Top Stories Memphis

• James Gregory Echols facing bad check charges
• Two Memphis women say Echols took money from them, but did no work
• Echol’s company given “F” rating by Better Business Bureau

Scott.Noll@wreg.com


(Memphis 12/15/2009) He’s accused of taking their money, but never doing a thing to fix their furnaces.

Tonight, WREG On Your Side Investigators have learned another woman claims she’s the victim of the disappearing repairman

The story in the Better Business Bureau complaint may sound familiar.

A Memphis woman pays James Greg Echols money, up front, to fix a furnace.

Once Echols gets the money, the victims says he was gone.

From his alleged victims, to the BBB, no one has been able to find the disappearing repairman.

But this morning we did as he was led into court.

Investigators say the 50 year old wrote more than $3,000 in bad checks to a heating supply company, then skipped out on a court appearance to answer the charges last May.

News that Echols is off the street is a relief to Lillian Foster.

“If they can get him, get him,” said Foster. “So he won’t do to nobody else like he did me.”

Foster says she paid Echols $1400 for a new furnace in January, 2008.

For almost two years, the 71 year old lived with no heat, after Echols did nothing.

On Friday, the owner of B&W Air saw Foster’s and donated and installed a new furnace.

“I wanted heat for Christmas and i’ve got it, thanks to Channel 3,” said Foster.

The Better Business Bureau gives Echols’ company, Weathertron Inc., a failing grade after not responding to a complaint from another customer.

She says Echols no-showed after she paid him $650 for a new furnace three months after Foster’s case.

“We do hear about contractors who take your money and don’t do a very good job sometimes,” explained Nancy Crawford with the Better Business Bureau of the Mid South. “But for them to out and out do nothing is a little unusual.”

“It hurts my heart to see somebody else out there in the same situation I was in,” said Foster after learning of the complaint.

While Foster says her new furnace has helped restore her trust in people, she has a wish for Echols

It’s not that he faces more criminal charges.

Instead, she just wants what’s her.

“I just want him to acknowledge what he did and if he can, pay a little back at a time,” said Foster. “I’ll be grateful.”

Tuesday afternoon, Foster got a phone call from someone claiming to be Echols.

He explained he was in jail, but that he would try to get Foster some of her money in the next few weeks.