Advance Placement Services, Jay Baird (President), Thomas Greer (Associate), Garrett (Associate) ripoff/fraudulent vending scammers Chicago Illinois
Back in July 2004, we thought of investing in a vending business and bought several vending machines. Since we were new to the business and didn't know the ropes yet, we thought that we will get a locator to find us locations to place our vending machines at.
We signed with Jay Bairds' Texas associate Thomas (Tommy) Greer on July 9th 2004. BTW, we are from Dallas TX. We wanted 10 locations from them and the price agreed upon was $300 per location - $150 to Advance Placement Services - and $150 for the locator (based out of Florida).
Per our agreement we paid $1500 to Thomas Greer and waited for them to start getting us the promised locations. Thomas Greer told us at the time of signing the contract that all 10 locations will be found within 2 weeks of July 9th (which would have been July 23rd). Well July 23rd came and went and they had not initiated anything. After several phone calls to Advance Placement Svcs (Jay Baird, Garrett) they rustled up some locator from Florida, whose name was Ron Anderson.
Well Ron Anderson called and told us that he will be in town on August 5th and that was the earliest that he could make it. So we thought, ok, at least there is some movement on our project. Ron Anderson comes into town and finds us some locations during the weekend. The problem is that 3 of the locations that he "found" for us were for businesses that were open only during the week. He demanded us that we pay for all of the locations that he "found" but we refused. We told him that we will pay him only for the 2 locations that were opened during the weekend where we were able to talk to the owners and come to an agreement. After much demanding he backed down and said that he will be back in town in a week and that he had another "job" in another city. Well, when we checked out the businesses that he had supposedly "found" for us, some of them had NEVER heard about Ron Anderson, some of them already had vending machines and didn't need any, and some were really useless locations.
By now, we were getting discouraged but kept at it by calling to Ron Anderson to see what the status was. He had come back into town and was working on another job and laid our job aside ! He did not answer any of our phone calls, did not return any of our calls. Finally, I contacted him and by some luck, he happened to pick up the phone. Turned out that he had skipped town and gone back to Florida and was not sure when he would be back in Dallas.
I immediately called Advance Placement Svcs and had to go through the "bull-dog" personality of Garrett. I also called Thomas Greer who seemed oblivious to everything that was going on. Jay Baird later called us and told us that he would keep 30% back of our refund of $1200 and would fax us a "refund form". This was on August 20, 2004. We have never received it. Since then we have been calling them and emailing them but never get any response.
Finally, we called NBOB (of which Advance Placement Svcs is a member of) and they are in the process of sending us a complaint form.
We are filing this report on your website to warn future vending investors like ourselves to be VERY careful of scammers like Jay Baird. They will always come back with some sob story about how they need the money, etc. In Jay Bairds' case he hides behind his associate Garrett who thinks he is intimidating. Little does Garrett know that he has on effect whatsoever!
Future investors - DO NOT EVER spend any money on Jay Baird, Advance Placement Services, or any future company that he opens up in a different name. BEWARE !!!! I heard from NBOB this morning that they are receiving approx 3 complaints a week for Jay Baird and his company. Do not invest them - they are scammers !!!!!
GS
Dallas, Texas
U.S.A.
6 Updates & Rebuttals
Steve
Phila,Pennsylvania,
U.S.A.
Vending
#7Consumer Suggestion
Thu, October 28, 2004
I am leaving a second reply in here. Vending can be a numbers game. I feel much more comfortable to talking to different owners and establishments about my machines because I can meet with people and talk to them. The locator might go to different places and get one story and you might get another story.
Also the professional locators from what I'm told might have confrontations with an owner and better off just locating myself. I know the area and it might be easier. I have lifetime coaching and the coach told me that they can get a business card and make up a story. I have good peoples skills and see what happens.
The other thing I'm realizing is that on the bottom of the contract you have to put some money into it also if you want a machine replaced or moved out.
I do know some people and will talk with many and see where to put machines at.
Steve
Phila,Pennsylvania,
U.S.A.
Vending
#7Consumer Suggestion
Thu, October 28, 2004
I am leaving a second reply in here. Vending can be a numbers game. I feel much more comfortable to talking to different owners and establishments about my machines because I can meet with people and talk to them. The locator might go to different places and get one story and you might get another story.
Also the professional locators from what I'm told might have confrontations with an owner and better off just locating myself. I know the area and it might be easier. I have lifetime coaching and the coach told me that they can get a business card and make up a story. I have good peoples skills and see what happens.
The other thing I'm realizing is that on the bottom of the contract you have to put some money into it also if you want a machine replaced or moved out.
I do know some people and will talk with many and see where to put machines at.
Steve
Phila,Pennsylvania,
U.S.A.
Vending
#7Consumer Suggestion
Thu, October 28, 2004
I am leaving a second reply in here. Vending can be a numbers game. I feel much more comfortable to talking to different owners and establishments about my machines because I can meet with people and talk to them. The locator might go to different places and get one story and you might get another story.
Also the professional locators from what I'm told might have confrontations with an owner and better off just locating myself. I know the area and it might be easier. I have lifetime coaching and the coach told me that they can get a business card and make up a story. I have good peoples skills and see what happens.
The other thing I'm realizing is that on the bottom of the contract you have to put some money into it also if you want a machine replaced or moved out.
I do know some people and will talk with many and see where to put machines at.
Steve
Phila,Pennsylvania,
U.S.A.
Vending
#7Consumer Suggestion
Thu, October 28, 2004
I am leaving a second reply in here. Vending can be a numbers game. I feel much more comfortable to talking to different owners and establishments about my machines because I can meet with people and talk to them. The locator might go to different places and get one story and you might get another story.
Also the professional locators from what I'm told might have confrontations with an owner and better off just locating myself. I know the area and it might be easier. I have lifetime coaching and the coach told me that they can get a business card and make up a story. I have good peoples skills and see what happens.
The other thing I'm realizing is that on the bottom of the contract you have to put some money into it also if you want a machine replaced or moved out.
I do know some people and will talk with many and see where to put machines at.
Steve
Phila,Pennsylvania,
U.S.A.
If I'm paying for the machines and other services I'd better get what I want.
#7Consumer Comment
Sat, October 23, 2004
I'm waiting for machines. Have my startup kit. I am also familiar with this site because of a previous business my father tried to get involved with. I definitely think the company I went through will work but had seen Bairds name and I'm not going with him at all. If I'm paying for the machines and other services I'd better get what I want. Although I have an idea on how to approach different establishments. I appreciate the feedback about the guy.
Jay
Chicago,Illinois,
U.S.A.
Impossible to please customer
#7REBUTTAL Owner of company
Thu, September 30, 2004
Advance Placement Services is a nationwide location service. We can secure locations for all types of vending equipment and display racks.
Concerning the complaint by Keo and Golda Sumpon, they contracted us to secure 10 locations for their soda machines. We assigned a locator, Ron Anderson, from Florida (he works a large territory) to work with the Sumpon's. Ron spent a full day talking to business owners about accepting a soda machine for their businesses. He was successful securing several locations for their soda machines and then he toured the Sumpon's around to each location. They rejected all but two of the locations and they were (especially Keo) overly impatient, angry and mean to our customer service department.
We concluded that their expectations were inflated and unrealistic so we offered to refund them the remainder of their deposit, minus a 20% service charge. Keo Goldman verbally agreed to accept this refund to close out the contract. I asked her to sign a letter closing out the contract and she refused. I will send her $960 after she sends a letter closing out the contract.