Frank Gay
 

I review some postings on Nextdoor at times. Came across this recent one from Hawkins. One of my anger points is someone taking advantage of others. ESPECIALLY 'businesses' against elders.

This one deserves more distribution to alert others in TV area. I've heard and read many other stories as this re Frank Gay Services. You may make you own decisions, but be alerted....

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Mark C.
Hawkins
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7 hr ago
·
I'm a 77year old recent widow My daughter was here to help me out the outlet in the floor would only work on the front plug It's been extremely hard on me since I lost my husband
My daughter searched for someone to come out and fix the issue she found Frank Gay who advertised a $39 diagnosis fee They sent Trent out to fix the problem Right away he knew it was just a switch on the wall that needed to be flipped that I did not know about He then proceeded to tell my daughter it was a level 2 diagnosis and would be $357.00 instead of the advertised $39 diagnosis I then got a survey by email and of course gave them a not so good rating I got an email from them asking me to call a number that does not work to see if they could do something to satisfy me and they wanted nothing less than a 5 Star rating Tried several attempts before calling their main number and requesting a service manager to call Mike Tinsley is supposedly their service manager No one will return our calls This guy runs the biggest scam going Frank Gay is set up only to take advantage of people Especially the elderly and widows
Please stay away from these scam artists

Thanks. I don't know Frank Gay and have never used their services. I'll just point out there is a big jump from an outlet on the floor not working to the tech having actual knowledge of that fact "Right Away". In the end it may have turned out to be that, but I think it's a leap for the reviewer to label this business as a Scam based solely on the information they've provided here.

There are probably enough electrical folks around and I have one already with whom I'm comfortable. If I didn't, I would probably avoid Frank Gay based on this, but I'm not certain it's totally fair to them.

Quite a few previous posts about this guy Frank Gay and the "service" he provides. Not complimentary.

I would never use them simply because of their stupid ads on the Radio.

The problem is, he keeps buying up local independent businesses and using his business model of ripping people off.

Sorry, but as I mentioned I have seen MANY posts and reviews indicating bad practices by Frank Gay Services. They are not just a local firm - many locations across Central FL. And many of these bad reviews indicate the very same practices. Low-ball to get into the house, then slam with outrageous charges. Some information I've seen re them is that the techs are incented to overbill and receive bonuses or a % of the bill. There had been quite a few posts in the past on TOTV about them. I simply wanted to alert others to be aware.You may have thought that Frank Gay is a local individual - NOPE! a large firm. Do your homework...

A long read, but I copy/paste the entries on Mark C.'s Nextdoor post. Just to show our TOTV folks their overbilling practices are typical of this firm. Awful. Be informed and aware!

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Mark C.
Hawkins
·
8 hr ago
·
I'm a 77year old recent widow My daughter was here to help me out the outlet in the floor would only work on the front plug It's been extremely hard on me since I lost my husband
My daughter searched for someone to come out and fix the issue she found Frank Gay who advertised a $39 diagnosis fee They sent Trent out to fix the problem Right away he knew it was just a switch on the wall that needed to be flipped that I did not know about He then proceeded to tell my daughter it was a level 2 diagnosis and would be $357.00 instead of the advertised $39 diagnosis I then got a survey by email and of course gave them a not so good rating I got an email from them asking me to call a number that does not work to see if they could do something to satisfy me and they wanted nothing less than a 5 Star rating Tried several attempts before calling their main number and requesting a service manager to call Mike Tinsley is supposedly their service manager No one will return our calls This guy runs the biggest scam going Frank Gay is set up only to take advantage of people Especially the elderly and widows
Please stay away from these scam artists
... see more
25

Cindy French
7h
·
The Village of St. Johns
sorry this happened to you. i have heard that about that company.
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Carlos Rodriguez
7h
·
Leesburg West
I also am sorry to hear this happened to you it really burns me up when l hear of the elderly being taken advantage of if in the future you need any work performed or in someway l can be of assistance please don’t hesitate to call or text me l do handyman work as well as soft wash and a variety of light maintenance jobs let me know whatever l can help you with
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2

Yvonne Glover
6h
·
Legacy of Leesburg
I have heard so many bad reports about Frank Gay Company that we have stayed away from them as I believe they are shiestas!
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6
Leesa Swan
2h
·
Dunedin East
NEVER EVER USE FRANK GAY! Nothing but bad news, neighbor they wanted $1k+ for a total home rewire she said no. Called Lenhart I believe and problem was fixed for under a $100 and they now have a lifelong customer.
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8
Karen Grasso
15m
·
Allaire Loopers
Leesa
we use Lenhart as well
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Michael McCollam
1h
·
The Villages
Thanks for sharing that. I've heard nothing but BAD things about Frank Gay. The problem you experienced didn't even involve any work! No way should it have been any more than the $39 diagnosis fee. Good luck as you go on.
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6
Stephen K.
1h
·
Village of Richmond
File a compliant with Seniors vs Crime

Seniors vs Crime in The Villages

Seniors Vs Crime
·
7
501 State Road 44
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10
Marge Lewis
45m
·
The Village of Marsh Bend
Stephen
, they also have an office in Brownwood next to the ticket office
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alden lee
1h
·
Highland Lakes
I had almost the same problem but I managed to talk to a great customer service woman and got my money back.....
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Joseph P.
1h
·
Citrus Grove
How does the owner of this company live with himself?
Nothing but bad stories about them.
Special place in Hell for Mr Gay.
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5

Gary Augustine
1h
·
Hillsborough Pioneers
They advertise on wvlg
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Jim Drake
1h
·
Village of Winifred
You were ripped off. What does a recent widow matter in this situation. Frank gay warning have been posted here many times.
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Barry Rogers
1h
·
Village of Fenney
Sorry to hear what you have been through. So many bad posts, stories, and comments about Frank Gay. So many dissatisfied customers!
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2
Martin Lopez
1h
·
Soaring Eagle North
CROOKED & DISGUSTING
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Serg L.
53m
·
Village of DeLuna
Report them to the BBB.
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1

Stanley Cohen
47m
·
Reading Rd
You learned the hard way. He is a scam artist and has many claims against him. Report it to Seniors vs. Crime.
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Marge Lewis
47m
·
The Village of Marsh Bend
Senior vs Crimes who works with the Attorney General's office has a ton of complaints against them. Call them & add your complaint to the list!
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Denise S.
44m
·
Perdido Villas
How did you pay them. If it were by credit card I would file a complaint with the credit card company. I believe it was fraud and before he did anything more than diagnose the problem he should have given you the amount. Definitely complain to Sr vs crime.
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1

Donna Steffey
42m
·
The Village of St. Johns
I’m sorry to hear you had that experience. We just had Frank Gay out yesterday. Josh, our service person, was friendly and professional and took care of our electrical problem in the least expensive way possible.
I would continue to try and communicate with them.
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David Byrnes
41m
·
Osceola Hills North
That’s horrible! Scam against all us older people ! Attorney General should look into this scammer!
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linda Pleim
30m
·
The Village of Monarch Grove
I’ve heard about this no good company over and over again. Always go by recommendations. Just ask online. You will get good people.
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Pat Gerrity
18m
·
The Village of Marsh Bend
They do have a horrible reputation. Thanks for the information. Will definitely stay away
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Christine Maldonado
15m · Edited
·
Plantation At Leesburg
Frank Gay services are horrendous. Write a horrible Google review as I did. I can guarantee someone will contact you and demand your money back other than the $39 diagnostic fee.

Frank Gay Services
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135
320 U.S. 441
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Jeff Tongue
9m · Edited
·
Village of Winifred
This is terrible ! It's too often that seniors get taken advantage of. Please ask friends and neighbors for assistance/help. There's a lot of "smarts" and talent in that Villages that would be happy to help/give advice.
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Rochelle Schwartz
4m
·
Pine Ridge
I’m so sorry to hear what you went through. Taking such advantage. Grateful you shared so we know who NOT TO CALL!!!!!
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None of this should be news. His dishonorable practices have been discussed in many threads here. If people actually used the search function, they'd know to never depend on Frank Gay or Groome.

Why report the company to Seniors vs Crime? If they don't know this company by now, they never will. Why haven't they done something? Senior vs Crime should have their state funding removed. Apparently, they are not doing their job.

Because they are a good resource to check before you hire someone.

No, I won't be doing any homework. I'm going to read the post, reply based on its contents and then read future posts you make. Then I can modify how I feel about the content.

This complaint in particular, by itself doesn't mean much, but in the context of your "Many" and the other posts, it means more.

No homework needed.

I would point out that they are suppose to do more than to just keep records. They work for the Attorney General and they are suppose to assist law enforcement to prosecute illegal activity.

They had a file about 12 inches thick on a landscaper who was allowed to operate in The Villages for almost 10 years without being prosecuted.

There is a special place in hell for these rip-off specialists

Stay away from this Company
 

They ripped me off and charged an enormous price for just a clogged AC drain pipe. Took the gut less that 10 min to use a shop vac to suction it....NEVER AGAIN

I had a good experience with them. The guy came out to fix my toilet. I had him look at my garbage disposal which had just gotten stuck.( he didn’t charge me for that) He checked it and said it was stuck and I’d need a new one. He told me the price they charge and the exact model vs how easy it is to install, so i hired a handyman for much less. I’m glad he was honest and didn’t try to sell me one then and there.

Yep, Frank Gay bought Kiley & Sons Plumbing Co a few years ago. Pretty sure they didn’t change the phone number so when you thought you were calling your trusted plumber you dealt with before you got FRANK!

Any electrician that has worked in the villages KNOWS certain outlets are tied to a wall switch. If that wasn’t the first thing he checked it was his first day as an electrician.

Yep, The Villages radio station getting paid by Frank Gay Services to run their ads . They are helping this scam artist by broadcasting this garbage.

Key word is they are getting paid to advertise, not to say they are good or bad. Sure do hate their commercials, over and over.

Frank Gay took advantage of our elderly neighbor when he had a plumbing problem.

I believe in fairness, and I understand your desire to consider both sides. However, I only recall reading ONE positive review of the Frank Gay company, while reading perhaps fifty negative reviews. This sort of thing seems to be standard practice for the company.

Frank Gay is a big Orlando and Tampa company that bought ought Wiley and Son’s in Lady Lake a few years ago. Frank Gay partnered with a private equity firm called Apex six years ago this week and follows its directions on how to fleece customers, maximizing profits. Private Equity means rich people who put their money into companies unlisted on the stock exchange that they think can invest it and make more profit than they would make in the stock market. They also buy retirement centers and nursing homes and jack up prices so they can make a bigger profit, etc.

Plumbing companies aren’t cheap these days. The people who own the companies have to pay their employees quite a bit, but they have to pay for their offices, billing trucks, and all that. The good ones, at least, are honest about it. One thing worth keeping in mind is that one can save a bundle by have several things done at once. The HVAC company I use comes in from New Port Richey, almost three hours round trip, and they charge almost as much for a fifteen minute job as for an hour job because of that.

In The Villages, a number of outlets are wired to a wall switch, and sometimes people don’t know which one. Knowing that, the writer could have plugged in a lamp and tried various switches until the lamp turned on.

Frank Gay
 

Stay as far away as possible from Frank Gay. Won’t elaborate but my experience was not good.

Senior ripoffs
 

Taking advantage of senior citizens is a separate and distinct crime which can be prosecuted in and of itself. When I first met my present wife she had been raked over the coals by CarTime. I sent them a letter threatening to sue for cheating a senior and they immediately relented.

You need to take this directly to the Attorney General's office. Also, make sure to post it on the BBB. Good luck!

I had a similar experience, not as quoted by the prior entity that Frank Gay purchased. When I complained and warned folks about the deception, the Service Manager threatened me with legal action. However since I was being factual so there. Another BAIT AND SWITCH game. Called for the price to install a faucet after waiting 2 weeks for the appointment, the plumber arrives and says there is an extra cost to change the values as they will not work with the push/pull, considering EVERY house is built with push/pull that should have been disclosed. Then the plumber stole the original faucet which I was going to move elsewhere. Slimey was, slimey is.

Red dot
 

As a rule, an outlet that is switched.. The switch and outlet both have a RED DOT...

It may be time for a class action lawsuit to protect seniors from his predatory practices.

We have no use for Frank Gay. They charged us $840 to change the wax seal on a toilet,a 20 min job. Just a scam!

Oh it’s fair many other posts about how Frank Gay overcharges. No one should ever use them and never recommend them to anyone. Do your research and you will come to the same conclusion.

I think we should have a list of companies to warn Villages to stay away from; Frank Gay, The Villages Plumber etc come to mind. Companies who don’t mind fleecing an elderly population.

I have not seen any posts praising Frank Gay. Actually, there have been many posts against them. I would never use them.

Many electricians would have seen the problem, flicked the switch and said call us if you need any electrical work done and tell your neighbors about us. As a good will gesture. No charge.

We were ripped off by Frank Gay. They replaced the tub faucet and it didn’t pass inspection when we went to sell less than one year later - it was as coming away from the wall. They came out and told us we broke it. Nope it was in a shower that no one used. They wanted to charge us over $300 to replace the tub spout part but would wait for us to buy the part and then install it. We threw them out.

Got a handyman to do it for $100 including the part.

Do not use Frank Gay!!

I think their technicians must work on a commission basis. That's why they upsell and overcharge. How long will it take for our local government to shut them down or at least fine the hell out of them? Spread the word to all of your neighbors and friends not to use them.

So to make sure I understand you. It was just you did not know to turn on the wall switch to activate the outlet? That's highway robbery and elder abuse. I will report them to the Better Business Bureau and I would rip them on the Villages Facebook.

Frank Gay bought out Mike Scott and can use his name. There is thousands of water Heaters with Mike Scott as the installer. Do not use Mike Scott, it’s Frank Gay and you can expect a large bill for his work.!

Noooo!! Not Mike Scott! The rest of my thoughts are unprintable…

Again, I believe we should compile a list of trustworthy individuals, companies we have experienced and post this list - any one who puts on the list The Villages Plumber or Frank Gay and the other names the company works under, and other gauging groups, gets disqualified to post because they are not being sincere.

Frank Gay bought out Kiley and Sons. I hope he didn't buy out Mike Scott. Will someone please confirm that he did not also buy out Mike Scott Plumbing!!!

I had a water filter installed by the previous owner. It developed a leak. This is when I found out that the business had been sold. Had Frank Gay's band of thieves fix it to the tune of $300+. I then tried to buy replacement cartridges so I could swap them out at a later date. Sure , the robber said....that'll be $230 for a pair. The filter took two cartridges. I owned an RV at the time that used the same size filter. I had replaced those in the RV yearly, but never paid $115 for a filter. Went home and found the filter cartridges on Amazon as expected. Bought two sets for a bit over $32.

I will NEVER use those people again.

Boy, that would be scary as hell.

Dam, are you sure about that? I was planning on calling Mike Scott to schedule a hot water heater replacement this winter. There is no friggin way I will call them if they are now part of the Frank Gay rip off machine.