Gillece Services did not let customers cancel contracts, misled with advertising, AG’s office says

The Pennsylvania Attorney General has filed injunctions against a Pittsburgh-based contractor, claiming they misled customers with their advertising.

Attorney General Michelle Henry said Gillence Services and its owner, Tom Gillece Sr., were in violation of the Pennsylvania Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act and the Pennsylvania Consumer Protection Law.

The lawsuit against the company was originally filed in Sept. 2020. The investigation began after the attorney general’s Bureau of Consumer Protection said that Gillece was failing to make a good faith effort to unclog consumer’s sewer pipes with a snake before recommending expensive excavation work.

The attorney general’s office said Gillece Services has:

• Refused to honor customers’ requests to cancel their home improvement contracts
• Penalized consumers who cancel contracts;
• Failed to disclose and misrepresented the right to cancel
• Utilized advertising materials that make false or misleading statements regarding the qualifications of Gillece’s technicians, including that these technicians were “certified,” “licensed,” and “background-checked;”
• Utilized advertising materials that fail to clearly and conspicuously disclose material terms and restrictions on Gillece’s advertising offers of the “Clog Crusher” and “Same Day or You Don’t Pay;” and,
• Misrepresented to consumers that Gillece was prohibited by law from providing itemized invoices to consumers or charging by parts and labor and misrepresenting that Gillece was required by law to use flat-rate pricing.

The court is demanding that Gillece allow customers to revoke their contracts within three business days, provide refunds to people who cancel, and clearly and conspicuously disclose in its advertising. Gielece is also prohibited to misrepresent that customers’ deposits are not refundable and provide itemized invoices that charge by parts of labor. Gillece must now use flat-rate pricing.

“We are pleased with the Court’s findings and injunctive order regarding Gillece’s deceptive and unlawful treatment of consumers,” Attorney General Henry said. “We have more work to do in this suit, but the Court’s recent order offers immediate relief and protection to consumers.”

The lawsuit will continue to examine civil penalties.

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