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:10/12/2023

  Type:Sales and Advertising 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 was scammed through this company

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/12/2023

  I had went to the establishment of B&W housing development and applied to rent a home from them. They asked 150$ for an application fee to run a credit check on all parties. They contacted me back stating that my husband had no credit and that my mother died in ****** **** in 1989 and stated that I was commuting credit fraud. My mother is well and alive and I even showed them proof from the social security administration and her valid I.D. And then they told me that I had to many write offs on my credit but that I had credit and they wouldn’t accept me due to the write offs which was fine. They told me they ran a credit check and upon looking at my credit report there was no check on there from B&W housing development. They made it seem as though I was a criminal and I felt discriminated against because of my last name. I asked them to give me a refund on for the 150$ application fee since they were invalid. I believe this establishment is coming fraud and giving false credit reports and would like something done about this or atleast getting a refund. 

  Business Response

  Date: 10/13/2023

  First of all, the complaining party never even came to the window during the whole application process. Her husband was the one that picked up the applications, returned the applications, paid the fees ($81.19 for the married couple and $57.37 for the additional individual for a total application fee of $138.56) and returned to the office to pick up documentation that he had provided to us at the time the application was paid for. Once we received the information from the credit screening service, that we always use, I called the contact number for the applicant that was given to me. The complaining party was the one that answered the phone and I let her know that the application was not approved. Her husband came to the office upset the following day (or so, I can't remember the exact day he came), upset because their application was not approved. I showed him the copy of each credit report that was processed. I explained in detail why we were not able to approve their application. I offered to make him a copy of the credit reports and he said he didn't need them, that he only wanted the documentation that he had previously provided to me, which included letters from the Social Security Office stating income for two of the applicants, a print off of a check stub from one applicant, and some court documents on the house they currently reside in. I had a witness present in the office the entire time that he and I discussed the situation and we also have security cameras that are always recording and will show what happened on that day and what was said on that day. We have a very diverse neighborhood and do not discriminate and do not approve or deny applications because of race, ethnicity, religion, sexual preference, etc. We always treat all of our applicants and tenants with respect and we treat them all fairly. The denial of their application has nothing to do with their "last name" as she stated in her complaint. We have minimum credit requirements and those are discussed with every applicant prior to them filling out an application. Our application fees are non-refundable. We do not make a profit from any of the background/credit checks (I have financial records to prove this), we charge the tenant exactly what our credit screening service charges us to process the application.  I have all of the documentation to back up the information I have provided in this response and I will upload it in an email directly to the BBB. Copies of the credit report are available for all of our applicants, just as they were offered to the spouse of the complaining party, but again, he didn't want a copy of them at the time he came to the office. He and I went over every page of the results when he came to the office so he could see for himself what was reported to us, and yes, one of the SSN's did come back to a deceased person in ****** **** (this information is also located on the report that I showed him). We approve/deny applications based on what our credit screening service reports to us and in this situation, the applicants did not meet the minimum requirements. To summarize my response to the complaint, these applicants were not scammed and they were not denied because of their "last name", they simply did not meet the minimum requirements for housing.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/16/2023

  I would like to state that she did call me. She said that I did qualify but I had to many charge offs in my credit. That my husband had not credit and also that ***** ****** had no credit. Never mention that *****’s report came as deceased. She only mention that when my husband went there to pick up the documents. She never showed my husband any documents or showed him any documents or offered any documents. And the information she did get is inaccurate. My husband does have credit, ***** is not dead. And one of my lowest credit score is 580. And her supposed witness was her husband that sat there quietly the whole time. Why should I pay for Poor and inaccurate credit check. The information wrong. And you can tell the hostility just grow her reply by begin her reply ( first of all).I have Hurd by many residents the they increase their rent by 10% every six months. How they are unprofessional and rude and the only way you can get in there is if you know someone. That they have done this to others and that just let it go. I wil not! They gave us false information. And I am not paying for false information. 

  Business Response

  Date: 10/16/2023

  I did show the complaining party's husband the information. I flipped through every page with him (our security camera footage will prove this). I even offered to make a copy for him but he said he didn't need it. He only wanted the documents that he provided to me when he applied. 

  We use the same credit screening service to screen every applicant. So if the information is inaccurate then I feel like that is an issue to take up with them, not us. We only send them the application, we pay the fees, and they process the application based on the information provided by the applicant. 

  The witness that was present was NOT my husband, my husband does not work for this company. The witness that was present was the son of the owner (acting president of the company as of right now). He stood there quietly because I had the situation under control. I was not rude, I answered Mr. ******'s questions in a calm manner, and I explained everything in detail (again the security footage will prove this as well). 

  Any tenant out here will tell you that I speak to all of them in a calm, welcoming tone. I have never raised my voice or even gotten angry with a tenant because I was raised to know that everyone has bad days and even though I can't control anyone's behavior or attitude, I can control the way I respond. So I always treat all of our tenants with respect.

  I am sorry that the applicant was not approved. As she stated, yes her credit score did meet the minimum requirements but because of the amount of charge offs, we were unable to approve their application. 

  We attached the copy of the credit report and the receipt to show what we paid the credit screening service to show that we do not keep any of the application fees. We charge exactly what the screening service charges. We can't refund every application that isn't approved because their credit check/background check is beyond our control. We make our decisions based on the information that is provided to us. 

  Again, I am sorry their application was not approved but we based our decision solely on the information we received from our screening service. If they would like a copy of their credit check, they are welcome to come by the office during regular business hours and I will happily make them a copy. Then they can dispute any of the charge offs, etc with the credit company.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/17/2023

  It is not our responsibility to contact. The persons they use for credit checks. They use them that’s there responsibility. I was their choice to deny us. Because of my charge offs. I do not have any issues with my credit. I just got approved for a house with my credit, with a more reparable place, and I was told that they are only supposed to look at the credit score not at the charge offs. The point of it all is the information they received was inaccurate. And the only document she show my husband was the one of *****’s death, which is inaccurate, how can she still show that to my husband, when she had proof from the social security office of her income. So I encourage them to provide the footage, and hopefully it has a sound. Again the point of it all it was false information and they need to take accountability that the credit check was in accurate and get a refund for the wrong information. Why should it be ours? They are the ones that used their services. And I will continue this until it’s resolved.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/20/2023

  All application fees are nonrefundable. Again, as I stated before, we have no control over what someone's credit report shows. We provide the application to the credit screening service and they process it and provide us with the results. 

  I understand that the complaining party is upset because their application was not approved, but again, we have guidelines that we follow and they didn't meet all of the requirements for housing. We can't refund application fees every time someone is denied. 

  The complaining party has already left a review on ******, that was full of false accusations, so I feel like she has done enough damage to the company's reputation already. We will not be issuing a refund for the application fees.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/20/2023

  I do understand nonrefundable if the information was ACCURATE. They seem to not understand. And I have not made any more damage that they have not done to themselves. I mean look at there ratings 3 stars. I am not upset because I did not get approved. If you read her earlier letters. She said herself that my credit score qualified me. So that makes no sense. I was not approved by them. To my understanding it’s a family business. And they are still defending that the information was accurate despite of us showing the documentation, that the information they received was inaccurate, they just look at my husband like (and). That’s how we felt. Instead of acknowledging it was wrong information and apologizing. I’m not going to pay for a 7oz steak. And you give me a 2oz steak when you told me it was 7oz. So we can go back and forth until the BBB handles it.