Door-to-door handyman service receives dozens of complaints

John Berkenpas inspects his home after a worker he hired attempted to clean the gutters. July 8, 2013. (CTV)

Update, Feb. 7, 2017: Since this story aired, Canadian Property Stars has increased its BBB rating to A+

A Maple Ridge couple wants their money back after they claim a door-to-door home handyman service botched a gutter-cleaning job.

John and Val Berkenpas own an extremely tall, 105-year old heritage house. So when a worker at the door-to-door company called Canadian Property Stars wheeled up his mobile cart and offered to clean their gutters, the couple agreed.

"I thought, I always wanted to get my gutters done. I've been doing it myself but I thought, oh, these guys, young guys say they're trying to put themselves through college," said John.

John says it quickly became apparent to him that the workers didn't know what they were doing, aiming the pressure washer at the outside of the gutters.

When John asked what was going on, he was told that the workers had agreed to clean the outside of the gutters, not the inside like John had previously thought.

After a heated argument, the Berkenpas said they paid $175 just to get the workers off their property.

“We just really felt taken advantage of, you know," said Val.

The Better Business Bureau has received over sixty complaints about Canadian Property Stars across Canada and has given the business an “F” rating.

"There were some complaints about the qualifications about the people performing the work," said Simone Lis, vice president of the Better Business Bureau of Mainland B.C.

Aside from problems with gutter cleaning, other consumers have complained that their lawns were aerated without permission and bills were left in the mailbox. The BBB says the company has addressed many of the complaints, but several are still unresolved.

"Before you hire someone check to find out what kind of qualifications someone is going to have to do the work they’re going to do," said Lis.

When it comes to door-to-door sales, the BBB suggests you check the qualifications of the workers before hiring them. It’s also important to insist on a formal contract. Find out if there’s a warranty for the work being done and do not pay for anything you did not consent to. If you do sign up and then regret it, there’s a 10-day cooling off period for door-to-door sales in B.C. – as long as the work has not begun.

The Berkenpas’ filed a formal complaint with the BBB, which then contacted Canadian Property Stars. The company promised to reimburse the Berkenpas the $175 plus tax, but the couple still hasn’t seen the money.

The company told CTV News it has a money back guarantee if a customer isn't happy and insists the cheque is in the mail. It also says one of the workers the Berkenpas dealt with was let go from his job.

***Story update***

The Berkenpas contacted CTV News and say they did receive their cheque for the full reimbursement on July 9th. After watching the story, a Richmond company called Bumblebee Window and Exterior Cleaning contacted the couple and offered to clean their gutters for free.