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Celebrity-backed home projects leave a trail of unhappy customers
Celebrities including Mike Holmes and former CFL player Graeme Bell make the pitch for renovations and custom home builds done right, but a long list of customers with home build and reno nightmares shows that even though these celebs make the pitch to trust them, there is little accountability when things go wrong.
The celebrity status of Mike Holmes and former CFLer Graeme Bell sells customers on home projects, but clients of two separate companies have since told CBC Marketplace they’ve been left with broken promises instead of new or refurbished homes.
Based out of Vaughan, Ont., AGM Renovations is backed by Holmes, a celebrity TV contractor, who has appeared in TV and radio ads promoting the company. CBC Marketplace spoke to nearly a dozen customers who are unhappy with the results of their renovation projects.
AGM denies any wrongdoing on their part and says they are committed to keeping their clients happy. The Holmes Group says the customers spoken to only represent a small fraction of AGM customers and do not reflect the thousands of successful projects.
Meanwhile, Alair Homes Edmonton is fronted by Bell, a local celebrity, who clients say is the first point of contact in the process of building a custom home. But despite the sales pitch offering high-quality craftsmanship, on budget and on schedule, a group of homeowners have complaints about how the process actually unfolded once they signed with the company.
In a statement, Bell says Alair Homes is dedicated to integrity and he questions the accuracy of the allegations.
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For the full investigation, watch “Exposing The Celebrity Sell: Home Edition” above, or on YouTube or CBC Gem.
Rogers customers disputing price hikes report unequal treatment
Rogers customers trying to dispute price hikes on their monthly bills have told CBC’s Go Public they faced an uneven playing field when attempting to fight the charges.
Sharon Vincent says it’s “disgusting” that Rogers Communications gave some customers a discount when they complained about price hikes to their monthly bills, but others — such as herself — got nothing.
She’s one of hundreds of Rogers customers who’ve written to Go Public, frustrated by monthly price increases to their bills they say were unexpected. Now, some are angry that friends and family who’ve complained to Rogers have had their bills lowered while others have struck out.
“I thought that they should give me a deal … because I had been a loyal customer for so many years,” said Vincent, who was a longtime Shaw customer before the company merged with Rogers in 2023. “But whoever I was speaking to on the other end wasn’t having any part of that.”
Canadians shouldn’t get unequal treatment from a company that’s received over $110 million dollars from the federal government over the past few years, says NDP MP Brian Masse, who’s raised the issue of Rogers’s price hikes on Parliament Hill.
“This is a heavily regulated and also protected industry where privileges have been given to the telcos,” he said, referring to massive subsidies granted to Canada’s major telecom providers by federal and provincial governments. “It’s a protected industry.”
Vincent, from Parksville, B.C., agreed to a two-year contract for TV and internet services with Rogers last August. Shortly after, she saw a $21 monthly increase to rent three TV boxes — $252 a year more than she says she was promised when she locked into the contract.
“I never thought for a second that I would be paying anything different,” she said.
After spending an hour and a half on hold with Rogers customer service, Vincent was told she could accept the increase, cancel her contract (and incur cancellation fees), send back the three TV boxes, or switch her cell phone provider to Rogers to qualify for a better TV deal.
Fuelling Vincent’s frustration is the fact that some Rogers customers have managed to reduce their bills when they’ve called to complain.
“I think it’s terrible,” said Vincent. “Treat all your customers the same way.”
A spokesperson for Rogers declined an interview request. A written statement did not address concerns that some customers disputing price hikes manage to obtain discounts while others don’t, saying the company is “committed to delivering the best service possible” and works with customers “to meet their needs and budget.” Read more
Family sues after Toronto mother, son contract food poisoning, die during Dominican Republic vacation
The family of a Toronto mother and son who died after getting food poisoning during their stay at a Dominican Republic resort are now suing a hotel and travel company, alleging they were negligent in their health and safety protocols and failed to provide timely medical help.
April and Stephen Gougeon and their two young sons, Oliver and Wesley, travelled in December 2023 to the resort for an all-inclusive vacation, says a statement of claim filed this week in Ontario Superior Court.
Just hours after they checked in and ate dinner at the buffet, all four became severely ill, but the family’s initial request for medical assistance in their room was rebuffed, the court document alleges.
The family was eventually taken to a local hospital, where April Gougeon, 41, and eight-year-old Oliver died. A coroner’s report in the Dominican Republic concluded they died from “secondary causes related to food poisoning,” according to the statement of claim.
Stephen Gougeon and their other son Wesley were treated at the hospital for two days before returning to Canada, it says.
“Stephen and April planned this trip. They went through reputable companies, and it never crossed their mind that this would be how their vacation would start,” Meghan Hull Jacquin, the lawyer representing the family, said in a phone interview Tuesday.
“This family was failed on so many fronts.” Read more
What else is going on?
DeepSeek and China’s AI power move
A small Chinese tech company called Deepseek has upended the world of AI.
Starbucks plans to cut 30% of its menu
Coffee giant also adding digital menus to all U.S. stores.
Nearly half of First Nations people off-reserve say rising prices impact ability to meet expenses
Younger Indigenous are people more likely to report impacts than older people.
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