Complaint Review: national fire & safety inspection company

On January 2013, an inspector came into my dad's restaurant and said he was here to 
do some inspection by the owner.  My dad and his employees do not speak a lick of English
because they serve mainly the hispanic/Korean community in the garment district of Downtown,
Los Angeles.

The guy looked at a sprinkler for 2 minutes and told my dad to sign.  My dad didn't know what
it was, but the guy kept pressuring him to SIGN, SIGN.  So he did because the inspector
fraudulently stated he was sent by the owner of the business and to SIGN saying they came by.
The inspector NEVER mentioned any money amount to be exchanged for this service.

2 weeks later, my dad gets an invoice for $245 for a flat rate service.  My dad recognizes his
signature but tells me the paper was different and there was no sight of the $245 charge on 
that paper.  Nor did the inspector tell him there would be a fee.

When my dad spoke to the owner of the building, the owner said he did not order any inspection.

So I googled this company and there are a LOT of complaints already on this site and others 
all complaining about the same sneaky tactics.  LYING to tenants, telling them their landlord told
them to check some sprinklers, and to sign off saying they showed up.  Then they send an invoice
for $245 for 2 minutes of looking over sprinklers.  WOW.  How many years of school do you need
to make $245 for 2 minutes of work?

I was so furious at the fact that they took advantage of someone who doesn't speak the language 
and just told them to sign to show the landlord they came only to be billed $245!  That might not
be a lot of money to a company, but to immigrants working 60 plus hours/week to get by, that's a lot.  Plus just the principal of ripping someone off like that, telling them to sign something they didn't understand and misrepresenting themselves as agents of the owner.

I called to complain, but since others on this site had a hard time getting follow-up, was thinking I would get the same no answer.  Surprisingly after 2 phone calls, got someone, and then told me someone would call me back.

This rude SOB went on to say my dad knew exactly what was happening because he had a conversation with the inspector.  I said what?  I'm sorry, but my dad can not have a conversation in English.  All he can say is Yes, No, OK, Food Names, and Money Amounts.  What he needs to run a restaurant in Downtown Los Angeles.  

Then this rude SOB says were you there?  And I say NO, I wasn't but there were witnesses, people who worked there and customers...and you weren't there either so don't give me that sh*t!  Then he went crazy on me saying the building is a mess and blah blah blah and how do people expect to come to America, not speak English and open up a shop.  Umm....apparently you haven't been to Los Angeles, where hole-in-the-wall ethnic restaurants have people working there speaking only limited English and they do fine!  They pay taxes and contribute to the community, providing jobs, etc.  Unlike you scammers, lazy people preying on unsuspecting people for fraudulent inspections.

He continued to insist my dad had a conversation and knew exactly what he was signing.
Whatever!  At the end of the day, I got that invoice voided so I'm happy with that but that rude
SOB made me so furious that I registered on this site just to write them up!

Beware of this company, and the so-called we came here because the owners told us to inspect.