Better Business Bureau warns about local painting company

Michelle Dosch’s Edgewood home is freshly painted, but not by the company she paid $876 back in January, JP’s Painting Company of Puyallup.

“I provided a 20 percent deposit and was supposed to be first in line for painting in April,” Dosch told KIRO 7 on Tuesday.  “April came and went, as did May, and I had not heard back from him and could not make contact.”

The owner of JP’s Painting, according to his Facebook page and the website for the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, is Eric Aravena.

Dosch said, when she was unable to contact Aravena, she filed complaints against him with the Washington State Attorney General’s Office, L&I and the Better Business Bureau, which has six unresolved complaints against JP’s Painting.

Aravena “collected deposits, didn’t show up to do the work, did shoddy work, did damage to property,” BBB Vice President David Quinlan said when asked about the business and the nature of the six complaints.

“He was difficult to get a hold of, didn’t issue refunds, so we tried to reach out to him multiple times” without success, according to Quinlan.

Dosch said she too tried to get in touch with Aravena to either reschedule the job or get her money back, without success.

"No response to emails and no response to phone calls,” Dosch said.

In addition to the six complaints and an “F” rating with the BBB, KIRO 7 has learned that Aravena’s license has been suspended by L&I.

A $9650 claim against his bond has been filed by a Bonney Lake couple claiming breach of contract. Follow this link to see additional notes from the BBB.

Dosch also filed for breach of contract and received a summary judgment in Pierce County Superior Court last week – a process she said cost her $1200 more than the $876 she paid JP’s Painting.

So far, she has received no refund.

"Even if I don’t recover, if I can prevent this from happening to someone else, I feel l like I’ve done something worthwhile,” Dosch said.

Aravena declined to be interviewed by KIRO 7 on camera Tuesday. He admitted his business failed, and said weather prevented him from painting Dosch’s house in April. He claims Dosch will get her $876 back from his bond company.

Aravena claims he is no longer painting houses, but on Tuesday his voicemail recording identified him as “Eric from JP’s Painting.”

Cox Media Group