Companies to pay for double-billings

Three national companies have agreed to pay $20,000 to the state of Washington for legal costs involved in unraveling consumer problems caused by a fugitive Spokane businessman.

In documents filed this week in Spokane County Superior Court, the three firms – ADT Security Services, Leasecomm Corp., and Protect America, Inc. – agreed to pay $6,666 each to the state Attorney General’s office.

The AG’s office investigated about 200 complaints from Spokane and Eastern Washington consumers who were double-billed by the firms in 2003 and 2004.

According to Assistant Attorney General Jack Zurlini, the consumers originally signed home-alarm and monitoring equipment contracts with William Roberts, who formerly operated through a Spokane firm, Priority One Security Inc.

Those customers who purchased home alarms also signed a $35 monthly finance agreement that was set up through Roberts with Leasecomm, a Massachusetts company that provides consumer financing.

In late 2002, Leasecomm canceled its agreement with Roberts.

After that, Roberts went to his Priority One customers and convinced them to transfer their home-security accounts to either ADT Security Services, based in Florida, or Protect America Inc., based in Texas, Zurlini said.

Despite Roberts’ alleged claims that customers would get one bill, the 200 residents found themselves still billed by Leasecomm while also being forced to pay either ADT or Protect America, Zurlini said.

Eventually the double billings ended. By that point, however, Roberts had fled Washington state, in part because of criminal charges filed against him by Spokane police in connection with an alleged identity theft, Zurlini said.

The recent court agreement also said the three companies agreed to compensate consumers for any financial harm caused by Roberts and Priority One.

The whereabouts of Roberts is still unknown, according to Zurlini.