Approved Application Services

I was SCAMMED also they had places to live real reasonable, but after they get your money it’s a different story. All the BULL AND EXCUSES start coming to you. They sent me to a place that said it was a guest house and it turned out to be an apartment house with no vacancy. Tried to get money back same bunch of lies everybody else got. Hope they get sued!!! Just a bunch of RIPOFF PEOPLE.

To everyone who has posted their comments on here, thank you so much! I was in contact with Carlos at this company and supposed to go down to do the paperwork and give them my money but something didn’t seem quite right, so I Googled them. The search brought me to Unilocal and these reviews. Thank you for saving me the time, effort, frustration and money this would have cost me. I am truly grateful to all of you!
Dawn

i won a judgement against him in court and filed a complaint to bureau of real estate, you all need to do the same until charles i. santamaria and his sidekicks are behind bars.

Scam! They have to be shut down and sued don’t trust them read all the reviews I just called them to get my money back and they said they got bought off so now I have to look for the other company

Got scam from this company
Wont give me my $ back till 3 months
Didn’t help at all
Don’t give your $

Aka — Progressive City Home Rentals
S C A M!!!
The stories are all the same as are the results.

avoid this place like its disease infested with AIDS AND CANCER! They take advantage of people and their situations. they list properties that are already managed by other property management companies. Serigo and Alex will be going to hell. Lesson Learned!

Thank God For Unilocal!These people have many listings on Craigslist and make theyre listings very appealable, you would never guess its a Rental Agency! So I called and asked to speak to «Alex», So I asked him about the listing on Craigslist. He interrupted me before I was able to even finish the sentence, Strike one, very upforward told me I had to make an appointment with him and gave me his adress, very rushed by the way like if I was taking up his precious time and sounded annoyed by my phone call, strike 2. When I proceeded to ask him if this was a rental agency, once again, in a demeaning tone, told me yes and yes there is a fee for our help $ 200 let me know if youre still interested before showing up tomorrow and wasting both of our times at this point im thinking this guy must really be having a bad day today! But me being polite I proceeded to tell him «I will thank you Have a great day «And on his end all I heard was «Click» lol, Strike 3. Im out.

Your review helps others learn about great local businesses.
Called to talk to George and said I wanted to go see some houses on Tuesday at 10 but then I realized I had to go to Baldwin Park so I went on Monday to register and get all my information he told me I had to look at the places then call me to set up appointments I went looked at the places that night called him to make appointments for the next day, he said ok call next day and he does work that day which he didn’t tell me so I asked for George George wouldn’t speak to me and he hung up on. See what happens tomorrow when he comes in.

SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM. Went into the office today with my husband & my 2 year old son. We were completely lied to by a guy named George, it was sketchy how he didn’t care about our pay stubs much & how the «credit/​debit» was down & needed to walk across the street to pull out money & pay only in cash. Not sure if we can get the 200 $ back by our bank but damn well gonna try. & plan on opening up a law suit solely against «George Perez». My aunt is a lawyer & I’m pretty sure this guy thinks he got away with another one but he messed with the wrong people. DO NOT GO HERE PEOPLE. They took my husbands hard earned money & in doing so took from our 2 year old little boy as well. STAY AWAY FROM THIS PLACE.

SCAM ALERT!
Before I arrived at Approved Application Services I was told if I didn’t like the service I would receive my full payment of $ 200 back. I went into the office and signed a contract with a guy named Alex and paid the $ 200. After reading over the contract and reading reviews on Unilocal about the company I figured out it was a scam. I went back into the office 20 minutes later to get my money back and was told I had to wait 90 days to get it back by Alex, which I had no problem waiting the 3 months to get it back. In the upcoming days after I had signed the contract I tried to work with the agency so that I could find a place and didn’t have to get my money back, I was told that a couple of the apartments I wanted were already rented out. I then asked to speak to Alex and he transferred me to his «Assistant» Mercedes who sent me a list of properties that were also rented out and weren’t in my price range or even in the city I was looking to move to. I called back and Mercedes explanation was that it’s not her fault that the properties were rented out and she would send me another list on Saturday September 26^th, which is when they get the new listings of properties.
I called her Saturday and she sent me a list via email. The list once again did not provide listings that I told her were in my price range at all or the city I was looking to move to. When I called the office on September 29^th I was transferred once again by Alex who refuses to speak to me (but can take my money) and was transferred to Mercedes again who said she would send another list to me on Wenesday the 30^th even though I told the agency that I needed to be moved out and have a place by October the 1^st which they agreed to find me a place by then. During the initial call the receptionist (or the other guy who wouldn’t give me his name) wouldn’t answer a simple question I had and told me to call back in 15 minutes (then hung up even though I was still talking to him) because everyone was out. There have been numerous times I have called the agency asking to talk to Alex and when he answers he figures out it is me and refuses to talk to me and transfers me to the two other idiots in the office. I have been hung up on, yelled at, and disrespected by these people on so many accounts. All I wanted was my money back. When I called the police in Baldwin Park I was told that numerous people have called the cops on this company for scamming then out of their money, and all I could do was file a complaint in hopes of getting my money back.
When I called the agency again to ask about the process of getting money back and waiting the 3 months, I was told that in order to do that I would come back into the office after already waiting 3 months, and had to fill out another form and wait 10 days for that to get approved just to receive MY MONEY BACK!!! These people are heartless and have no compassion whatsoever!
Please do not contact or give your hard earned money to these people they will only disrespect you and not help you!
November 5^th 2015,
I am currently undergoing the process to get my money back from the company. There have been many other complaints about this company and the more filed complaints online we get the more people will get there money back. Please to whomever has had their money stolen from this company fill out a formal complaint on that website, it will only take 5 minutes out of your day. And there are investigators getting ready to look into this company.
Website to fill out complaint:
Website:
November 12^th: Received my money back from the scared company that thought I wouldn’t go the full length to get it back! Anyone that wants their money back take the steps that I did and you will receive your full $ 200 back!
March 7^th, 2016
The scam company is now being sued. If anyone needs information about the attorney who contacted me please feel free to message me and I will give you her phone number and name. The man who is being subpoenaed is Charles Ivan Santamaria (Guessing he is the owner)

SO! My mother and I (live in separate homes), recently under different circumstances are moving out of our current homes. Both of us have been searching desperately looking for a new home on weekends, days, nights. in our dreams! I kept coming across this phone number on several listings, and after speaking to «Alex» or «Sergio» my 1^st phone call to them (during my lunch hour), and they explained the process to me, afterwards, I said «this is to good to be true, what’s the catch?», they literally hung up on me! I couldn’t believe it, but I called them back and acted like it might have been a disconnection between us… yea okay…
After I spoke with them, I had a terrible gut feeling, I searched them online and BAM! All fellow Unilocalers, took time out of their busy life’s to review this SCAM company. My decision was final I was not going to trust this company, I mean maybe 1 or 2 bad reviews maybe pass, but come on the proof is in the pudding all these people/​consumers cant be wrong.
As I am driving home I call my mom and tell her how on my lunch break I went to check out a house (btw there was actual person there to show me the home, and not just give me an address and send me on my way to see the OUTSIDE OF THE HOUSE; WHICH YOU CAN DO ON GOOGLE MAPS!!)
She proceeds to tell me that she found this company in Baldwin park and how she paid them $ 200, to help her search for a home!!, I knew right away what and who she was talking about and yelled NO!!! :’(Unfortunately my mom had already given them the money CASH, and she is very hopeful that they will help her, I on the other hand am not!
I hope that this George might be last name Perez is going to help her get a home, IF NOT I PROMISE I WILL CONTACT EVERY PERSON ON THESE REVIEWS, gather all information from them including the bs contracts you gave them, report you to the BBB; and will have my attorney uncle look more into this SCAM.
I really don’t know how you guys sleep at night, knowing you take money from unknowing victims. My mother is on a fixed income and those $ 200.00 do not come lightly.
I WILL KEEP EVERYONE POSTED WITHIN THE NEXT 2 WKS, AND YOU BEST BELIEVE WEATHER IT BE THE MOST AWESOME CO. OR JUST LIKE ALL THE REVIEWS AND THE ABSOLUTE WORST, I will review it, with HONESTY!
–Worried daughter

Dejo esto en español para los que no entienden muy bien el inglés. Este negocio es un ENGAÑO. Ellos piden $ 200 en efectivo y prometen encontrarle el apartamento que busca. Le prometen regresar su dinero si no les gusta ningún apartamento y les dan un papel para firmar que claramente dice que su dinero NO se les regresa. LEEN el papel bien.
Cuando les pregunté acerca de lo decía el «contrato» un tal Rogelio aseguraba que si si si se regresa todo.
Mucha gente se a quejado de no recibir sus $ 200 y cuando llaman les cuelgan y nunca regresan la llamada. Los apartamentos que prometen son falsos e incorrectos.
Si ya les paso esto vayan a la oficina de ellos y pidan su dinero en persona. Si no quieren, llamen a la policía en frente de ellos y expliquen que le hicieron un robo.

These people are total scam artists!!! Too bad they’re too stupid to pull off their scams. I could smell their bullshit a mile away. They posted an ad on Craigslist for a rental property. When I called them to find out about scheduling a viewing they couldn’t even tell me what the cross streets were for the unit. They put me on hold about three times before finally giving me cross streets that didn’t match up with what the location was online. I asked if they were property managers and their response was that they were a «rental service company» with no website and they wanted me to come by and pickup the key for the unit. Lol!!! No thanks!!! Bye Felicia!

Approved Application Services is the epitome of a scam. DO NOT GIVE THEM ANY OF YOUR MONEY. They post fake ads on craigslist to lure you in and get you to pay their «deposit» of $ 200 and promise you will have a ton of rental listings to pick from. The only problem is that the listings themselves are not accurate. I was told I could move into a 1 bedroom within a week, so I paid the $ 200 and then I learn that the apartment isn’t anything like the initial ad said it would.
George and Claudia are real peaches over there. George is a shady salesman that says «yes, yes, we can do that.» and Claudia is the one that all the shady salesmen transfer you to once you figured out the con. Good luck talking to someone: they put you on a death hold, keep transferring you, hang up on you, promise to call you back. Nah. Don’t believe it.
Best of luck to all the folks at approved applications who scam honest and hard-​working people left and right. KARMA :)

WoOoW!
I wish I knew their «company name» before handing over my money to them.
Literally just got back from this place and the first red flag (which I should have seen during my visit, but was apparently too naïve) was raised when I called the office back to immediately schedule viewings and was told to call back in 15 minutes. I called back several times thereafter and the line just keeps ringing. I might just drive back if I’m intrigued to give them a piece of my mind and grab my $ 150 (less $ 50 fee) since they technically offered their services by handing over a list of 5 locations that are most likely not even on the market. Incredible!
I will gladly jump on every bandwagon headed towards suing them & giving them a taste of their own medicine.
HEARTLESS & UNETHICAL ON SO MANY LEVELS!

I’m writing a review not only because I was a victim of the fraud, but to have others know.
I lived with my parents until now and I have no support looking for housing, so I relied on Craigslist…
I saw an ad that was perfect, budget wise and location.
I immediately gave them a call and a man named GEORGE asked me to come in.
I came in and my dumb ass signed some papers and gave them my hard earned 200 dollars thinking it was a deposit to hold my place…
Right after I gave them my money and time I saw the Unilocal reviews…
Too little too late…
I called my bank and they gave me my full 200 back…
I will report them to anyone in possibly can
They must be shut down…
Please listen to me and other victims and don’t waste your time…
There are other ways to find apartments and housing…
I have not yet found one… but i am so traumatized and scared of being scammed again. …

Hope it is not too late once read. Don’t allow yourselves to be victimized by this crooked establishment. It begins with a Craigslist Advertisement about a Apt listing. Called number that was posted and was sent to a office in Baldwin Park. You start by doing minimum paperwork, you sign a contract, they hand you a list of homes in the cities desired that you are interested. Of course, that’s with a deposit payment of $ 200. After this, you will not hear back from this establishment. Calling them to find out any information about the place listed that you are interested in, is such a hassle. You feel victimized. With necessity to find a place to live in.
Things to look for when visiting:
*Phones ring at every second*
I guess calling the Police is one way.
What we did was contact our bank. Reported what happened. They began a investigation on fraud. Recently investigation ended, on to Fax the paperwork that was signed with this place.
Soon to find out the outcome of things.

Pinches rateros nomas te roban tu dinero y no buscan nada tengan cuidado no vallan no les den dinero nomas les das dinero y nadie te ayuda in tal rojelio y mercedes

OH MY GOSH! I don’t even know where to begin with this beyond horrible, fake company that tries to steal money and take advantage of people looking for a new home. DO NOT waste your time coming to this office. It’s EXTREMELY unprofessional and you’ll notice all the red flags right from the time you entered — like I did. They are criminals and belong in jail!
I found an apartment ad on craigslist and it seemed perfect — so I went down to the office right away. ELIAS helped me and told me to pay $ 200 and he’ll send me to a «SEVERAL» beautiful apartments right in the areas I wanted. He said to drive by the outside and if I like them he’ll set me up appointments with the on-​site managers (lie). He gave me a contract to sign which states I’m paying them a fee for their «services» so I asked what exactly are their «services». He seemed extremely sketchy, and didn’t know how to answer me properly. To top it off, their phones were ringing like crazy — probably from all the unhappy people they scammed, people trying to sue them, and their future victims of people responding to their fake Craigslist listings.
Anyways, I proceed to get more and more skeptical, so I start asking more and more questions to Elias, who in turn started mumbling and was clearly getting nervous– that was when some larger lady in the back started YELLING his name repeatedly-​at least 5 times. So I told him «oh I think they’re calling you” — so he went to talk to her — as he comes back he tells me «So it seems like you don’t want to sign up for the service so you can just come back since we have a lot of other customers to help» — WTF!!! They wanted to kick me out since they figured out I was on to their fraud game! So I stood there calmly reading, and dissecting their fake contracts and agreements while asking more and more questions. Then the lady in the back started yelling for him at him AGAIN. They definitely wanted me out of that office. So finally, I said ok well, I’ll just come back after I look into their company more. The moment I got in my car I looked them up on Unilocal and sure enough — they’re FRAUD CRIMINALS with no conscience — that will burn in hell !!!
This company (or whatever they’re considered) makes false, misleading, promises to people desperately looking for a new home. They offer beautiful homes, at beyond reasonable prices, with only a $ 500 deposit and they told me they’ll hold it for as long as I want –LIE LIE LIE. If it’s too good to be true — its fraud from shady people with no morals, and absolutely no business ethics. This place needs to be closed for good.

I was scammed and the only way to get your money back is go to the location and call the police. They’ll give you your money back because they’re afraid. CALL THE POLICE!
Please don’t contact me. All you need to do is written above. Thank you and good luck!

I agree completely with the previous post as well as the reviews left under City Homes Rentals.
I visited this company in Baldwin Park after seeing a listing of a beautiful apartment via Craigslist. I was told by this company’s employee, ELIAS, to visit the office before being able to view said apartment. All I got was an address – no name of the company – so when I arrived in a shopping complex, I had to call again to ask what suite I was supposed to look for. The answer I got was, «Oh, we’re right above the dentist».
Luckily, I found the DENTIST, and sure enough, there was a dingy office that seemed quite busy. I was directed to Elias who, without much explaination of what his company’s services were, started drawing up paperwork for me to list criteria regarding my apartment search. Then after he handed my list off to the «professionals» who would be compiling a list of available units, he immediately pulled out a 90 day contract in which they ‘guarantee satisfaction or your money back’. I was reluctant to sign, but I didn’t see it as a problem if I got my money back as promised…
Then he asked for $ 200. They only take cash or debit (hmmm… fishy…). He explained that $ 150 goes into the deposit of the apartment you find through them. They keep $ 50 for their services. Sounded reasonable– that is IF you ever get the service you were promised.
They were «having trouble with their email accounts» so everything is done via phone. How I was supposed to receive a new list every week was left in vague terms.
They gave me 4 properties in Pasadena and 4 in Alhambra. No pictures. Just a short description: «1BR Apartment Home».
I drove by all the units which mostly seemed promising. Called Elias back to schedule an appointment. He said someone would get back to me. I waited the weekend, and on Wednesday (today), I researched this company and affirmed my suspicions. I immediately contacted Chase (I paid via debit), and they are investigating my claim. Hopefully, Chase will nullify the $ 200 charge and Approved Application Services won’t get a penny of it into their pockets.