Brian Hippman, Quality Interiors, Cornerstone The "contractor" I originally worked for in Raleigh, NC - Brian Hippman of Quality Interiors - was one of Lindal's bad dealers. Maryland, New JerseyNorth Carolina

The contractor I originally worked for in Raleigh, NC - Brian Hippman of Quality Interiors - was one of Lindal's bad dealers. In spite of my efforts to provide steady sales, he declared bankruptcy in 2001 in order to escape criminal prosecution for the disappearance of customer funds. I bet when he fled back up North NJ or MD, that he has found a new way to scam people.

He fleeced me, our subs, suppliers, customers and other creditors out of over $250,000. While helping the court trustee audit his books, I discovered that he had spent thousands on personal items, including a down payment on a new townhome. Some customers did not receive the sunrooms they purchased ( and eventually paid twice ) and others were left with partially-finished projects and demolished yards. There were volumes of innocent creditors and their families devastated by this one, out-of-control dealer. For months he robbed Peter to pay Paul and eventually the whole house of cards collapsed.

I can only wonder, how many more nightmares like this are out there?

When I saw the Internet complaints against Lindal I gave great weight to the customers' stories because no one would choose to initiate costly legal action without good cause. I know because I've been there, Got The T-Shirt!

The Sunroom division is unlike the Cedar Homes group in that it's rarely necessary to get the factory involved in the design phase, and there are no big fees at risk if problems arise between the dealer and customer. The managment at Lindal Sunrooms did not steal the customer's money directly, but recruited, endorsed and abetted the dealer who did.

During the highly stressful 2 years that we pursued the dealer in court and with the State Contractor's Board, Lindal hid comfortably under a rock and let me take the heat for the sins of the contractor.

Or, "Sorry, Charlie, We're Just a Supplier."Now, just think about that. I had no formal relationship with Lindal, but I was swept up in the ensuing chaos. Since my signature was on the contracts as the dealer's agent, I felt personally responsible for the trauma that ensued - unlike Lindal - because I vouched for him. And believe me, handling a large group of customers who lost their money was no picnic. You can add me to the long list of Lindal victims who suffered serious health repercussions from the stress created by their financial misdeeds.

At that time I was instructed not to fault Lindal because they insisted that they were "just a supplier" and weren't responsible for the dealer's behavior! And I fell for it. How many out there have heard this before?

When things went bad the Lindal production manager (who later resigned) told me that the dealer had displayed serious financial problems from the very first order! The manager claimed that he had frequently asked that the dealership be cancelled but Lindal refused because our sales were too high and they didn't want to lose orders!

The General Sales Manager, Mike Probach, later told me that he had personally approved this dealer's application, even though the young man (25 years old) already had an established history of marginal credit.

So, let's get this straight. They recruit people with bad credit to handle huge deposits, then continue to supply orders in spite of demonstrated financial problems, then plead ignorance when the dealer runs off with the customer's money. No matter what Lindal gets their cut and ships only when the bill is paid. What a scheme!

If this dealer had been rightfully stopped when the manager noticed the problem, a major financial catastrophe would have been averted for a large group of trusting people. But who says Lindal cares about the rest of us?

To make matters worse, Lindal refused to remove the dealer's name from the corporate website - long after it was obvious he could not meet his obligations - because, I was told, they were afraid they might lost a lead! The dealer's name was deleted only when a customer phoned Seattle and threatened to expose Lindal and the dealer on a local Raleigh TV station. Exposure works.

Anonymous
***, Maryland
U.S.A.

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