Reprinted from http://www.legalnewsline.com/, Friday, July 16, 2010, originally titled "Gansler, P.I. Firm Settle." Written by Keith Loria.
Maryland Attorney General Douglas Gansler announced on Wednesday [July 14, 2010] that his office has reached a settlement with a private investigation firm over allegations that it took money from clients and never provided services.
Donaldson Investigations LLC, an Anne Arundel County-based private investigation company, and Jerry Donaldson, its owner, were allegedly debiting money from clients without telling them first.
"Consumers need to know when the companies they hire to perform a service take money out of their bank accounts," Gansler said. "We are pleased that Donaldson has agreed to change the way it does business and resolve the complaints we have received."
Although Donaldson Investigations denied it violated any laws, the company agreed to stop withdrawing money from its customers' bank accounts without letting its customers know in writing at least 10 days in advance.
The company also agreed to deal with the complaints that the Consumer Protection Division has received, or that come in within the next five years, using the attorney general's arbitration program.
The settlement also calls for the company to pay $5,000 in legal fees and $5,000 as a civil penalty, which can increase to $20,000 if the company doesn't comply with the agreement.
Note From Jeff Kimble:
The above article offers a cautionary tale. The unsrupulous, the opportunistic, and the dishonest are few, but unfortunately they are still found in every facet of the business world, including private investigative agencies. (See: Things You Should Know Before Hiring a Private Eye in the May 2010 archive of this blog.)
At Arizona Private Investigations, we meet face to face with our clients, provide regular updates and reports, contractually bind our company to prepaid and/or fully disclosed fees, and never automatically withdraw funds from your account. At Arizona Private Investigations, you will always know where you stand, what you pay, and what method of payment will be used before the investigation even begins.
Our company has built its reputation on two things: honesty and great personal service. We will never settle for less. Call for a free consultation at 480-318-9936 or visit our website at: http://www.azprivateeye.com.
Jeff Kimble, P.I.
Arizona Private Investigations/
Arizona Legal Document Services, L.L.C.
101 West Main Street, Ste. 9
Mesa, Arizona 85201
- Jeff Kimble, P.I.
- Jeff Kimble is a Licensed Private Investigator and co-owner of Arizona Legal Document Services, a certified legal document preparation company, and Arizona Private Investigations, a licensed private investigations agency. Jeff is a member in good standing of the Arizona Association of Licensed Private Investigators, the United States Association of Professional Investigators, the National Association of Professional Process Servers, and the World Association of Detectives.