Re: Beware of scams - KNBC Investigation: Moldy Business

[Guest guest]

Goodness, it's annoying when contractors have their own agendae.

We're trying to get some viable spore testing done and we've been contacting

companies that can take the sample to send it on to the lab we need (so we can

have chain of custody documentation since the lab is out of state)... no dice.

The one guy won't do it without a $300 surcharge since he won't be doing his

full complement of tests and the other (who is a remmediator) won't agree to do

it without doing a full workup on the property. We've already had one

relatively full workup, but it was missing a piece and we just need that one

piece done. Very annoying.

~Haley

tigerpaw2c <tigerpaw2c@...> wrote:

KNBC Investigation: Moldy Business

KNBC-TV

MSNBC*

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22001630/

LOS ANGELES - You've probably seen mold growing somewhere in your

home or apartment, maybe in your bathroom or your kitchen. Video

Have you ever wondered if it's dangerous? KNBC Investigative

Reporter Grover uncovered some companies that seem to be

preying on our worst fears about mold.

It's growing in every Southern California neighborhood: on ceilings,

in drawers, under kitchen sinks. It's mold, and for most of us, it's

usually harmless. But a KNBC investigation documented on hidden

camera some businesses willing to tell undercover homeowners, " It's

toxic, " and offer to remove mold that doesn't even exist.

" I call them predators, " said Daly a well-known industrial

hygienist with Hygiene Technologies International.

He helped with KNBC's investigation. Daly and his team tested a Los

Angeles area home for mold by taking moisture tests and samples from

inside the walls, the surfaces and the air throughout the house.

All they found was just a trace of common mildew and only in the

bathroom drawers.

" Do we have a mold problem in that house? " Grover asked Daly.

" No. There was no mold growth problem, " he replied.

Then, KNBC's expert suggests we put a bit of black eye shadow on the

bathroom wall as a way to test mold removal companies.

" Shouldn't a mold expert know the difference between eye shadow and

mold? " Grover asked Daly.

" Yes of course, " he replied.

Next, KNBC installed hidden cameras in the test house to see what

mold removal companies would say about the bathroom.

When KNBC called Big Valley Carpet Care, a technician named

showed up, looked at that eye shadow, and immediately told an

undercover producer, " That's a toxic mold. Do you see how black it

is? "

He also claims there's mold inside the vanity.

" The vanity is going to have to come out, the mirror. Then we have

to open the wall, get rid of all the infected drywall, " tells

the undercover producer.

" Can an expert tell that it's dangerous toxic mold just by looking? "

Grover asked Daly.

" No. Tests must be done, " he replied.

Daly says industry standards recommend testing in most instances.

But without doing tests, 's crew hauls in a big machine to

cleanse the air.

" Do we need to sample the mold? " the undercover producer asked

.

" No. (It's) another $450 for the test. That's a waste of money, " he

replied.

The next company that shows up is Servpro, a big name in mold

removal. Their agent, Marvin Zarou, takes a quick look at the

bathroom.

" If I told you I was getting headaches, what would you think? " the

undercover producer asks Zarou.

He tells the undercover producer she's got a big problem inside the

vanity. " It smells musty, " Zarou says. KNBC's expert found no mold

there.

" The mold I see is black, and when it's black, it's bad, " Zarou

tells the undercover producer. He too says there's no need to do any

testing.

" I see it. So why you want to test it? " Zarou tells the KNBC

undercover producer. He wants to demolish the entire bathroom to get

rid of the mold.

" We'll remove everything inside this bathroom, " Zarou tells the

undercover producer.

KNBC showed the undercover tape of Zarou to the expert Daly.

" It feels like a contractor taking advantage of a homeowner, " Daly

tells KNBC.

But the price tag got even bigger, nearly $3,000 when KNBC called in

Tiptop Restoration.

The owner Rony Hani looked at the eye shadow, and said, " This is

mold. "

" How many times you clean it, more than once? " Hani asked.

" Two times. It keeps coming back, " the undercover producer replied.

" This is mold and it's toxic too, " Hani said about the harmless

mildew in the drawers.

At first, He suggests some tests. " We going to do what's called

environmental inspection, " Hani tells the undercover producer. But

then he says the undercover producer doesn't have to do the tests.

" I recommend it, but you don't have to do it if you want to save the

money for testing. It's like $430, " Hani says.

Hani tells the undercover producer that he's sure the bathroom is

full of dangerous mold. " Don't use this bathroom. Keep the door

closed, " he says.

An hour later, Hani's crew brings in rolls of plastic and seals off

the bathroom to tear it apart.

The undercover producer tells them maybe they should first do tests,

but Hani's coworker says that's unnecessary. " I can tell you that

you have mold. You want to pay me $400? I tell you 'Yes, you have

mold,' " the coworker tells the undercover producer.

" You want to bring in a guy to test it? I told you also, it's a

waste of money. That's exactly what I said, " Hani tells the

undercover producer.

KNBC showed the undercover tape to expert Daly. " How would you

characterize what you've seen in the tape? " Grover asked Daly.

" It's a rip-off, there is nothing wrong with this place, this work

is not necessary, " Daly replies.

Other homeowners tell KNBC that it's happened to them too with other

companies. " You're scared and your frightened and you think oh it's

there, " says Lea Wallace. She says she spent thousands on

unnecessary mold removal in her bathroom.

" They tore this whole area out for nothing, " Wallace tells KNBC.

" It's simple. Scare the homeowner, make some money, " Daly tells

KNBC.

But what about the mold removal companies KNBC caught on tape? How

would they explain the statements they made?

Can't you tell the difference between women's eye makeup and

dangerous mold, " Grover asked Rony Hani with Tiptop

Restoration. " No, no. Not before I bring in the company to do that

testing, " Hani replied.

" You were encouraging her to rip up that wall before any testing was

done, " Grover asked Hani.

" No, no, " Hani replied.

But remember the hidden camera tape: " You want to bring in a guy to

test it? I told you also, it's a waste of money, " Hani told the KNBC

undercover producer.

" It seems like you were trying to make an easy buck off her, " Grover

asked Hani.

" No, not even a chance. OK? Not even a chance, " Hani replied.

By phone, Hani later told KNBC he was wrong to say it was toxic

mold, but that it was an honest mistake. from Big Valley also

told KNBC the same thing. The owner of Big Valley says is just

a subcontractor for him and he takes no responsibility for whatever

said at the home.

As for Servpro (see statement below), they say they're not

responsible for Marvin Zarou's conduct because he works for a

franchisee, Servpro of Bel Air.

Tips From Experts:

So what can you do if you think you have dangerous mold in your

home? Dr. Owen Seiver and Dr. Schillinger of the Cal State

Northridge Department Environmental and Occupational Health suggest:

Remember that mold cannot grow without moisture. Look for sources of

moisture in your home: Leaks under the sink, sprinklers hitting the

outside of a home, air conditioning condensation.

If you think you might have a mold problem, hire an independent mold

testing company to find out. Hire a company that only does testing,

not mold removal or remediation too, so there's no conflict of

interest. Ask the background of the person doing the testing (ask if

they have a science background in environmental health and/or

industrial hygiene).

If a testing company says you do have a mold problem, get several

estimates for work from different remediation companies.

To find the names of reputable mold testing and remediation

companies, you might ask experienced real estate agents from

established realty agencies.

Statement From ServPro

Servpro Industries, Inc. is a national franchisor of over 1,400

franchises offering fire, water and disaster cleaning, mitigation

and restoration services. From isolated incidents of water and smoke

in residences and commercial properties to disasters from tornadoes,

earthquakes and wild fires, Servpro franchisees serve their

customers tirelessly, 24 hours each day. Hundreds of insurance

companies recommend Servpro to thousands of their insureds each

year. Each Servpro franchisee is independently owned and operated.

Servpro provides training to each franchisee on applicable industry

standards and practices, including those published by the Institute

of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration (IICRC).

Numerous variables may be present in different water or mold

incidents and property owners may not know the extent or the length

of time water or mold was present. As a result, each restoration

professional must exercise his or her judgment when making

remediation recommendations. Each restoration professional should

always keep the health and safety of the customer uppermost when

making his or her recommendations. This is because many health care

professionals believe exposure to mold may cause health problems,

particularly in the young, those with allergies and those with

compromised immune systems. If property owners have questions or

concerns about recommendations made by restoration professionals, it

would be a good idea to contact a certified indoor air quality

specialist and/or their physicians.

~Haley

[Guest guest]

I had some petri dishes sent home with me from my doctor. I did not know there

was a time limit to send them in as the cost per dish is $30 and funds are zelch

due to non payment of diability and comp!. However I called tem back when money

was available and the sent them out the next day. GOOD LUCK it is an uphill

battle as you probably already know! Here is the info:

IMMUNOLYTICS

4301 Masthead NE

Albuquerque, NM 87109

505-217-0339

Just let them know you need petri dishes and how many they are usually sent

out in packs of 4 but they sent me out 3 cause that was all I needed. Once

again Good Luck

Haley <myhaze@...> wrote:

Goodness, it's annoying when contractors have their own agendae.

We're trying to get some viable spore testing done and we've been contacting

companies that can take the sample to send it on to the lab we need (so we can

have chain of custody documentation since the lab is out of state)... no dice.

The one guy won't do it without a $300 surcharge since he won't be doing his

full complement of tests and the other (who is a remmediator) won't agree to do

it without doing a full workup on the property. We've already had one relatively

full workup, but it was missing a piece and we just need that one piece done.

Very annoying.

~Haley

tigerpaw2c <tigerpaw2c@...> wrote:

KNBC Investigation: Moldy Business

KNBC-TV

MSNBC*

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22001630/

LOS ANGELES - You've probably seen mold growing somewhere in your

home or apartment, maybe in your bathroom or your kitchen. Video

Have you ever wondered if it's dangerous? KNBC Investigative

Reporter Grover uncovered some companies that seem to be

preying on our worst fears about mold.

It's growing in every Southern California neighborhood: on ceilings,

in drawers, under kitchen sinks. It's mold, and for most of us, it's

usually harmless. But a KNBC investigation documented on hidden

camera some businesses willing to tell undercover homeowners, " It's

toxic, " and offer to remove mold that doesn't even exist.

" I call them predators, " said Daly a well-known industrial

hygienist with Hygiene Technologies International.

He helped with KNBC's investigation. Daly and his team tested a Los

Angeles area home for mold by taking moisture tests and samples from

inside the walls, the surfaces and the air throughout the house.

All they found was just a trace of common mildew and only in the

bathroom drawers.

" Do we have a mold problem in that house? " Grover asked Daly.

" No. There was no mold growth problem, " he replied.

Then, KNBC's expert suggests we put a bit of black eye shadow on the

bathroom wall as a way to test mold removal companies.

" Shouldn't a mold expert know the difference between eye shadow and

mold? " Grover asked Daly.

" Yes of course, " he replied.

Next, KNBC installed hidden cameras in the test house to see what

mold removal companies would say about the bathroom.

When KNBC called Big Valley Carpet Care, a technician named

showed up, looked at that eye shadow, and immediately told an

undercover producer, " That's a toxic mold. Do you see how black it

is? "

He also claims there's mold inside the vanity.

" The vanity is going to have to come out, the mirror. Then we have

to open the wall, get rid of all the infected drywall, " tells

the undercover producer.

" Can an expert tell that it's dangerous toxic mold just by looking? "

Grover asked Daly.

" No. Tests must be done, " he replied.

Daly says industry standards recommend testing in most instances.

But without doing tests, 's crew hauls in a big machine to

cleanse the air.

" Do we need to sample the mold? " the undercover producer asked

.

" No. (It's) another $450 for the test. That's a waste of money, " he

replied.

The next company that shows up is Servpro, a big name in mold

removal. Their agent, Marvin Zarou, takes a quick look at the

bathroom.

" If I told you I was getting headaches, what would you think? " the

undercover producer asks Zarou.

He tells the undercover producer she's got a big problem inside the

vanity. " It smells musty, " Zarou says. KNBC's expert found no mold

there.

" The mold I see is black, and when it's black, it's bad, " Zarou

tells the undercover producer. He too says there's no need to do any

testing.

" I see it. So why you want to test it? " Zarou tells the KNBC

undercover producer. He wants to demolish the entire bathroom to get

rid of the mold.

" We'll remove everything inside this bathroom, " Zarou tells the

undercover producer.

KNBC showed the undercover tape of Zarou to the expert Daly.

" It feels like a contractor taking advantage of a homeowner, " Daly

tells KNBC.

But the price tag got even bigger, nearly $3,000 when KNBC called in

Tiptop Restoration.

The owner Rony Hani looked at the eye shadow, and said, " This is

mold. "

" How many times you clean it, more than once? " Hani asked.

" Two times. It keeps coming back, " the undercover producer replied.

" This is mold and it's toxic too, " Hani said about the harmless

mildew in the drawers.

At first, He suggests some tests. " We going to do what's called

environmental inspection, " Hani tells the undercover producer. But

then he says the undercover producer doesn't have to do the tests.

" I recommend it, but you don't have to do it if you want to save the

money for testing. It's like $430, " Hani says.

Hani tells the undercover producer that he's sure the bathroom is

full of dangerous mold. " Don't use this bathroom. Keep the door

closed, " he says.

An hour later, Hani's crew brings in rolls of plastic and seals off

the bathroom to tear it apart.

The undercover producer tells them maybe they should first do tests,

but Hani's coworker says that's unnecessary. " I can tell you that

you have mold. You want to pay me $400? I tell you 'Yes, you have

mold,' " the coworker tells the undercover producer.

" You want to bring in a guy to test it? I told you also, it's a

waste of money. That's exactly what I said, " Hani tells the

undercover producer.

KNBC showed the undercover tape to expert Daly. " How would you

characterize what you've seen in the tape? " Grover asked Daly.

" It's a rip-off, there is nothing wrong with this place, this work

is not necessary, " Daly replies.

Other homeowners tell KNBC that it's happened to them too with other

companies. " You're scared and your frightened and you think oh it's

there, " says Lea Wallace. She says she spent thousands on

unnecessary mold removal in her bathroom.

" They tore this whole area out for nothing, " Wallace tells KNBC.

" It's simple. Scare the homeowner, make some money, " Daly tells

KNBC.

But what about the mold removal companies KNBC caught on tape? How

would they explain the statements they made?

Can't you tell the difference between women's eye makeup and

dangerous mold, " Grover asked Rony Hani with Tiptop

Restoration. " No, no. Not before I bring in the company to do that

testing, " Hani replied.

" You were encouraging her to rip up that wall before any testing was

done, " Grover asked Hani.

" No, no, " Hani replied.

But remember the hidden camera tape: " You want to bring in a guy to

test it? I told you also, it's a waste of money, " Hani told the KNBC

undercover producer.

" It seems like you were trying to make an easy buck off her, " Grover

asked Hani.

" No, not even a chance. OK? Not even a chance, " Hani replied.

By phone, Hani later told KNBC he was wrong to say it was toxic

mold, but that it was an honest mistake. from Big Valley also

told KNBC the same thing. The owner of Big Valley says is just

a subcontractor for him and he takes no responsibility for whatever

said at the home.

As for Servpro (see statement below), they say they're not

responsible for Marvin Zarou's conduct because he works for a

franchisee, Servpro of Bel Air.

Tips From Experts:

So what can you do if you think you have dangerous mold in your

home? Dr. Owen Seiver and Dr. Schillinger of the Cal State

Northridge Department Environmental and Occupational Health suggest:

Remember that mold cannot grow without moisture. Look for sources of

moisture in your home: Leaks under the sink, sprinklers hitting the

outside of a home, air conditioning condensation.

If you think you might have a mold problem, hire an independent mold

testing company to find out. Hire a company that only does testing,

not mold removal or remediation too, so there's no conflict of

interest. Ask the background of the person doing the testing (ask if

they have a science background in environmental health and/or

industrial hygiene).

If a testing company says you do have a mold problem, get several

estimates for work from different remediation companies.

To find the names of reputable mold testing and remediation

companies, you might ask experienced real estate agents from

established realty agencies.

Statement From ServPro

Servpro Industries, Inc. is a national franchisor of over 1,400

franchises offering fire, water and disaster cleaning, mitigation

and restoration services. From isolated incidents of water and smoke

in residences and commercial properties to disasters from tornadoes,

earthquakes and wild fires, Servpro franchisees serve their

customers tirelessly, 24 hours each day. Hundreds of insurance

companies recommend Servpro to thousands of their insureds each

year. Each Servpro franchisee is independently owned and operated.

Servpro provides training to each franchisee on applicable industry

standards and practices, including those published by the Institute

of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration (IICRC).

Numerous variables may be present in different water or mold

incidents and property owners may not know the extent or the length

of time water or mold was present. As a result, each restoration

professional must exercise his or her judgment when making

remediation recommendations. Each restoration professional should

always keep the health and safety of the customer uppermost when

making his or her recommendations. This is because many health care

professionals believe exposure to mold may cause health problems,

particularly in the young, those with allergies and those with

compromised immune systems. If property owners have questions or

concerns about recommendations made by restoration professionals, it

would be a good idea to contact a certified indoor air quality

specialist and/or their physicians.

~Haley