Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/11/2024

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On March 25th, 2024 we signed a lease with Advantage Gold Realty for a rental at **************************************. While the process went smoothly, we quickly found out that their office staff like to act like gangsters and harass tenants. We had several incidents where they would show up without notice to harass us about discrepancies which they claimed would enable them to withhold our security deposit. Despite their baseless accusations, we were able to resolve matters without involving out attorneys.We vacated the property September 13, 2024 pursuant to military orders. We were informed that they would send our security deposit to our new address in ********. Despite multiple phone calls to the office weve gotten various excuses. Sometimes they claim the check is in the mail - however its not in our mailbox NOR does is the local post office holding it. Then we were informed they are not required to send it until AFTER 45 days - when North ******** statutes clearly state its 30. It appears the office staff simply lie and their owner broker ****** ***** is never available to discuss the matter.On November 8th, 2024 - 57 days from vacating the premises - we contacted the office to find out when we could expect our security deposit. The same excuses continued and we informed them wed be taking legal action. Reading complaints and reviews online indicates a long, extended history of defrauding renters - including many military. This kind of business behavior is illegal, despicable, and the company - including their REALTOR brokers should be held accountable.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/13/2024

  Thank you for bringing your concerns to our attention. We value feedback as it helps us improve our services and address any misunderstandings that may arise.
  
  Firstly, we would like to express our appreciation for your tenancy at ******************** and acknowledge the smooth lease-signing process back in March 2024. We are sincerely sorry for any distress you may have felt during your time renting the property.
  
  To clarify, the property in question was overseen by its owner, who was deeply involved in the management decisions. Our role as the property management company was to act as an agent for the owner and follow their directives. Any interactions or communications you experienced, including property visits or notifications, were conducted as directed by the property owner. We understand this may not align with typical industry standards or our usual office procedures, and for this reason, we no longer manage this property.
  
  In regard to your security deposit, we confirm that it was mailed to the forwarding address you provided on September 23rd, 2024, which is within the 30-day timeframe as stipulated by North Carolina statutes. We regret that you have not yet received the check. Per our company policy, when a claim is made regarding a missing check, a 45-day processing period from the original issuance date is observed before a reissue can occur. Your request for a new check has been submitted to our accounting department, and we will notify you promptly once it is ready.
  
  While ****** ***** is the owner of Advantage Gold Realty, our property management team is tasked with handling tenant concerns and resolving issues directly. We apologize if this led to any confusion or frustration.
  
  We are committed to ensuring you receive your security deposit, and we hope this response provides clarity regarding the situation.
  
  Thank you for your patience and understanding.
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/13/2024

   
  Complaint: 22532074
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  There is no proof the business sent the check. The check is in the mail is the oldest saying in the book and the rash of negative reviews on this realtor would indicate they NEVER give back security deposits until legal action is taken. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** *******

  Business Response

  Date: 11/13/2024

  We are truly sorry to hear that you feel this way. At Advantage Gold Realty, we strive to maintain transparency and professionalism in all our tenant interactions, and it is never our intention for anyone to feel misled or mistreated.
  We understand your frustration and concern over the whereabouts of your security deposit. Please rest assured that your check was mailed to the forwarding address you provided on September 23rd, 2024, in compliance with North Carolina's legal requirements. We acknowledge that relying on the mail can sometimes lead to delays or complications outside our control, and we empathize with the inconvenience this has caused.
  We want to assure you that we have already initiated the process for reissuing your security deposit check, following our policy of allowing 45 days for mail processing from the original issuance date. This policy helps us account for any unforeseen postal delays or misplacements. Once the new check is ready, we will promptly inform you.
  We are committed to resolving this matter and hope you will see our actions as proof of our dedication to fair practices. Should there be any further delays or issues, please dont hesitate to contact us directly so we can address them.
  Thank you for your patience as we work to ensure you receive your security deposit.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/05/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I am a homeowner and resident of ******************* in ************, **. Since at least June of this year, a lamp post in the parking area has been out. I emailed association manager ******* ****** on 7/11/24 to alert her about this safety and security hazard. Weeks went by without this being repaired, so I emailed her again on 7/30/24 to check on the status and was told that she would follow up on it. Several more weeks went by and this light was still not fixed, so on 8/25/24 I attached a handwritten note to my monthly association payment and never received any kind of follow up. It is now 11/4/24 and this light has still not been fixed. I have been an owner and resident here since 2019 and despite the subpar and unsatisfactory management from this company, I have tried to remain patient and refrained from posting negative online reviews or anything of that sort because I would prefer to maintain good relations despite their glaring shortcomings. This negligent disregard in getting the light repaired can not be ignored any further, prompting me to file this complaint. There is a plethora of negative reviews about this company on ****** and **** and it's obvious this company needs to do much, much better. They can begin to do this by finally repairing this light. If this is not done by the evening of 11/11/24, I will be contacting my attorney to deal with them. I am disabled and can not handle the stress and frustration of dealing with these unscrupulous, incompetent and irresponsible people any further. Please do the right thing and save us all further cost and inconvenience by repairing this light without more unnecessary delay.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/05/2024

  The light in question is serviced by ************************************************* (***), and while we have reported the outage to them on multiple occasions, it still has not been repaired. I reached out to ***************** EMC today and they have assured me that the light will be fixed this week. Regrettably, since our company is reliant on a third-party vendor for this repair, we are unable to complete it directly ourselves. I will continue to monitor the situation closely and follow up with *****-Onslow EMC.
  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/15/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  We rented from this establishment and my husband got orders to go on deployment and we were attempting to break our lease and they told us that we needed to give them a copy of the deployment papers which we arent able to disclose that information and they proceeded to tell us we were unable to break our lease and we would have to pay our lease out till October of 2024 we had mice and roaches in the apartment and we also had no way to access our breaker box to the house and I made it known and asked for a key multiple times with no resolutions to the issues and our dog has outgrew their pet weight limit and we have since given them our 30 day notice and my husband has moved us on base because of him going on a deployment so I would feel safer and we no longer have our BAH to pay for the apartment we are no longer living in.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/15/2024

  ***** 15,2024
  
  The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) requires the servicemember to provide our office with a written notice to terminate their lease agreement AND a copy of their military orders.  ***************** refused to give our office a copy of the military orders which are required if she wants to terminate her lease agreement under the Service Members Civil Relief Act. 
  
  We responded to ***************** via email on March 15, 2024, after receiving her notice to terminate her lease agreement at ****************.  We never received any more correspondence from ***************** nor did she turn in keys to the property.  Her rental payment for ***** has not been made, no keys have been turned into our office and the property is vacant with no utilities.  
  
  This is the response we sent to *****************, and she has not responded since receiving this email on March 15th.
  
  "We understand that you have expressed your intention to terminate the lease agreement. However, we would like to remind you that as per the terms and conditions outlined in your lease agreement, you are obligated to fulfill the lease terms until October 25, 2024.
  
  It's important to emphasize that failure to adhere to the terms of your lease agreement may result in a negative credit report being submitted to a credit reporting agency. We want to ensure that all parties involved are fully aware of their responsibilities and obligations.
  
  Furthermore,if you are utilizing the Service Members Civil Relief Act to terminate your lease agreement due to military deployment, we kindly request that you provide us with a copy of your deployment orders or a letter from the units commanding officer as soon as possible. This will assist us in processing your request efficiently and effectively in accordance with the Service Members Civil Relief Act.
  
  Additionally,I would like to address some other matters raised in your communication. First,regarding the issue of your pet, please be reminded that while we accommodated your request for a pet exceeding the weight restriction, it is essential to note that you were never informed of any weight restriction for your pet to remain on the property.
  
  Moreover,despite our previous request, we have yet to receive the deployment orders for your husband's military deployment. We kindly ask you to provide this documentation at your earliest convenience to ensure that we can update our records accordingly.
  
  Regarding the concerns raised about access to the storage unit.  You obtained another key from our office after moving in and we did not receive any further communication regarding the matter or any additional difficulties with access to the storage unit. 
  
  Additionally,we were not made aware of any incidents regarding water bugs or mice in the property, nor did we receive your move-in form inspection addressing any additional concerns with the property. As stipulated in your lease agreement,it is your responsibility to report any such issues, and we encourage you to communicate with us promptly regarding any maintenance concerns.
  
  Whie, we understand your intention to vacate the property, it is crucial to reiterate tat your rent payments are still due on the 1st of each month until the expiration date.  This includes any applicable fees or charges outlined in your lease agreement.
  
  As you prepare to vacate the property, we want to provide you with clear instructions on how to return the premises to us in accordance with the terms of your lease agreement."  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/03/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  The billing period on this form is for one day, yet the bill is for one year. This is a legal document, one which the vendor can use to solicit additional monies for the remaining of the **** calendar year. I called and emailed the *** managing office. Their response is that this is normal practice and they will not change. All I am asking for is a properly formatted form with the correct billing period. Is this too difficult to provide?

  Business Response

  Date: 10/13/2023

  We understand that the consumer may not be satisfied with the response they received from our office regarding their **** annual statement.  As relayed to the consumer via other review platforms and via email, the annual billing for **** covers the entire **** calendar year, which includes 365 days. The statement they received states "**** HOA Annual Dues." The date the statement was printed was September 25, 2023, and the billing cycle is January 1, ****, as clearly stated on the invoice. We would also like to point out that the 2023 Annual Billing Invoice followed the same format, which is why we're a bit perplexed by the concerns raised in relation to the **** invoice.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/16/2023

   
  Complaint: 20687235
  
  I am rejecting this response because: every bill I have ever gotten in my life (mortgage, gas, electric, etc.) all have a start and end date wherever a billing period is noted. They have 01/01/2024 inserted for the start and the end dates. The invoice also has incomplete entries for the home address and name of the association. We are living in the 21st century and have been working with digital technology for decades now. I would expect the same level of effort for compliance with any and all companies we do business with... for this company, it seems their processes have a higher priority than their customer satisfaction. It would have been so simple for them to redo just my invoice and mail it to me. However, they've spent hours pushing their own reasoning and explanations to justify why they are so exclusively odd.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Don **********

  Business Response

  Date: 10/17/2023

  We understand the frustrations of this consumer and have carefully reviewed their complaint filed with the Better Business Bureau and on other online review platforms. 
  
  I want to assure you that we take these concerns seriously.  We understand that in today's customer-centric era, it can be frustrating when expectations are not met. Our goal is to address the concerns in a fair and respectful manner, even if the resolution may not align with the consumers expectations.
  
  After a thorough review of the billing concerns, we want to reiterate our position. The billing process in our HOA invoicing is standardized, ensuring fairness and consistency for all members and approved by the ***** of ********* of the Association. Unfortunately, we are unable to make the changes the consumer has requested at this time.  
  
  We genuinely sympathize with their dissatisfaction, and we apologize for any inconvenience this situation may have caused them. It's important for us to maintain the integrity of our billing procedures to ensure equitable treatment for all our members.  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/22/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I moved out of a rental property managed by Advantage Gold Realty in Feb 2023. After moving out of the property, they performed an inspection and provided me a detailed explanation of charges incurred which we extensive in nature (total owed to satisfy the company was ********). They used my security deposit of ******** to apply towards the amount owed and I provided them a payment of ****** to complete the transaction. They cashed that check on 3/8/2023. I never received any other correspondence from Advantage Gold Realty until I received a collection notice yesterday from *************************** for ******. I contacted Advantage Gold Realty and they said they reassessed the damages and charged me another ****** for further damage to the property. They never sent me anything on that until they provided it to me yesterday after asking several times to provide it to me. I feel like they are just trying to get more money from me without advising me and just sending it to collections to get it off of their hands. I don't feel like I should have to pay anything additional based on satisfying their initial demands for payment on 2/28/2023 which I complied with. I now have read several reviews online of very similar things happening to other people.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/01/2023

  Thank you for giving us the opportunity to address this complaint.
  
  Advantage Gold Realty began managing the property located at ******************* on July 12, 2022.  ******* and ************************* executed a one-year lease agreement on July 29, 2022, with a lease start date of August 12, 2022,and a lease end date of August 31, 2023. 
  
  On February 13th Mr. and ***************** informed our office that they would be vacating the home and terminating their lease agreement early. We immediately placed the property back on the active rental market and were able to re-let the property on March 15, 2023.  Mr. and ***************** were charged with the cost to relet the property.  Keys were turned into our office on February 16, 2023, and an inspection was performed on February 20, 2023.  Upon entering the property, the home was infested with fleas, the carpets throughout the home were stained, soiled, and smelled of pet and the home was disgusting.  We immediately dispatched an exterminator for the fleas, a carpet cleaner to deodorize and remove stains from the carpets caused by the tenants pets, a cleaning company to clean the filth left by the tenant as well as vacuum after each flea treatment and a repair company to repair the wall and door frame damage.   
  
  On February 28, 2023, our office did the initial reconciliation of the Security Deposit and emailed a copy to the tenant and the homeowner of the property. 
  
  Upon receiving the reconciliation report on February 28th, the owner of the property requested access to the property.  The owner emailed and informed our office that additional damage had been done to the property by the tenant and the home was still infested with fleas.  We immediately dispatched a vendor to repair the damage reported by the homeowner, an exterminator to treat the home again for fleas and a cleaning company to vacuum the home to remove the fleas and any additional traces of fleas.   To date we are still battling the flea infestation at the property caused by Mr. and *****************
  
  On March 3rd we revised the ** Reconciliation Report and emailed and mailed a copy to the tenant.  (Attached email confirmation)
  
  On March 6th our office received payment from the tenant in the amount of $741.90, still leaving a balance of $750.42.
  
  On May 8th our office turned over the account to a Collections Company.
  
  On May 19th we received an email from **************** inquiring about the additional $750.42 that was sent to collections.  *****************************,Property Manager for Advantage Gold Realty responded to Mr. ******* inquiring providing him with the revised ** Reconciliation which was emailed and mailed to him on March 3rd as well as photos of the damages.   (Attached Documents)
  
  Please let me know if there is any other information needed.
  
  
  Respectfully
  ***********************
  Broker Owner

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/02/2023

   
  Complaint: 20084151
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I did not do that much damage to their property that it ended up costing my security deposit of **** as well as an additional almost ****. They are overcharging and shouldn't be allowed to do this. I believe that house already had fleas and we did not leave that house a disgusting mess like she said. She is not being truthful and that is not appropriate. I have found many reviews of this company now that say very similar situations. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

  Business Response

  Date: 06/06/2023

  First and foremost, we would like to address the issue of breaking the lease agreement. Lease agreements are legally binding contracts that outline the rights and responsibilities of both tenants and landlords. When a tenant decides to terminate the lease prematurely, it typically incurs certain costs associated with releasing the property. These costs are in place to cover the costs associated with finding a new tenant and marketing costs. While we understand that circumstances can change, these costs are the responsibility of the party breaching the lease agreement. 

  Second the property was not infested with fleas, nor did it have any pet odor when this tenant took possession of the property.   They never reported fleas nor an odor upon taking possession of the property.   During the move out inspection the property was infested with fleas and had a heavy pet odor.  Our office is still battling the flea infestations as of today.  I have included the invoices from ***************** to show documentation. 

  As outlined in the lease agreement, tenants are responsible for maintaining the property in good condition and are expected to report any damages promptly. Unfortunately, the owner of the property discovered damage to the property upon the move-out, which exceeded normal wear and tear. These repairs were deducted from the security deposit to cover the costs of damages.