a well organized group of people operating under the name of American Home Design or Sunrooms and More. They have one thing in mind to get your money. They accost you in Home Depot and/or Sams Club and beg you to fill out a card with your information. Next thing you know, they are calling trying to set an appointment. Then they send out a well-trained salesman who is smooth and likeable and knows all the right things to say. Then, before you know it, you have paid three times the price for some home improvement project. I know how the program worksI was one of these salesmen. Please accept my apologies! It is embarrassing to be included with this particular group.
It all seems perfectly legitimate. They come offering to you Sunrooms and Windows and Home Improvements of various sorts, things that you may want and need. The only thing is this they are offering you a window for $1,100.00 that other companies are selling for $450.00. They are offering you a Sunroom that adds very little value to your home for $25 - $35,000.00. whereas true home remodelers can build you a true all-season room addition that is heated and cooled for year round use and adds true appraised value to your home for substantially less. You only find this out AFTER the contract has been signed! They are counting on your laziness in ability to research the market for products. After a sloppy installation is done and after you have had your nerves fried trying to get Jon Penn (Operations Manager) to make good on lifetime warranties! Then it is too late. You are stuck.
FACT
All companies are started by someone with an idea; Ford had Edsel Ford, Du Pont Chemical was started by E.I. du Pont, Kellogg Cereal was begun by W.K. Kellogg and his brother, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg. I say this to point out the fact that all companies reflect the general characteristics and aspirations of the founder. Look at the character of the owner of the company and you will have a good idea of what the company will be like. It is always good to know who you are dealing with. It will tell you a great deal about what to expect. We have a used car dealership near us called Lyin Lees Auto Sales. A friend of mine is complaining about getting ripped off by this place. I asked if she bought a car there and she said she did. Well, he is simply living up to his name! If you know the character of the owner and still do business with them, shame on you. If you get burned, it will only be your fault.
American Home Design / Sunrooms and More is one company you need to run from. (If you are a customer or if you are someone needing work.) They short-change both customers and employees. They have no shame and show nothing but defiance when confronted with facts. You simply need to stay away from this level of humanity.
Jerod Hagen is the founder and Owner, though Jon Penn will tell you that he is an owner as well. Jon is deeply challenged by the truth. Jon holds no ownership in the company. He is a pretender and a real wannabe. He talks a lot and he talks fast. His attitude is one that follows this line: We got his money so we are done! He was doing a remodel job for a fellow in Louisville, KY and was supposed to get the man refinancing on his home mortgage. Well, the job was completed and American Home Design got paid but never completed the refinancing as promised. It left the guy with payments he could not handle. The salesman responsible for the sale asked Jon about the situation and Jon just put it all on the line. Look, we got our money for the job. We completed it. There is no money in the refinancing. Tell your customer to go somewhere else for that. Ladies and gentlemen, I to present you Jon Penn, Operations Manager of American Home Design. Now, lets meet the owner.
Jerod is perhaps one of the slickest salesmen I have ever met. This does not mean that he is a good salesman. A good salesman deals in truth and convinces you that he/she has a superior product using facts and demonstrations. Jerod does not use truth all the time, only when it is convenient. He is tall, dark hair, young, athletic and can talk the paint of the side of a barn. He has a smile and a wink that melts the ladies hearts. He does sale quite a bit, but BEWARE. The company is a direct reflection of this mans philosophy of his character, if you will. Allow me to show you something that I discovered printed in the Wall Street Journal. It involved Jerod Hagen, owner of American Home Design/Sunrooms and More and The Melting Pot restaurant.
WSJonline - Frustrated at the refinancing, Lexington Habitat officials intervened in the case of Brenda Bonds, who bought her four-bedroom home in 1993 with a $42,500 zero-interest Habitat loan. In September, Ms. Bonds, a 43-year-old mother of three, met with a local contractor, Jerod Hagen, who came to her home after she expressed interest in building a sunroom off the back of her house -- but had been turned down for financing. Mr. Hagen suggested a $14,000 addition and said he could help get her a loan through mortgage broker Jeff Willis of WMA Mortgage Services in Lexington.
A day or so later, when a lawyer for Countrywide came to her home with the loan papers, Ms. Bonds said she wondered about the steep terms -- a 13.125% interest rate for a 30-year, $36,750 loan, and monthly payments of $410, almost twice that of her Habitat loan. Mr. Willis says he told her the sunroom would add to the value of her property, and that once her credit improves, she could refinance later at a lower interest rate.
Ms. Bonds signed the papers, but Countrywide had made a mistake in the papers that invalidated the closing. WMA and Countrywide had the papers drawn up again, correctly, but in a two-hour meeting in Habitat's offices, Grant Eaton Phelps, Habitat's Lexington director, appealed to Ms. Bonds, telling her the new loan would cost her $150,000 over 30 years, compared with about $19,000 left on her Habitat loan.
At the same time, Mr. Willis says he urged Ms. Bonds to contact a local TV station to suggest a story on Habitat keeping her from doing what she wanted with her own home. Habitat did receive a call from the station, although no story ever was aired, and Ms. Bonds says she never contacted the station. Finally, Ms. Bonds hired an attorney, who convinced Countrywide to give up on the loan.
http://www.realestatejournal.com/buysell/mortgages/20011211-hechinger.html
This shows that there is only one guiding principle in the mind of Jerod HagenMONEY. His conscience is governed by his raging greed. His company reflects this philosophy as well. His employees complained to me about this constantly. Jerod even told me in no uncertain terms that he is only in this for the money. This is all that matters.
I began working for Jerod after closing my building business due to bankruptcy. I was in a difficult position and needed work. I went through his training class and actually sold enough to make a decent living. However, I began to hear rumblings about Jerod and some of his business practices. The entire program at American Home Design is designed to line Jerods pockets with as much money as will fit. He takes money from his salesmen (I know from personal experience) and from overcharging his clients. I decided to do some homework and find out who I was working for when I came upon the Wall Street Journal article. This was in late September or early October of 2009. I gave the guy the benefit of doubt and thought that surely he had mended his ways since that incident.
I was mistaken.
In the month of September I had sold a couple a screen room that required American Home Design to pay off an account for them in order to get the project financed. The amount was $6,000.00. We were to pay this amount off, freeing the couple from having two substantial notes to pay. Otherwise, they simply could not afford the project. This was extremely clear from a simple examination of their budget. The process is a common happening in business and quite simple. We simply would add the payoff amount to our cost and provide the customer with a lower interest rate. The lower interest rate would allow the customer to purchase the project because it now was something they could afford. The key here is AFFORD. This couple had a fixed income. Both husband and wife were disabled and were limited on what they could pay on a monthly basis. I worked with them for six weeks to get this project set up where they could afford it.
Jerod Hagen is the acting finance manager so he went out to get the financing papers signed. While he was out there, he practically rewrote the entire contract. He withdrew paying off the other account, added that amount to our contract, took off the shingles and an exterior door, basically leaving the people with a shell of what was originally ordered in addition to a huge financial burden that they in no wise could afford. Never leave the wolf in charge of the hen house!
He called me up laughing at how they acted and recounted what all he had to do in order to secure the deal. The couple asked him to leave a copy of my original contract so they could compare. He had assured them that they were getting everything the same as I had promised. His is famous for saying, Its gonna be O.K. I am sure he smiled and winked. He did not leave anything for the couple to compare with and left. I assured him that he hurt this couple. He hurt them so he could gain a little bit of money. Their lives were going to be miserable and filled with worry but Jerod made a couple of bucks. Did I receive a commissionregardless of what American Home Design may say, I did not. That is a fact.
The couple called me up and were absolutely flabbergasted at the audacity of Jerod Hagen. The assured me that he lied, he redid the contract, he took my copy and that they were not going to allow American Home Design on their property. I assured them that I concurred and would not allow them to come on my property either. Jerod had just proven himself to me.
It was then that I knew I had to leave American Home Design. I cannot and will not work for this type of low life. Sure, he had a big houseeven owns a restaurant called The Melting Pot in Lexington. Check it out on line at http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g39588-d1090265-Reviews-The_Melting_Pot-Lexington_Kentucky.html. According to the reviews, it too reflects the Jerod Hagen philosophy of Charge a lot, get as much as you can and give as little as you can. Jerod lives a million dollar mansion and has vacation homes and such. He is only thirty two years old. Some will say he is a very astute business man. But beware CUSTOMER AND POTENTIAL EMPLOYEES.he is a wolf in sheeps clothing! He will lie, steal, cheat and do whatever it takes to get your money. He is not above anything and has absolutely no moral bottom. American Home Design/Sunrooms and More does not have your satisfaction in mind. I assure you.
CUSTOMERS AND POTENTIAL EMPLOYEES BEWARE!
These are strictly my opinions based on my personal experience with American Home Design. The incidents sited can be substantiated and the Wall Street Journal is an actual reprint.
This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 04/18/2010 11:43 AM and is a permanent record located here: https://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/american-home-design-of-lexington-kentucky/internet/american-home-design-of-lexington-kentucky-sunrooms-and-more-home-improvement-scam-beware-594350. 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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#5 UPDATE EX-employee responds
Reports finally Vindicated
AUTHOR: anonymous - (USA)
SUBMITTED: Wednesday, September 28, 2016
As reported Sept 7, 2016: The Kentucky Attorney General has sued American Home Designs Inc (Sunrooms and More) for violations of the States Consumer Protection Act. The suit seeks civil fines as well as restitution among other penalties which would in essence prohibit SRM and its Officers from holding a Business Authorization in the State of Kentucky.
The suit is very specific in its accusations which once again are public record, and which mimic what has been said in these reports.
Public record search: Jerod Hagen investigation Kentucky
#4 UPDATE EX-employee responds
Not Respected
AUTHOR: anonymous - (USA)
SUBMITTED: Tuesday, April 21, 2015
As I would expect the owner has given a rebuttal to these charges. The original complaint is very long indeed, but if you read it, and note the detail it gives you a very good idea the level of decit being practiced at this company, by this criminal individual. Secondly, the original complaintant and I worked at Sunrooms and More at the same time, and neither of us were fired, we both quit of our own accord once it was apparent Jerod had lied about compensation. The owners rebuttal seems to imply they this individual was fired and had an axe to grind, to the contrary he was a fantastic sales person IMO who got tired of the lies and quit......as did every single person that was hired with me.
The BBB is a joke of an organization. If a SRM customer complained to the BBB, we would take a pre-printed resolution letter to the complaintant, and they had to sign before SRM would make the repiars. The BBB in Lexington has listed 13 such complaints against this company over a short period of time. A quality service would be listed on "Angies list" or some other competant site.
Please do yourself a favor, look at "Ripoff report", and "pissed customer" before you even think about doing business with SRM.
#3 Consumer Comment
This story could have been about me..........
AUTHOR: Jlpars - (United States of America)
SUBMITTED: Tuesday, August 14, 2012
This post sums up my experiences with Sunrooms and more as well as TEMO. They will promise you anything in order to get you to sign the contract. Once they have your money you will be treated like garbage. When you call you will be put off and lied to. Anything you were promised was a lie and you probably will not receive it. ONce you finally do manage to get the sunroom "finished" when you have a problem (not if, but when) you will be put off and lied to some more. If you contact TEMO to get help from them you will once again be treated rudely, they will contact sun rooms and more who will call you and change the story and lie about what they told you in the first place. Then TEMO will tell you that you are in the wrong, their company told them all about you and you are making it all up. Buyer Beware
#2 UPDATE EX-employee responds
Still scammin
AUTHOR: anonymous - (United States of America)
SUBMITTED: Wednesday, May 02, 2012
While it is unfortunate, I must concur with this rip-off report. Customers beware....you will be held hostage for a 3 hour presentation regardless your understanding of the sales appointment. The lies start from the minute your salesperson walks through the door. Most, if not all of these individuals are 1099 sub-contractors and none are required to submit certificates of insurance to AHD. As well, many of the persons on your property building these sheds are not "employees" as will be stressed in your 3 hour ordeal. While I can not say whether they (construction workers) are required to have insurance, I can tell you the person trying to sell you....most likely does not. Ask to see the sales persons insurance certificate if you don't believe me. As well, each and every sale person is trained, advised, encouraged to quote bogus refinance rates to unsuspecting customers. I would like to take a moment to remark on the body of Mr. Hagen's submitted reply: The BBB is nothing more than a mediator. Any complaints lodged within this agency are removed if "settled". Whenever a customer complains to the BBB, AHD will send a representative out with a pre-printed settlement letter. The customer is then told they must sign the settlement letter for the BBB before the repairs/resolution will take place. A real quality contractor would likely be found under Angies list, or some other consumer driven database.
It is also important, and reemphasizes this pervasive philosophy of entitlement at AHD: The pay schedule for sales employees at AHD takes a few months to fully "kick in". To explain, a sales person is only given a percentage of the total commission upon the signing of a contract, as long as the financing is approved. The unsuspecting sales employee /subcontractor is then told he must wait for the job to be completed before he will get the remaining sales commission. It is not until this "back end" pay is to take effect (90 days or so) that the unsuspecting sales person understands he has entered into a scam. For 90 days he has been on the road 12 to 14 hours a day selling for this company. In the mind of the sales associates his "back end" pay continues to accrue....... litttle does he know he will likely see none of his back end pay. Jerrod Hagen along with Jon Penn steal this money from these employees daily. Most people just leave, those that stand their ground demanding their fair compensation must go through months of negotiations to ultimately get only a small fraction of what they were originally owed....and they must also sign a pre-printed settlement from AHD. How the state, and the insurance providers to this company haven't gotten involved I can't understand. AHD pays no taxes on 1099 employees. AHD pays no insurance on 1099 employees.
How they (AHD) have been able to evade prosecution is unknown to me.
Note to consumer:
Aluminum is aluminum no matter how you dress it up
Glass is glass
Styrofoam is styrofoam
Wood is wood.
If you want a room made out of 1970's storm door quality aluminum, plastic, styrofoam, and "magic glass" then by all means go with this company.
Note to perspective employees: You will not get paid what they say you will.
No one has and you likely won't change the game.
#1 REBUTTAL Owner of company
Sunrooms & More is a well respected hard working company that values its employees and customers.
AUTHOR: Owner of Company - (United States of America)
SUBMITTED: Wednesday, May 05, 2010
Sunrooms and more is a family run business that prides its self on maintaining good relationships with our team members whom most have been with us since day one. Its unfortunate that this particular team member that was with us for a very short period of time has decided to fabricate and skew the vision and success of our company, employees and owners. Its obvious from the length of his complaint that he still has some mental anguish over being terminated and we understand how that can affect his decision making.
However, it is unacceptable to slander, lie, and attack some ones integrity based on pure fabrications. This website not only encourages negative, bias feedback, but it undermines great websites like the local and national Better Business Bureau who are there legitimately to help the consumer. We encourage who ever reads this to check with the BBB and you will find that we have an A rating. The fact is we would not be able to do business with large retail stores or have an A rating with the BBB if what this gentlemen is saying was true.
We are a great company built from ground up with the help, support, and leadership of our team that is ethically, and professionally respected by many consumers, businesses, team members, and the Better Business Bureau.
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