Homeowner claims contractor's 'best service' was a scam


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SALT LAKE CITY — A Salt Lake City homeowner looking for someone to trim her backyard trees assumed she was getting the best deal by going with a contractor who offered her the lowest bid. But she knew she'd been scammed after the contractor allegedly took her deposit, never to be heard from again.

Margie Carpenter thought she was doing the right thing by getting several bids before going with the lowest bidder to cut down her trees back in June.

"They're already dead and we're worried about the branches hitting the roof," Carpenter said.

It's not the first time she's had the trees trimmed, but it is the first time she's paid money up front and gotten the short end of the stick.

"He said he'd be back the next day, and he didn't show up," Carpenter said. "Then the next day he said the chipper is broken."

For a few days, it was one excuse after the next — and then nothing.

"I have not seen his face since I gave him the $140 in a check," she said.

The contractor who was supposed to show up is Greg Mathews: big smile, big saw and the name of his business, "The Best Tree Service," is second to none.

The reviews that Carpenter saw on Mathews' website were glowing and claimed the name of the company was well-deserved. But in the last year and a half, other online reviews took a turn for the worse, claiming Mathews was a fraud and warning others to call at their own risk.

The KSL Investigators tried tracking Mathews down to get some answers. We called him but had no luck in getting a hold of him. We checked his business address, which turned out to be a storage unit. Finally, we knocked on his front door but found out we were just a few days too late.

Mathews' neighbor, Marv Hammer, said Mathews was gone.

"He told me he was going back to Florida," Hammer said.

Hammer also told KSL that Mathews spent about a week in jail on a number of charges, including assault and possessing drug paraphernalia.

"He told me he was hooked on heroin," Hammer said.

That information hasn't been confirmed by KSL, but the drug, DUI and assault convictions are documented in the state court system.

That information has left customers like Carpenter more disappointed than anything else. She said she'll just have to chalk it up as an unfortunate learning experience.

"It's like, oh my gosh, now I'm going to be very leery," Carpenter said. "I won't pay anything up front."

The KSL Investigators have received several other emails from people who claim Mathews also scammed them out of hundreds of dollars by taking money up front and then not showing up to do the job, although those claims have not been confirmed.

Mark Steinagel with the Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing offered some tips when deciding on a contractor:

  • Check to make sure they have a business license. You can do this by going to www.dopl.utah.gov/.
  • Get references, written estimates and a written contract.
  • Some contractors do require a deposit, but if they pressure you to give them additional money up front or pay them in full before the job is done, don't do it.
  • Don't let contractors pressure you into making a quick decision. A legitimate contractor should allow you to take time to do your research.
If you believe you're the victim of a scam, it can be very difficult to get your money back. However, you can file a complaint with the Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing at www.dopl.utah.gov/.

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Mike Headrick

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