Barter Consultants International Unintentionally Wrapped Up in Painter Scam
Fox Atlanta reports that BCI Atlanta unknowingly allowed a handyman/contractor to scam their members. Steve Moore, the contractor, requires cash up front for supplies, and then never shows up for the work. Two customers have received their cash back, but the rest are trying to get something back. See the video below:
Why does it seem like this happens so often with contractors? I’ve long held that a person could make oodles of money as a contractor if they showed up on time and did good work. They could probably even charge a little more and be fine.
I used to face this kind of thing from contractors, not to the level of scamming people, but asking for cash up front, showing up late, etc. It seems like it is a hard industry to find good, reputable people in.
The answer to opening question is very simple: as any economist would tell you, the barriers to entry are low. Easy for honest folk to enter the industry and serve their clients unfortunately, equally easy for the scamsters.
Your headline and article is extremely misleading, as the barter exchange isn’t wrapped up in the painter’s scam at all, and I’m sure they didn’t ” allow a handyman/contractor to scam their members.”
Shame on you for using sensationalism to influence people to read your articles!
After watching the video it is obvious that factually one of their new members scammed other members. And, the same painter did it to other barter exchanges as well.
It seems that tBarter Consultants got proactive and did what needed to be done to set things right for it’s members, so why would you insinuate that they are wrapped up in a scam?
If these people found the painter in the yellow pages, or from an ad in a local newspaper or on Craigslist, and then hired the painter for all cash he would have done the same thing. Would they be “wrapped up in the scam” as well? And, would their bank have done anything at all to help them get their money back?
I’m willing to admit that I should have added “unintentionally” to the headline.