TRUTH IN ADVERTISING

I was dropping off some paperwork at a local Realtors office the other day and happened to glance at the sea of home inspector brochures stacked on the table. I picked up a few from the companies I didn’t recognize.

I was amazed on just how dishonest some of these guys are, and how they misrepresent themselves. Some may be just a minor exaggeration, like someone might do on a resume, padding the experience a bit. But many are just flat out untrue.

I have been an inspector in Knoxville since I moved here in 1994. Each year, I tear out the Home Inspector page out of the phone book, and compare with the new book. I see who is new, and who has gone out of business. Since Tennessee became a licensed State, it is very easy to see IF someone is a licensed Home Inspector, and WHEN they got their license. All you have to do is visit the State web site, and you can look anyone up.

Here are some of the things I found:

·      One guy claims to have been a home inspector since 1996, yet he has only been licensed since 2007, and he wasn’t in the phone book prior to 2008 edition.

·      One claims to be an officer in an organization that does not appear to exist.

·      Several claim membership in ASHI (American Society of Home Inspectors), yet do not show up in a member search at the ASHI web site, not do they give their membership number.

·      A few are not licensed by the State even though they say they are licensed, insured and bonded. A valid Home Inspectors license is required in TN to do home inspections.

·      Some are franchise owners that have just crazy claims such as “. …you’ll be provided with the actual cash value of the home….”.

·      Some include photos of their kids.

·      One has a photo of a good-looking family, and I assumed it was his, but then I saw the same photo on another brochure.

Then the spelling and grammar issues:

·      Grating instead of grading.

·      Easy to red inspection reports.

·      The word “Inspections” is misspelled in many.

I just have to wonder where these guys ethics are, especially the ones that don’t even have a State license. I guess that ethics and honestly are not in their toolbox.