Aaxis Commercial Services is a maintenance provider that works with retail chain stores like Dots. When a store needs service, they call their maintenance provider, in this case Aaxis, then Aaxis contacts local handymen and contractors to do the work. The store pays them, and then they are supposed to pay you. I am a local commercial maintenance handyman. I've been in business many years, and have never had any quality, timliness, or professionalism issues of any kind.
I was first contacted by Aaxis in October 2010. They wanted a job done. Over a decade in this business has taught me to carefully check out any new maintenance company. These companies come and go like the wind, and Ive been burned before. Often this type of company pops up, gets a bunch of accounts, does a bunch of work all over the country, gets paid by the stores, but then never pays any of the vendors (handymen) and claims bankruptcy or just disappears. As I do with every new company, I ask for the name of the owner, actual address (not P.O. Box) years in business, terms, etc. So I checked them out. They were brand new, no website, no yellow pages ad, a temporary fax number, it was being run out of a house, and their Service Partner Agreement had their own company name misspelled. (AMS instead of ACS on one part) Seemed like amateur hour to me. But every company has to start somewhere. But then I googled the names of the two owners, Barbara Trudeau and Patricia DiMascio. I found a very interesting court case involving Patricia DiMascio. She used to work for National Glass and Gate, another maintenance company that I am unfortunately familiar with. Because of non-payment THAT company is on my never again list. Anyway, while working at NG&G, Patricia also began working for a competing maintenance company at the same time. According to the court case, it appeared that Patricia took a laptop computer with company vendor information and gave it to the other company. In a later conversation with Patricia, she said that she was never convicted of anything. I dont know. The court case is lengthy. I breezed through it again, and couldnt really tell. I dont understand all the legal stuff, it just didnt look good to me, and the court did say that Finding that DiMascios Supplemental Affidavit clearly contradicts her earlier deposition testimony. You can read it yourself: http://www.courts.ri.gov/superior/pdf/01-3522.pdf
Anyway, at that time, I decided not to work for them, and faxed them a letter recapping the above as my reasons. Fast forward to 3-21-2011. They called me again with a job they needed done. I remembered them, but as I had a very rare slow day, and I was headed very near the location anyway, I accepted it. I completed the job, the store was happy, and I faxed in the paperwork. Their written payment terms are net 30.
On 4-12-2011 they sent me another work order. A small job very near where I live, so I accepted it. Again, the store was happy, and I faxed in my paperwork.
Well, it got to be the end of April, and payment for the first job was overdue. I left several polite messages, none of which was returned. Nothing irritates a hard working person more, than when a company that is behind on payment refuses to return phone calls. So on May 4, 2011 I sent them a very direct fax. I told them that they are overdue, and that ignoring phone messages doesnt cut it. I also warned them about scam Report. I told them that I do not lie, but I would illustrate the truth. The next day Barbara called me. She was polite, as was I. She said I dont see any invoices that are due for payment. I gave her the information, and after some mumbling, she said Ok, I see that. I also gave her the information on the second one, which I said was not quite due. She said they didnt show that as received, and it was in call for invoice status. I gave her the date and time I originally faxed it, as my fax machine prints out a fax confirmation report for every fax, which I keep and attach. I told her that I would fax it again. She said she would send out the check for the first invoice that day. I asked her, that since this invoice was overdue, if she would overnight it. She agreed, she did, and I got my check the next day.
About a week later, I got a call from Patricia. She was upset about my earlier collection letter suggesting that I might put her court case and current company on scam Report, as I characterized her companys refusal to return phone messages to vendors with whom they are overdue, and the details of the court case as something that would seem to indicate a pattern of intentional questionable business practices. She kept stating over and over that she was never convicted of anything. That may be true. I told her that I do not lie, I simply present the truth, and people can make of it what they will. I told her that I have one more payment due to me, and that if I get it on time, Ill consider the matter closed, and wont bother spending the hours its currently taking me to type all this.
Sure enough, even allowing a week for the mail, I never got the second check, which was due May 12. On May 18, I sent Aaxis another fax. I told them that they were again behind on payment. Five minutes later, it was returned with this written on it: John, we print checks on Fridays. Your check for $95 - check# 3130 was printed on Friday May 13th. If you do not want to do business with us, I will remove you as a vendor. However, I can assure you we pay all vendors in a timely manner and have one of the best terms of any company in the business, Feel free to check our references. Barbara Trudeau
Well, needless to say, it doesnt really matter to me what day a company prints checks. Im more interested when they mail them. Today is May 21, and I have still not been paid. As for paying all vendors in a timely manner, I guess Im not included there. And as for checking references? They never offered any, and they dont have a website, or even email that I'm aware of.
So that's my experience with this company. Make of it what you will. If I ever get paid, I will update this report to reflect it. |
