This Picasso is the very picture of fraud
Last week, the BBB sent an alert to all members and the media about an advertising pitch that has delivered little. Funny things can happen when we send these alerts out to BBB members, and this was no exception.
Chipman Moving and Storage read the alert about Picasso Holdings and the directory ads they were selling. Soon after, a Picasso sales rep showed up in Chipman’s office. It probably wasn’t quite what the rep expected when someone from Chipman handed her a copy of the alert. Talk about overcoming sales objections.
Since our member alert went out, we have seen Picasso’s web increase and entangle more businesspeople.
The original BBB alert included these facts:
“Picasso Holdings, LLC, doing business as Picasso Publishing, is located at 1106 W. Bolan in Spokane and is owned by Frank Pasco.
“The BBB has received a pattern of complaints that businesses in the region have paid $395 and up for advertising directories and haven’t received a product.
“One business, Twin Lakes Village Golf in Rathdrum, entered into an agreement with Picasso for directories, along with 14 other businesses. When they pressed Pasco for a completion date, he hung up on them.
“On May 22, the BBB contacted Pasco to discuss, and hopefully resolve, the complaints, and we were promptly hung up on. The next day, Pasco called back and agreed to address complaints in his file at that time, including unanswered complaints from last year. The BBB gave him the deadline of May 26 to respond.
“As of May 30, the BBB had not gotten a response from Pasco. We contacted him and left a message that we would issue an alert regarding his activities. Pasco called back, stating that he had no unresolved complaints, that the complaints we sent were not valid, and that customers’ issues had been resolved.
We found out recently about a couple more problems with Picasso. It sounds like the company secures an “anchor” for its directories, and then tries to sell ads to that anchor company’s vendors. Twin Lakes Village was one such anchor. Other names Picasso has been tossing around with no authority to do so are Wendle Automotive, Tomlinson-Black and Windermere Real Estate. Remember, these so-called anchor businesses know nothing about how their name is being used.
We contacted a company that has printed directories for Picasso in the past and the news continues to get worse. There are no directories in progress, as Picasso Holdings is past due on invoices for the last two directories. Apparently, a check is being promised soon.
The woman representing Picasso who called on Chipman Moving and Storage was asked to contact the BBB, but we hadn’t heard from her as of June 20th. Keep in mind, employee representatives are often innocent victims. Case in point, Picasso’s representative told Action Mortgage that she was in the process of buying 80 percent of Picasso Holdings from Pasco in a franchise-like agreement. But after speaking with the printer, we wonder what she could possibly be buying.
In the last six months we have seen more and more of this kind of problem. Why? Because it works.
When you pay for unknown or unproven advertising up front, you take a huge risk. Do your homework, and if the rep tosses around names of restaurants, well-known companies or large hotels, make a call or two before you hand over a check.
And of course, call us. We saw Picasso Holdings having problems last year and could have saved Twin Lakes Village, and all the others who purchased ads, a lot of grief.
If you have paid Picasso Holdings and haven’t received a product, file a complaint with the BBB and file a police report with the Spokane Police Department’s Crime Reporting Center at: (509)532-9266. When you pay for something and it isn’t delivered, it qualifies as fraud.