Complaint Review: Lex Reporting - San Pedro California

It was on or about January 25 2010, when I contacted the company Lex-Reporting services to inquire about their qualifications.

My first contact was by email then on the telephone, and finally by fax.  

It was the first point of contact when I questioned what types of services they offered and their basic rates for Court Reporting.  I was very precise about asking every possible question pertaining to all the logistics towards their fees, pricing, and all possible costs for their services on a one Borsotti V. Niner judgment Debtor hearing; Depositions/transcription for February  2010 at 8:30 Am at the Chatsworth California Court house in courtroom F-46 in Chatsworth California 91311.

They were up front with me and I with them as to their fees, and possible costs for their court reporter, transcribing, binding and certifying copies of the hearing, and possible rates as to per page costs.

I expressed my unwillingness to afford a huge amount for this type of service (Pro Per/ Self Representing) and if it were to exceed a certain amount, I could not afford their rates and I would continue to search for a more reasonable company or private court reporter. As matter of good faith, I was only to give a deposit of $300.00 dollars just in case the hearing went past (40) forty number of pages because their costs were $5.00 per page rate. It was stated by their experiences with judgment debtor hearings is that they are very short and the fees would not exceed the deposit.

It was in January  2010 I signed a Credit Card authorization form and faxed it to them for a Total amount being charged charging my card for a $300.00 deposit, enclosed is a copy.

In February  2010 after speaking with the court reporter herself who was at the courthouse for transcribing the judgment debtor hearing, she reiterated that she had never been inside of a courtroom with a judge and I reassured her we would utilize another room for the hearing and not inside the courtroom. It was at that time, I also questioned the reporter about fees, costs, and of her experiences with judgment debtor hearing length of time. Her response was that they are usually very short and do not exceed (30) thirty or so pages.

After the hearing was completed, which did not last more than (20) minutes, I questioned the reporter about fees, number of pages, and her opinion of the amount costs. She explained that it would probably be about $150.00 however, no more than (35) thirty-five pages.

Weeks went by and I finally contacted the reporters from Lex-Reporting to enquire of my transcripts. To my surprise when I received the first correspondence by phone:     on or about February 2010  Lisa, left on phone message about the $300.00 on credit card along with an additional fees for a C.O.D. for 146.25 equaling $446.25.

I called back and questioned the costs and their reasoning for the outrageous rates.

About February  2010, also on phone message:  then John called back about my questioning the additional fees. That was the first time I heard of this when he stated the minimal transcripts of (4) four hours was stated plus all other undisclosed fees               

I tried to reason with John as to what I originally corresponded with others from his office and for him to contact his superiors to work out some type of adjustment of their fees because they were not upfront with me even after I restated my concerns with my ill ability to afford, however, they were said to be on his side with their fees and would not budge a penny.

Conclusion:                        

                No mention was ever stated about a four hour minimum. I would only authorize a three hundred dollar limit as to as I quoted the representative, it will not be more than $300.00. I only authorized a $300.00 dollar limit because that is all I was able to spend and I told them of this fact up-front.

Then after months of them holding the transcript hostage they said they sent the transcript to the house address, however, to this day, I have never seen a transcript for which they are trying to charge me for.

How unethical they are in the way they do business!