Action: Missing 'contractor' is found in jail

I contracted Roger Eichelberger of Home Maintenance Services to replace a roof on my shed on May 31. He said he'd order it and it would take one day to put on. I was then given many excuses why he couldn't do my job. On Dec. 22, he finally arrived at 5 p.m. to do it. The roof leaked after the first rain.

I paid him $225 in July and another $65 the day he put on the roof. Since Jan. 2, I've been calling and leaving messages that aren't being returned. I've given up. My patience is gone. Can you help me and encourage him to fix the leak? I want to put my Christmas stuff back in my shed. Joan Vaccaro

Response: You are not the only reader with a complaint against Roger Eichelberger of Home Maintenance Service, with addresses in Elfers and Holiday. Rainer Blomberg also contracted with him to repair his roof, soffit and trim work on July 18. That job was supposed to be completed within seven to 10 days. To date, the work has not been completed, although Blomberg paid him the full amount of $1,160 on Dec. 22, the same day he put on your roof.

We can offer no hope that your jobs will be completed or any necessary repairs made. Eichelberger, who has a lengthy arrest record in Louisiana, Florida and possibly Maine, is currently incarcerated in Pasco County. According to the Jan. 24 arrest affidavits, Eichelberger passed himself off as a licensed contractor in that county and accepted payments for work he never performed. He also rented a trailer from one of the victims and did not return it. He was charged with one felony count of fraud and two felony counts of grand theft.

We urge readers to check with their area building departments to make sure that any contractors they are considering hiring are properly licensed to perform work in their counties. Also check with any applicable consumer protection agencies (not all counties have them) as well as the construction Industry Licensing Board at (850) 487-1395. Just because an individual claims to be licensed doesn't mean this is the case. Finally, do not pay for a job in full in advance. In fact, such a request can be a red flag.

If you think you were victimized by Eichelberger, you can call the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, economic crime division, at (727) 582-6200.

Lab bill confusion

I need help getting a $63.50 lab bill settled. I was with a Humana HMO and never had any problems until Humana withdrew from Hernando County at the end of 2000. I then enrolled withUnitedHealthcare.

I'm a cancer survivor in remission. On March 27, 2001, my doctor sent me for blood work at Lab Corp. In May, UnitedHealthcare asked for a Medicare summary, and I had the information sent to it. I thought the bill had long been taken care of. On Feb. 14, I got a bill from LabCorp for the blood work. I called United-Healthcare, and it said since Medicare didn't pay anything on the $64.50 charge, it won't either. I have had blood work done since November 1998 and never had any problems. Medicare has already paid its portion. Every time a bill is sent to UnitedHealthcare there is a problem. It always wants a Medicare printout, or the bill wasn't submitted to it, or etc. Can you help? Thanks. Mary Stillabower

Response: Patt Reed, marketing manager for UnitedHealthcare of Florida in Tampa, said because of delays in patient confidentiality issues, the insurance company cannot share the outcome of this issue with Action. However, Reed did apologize for the delay in responding to our inquiry -- we sent two letters -- and said UnitedHealthcare has responded to you and resolved the problem.

Unfortunately, you have told us that this is not the case. You have not heard from UnitedHealthcare and continue to receive bills from LabCorp. We will start over again. In the meantime, please let us know if the situation changes.

Dishnet refund

On Nov. 10, I mailed a check in the amount of $63.34 to Dishnet, my satellite provider, for service from Nov. 17 though Dec. 16, although payment was not due until Nov. 22. On Nov. 15, I called Dishnet to cancel service immediately and return my check or reimburse me. On Dec. 28, I called again and was told a refund was due and it would be sent out within seven to 10 days. On Jan. 17, I called yet again and this time was informed my refund was denied because programming was not refundable. I was offered the option of reinstatement so I didn't lose the credit. I said I had another provider and didn't need additional programming.

How could I be denied a refund? My argument is that I canceled service prior to commencement of the next service month. Can you help? Gladys Franqui

Response: Although we contacted Dishnet at the end of January, we never heard back. You did not send us a copy of your contract, so we don't know what the terms were or whether you were contracted for a specific period. Thanks for your call letting us know that you received your refund.

- If you have a question for Action, or your attempts to resolve a consumer complaint have failed, write: Times Action, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731, or call your Action number, (727) 893-8171, or, outside of Pinellas, (800) 333-7505, ext. 8171, to leave a recorded request. Names will not be omitted except in unusual circumstances. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.

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