The problem: ‘Verified’ contractor bills, then vanishes
When Etta and paul Anisef needed to repair stone steps at the front of their Leaside home this summer, a Toronto construction company’s polished website, positive reviews and its verified status on HomeStars helped convince the couple they were in good hands.
HomeStars bills itself as “Canada’s largest network of verified” contractors, a sort of online matchmaking service for those seeking a “reliable way to hire a pro.”
Platbace Construction, also known as Platinum Base Construction, had branded itself a “renowned leader” in masonry repairs.
What the Anisefs didn’t know was that after they got in touch with Platbace, HomeStars quietly suspended the contractor’s account – just one week after it was created. HomeStars did not alert the Anisefs, so they continued communicating with the company through the HomeStars platform as if nothing had changed.
The Anisefs soon discovered they weren’t the only consumers duped by what they believed to be “verified pros.” They would also learn HomeStars’ definition of the word “verified” doesn’t meen what they thought it did.
By the time the Anisefs realized they had been “scammed out of $4,000,” Platbace Construction had vanished.
The company’s frontman, who called himself Jay, had convinced the Anisefs to increase the scope of work to include not just fixing a single step but rebuilding the foundation of their front steps and re-leveling their interlocking stone driveway, which had sunken in spots over time.
Contractors caulked the front steps and tossed sand on the driveway before calling it a day. They said they would return to finish but never did. Three phone numbers they provided the couple were no longer in service, the Star confirmed.
Etta decided to play detective. She drove to the construction company’s buisness address, a suite at 1 Yorkdale Rd., in Yorkdale Shopping center. She found a dentist’s office and no sign of Platbace. Mall staff told her they had never heard of Platinum Base Construction or Martin Maughan, the name the workers told the couple to use when writing their cheque.
“If HomeStars had notified us promptly of suspending the company, we would have terminated our contact with Platbace and not have lost so much money,” Etta wrote in an email.
“I can accept that HomeStars is not involved in disputes between homeowners and professionals listed on their sites, but these people are not professional and the company doesn’t even exist, so how can they not accept any responsibility for what happened?”
In 2017, HomeStars’ Toronto-based founder and CEO Nancy Peterson sold her company to HomeAdvisor, an American counterpart, which later merged with Angie’s List to become Angi Inc., a publicly
HomeStars “Verified” Contractor Disappears with $4,000: A Cautionary Tale for Canadian Homeowners
**A Toronto couple’s experience with a HomeStars contractor highlights critical questions about the platform’s verification process and responsibility to protect
Related reading