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Safeguard Properties Safeguard Properties stealing from it's vendors Internet, Internet
The following shall constitute my opinion and beliefs of Safeguard Properties, based on my personal experiences:
VENDOR BEWARE!! Safeguard properties is the poster child of corporate greed. It's "success" and growth is on the backs of the vendors that they are stealing from to line their own pockets. We were naive to believe that we could circumvent some of the complaints we read from other victims by being ultra detailed and careful, learning and giving them what they are looking for upfront, providing top quality work and by following the good old simple golden rule. BUT.. when the company has no scruples or integrity - it does not matter what you do to try to please them, they will LIE,CHEAT and STEAL at every opportunity they can think of. One thing I can say is that they are creative at finding new ways of picking their vendor's pockets. Here are some of our experiences:
Popping new orders onto your worklist with no warning, that are already late and then calling or emailing you to threaten that if they aren't done by a certain deadline (usually within 2-3 hours) that they will be reassigned and YOU will be assessed a "chargeback" or fee for reassignment.
Spontaneously removing orders from your worklist with no notice, after work is completed but before you have had a chance to bill it and refusing to pay you for the work done.
Giving you verbal approval over the phone to complete work (that they insist you call from the field to obtain) and then denying to pay you for the work when you bill it - stating that it "was not authorized).
Randomly assigning chargebacks on "faulty work" with no notice or opportunity to address the issue.
Refusing to reverse chargebacks when you prove that work IS complete and sufficient.
Outright lieing to you about sending and paying someone else out to correct said faulty work and charging you for it, yet failing to provide proof of this when questioned and confronted with proof of the fact that they did not. And still refusing to reverse the chargeback.
Refusing to pay you for work that is attempted but unable to be completed for reasons that are out of your control (such as someone else already having completed the work, or being unable to dewinterize a property until the city makes plumbing repairs at the street etc... ) Sometimes a trip fee is offered that is so low it does not even begin to cover costs, sometimes no pay at all is "approved".
Insisting that you provide hours upon hours of free administrative work, return trips, redundant reports, obtain 3rd party bids etc..etc... then threaten you with more chargebacks or loss of work if you dare ask to be paid for this extra work.
Insisting that you do THEIR QC reports and other administrative work that is outside of the scope of the workorders and even threatening to hold your pay checks from prior unrelated work if you do not do it.
Insisting that you allow them access to inspect your office, your vehicles, your equipment your files, your staff, meet with you for unpaid "training", dictate your hours of operation, dictate your procedures, dictate your coverage area, dictate your fees, do not allow you to decline work without penalty etc.. all while you are SUPPOSED to be a sub-contractor NOT an employee.
Every employee you make contact with tells you something different, and when confronted with a discrepancy - deny ever telling you anything.
Changing the rules and pay structure whenever they wish and with little to no notice - with no opportunity to decline the work without penalty.
Saddling you with overly cumbersome problematic and redundant photo and online reporting requirements that take longer to complete then the actual work itself (again at no extra pay to do so).
Sending nasty threatening emails and calling daily for status updates EVERYDAY even when you have already provided those updates online as they insist you do, but then never read.
Scanning every invoice submitted for any little thing they can find to dock pay, cutting your billing and paying only what THEY decide they want to pay you even despite your photos and documentation to prove. (i.e. removing 10 CY of debris, they will only pay you for 6 no matter how many photos you provide to prove 10).
Sending us a notice "effective yesterday" that all work will be now be reviewed by a live person in the field and if ANYTHING is found unsatisfactory -charging you for the field reviewer's pay. (can't prove this yet, but wouldn't put it past them to tell the field reviewer that they will not be paid if they don't find something wrong!!)
Refusing to pay you for work completed - just flat out, with no reason offered and no response to your inquiries as to why invoices remain unpaid.
Issuing "chargebacks" on work that you never billed them for to begin with.
Insisting that you return to a property and complete work free of charge that you never billed them for to begin with, and threatening to have you pay "a chargeback" to have someone else do it if you refuse.
Putting deadlines on brokers to sign off on the vendor's work before the vendor is even done with the work at the property - resulting in either a charge to the broker if they dont, or a charge to the vendor if the report is unfavorable.
I could go on and on, I am remaining anonymous not because these statements are untrue (this is what we have personally encountered of our own experiences) - but because I do not trust this company to not do something crooked and backhanded out of retaliation. I believe that their tactics are nothing but a shell game or pyramid scheme- that they scam their vendors and brokers by pitting them against each other, charging one vendor to pay the next vendor etc.. I wonder how Safeguards clients feel about these tactics! It only leads me to believe they are giving high fives and kudos to each other while they roll in the bail-out money and trumpet their record profits in press releases and brag pages.
5 Updates & Rebuttals
tim
clevland,Ohio,
United States of America
crooks
#6General Comment
Sun, November 04, 2012
you are so right
Isabel
SW Ranches,Florida,
United States of America
ONLY GETTING WORST
#6UPDATE EX-employee responds
Wed, August 08, 2012
I've worked for SFG as a sub contractor since 2004. I have been in the industry since the 90's & I've worked for many DICTATORSHIPS (oops sorry) NATIONALS (SFG, MCS) to say the least. I meant NATIONALS! All kidding aside, I proudly quit on SFG a few months ago! I just couldn't take the intimidation anymore. The phone calls, the emails, the zero consideration for us (the contractors) that go out there & work hard for these people, the no pays, the chargebacks. For many years I enjoyed working for SFG but the past 2 have been brutal. We were at the top of the top of their vendors. We even got a standing ovation at a National Conference of over 300+ members at one point several years ago. I don't know what else to say but that it is a really sad thing.
One of the latest "mandatory meetings" I went to prior to quitting was a joke honestly. There was over 150 new contractors that knew nothing about the industry. Nothing against the newbies, trust me, I was there. I just didn't understand why SFG would want to deal with 150 new vendors when they had US the experienced ones as part of their net work and then it hit me. They can manipulate, threaten, scold, intimidate the newbies and yes NOT PAY THEM! I used to cut over 600 lawns a month for them, Evictions, P&P approvals, HAZARD CLAIMS, etc and they always found a way to screw me one way or another. One time we got a phone call ( this is when they started with the intimidation) that we stole a washer/dryer from a house. They claimed that they had pics to prove it and that this was call for suspension. While on the phone with them, I had a crew member just a few miles from there and I asked him to stop what he was doing and super rush to this property. I asked them to go inside and take a pic of the laundry area washer/dryer. Again while on the phone with Karen, my crew text me the pics and the washer/dryer was there. The same pic that I provided to them upon the Initial Secure. Same washer/dryer. I advised Karen what had just transpired and she couldn't explain it. I ask her to email me the pics and she never did. I asked them to prove it and they never did. After that day they cut my work down to nothing.
They took this property from me amongst 100's of others. By the time I quit on them, I was receiving maybe 10 w/o's a day all late and all reassigned from another vendor. I would get the job done and updated the same day, by the time I went to update it, it would no longer be in the system and it was assigned to someone else. I had just about had enough. I wrote a very nice letter to the leader of the Dictatorship and kissed them good bye. I have never been happier. There are other companies out there that are a pleasure to work for and I now love my business again. Again, it is a really sad thing and it is ONLY GETTING WORST!
someone take note
clermont,Internet,
United States of America
An open letter to Fannie Mae
#6UPDATE Employee
Wed, June 13, 2012
Vendors
I propose drafting a letter to Fannie Mae with the federal justice dept to open a formal investigation into safeguard properties blatant fraud and unscrupulous ways. I have at my disposal mountains of hard evidence cut invoices,bid swaps refusal to pay for oil based paints being told they are not hazards, and much much more. If we all get together we we can slay the dragon. I hope the world will get to see Safeguard s true colors. Maybe Mr Greenbaum and Jaffa will have to afar before congress in some sworn testimony explaining his base alone approach to screwing vendors!
someone take note
clermont,Internet,
United States of America
So true Mike Greenbaum and Allan Jaffa the culprits
#6UPDATE EX-employee responds
Fri, June 08, 2012
Vendors
Please be aware that Safeguard is viewed in the industry as a leader. the do this with clever P.R to hide all that is going on behind the scene. I have seen the Companys scruples detoriate since Allan Jaffa took over. This man is an out an out theif. He has pushed his vendors over the edge with pricing cuts and free work required. All while shaming clients onto the notion that Safeguard is an industry leader. Safeguard cannot turn a healthy profit by following the rules of the Fannie mae contract so they use the vendor as their picking post coming up with "creative" ways not to pay for work preformed. Such as not baying for the removal of hazardous material. Not paying for estimates,light bulbs, quality control, extra tall grass, heavy debris , the correct amount of cyds the list goes on and on. The mastermind of this scheme is a three headed beast Amy Nauer, Mike Greenbaum and Allan Jaffa. This poilcy has cut monies paid to vendors by over 40%. Some vendors who stayed on have tried to survive by cutting corners such as illegally dumping paint that Safeguard wont pay for. When issues come up and a vendor is caught all liablity is focused on the vendor and Safeguard acts outraged. When it is their very poilcys that have caused these things to happen. The only way to hit back is to voice concerns directly to Safeguards clients. Rember you are dealing with people who have built their business model off deception and fooling clients into rhinking they are pillars in the industry. They are very good at it to so go to the client directly and air your concerns.
Todd Abry AAA Quick Plows & Lawns I
Clay,New York,
United States of America
I agree!
#6General Comment
Wed, May 30, 2012
Wow, This person is definately talking about the same Safegaurd properties I have been dealing with. I have experienced almost all of the same issues and more. I only hope word gets around about this company soon!