Washington Tax Services Ripoff, will steal your money!!! Seattle Washington
Everyone that has dealt with Jay Freeborn from Washington Tax Services in my case, have complaint of the poor treatment they received from him. Those people are family members and outside work that I hired to help me to file my tax since Washington Tax Services wanted to charge me to do it after I had already paid them over $5,000 for services.
Now they have called me 4 times since my 1st complaint. I gave them opportunity to correct the situation several times, but if they had good intentions, they would've gave me my refund. I am going to contact the Attorney's General and my credit card company to fight for my rights. I have several witnesses that can confirm the poor treatment that I received and all they have done is ask for more money without accomplishing anything in my case. Don't trust this company to handle your tax problems. They will rip you off!!!
Mark
Los Angeles, California
U.S.A.
9 Updates & Rebuttals
Mark
Los Angeles,California,
U.S.A.
Last Update
#10Author of original report
Tue, February 14, 2006
I have given Washington Tax Services another chance to do my taxes. My last two conversations with them were positive and I will be sending all my paperwork so they can do their job. I will update this report with the results in regards to my case.
Mark
Los Angeles,California,
U.S.A.
To Jay Freeborne:
#10Author of original report
Mon, September 05, 2005
Hi my name is Denise. I have know Mr. Balelo for 6 years. Mr. Balelo asked me to call Washington Tax Services to clarify some questions that he had. I have called Mr. Freeborne in 2 separate occasions to clarify those questions for Mr. Balelo. Mr. Freeborn was very short and rude with me. I was treated very bad by Mr. Freeborne and I told Mr. Balelo from the beggining that I had a bad feeling about Washington Tax Services. Mr. Balelo was the one who gave them the benefit of doubt and tried to work with them. Unfortunately, Washington Tax Services proved to Mr. Balelo otherwise. Doug, a bookeeper that came from Arizona was hired to help Mr. Balelo because Washington Tax Services wanted to charge Mr. Balelo to put the taxes information together for the last 7 years. Doug also had the same bad experience with Mr. Freeborne. No one trusted that Washington Tax Services was looking in Mr. Balelo's best interest. I witness the poor treatment that Washington Tax Services gave to Mr. Balelo. I am using Mr. Balelo's account to report my statement as I don't have one of my own. They ripped off Mr. Balelo. Be careful in who you choose to do your tax services.
Mark
Los Angeles,California,
U.S.A.
To: Jay (Washington Tax Services)
#10Author of original report
Mon, September 05, 2005
Jay,
You were rude and I wish I would've recorded the phone conversations. You were always too busy for me and everytime that I required help from you, you told me that would cost me more. Why would I hire two bookeepers and a total of 3 people after I hired your company. In response to why I haven't return you last phone calls is that your company was advised to speak directly to Beth Ortega who has my power of attorney and direct any questions to her. Your company didn't call her, instead left me messages so you can try to make me agree for a lesser amount than what your company owes me. Again.... If your company has the right intentions, PLEASE JUST REFUND MY MONEY. The work that you have done for me which was filling some papers with the IRS is not worth more than $500.00 I didn't continue working with you because you try to charge me more money everytime. First was my paperwork (which I hired someone else to do it), than a re-open fee..... What you call this??? RIP-OFF!!!! I can try to justify yourself all you want, but you're wrong! Treat your customers with respect to diserve respect. You didn't earn my respect or trust and that is why I hired outside services. I had to put an ad in the paper to hire people to do your job!!!
Mark
Los Angeles,California,
U.S.A.
Response from Mr. Balelo. Your company has ripped me off!!! I hired you to do everything, but you guys expected me to do everything and pay more money.
#10Author of original report
Sun, September 04, 2005
I was advised not to talk with you as if you had the intentions to refund my money, you would've. Your company has ripped me off!!! I hired you to do everything, but you guys expected me to do everything and pay more money. 7 years of problems can not be done overnight!!! It took me to hire 3 individuals just to sort papers out and it took them over 3 months. If the problem was easy, I would've done myself! Your company didn't do anything other than to file few papers with the IRS ($250$500 value). Where is the $5,250? And by the way Jay... Everyone than spoke with you thinks that you're rude and unprofessional. Denise, Beth, Doug, Gary, Daniel and I had a very bad experience with you in the phone. Just refund me what you owe and I will go on with my business!
Jay
Seattle,Washington,
U.S.A.
Employee responds
#10UPDATE Employee
Fri, August 19, 2005
JAY FREEBORNE RESPONDS:
As my name is mentioned so prominently here in Mr. Balelo's two complaints, I felt the need to also respond as my integrity and good name are important to me. To give you some background about myself: I have been working as a consultant at Washington Tax Services of Seattle, Washington since 1997. In my eight-year career, I have handled the tax matters of near or over 3000 clients. I value my clients and take pride in my work. From time to time, I do have to give clients a push so we can get their case finished. Many of our clients are procrastinators and from time-to-time a dose of "tough-love" is required. Nonetheless, the large majority of our clients get their cases resolved and have a great experience of customer service from myself and other staff members.
Mr. Balelo, the gentleman who lodged the two complaints here at ripoffreport.com, obviously had a poor experience of our firm. Before I get into the substance of Mr. Balelo's two complaints, I want to emphasize that myself and my manager have attempted to contact Mr. Balelo SEVERAL TIMES, but he refuses to return our calls. Mr. Balelo's failure to respond to our messages seems to indicate that he DOES NOT want to take responsibility for his failings in this matter. For example, in the TEN months we worked on his case, we NEVER got the full information to resolve his tax problem. Looking thru our files, I reminded him of our deadlines by phone on over TEN occasions from November to April of this year.
I also suspect that Mr. Balelo does not return our calls from the sheer AUDACITY of his refund request with us: in spite of the fact that our company worked in good faith on his case for TEN MONTHS, he requested a FULL REFUND of our fees. Had Mr. Balelo returned our calls or made an effort to contact us over the phone, we would most certainly had been prepared to consider a partial refund, but a full refund? Impossible. We put a considerable amount of effort into his case. Even so, Mr. Balelo's case was financially a loss for our firm, a loss that is made even harder by the fact we have to respond in such detail to these two complaints.
On a personal level, Mr. Balelo indicates that I was "very rude and professional" and indicates that his family members can also attest to that fact. For the record, there were three people I communicated to on his case. 1) Him 2) His first bookkeeper 3) his second bookkeeper. I don't recall ever speaking with one of his family members. Now for my shortcomings: I will admit to being perhaps a little blunt and forward with him because the case was dragging out and it was getting harder and harder to get new deadlines with the IRS for him. I am human and open to criticism. I am working on being more gentle to clients in these pressure-cooker situations. With all this said, my company and I worked in good faith on Mr. Balelo's case. We are shocked yet humbled by his complaint(s). His unwillingness to communicate with us makes it impossible to come to any terms with him.
Matthew
Seattle,Washington,
U.S.A.
Balelo Complaint #2 response
#10UPDATE Employee
Mon, August 15, 2005
Dear Mark Balelo:
As you have said in this 2nd complaint, we have called you several times to try and work this out with you. You have never returned any of our calls. I even called you personally and identified myself as Jay's manager and you did not return my call either. We gave you a couple of options on how we could proceed on your voicemail and you never responded except to post this second complaint which we were made aware of today.
We have spent a considerable amount of time working on your case and you know this. You hired us to complete some tax work for you and we have worked diligently on your case until things came to a halt because of your lack of follow through. You promised us several times to provide us with some tax information we needed to complete your work and to date we have never received the information. We have always been available to you via phone or email to answer any of your questions and to let you know where things stand with your case. We have never lied to you and we have not ripped you off.
If you would like for us to refund the unused portion of your fee which was set aside for tax return preparation, we will do so. We offered this as one of a couple of options in our messages to you and you never called (or emailed) us back to let us know that this is how you would like things handled.
Best of luck to you in the future.
Sincerely,
Matthew Woare, Manager
Washington Tax Services
www.watax.com
Matthew
Seattle,Washington,
U.S.A.
Balelo Complaint #2 response
#10UPDATE Employee
Mon, August 15, 2005
Dear Mark Balelo:
As you have said in this 2nd complaint, we have called you several times to try and work this out with you. You have never returned any of our calls. I even called you personally and identified myself as Jay's manager and you did not return my call either. We gave you a couple of options on how we could proceed on your voicemail and you never responded except to post this second complaint which we were made aware of today.
We have spent a considerable amount of time working on your case and you know this. You hired us to complete some tax work for you and we have worked diligently on your case until things came to a halt because of your lack of follow through. You promised us several times to provide us with some tax information we needed to complete your work and to date we have never received the information. We have always been available to you via phone or email to answer any of your questions and to let you know where things stand with your case. We have never lied to you and we have not ripped you off.
If you would like for us to refund the unused portion of your fee which was set aside for tax return preparation, we will do so. We offered this as one of a couple of options in our messages to you and you never called (or emailed) us back to let us know that this is how you would like things handled.
Best of luck to you in the future.
Sincerely,
Matthew Woare, Manager
Washington Tax Services
www.watax.com
Matthew
Seattle,Washington,
U.S.A.
Balelo Complaint #2 response
#10UPDATE Employee
Mon, August 15, 2005
Dear Mark Balelo:
As you have said in this 2nd complaint, we have called you several times to try and work this out with you. You have never returned any of our calls. I even called you personally and identified myself as Jay's manager and you did not return my call either. We gave you a couple of options on how we could proceed on your voicemail and you never responded except to post this second complaint which we were made aware of today.
We have spent a considerable amount of time working on your case and you know this. You hired us to complete some tax work for you and we have worked diligently on your case until things came to a halt because of your lack of follow through. You promised us several times to provide us with some tax information we needed to complete your work and to date we have never received the information. We have always been available to you via phone or email to answer any of your questions and to let you know where things stand with your case. We have never lied to you and we have not ripped you off.
If you would like for us to refund the unused portion of your fee which was set aside for tax return preparation, we will do so. We offered this as one of a couple of options in our messages to you and you never called (or emailed) us back to let us know that this is how you would like things handled.
Best of luck to you in the future.
Sincerely,
Matthew Woare, Manager
Washington Tax Services
www.watax.com
Matthew
Seattle,Washington,
U.S.A.
Balelo Complaint #2 response
#10UPDATE Employee
Mon, August 15, 2005
Dear Mark Balelo:
As you have said in this 2nd complaint, we have called you several times to try and work this out with you. You have never returned any of our calls. I even called you personally and identified myself as Jay's manager and you did not return my call either. We gave you a couple of options on how we could proceed on your voicemail and you never responded except to post this second complaint which we were made aware of today.
We have spent a considerable amount of time working on your case and you know this. You hired us to complete some tax work for you and we have worked diligently on your case until things came to a halt because of your lack of follow through. You promised us several times to provide us with some tax information we needed to complete your work and to date we have never received the information. We have always been available to you via phone or email to answer any of your questions and to let you know where things stand with your case. We have never lied to you and we have not ripped you off.
If you would like for us to refund the unused portion of your fee which was set aside for tax return preparation, we will do so. We offered this as one of a couple of options in our messages to you and you never called (or emailed) us back to let us know that this is how you would like things handled.
Best of luck to you in the future.
Sincerely,
Matthew Woare, Manager
Washington Tax Services
www.watax.com