Beware of this company!!

EIA - Excellence In Adjusting

John Brandes - EIA Public Adjuster

Summary:  We had soot damage caused by our heater.  A chimney sweep recommended that we use John Brandes to try and pursue a claim with our homeowners insurance.  We contacted John Brandes to help facilitate the claim.  John came and visited twice to assess the damages and to sign the contract. After that John Brandes became un-reachable for over 2 months.  I called my insurance company and they also stated that they couldn't reach John Brandes for follow-up and decided to close the case and settle on the original submission.  John Brandes was supposed to have estimates taken to clean the soot from the house and submit to insurance.  Finally after I stopped by his house he returned my call.  We still haven't received a payment.  The initial call to John Brandes was over 3 months ago.  And again it appears that he is unreachable.

Claim and Call Log:
4-12-05 5:19pm Called John Brandes about our soot problem as recommended by our chimney sweep technician.

4-13-05 11:00am Called John Brandes at 215-862-2900.

4-14-05 2:53pm Called John Brandes at 215-862-2900.

4-14-05 Gave copy of homeowners insurance policy to John Brandes to review for Soot damage coverage.

4-19-05 12:25pm John Brandes called me from 215-862-2900.

4-20-05 4:08pm John Brandes called me from 215-862-2900.

4/26/05  Insurance adjuster and John Brandes came to the house to make an assessment.  Before John left he said he would call a couple of cleaning companies to come evaluate the cost to clean the house to add to the assessment.

Back in April of 2005 we discovered soot appearing in our house.  We found that the heater was in need of repair so we called the heater repairman.  The repairman fixed the heater but would not allow us to turn it on because the chimney was full of soot and posed a fire hazard.  We called a chimney sweep and he examined the chimney and recommended a new liner in the chimney.  The house is around 50 years old so we agreed with his assessment.  While he was replacing the liner he suggested that the damage may be covered by homeowners insurance.  He also recommended  having a public adjuster help with the claim.  I agreed to try the person he recommended, it was John Brandes.  John Brandes took my call and agreed to come visit the house.  John Brandes inspected the house and all the items with soot appearing.  He said we have a claim and he would help.  We agreed to take his help.  He came back about a week later and said he wanted a cleaning company to come and assess the house to see how much it would cost to clean.  We agreed and John Brandes had us sign a contract for his services.  We did sign the contract and John Brandes advised us that we had a specified time period to change our mind on the contract.  We let the time period expire because it seemed John Brandes was working on the claim.  I tried to call John Brandes several times after the signing of the contract but could not get him despite repeated voicemails left for him. 

5-20-05 8:51pm Called John Brandes at 215-862-2900.  Left message but did not receive a return call.  Still no word from a cleaning company to give and estimate to clean the house as promised by John.

5-27-05 2:04pm Called John Brandes at 215-862-2900.  Left message but did not receive a return call.

6-11-05 5:12pm Called John Brandes at 215-862-2900.  Left message but did not receive a return call.

6-17-05 12:22pm Called John Brandes at 215-862-2900.  Left message but did not receive a return call.

6-17-05 12:24pm Called John Brandes at 215-862-2900.  Left message but did not receive a return call.

6-21-05 3:19pm Called John Brandes at 215-862-2900.  Left message but did not receive a return call.

6-23-05 5:09pm Called John Brandes at 215-778-4441 (the emergency number).  Left message but did not receive a return call.

6-23-05 5:10pm Called John Brandes at 215-862-2900.  Left message but did not receive a return call.

6-24-05 9:04am Called John Brandes at 215-862-2900.  Left message but did not receive a return call.

6-24-05 9:05am Called John Brandes at 215-778-4441 (the emergency number).  Left message but did not receive a return call.

6-24-05 9:11am Called John Brandes at 215-862-2900.  Left message but did not receive a return call.

6-28-05 3:25pm Called John Brandes at 215-862-2900.  Left message but did not receive a return call.

6-28-05 3:26pm Called John Brandes at 215-778-4441 (the emergency number).  Left message but did not receive a return call.

6-28-05 3:35pm Called Insurance Co to find out a status since John Brandes would not return a single call after the contract was signed.

6-28-05 3:44pm Spoke with my insurance adjuster.  The insurance adjuster cannot contact John Brandes either and the claim is not progressing.

6-28-05 4:26pm Called John Brandes at 215-862-2900 to let him know that I spoke with the insurance adjuster and they couldn't reach him either.

6-29-05 7:39am Called John Brandes at 215-778-4441 (the emergency number).

6-29-05  After 2 months of trying to reach John Brandes, I decided to pay him a visit to one of the 2 addresses on his card.  I chose the closer address in Penndel PA.  I arrived at the address and was a little surprised to find an old warehouse building with Innovative Restorations on the sign. 

I knocked on the door but no one answered.  I drove around to the back and tried knocking on the back door and no one answered again.   I asked a neighbor in the next warehouse over and he said that they didn't know the name of the tenant in the place next door.   So I gave up trying to contact John Brandes and decided to call my homeowners insurance company.  I was able to get the adjuster from my insurance company with no problems.  I asked him what was going on with the claim and he said the insurance company decided to settle based on the initial pictures John Brandes sent over.  I asked him if they could contact John Brandes for me because I can't get him.  The insurance company said they were having the same problem.  They could not contact John Brandes either.  I asked the insurance company what the settlement amount was so I would know what to expect and he didn't know because he was out of the office.  I thanked the insurance adjuster for the info.

7-7-05  I decided to visit the other address on the business card.  I arrived in New Hope to find it was his home.  His wife greeted me at the door and explained that he wasn't home.  She asked if I had a message and I asked her to let him know I stopped by and will be back unless he gives me a call.

7-8-05 2:32pm  John Brandes called me from 215-778-4441.  Stopping by the house may have gotten him to return my call.  My cell phone rang at 2:32pm and it was Mr. John Brandes.  After I picked myself off the floor I answered the phone.  He explained that he was sick in May and missed all of June.  Not sure what it means exactly.  He would have some answers for us in the middle of next week (July 13th is Wednesday of next week).  Stay tuned...

7-19-05 1:46pm  Called John Brandes at 215-862-2900.  Its been a week and a half and still no update from John Brandes.  Either way the middle of next week came and went since the last update.  I called 215-862-2900 and pressed 2 to leave a message for John Brandes.  I will put an update in if he gets back to me.

7-25-05 2:23pm  Called John Brandes at 215-862-2900.

7-25-05 2:23pm  Called John Brandes at 215-778-4441.  I still haven't heard from John Brandes since 7-8-05.  17 days since he promised to call me in a week and a half.

7-26-05 8:57am  Called John Brandes at 215-778-4441.

7-29-05  The insurance company called and spoke to my wife.  They have decided to re-assess the house because they cannot get John Brandes to call them back.  The process will start over at this point.  The insurance company is sending an adjuster out next week to see the house.  I decided to try to reach John Brandes again tomorrow.  I intend to leave messages on each number I have for John Brandes.

7-30-05 10:39am  Called John Brandes at 215-778-4441.  Left a message for John Brandes on the emergency number.

7-30-05 10:40am  Called John Brandes at 215-862-2900.  Left a message for John Brandes on the office number.

7-30-05 10:41am  Called John Brandes at 215-862-2900.  Left a message for the company general mailbox.

7-30-05 10:42am  Called John Brandes at 215-862-2900.  Left a message for John Brandes.

7-30-05 10:44am  Called John Brandes at 215-862-2900.  Left a message for associate 1

7-30-05 10:46am  Called John Brandes at 215-862-2900.  Left a message for associate 2

7-30-05 10:49am  Called John Brandes at 215-862-2900.  Phone answered by John Brandes' wife.  I say "May I speak to John Brandis", she responds "You have the wrong number".  I hang up in shock.

7-30-05 10:50am  Called John Brandes at 215-862-2900.  Clicked redial on the phone and this time the wife didn't pick up and I got voicemail again.

7-30-05 10:50am  Called John Brandes at 215-862-2900.   Left a message for John Brandes again letting him know that his wife tells people they have the wrong number when she answers the phone by mistake.

7-30-05 11:15am  John Brandes called me from 215-778-4441 but would not say anything when I answered the phone.

7-30-05 11:16am  John Brandes called me from 215-778-4441 but would not say anything when I answered the phone.

8-2-05 1:45pm  The insurance adjuster came and finished the re-assessment.  He also stated that the LAST claim that he worked on with John Brandes was the same way, unable to contact him after the contract was signed.  No surprise there.

8-2-05 2:30pm  Called John Brandes at 215-778-4441.  Left a message for John Brandes.  The message asked John to send us a written notification to remove himself from the contract.

Below is a copy of the contract I had to sign to take on the the previously described services I received:

Business Card Info:

EIA Public Adjusters
Excellence In Adjusting
Licensed & Bonded in PA & NJ
John N. Brandes
Licensed & NFIP Certified

Two Towpath Way, New Hope, PA 18938
44-2 Centre Street, Penndel, PA 19047

(215) 862-2900
(215) 702-8900
Fax: (215)862-0661

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