In my dealings with Southgate Vacuum and Gerry (one of the owners) I have come to the sorry conclusion that both Southgate and Gerry, are one of the most unethical companies and individuals I have ever met.
We purchased a built-in vacuum system for our house at the Home Show in 2019. Southgate did the rough-in, however when it came time for the finishing, although they insisted on being paid in advance, they never performed the work. Despite repeated calls by our contractor and myself, despite assurances and dates and times arranged for his team to complete the work, Southgate did not come to finish the job they had been paid to do. Yes, it was during Covid times, but after numerous broken promises of completing the job and straight up told untruths, so as not to hold up our final occupancy, we paid to have another contractor complete the work and I let Gerry know that we would be doing this. I also let him know that I was not happy, and he promised me that he would reconcile all issues with me to my satisfaction. That he was a “man of integrity”, well known and well respected for his years of service. Having nothing more to go on, I took him at his word.
Once the work was completed, by another contractor, I expected a call but did not receive any follow up. I took it upon myself to call him. Phone calls and text messages were repeatedly ignored. When he finally did take my call, he told me he was a very busy man and then he flat out spoke more untruths to me. He promised me- not once but twice- that he would refund all the money, a sum of ~$1,100.00. This was not something I had asked for, but he insisted. He told me on two occasions he was putting a cheque in the mail, and as you can no doubt guess by now, neither one ever arrived. In our last exchange he told me he could not talk but that I was to call him on Wednesday September 18, 2020 at 5:30.
I called…No Gerry. And now he will not take or answer my calls.
To say this experience has been frustrating is to diminish it. To say I am shocked – no disgusted- by his behavior is to be polite. I wish there were a way I could go over his head but according to Gerry, he is “THE MAN”. He is where the bucks stops, the integrity runs deep, and the work gets done. Through it all I have tried my best to be polite and cordial. I have expressed both my confusion for his actions and my frustration. He might not see it this way, but man I tried. No one likes to throw money away, but this is no longer about money. This is about integrity and I could not, in good conscience, let this go unreported. I urge you, DO NOT DEAL WITH THIS PERSON OR ORGANIZATION. They do not deserve your business! There are other people and companies out there that would be happy to look after you the way that you should be. If I could rate Gerry and Southgate as a -10, I would.
Harry Grimm
- Approximate cost of services:
- $1.00
