Complaint Review: United Temporary Services John Reagan - Internet

My name is Jason and I am writing in this format to express that I have recently done work myself through the hiring of John Reagan and his company United Temporary Services. Let me tell you my situation as I have experienced it with John Reagan. 
 
He found my name on NARMS a retail service website where companies can locate people of my expertise to complete projects across the country, that are either temporary or permanent. He called me and offered me a temporary position for another merchandising company doing work as a carpenter/fixture installer for JC Penney at a rate starting at $17.00 hour, but could be higher. I was currently unemployed for a term of 9 weeks and had not yet received an unemployment check in my state of Massachusetts.

 So I definitely jumped at the chance for a weeks worth of solid work, he told me that it would be 5 days of 10 hour days, and he then sent me out a independent contractor agreement, now I will tell you that he sent me a blank Ind. contract and expressed to me to fill it out the way we need it to, it rang out to me " RED FLAG", but I needed the work anyway so I trusted him.  And the Service company he contracted with did contact me about the work to be performed at JC Penney so I started to feel less nervous.

I went to work for the scheduled hours he set up, and it turned out to be longer days due to the job and I ended up with 21 hours of overtime over the regular 40, and on top of that the guys John Reagan recruited for these locations ended up working a 2nd week to complete the job for another 57 hours. I couldn't have been happier, the company that John had contracted with were awesome, the guys I had worked with were great and everything seemed above the board.

Now the job was completed and I was only waiting to get paid and the 2 week waiting period was approaching where I was expecting payment, and like any diligent Independent contractor like myself I started to do some research on John Reagan and his company I came across this website Ripoff.com and read the statement of this complaint, now I will tell you I quickly became worried whether or not I was going to get paid from this company.

So I took it upon myself to immediately call John and question him on my paycheck for services rendered and about this write up, now I will say he did not react so well to my questioning of his character because of what i read here. I did understand his frustration but I do think he probably could have communicated with me a little better but that is a personal opinion of mine and with anything my opinion may not be everyone else's. But after a few phone calls back and forth with John and possibly some personal health issues John was having he in the end did stand behind his word and has PAID me for my 1st week of work. 

Ultimately I am writing this because this particular website scared me enough about what I read to start to discount this man and his company that I myself probably overreacted and worried myself to death that I was about to be screwed over....BUT AGAIN I REPEAT John Reagan President of United Temporary Services did keep his word as a business and has PAID me as of right now for my first week of services rendered. So to anyone else who reads the statement of the individual above me who has complained about this company, I felt it needed to be said here also that this company does PAY there independent contractors for there services. So give him the benefit of the doubt and enjoy the work he finds for you because I did. 

I hope this will help John and thank you for making things right this weekend, I look forward to possibly doing some more work through you and I feel much more comfortable about receiving my second weeks paycheck. I hope you prosper in this tough economy and impossible government for small businesses.

There is something to be said for Karma! When you attemp to extort monies from a company knowing that you were paid in full but wait I want $4000.00 dollars instead of $1000.00 or I am filing a Ripoff Report. Well fate always catches up with us. Doesnt it Doug? How many comlpaints has Doug filed? Always the same story from this poor fellow!  Man you need help but hopefully the prison system will provide it. Please note Dougs thread below! Extortion seems to be a common theme in his stories...

Thanks,
John

doug howes Junior Member

Join Date
Mar 2011
Posts
1 arrravated assault

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Georgia

I was arrested in Illinois and extradited to Georgia on an aggaravated assault charge. In fact the "victim" was a crackhead and along with an accomplice attempted to extort money from me for an alleged debt he was owed by my employer. There is ample testimony to support my claim. I was employed to pick up a piece of construction equiptment located at the address, and in fact my employer rented a room at the residence. ( It is a boarding house) Prior arrangements had been made notifying the property owner of the time I should be expected. Testimony from other residents of the house recount similar tales of the victims exploits.

 The victim being a felon was actually prohibited from being on the property as his half brother who resides there is also a felon. (The victim claimed in his complaint that he lived at the address which is false.)
The actual claim of the assault contends that I chased the victim with a sword, and scared him- causing him to run away. (He omits threatening me and advancing on me repeatedly while sweating profusely and clenching his fists.)
The prosecutor seems bent on prosecuting me, and is unwilling to even hear my side of this story.
I have been on Workers Comp, and in physical therapy since well before the incident with a back and neck injury( seeing a neurologist). When I was extradited I was hauled in a bus for 7 days chained to a seat, and because of the weakened condition of my neck I could not control its movements and repeatedly banged my head on the bus, not doing my condition any good. They refused me my medications.
In total I was held in Jail for 28 days before being able to get a bond hearing and getting bonded out of jail. Obviously my first concern is dealing with the aggravated assault charge, but I worked at this residence for almost a week and did not ever see any police response to this charge- only to have it come up when I was in Illinois and had the truck stopped at the side of the road 5 months later. Gwinnett County appears to be notorius for this type of action. I dont think their investigation of this incident was thorough enough to support the filing of the arrest warrant. In fact the judge signed the warrant 10 hours before the incident happened.

 As you might guess I would like to recoup some of the lost time and costs I have associated with this incident, not to mention the frivilous nature of the claim. What are my chances?

 He did the same to me  non payment of two weeks i worked for him!I tried to warn other people about him on bizclaims.com

  John Reagan has made phone calls to me in which he states that I have done irrepairable damage to his reputation, and that I am facing legal action that will be swift.

I again have offered to apoligize personally and retract any statements that are untrue.

There is a lot of "he said, she said" in this report. It is used to show the total lack of organization, continuity, and accountability that surfaced on this "contract" that I entered into.

What I have attempted to show is that there were 2 managing parties- although my initial agreement was with one. As a result of this "co-management" there were changes implemented that added to the time and cost I had in doing the job.

Because my "contract" is deemed to be with one party, the other party ( who made these changes- coincidentally) refuses to acknowledge any accountability, and instead hides behind a contract between the 2 of them.

My contention is that my "contract" is in no way connected to theirs. It is a document that I have never seen. (It may contain terms that would have made it impossible for me to take this job!!!! )

I made an offer to do a list I was furnished, for compensation that was discussed. There were verbal aspects, as well as written aspects. I think it is very easy to establish however that what I was agreeing to do was based on the volume of locations, and actual physical addresses listed.

I dont disagree that the jobs were presented as "individual contracts." What I am saying is that my "offer" was to do 48 of these "individual contracts" that were specifically identified by their addresses on the list I was furnished, and that my offer was to do the  "total lot."

Although I did fewer installations than were in my "contract" I had cost increases as a direct result of these changes. I drove more miles, and had additional time in establishing an economical route.

Where the problem arises is that both these parties blame these location changes and the change in total on the other. Neither wants to accept any accountability.

I have a verbal acknowledgement from 1 party of deletion of 2 locations, that they claim "they knew about" ( in reference to the other party) However they were on the list I made the offer on, and it was forwarded from 1 party through the other.

Then I have lists that were sent directly from 1 party without ( it would appear) the other parties knowledge.

So, as I say "he said", "she said"  This input from both these parties, and the other issues that have arose led to the writing of this story being described as a "saga" by me.

If Rpm- direct is the "General Contractor" , and United Temporary Services is a "Subcontractor" and that I am a " Subcontractor of United Temporary Services" it is no stretch to assume that United has "subcontracted" a specific number of jobs from RPM, and that I have "subcontracted" a specific number of these jobs from United.

When RPM elects to make changes that alter my contract with United without their consent, a problem arises. I adressed these problems before I started the installations by making the parties aware.

There is /was a problem with their chain of command in the business between them, and it has spilled over into my agreement with the result being that I am asked to suffer a financial penalty for it.

I have made reference to the relationship between them, and general statements about the reason for a Temporary Service being used as an "insulator" of sorts in this type of work. They are general statements, and I wouldnt pretend that they cover all situations, or specificially just what they cover in this circumstance. I have no knowledge of their contract.

Both parties made promises that went beyond my agreement with United, and although they were verbal the documentation of the work performed verifies my contentions. There were changes made to my original agreement.

The fact that I want to be paid for these changes( or paid the value of the original contract, actually) is in part because of the deliquency of payment being made as promised. My request for a committment of payment prior to the offer I made to do the work was to avoid just such a situation.

 

  John Reagan accuses me of writing things in this story that he says " you know are not true." I have offered to ammend any and all of  these statements, and apologize to him personally if he will describe specifically what he feels is untrue and how he sees it as damaging to the reputation he perceives he has. My contact with him is over the internet and the phone, and I personally have no knowledge of his reputation.

There is no claim of legal documentation, nor any attempt to destroy or damage anyones reputation in the story. It is my story of the history of the events from March 3 forward when I got involved in what has become an ugly affair, as best I can recollect and document them.  

 It is my story of how I feel misled, and taken advantage of over what I thought was a simple agreement that would allow me to make a little money and get to visit with my parents in Florida on their 60th wedding anniversary. ( By the way, I missed the anniversary party by a week.....)

 It was my hope to help others avoid the pitfalls of similar circumstances if they are of diminished financial capacity and run across an opportunity that while not too good to be true holds promise that is never clearly defined nor documented in a way that the actual value of becoming involved in the association can be determined to actually be of merit until too late.

 Obviously the story I told was somewhat tongue in cheek and colored by a droll sense  of humor that I have desperately tried to maintain in the resolution of this tawdry affair. 

The inclusion of communication that some think privledged and private and damaging to their reputations, is information that I was furnished by these parties themselves and was so ludicrous in its conflicting nature, timing, and questionable origin that I see it as  defining the disorganization, conflicting and misleading  communications, undefined roles of accountability and persuasion that have been the very definition of this arrangement since UPS delivered these monitors to my door.

  I have quoted statements in my possession that were made to me in emails and phone conversations in the story, and have tried to portray them with accuracy and in the context and time frame I received and interpeted them in. I apologize for any misunderstandings or offence that could arise by the incorrect interpetation, and relationship of them as well.

The purpose of using these statements was to show that these installations I did were  disorganized, conflicting, screwed up, unprofessionally planned, managed and communicated from beginning to end by the co-mismanagement of both parties, and resulted in me incurring additional expense and time beyond the agreement I entered into.

 In no way did I intend for this to portray anyones skills, or efforts to be less than than the best they are capable of putting forward. There are combinations of events and personalities that do not combine well and yeild unfavorable and sometimes unpleasant results, and my ruminations and observations I see as testament.

The furthure use was to illustrate that because of this dual undefined input on both parties account ( specific promises, requests, agreements, statements etc.)  I was having a problem with there being any accountability in honoring my stated agreement. The phone and emails, sometimes just seem to cloud issues that a physical presence can rectify.

  My opinion is that the contract between United Temporary Services, and RPM-direct is a contract between them, and is of no influence on the terms of the offer I extended. 

The idea that this contract between them could be used to modify the locations, description,  volume, and compensation received for  the work I had agreed to do without my knowledge and agreement to it beforehand, would indicate that I was hired for a job that obligated me to do anything asked,for what they were willing to pay, and if and when they were ever willing to pay it.) 

 Perhaps I oversimplify my opinion, but if one is to be viewed as a "subcontractor" -( independent contractor, bo-jacker- the term is yours to pick, and can be regionally flavored. Perhaps person of perceived, or "subcontracted" liability) there has to be some agreement of the work to be performed.

 The problem that arises here is simple really. Both these parties view each "job" as a seperate contract, (at least I was told that.) They have dealt with people that do 1, or 2 or maybe 5 or 6 in their local area.

  I offered to do a list that was furnished and had 48 of these "contract locations" on it.  I subcontracted the 48  locations named, with the 2000 miles of driving involved that was actually the the real committment to be honored to be successful.

  I didnt agree to  multiple revisions, and changes  of locations that would cut the value of this "contract" by 17% and add mileage and planning time, as well as decrease the allotted time to complete the installations, and make me wait 4 months for the money to boot.

   Let me take this a step further, lets look at what a sucontractor does. He determines what the cost of doing the job as specified in the documents he is furnished is.  Does he have the right equiptment and personell, how far away is the work , the cost of consumables , materials etc. to complete the work in a timely, safe and satisfactory manner. He has to be aware of applicable codes, regulations, and laws that will pertain to the job. He is also responsible for maintaining insurance coverage's as required by the contract and law, and must reconcile the actual contract and spec book ( if furnished for the job) to be aware of any conflict in responsibility that may arise between them.  

 I took the list of stores, and a map and set down at the computer and plotted the locations to determine the feasibility of doing this specific list, and the most economical manner to do it in. ( If you have ever driven in Atlanta,  Miami, or Orlando you need to know where you are going and if there is an easy way to get there.) 

The addresses shown on the list were not always "right" -That is you couldnt go to the phone book, or Home Depot site and always find it as it was on the list I was furnished. So I had to reconcile some locations. I spent a long evening doing this before offering to do the list that was submitted to me. 

  When you bid a job, you have to put the time into this if you want your cost to be accurate, and your business to prosper.  My assessment was that I could do the job in 7 days fairly easily, 5 if I pushed it. 2 weeks was reasonable, and allowed for problems......

The mileage  I had calculated was in the 2000 mile range. My truck gets around 20mpg. on the road. So I concluded it was feasible, but only because of the sheer number of location's that were grouped closely in the Miami, and Orlando areas. My proposal was based on volume for profitable return, no novel concept.

A 300 mile drive between jobs means you only do 2 a day, and if your timing is wrong and you arrive too late to do an install and have to wait overnight there is a problem maintaining  schedule. No big deal, but time is money.....

  When I received these monitors the count didnt agree with the list I was furnished. I made the parties involved in the agreement aware of it.  This was a notification of a change in contract- so that everyone would be aware that there might be associated changes in costs on my part, and that fair compensation was requested, and expected. 

  Subsequently there were two additional revisions following the receipt of the monitors,  and as a result I agreed to go to Chattanooga ,Tn.  With a verbal promise that "I would be taken care of."

   These revisions and a "double booking" cut 10 locations from the original list, but the 2 in Tn. made it a total loss of 8 in terms of the number of installations performed. 

  I had attempted to keep a route planned as these changes unfolded  but after spending 8 hours on it , and getting another revision  I realized it was futile pursuit. This all before I had actually done any installations......

(Ok, the smart thing to have done here would have been to tell them "come and get them boys" and let them eat the shipping, as I have done the "promises" of timely payment. My lesson  learned on thinking towards future endeavor that is but a.....prospect.)

 

 For reference here I'll point out that the installation's at the longest averaged 1/2 an hour. If they could find the old unit that was to be shipped back, you could do them in 15 minutes each.  40 units @1/2 hr. ea.= 20 hours.  The time I spent replanning the route I had originally figured was in the neighboorhood of 8 hrs., before I gave up and purchased a GPS @$149.00

( yes, you are reading this right-it's all about a job that took 20 hours to complete the actual physical installations. as I said not the real committment.)

 

 When you add this time to the "actual installation time" It increases the labor time astronomically +40% in fact. When you add it to the total time I calculated in the driving and installations together it adds 6% to the total involved  time. This was additional work, and cost for me. That doesnt include additional equiptment ( the GPS) nor the cost of faxing the signoff sheets, that they requested be sent as quickly as possible. $40.00 in that also.

 

Then there is the 200 miles extra mileage added by going to Tn, and 200 miles m/l insuring that the double booked jobs in Jacksonville, FL were actually done, and could have been saved had I been able to confirm them in a timely fashion.

 

 My perspective is simple here. I bid on a job, and the bid was accepted as offered.  Changes were implemented to that job by those who "contracted my services" that increased my labor time, added mileage, and were not part of any offer I had made. ( not to mention the "confusion" introduced. )

 

 "Their" side of this story is that I did 40 installation, and they feel that is the extent of responsibility for compensation "they" have.

 

 I hope that in trying to define and clarify some of these issues I have made this situation easier for all to understand. I have attempted to remove the coloring of anyones character they feel I have done in a negative or detrimental way and would wish to construe as having an effect on their reputation, or livelyhood.

 

My sincerest desire is to receive the funds I am owed -and that have been repeatedly promised - without again having to engage either of these parties on a personal level for whatever reason.

There have been monies paid by the pricipals in this affair (according to communication I am afforded), that now give United Temporary Services, and RPM-direct the ability they have lacked or declined to resolve this affair. I am aware they need a lien waiver from me to close this business, and will cooperate with any reasonable offer they extend that reflects a resolve to end this is a prompt and courteous manner.