COMPLAINT: Donna Holt, Olympia, Wash.

"Two panels of my cedar fence blew down in a windstorm, so I called Fence Consultants of Washington located in Tumwater, Wash.

"Dale [Farag], the owner, told me I'd have to pay the minimum charge of about $550 and that a fencing contractor would come to my home the next day to repair the fence. The fencer brought an invoice for the replacement of new cedar plank panels, with payment due upon completion.

"The fencer finished one panel using the old boards to save me money. With my agreement, he promised to return to complete the job. The next day, he told me he couldn't return without talking with Dale first. Dale told me the fencer had finished the job, but I insisted he did not." 

DESIRED RESOLUTION: "The company did work on only one panel of my fence. I do not want to pay for work that wasn't done."

STATUS: Penalty Box

Editor's note on April complaint

Tim Fike, co-owner of Seattle Paint & Drywall, recently wrote us about member Maria Tober's complaint, published in the April issue of this magazine. The case ended in Stalemate - meaning Seattle Paint & Drywall responded to Tober's complaint but didn't resolve issues to her satisfaction.

However, Fike says several members have misinterpreted the outcome of the case, telling him they believe his company is in The Penalty Box when, in fact, it's not.

Fike's experience caused us to take several steps to improve and clarify our presentation of Complaint Resolution cases in this magazine and on our website. We also encourage you to review Tober's report, Fike's response and the other reports on his company profile before making your hiring decisions.

New to the Seattle Penalty Box

Fence Consultants of Washington

Pray's Interior Design LLC

Economy Sheet Metal & Heating

Michael's Custom Landscaping