Guatemala 2006:
Great Moments in Nickel and Diming
“God money I’ll do anything for you
God money just tell me what you want me to…
God money’s not looking for the cure
God money’s not concerned about the sick amongst the pure
God money let’s go dancing on the backs of the bruised…
Head like a hole
Black like your soul…”
–Trent Reznor
No doubt Guatemala is currently Building Blocks Adoption Service, Inc’s premier program. Grudgingly, we offer our kudos to Denise Hubbard and Richard J. Marco, Jr. for connecting with Rudy Rivera in 1999 to in establishing their Guatemalan program long before Amrex tanked. Now that Amrex is out of the picture, (unless they signed on with JAIN Adopt), Guatemala is ALL Denise and Rick have left.
This is not to say that this premier adoption program is run with anything close to practical precision. It isn’t. Odd dubious fees have appeared, backed by an ass-covering contract and hackneyed excuses uttered by Frau Direktor. All helping to enhance Denise and Rick’s personal piggy bank.
Before we delve in to the Wonderful World of Further Gouging Clients by BBAS, we want to address an important which applies to Building Blocks Guatemalan program. That is the issue of Post Placement Reports (PPRs).
Several former Building Blocks Guatemalan clients have emailed us in the past two years. They are happy with their children, all of whom are healthy and happy. These clients could not be more thrilled with their current lives. Yet, they are less than thrilled with Building Blocks Adoption Service, Inc. post adoption.
When a client signs up for a Guatemalan adoption, they are also required to sign and notarize BBAS Post Placement Guideline. This two-page document lists post placement guidelines and timelines. Bulgaria, Haiti, Russia/Kazakhstan and Guatemala are listed.
PPRs are extremely important for both domestic and certain international adoption programs. BBAS is correctly follows state and some countries’ laws regarding PPRs.
It is very important that the Postplacement arrive at Building Blocks office 3 weeks prior to the Postplacement due date in order for us to forward the foreign government for translation in a timely manner. All post placements must arrive certified mail with return receipt. Note that timelines of postplacement may change at the request of the foreign entity.
BBAS required Guatemalan PPRs at 6 months, one year, two years and three years. They only needed to be notarized.
The charge is $200 for each child per each Post Placement visit. (This is not to be confused with the pre-paid $2,000 Amrex Post Placement fee for four visits). At least BBAS wasn’t requiring their Guatemalan clients pre-pay a full post placement fee of $800.
But there’s a problem here. An enormous problem.
THE REPUBLIC OF GUATEMALA DOES NOT REQUIRE POST PLACEMENT REPORTS.
This bears repeating. There is no Guatemalan law concerning Post Placement Reports.
We were made aware of this fact by a few outraged BBAS Ohio Guatemalan clients. Guatemalan clients usually receive an email from BBAS “Post Adoption Coordinator”. As of Feb. 2006 it’s now Jennifer Whitney notifying them their first PPR is due. That’s fine if you’re a Russia or Kazakhstan client. It’s not fine when you’re a Guatemalan client who wants nothing more to do with BBAS now that your child is home safely. It’s not fine when Guatemala does not require PPRs – and you’re a BBAS client having to spend more money on something that is not required by the foreign government. Does the lying and over charging ever end?
There isn’t even an Ohio law regarding post placement reports for Guatemala.
Several brave Ohio clients called Denise on it. One demanded the Guatemalan law in writing. Since no such laws exists, BBAS could never provide it. Those clients did not complete their PPR reports. Yet, the agency persisted in threatening the Ohio clients to get the first PPR completed. And the second PPR. Needless to say, PPRs were never completed. As a result, BBAS lost out on at least $800 from those families.
No legal action was taken against the clients for not completing their PPRs. They state they only received reminders from Building Blocks. One went as far as a round with Richard J. Marco, Jr. which led nowhere. They felt that if there was no law regarding PPRs for Guatemala, why would they bother spending the money? Obviously, other clients felt the same way.
It’s not only the money. Some felt so burned by Denise and her lies, they did not want to let Building Blocks have any photos of their children. Once the child was home, the child was theirs. Therefore, Denise Hubbard had no rights to them.
Future BBAS Guatemalan clients, be leary. As of this time, GUATEMALA DOES NOT REQUIRE POST PLACEMENT REPORTS!
Besides requiring needless Guatemalan PPRs at $200 a visit when the child is home, the price gouging began as soon as they signed Building Blocks Adoption Services Adoption Services Agreement (“the contract”). The new contract is all inclusive for every country program. We have included it here:
We’d like to point out where the contract begins to add up. Much of the language is like the following: “all fees paid to Building Blocks and its foreign source are forfeited and no refunds of any nature shall be paid or due…no refunds will be given.”
Section 4.02 lists the fees paid to Building Blocks by the client. The first is BBAS $225 Application fee. The second is BBAS Program fee of $3,700. The Program fee is NONREFUNDABLE. The last is BBAS Dossier Fee of $850. The Dossier Fee is NONREFUNDABLE.
The other fees one pays for an adoption with BBAS are bulked together under the “Foreign Source” fees. Confusing, no?
Section 4.05 threatens if the Adoptive Parent(s) do not make timely payment on any fees, the contract is breached and services will be terminated. The gouge slowly begins with “All returned checks shall be subjected to an additional charge of $30.00 and all unpaid fees and/or additional expenses billed and unpaid for more than 30 days shall be charged an annual interest rate of 10% plus a $5.00 per month administrative charge.” Geez! A 10% interest rate – that’s far more than the Federal Reserve’s prime interest rate. Extra added bonus for Rick & Denise.
Say you are not happy with BBAS services and want your money back. Guess what future client: you’ve signed the contract with this clause:
5.04 The Adoptive Parent(s) agree and acknowledge that there shall be a limitation of recovery in any action against Building Blocks or its employees, agents, servants or foreign representatives. The Adoptive Parent(s) shall be entitled to recover only to the extent of the fees paid to Building Blocks as established in paragraph 4.02 B. hereof.
The BBAS Program fee of $3,700 is NONREFUNDABLE. The $850 Dossier fee is NONREFUNDABLE. You know what you’re entitled to get back, according to the contract? $225, the Application Fee. Yup. $225. Not even enough for notarizing and authentication your dossier.
The only exceptions to refunds we are aware of is when a client threatens to go nuclear (i.e. contact their own attorney, go on the Internet –Internet clause be damned – or contact the ODJFS and/or the Akron BBB). Then Richard J. Marco, Jr. drafts a clever confidentiality agreement for them to sign. The amounts vary when a client signs the confidentiality agreement. Remember, they are worded in such a way as to keep them silent into perpetuity.
Each country Program has its own “Fee Addendum”. The “Fee Addendum” needs to be signed and notarized by the clients.
On top of the application fee, the BBAS program fee and the dossier fee, there are the service fees, as listed in the Guatemalan Fee Addendum.
For Ohio clients only: $1,000 Home Study Fee “In the event that Building Blocks prepares the home study, there will be a fee subject to a separate contract referencing a $1,000 charge.”
The Guatemalan Program Fee is $21,500 per child. $10,000 is due upon the referral’s acceptance. $11,500 is due upon “receipt of completion of the adoption through the approval of PGN.” This fee is NON REFUNDABLE.
Other Guatemalan required fees are for DNA, medical and miscellaneous fees. If the child becomes ill, sorry! The Adoptive Parent(s) are going to shovel more money over. They will be “required to reimburse, through Building Blocks, the Guatemalan representative for any ill care medical costs incurred by that child subsequent to the acceptance of the referral. Standard well baby/child medical care is already included in the Program fee.”
Remember BBAS’s last Guatemalan contract. It stated
The nature of the Guatemalan adoption process requires that THE ADOPTIVE PARENT(S) pay for foster care for the identified child. The Foreign Source fee above referenced covers the first four months of care. Each additional month must be paid in advance by THE ADOPTIVE PARENT(S) at a cost of $450.00 per month.
Lest Denise and Rick let the family off if their adoption takes more than six months AFTER the referral (at least now it’s six months instead of four months), the same $450/month foster care fee is there:
The six months commences with the acceptance of the referral. Each additional month of part thereof shall be paid in advance at a cost of $450 per month. In all referrals, upon the completion of the adoption through Embassy approval, if your child remains in Guatemala and in foster care, foster care must be paid at the same rate of $450 for each month or partial month.
In BLOCK TYPE one finds the following paragraph, graphically reminding new clients:
IN NO EVENT WILL ANY OF THE FEES BE RETURNED IF THE ADOPTIVE PARENT(S) TERMINATE THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH BUILDING BLOCKS. AT A POINT OF TERMINATION, SUBSEQUENT TO THE ACCEPTANCE OF A REFFERAL, ALL FEES ESTABLISHED HEREIN SHALL BECOME IMMEDIATELY DUE AND PAYABLE.
Since BBAS now accepts credit cards on top of bouncing personal checks, here’s another way they’re gouging clients. “Building Blocks incurs a charge of 2.44% of each credit card transaction. Families paying by credit card will be billed for that additional charge.”
Your money, it’s a hit! Just don’t let BBAS give you that do-goody-good bullshit! They’ve made the high-fidelity first class traveling set – now they need a Learjet!
They’re never done creating new ways to ease their hands into captive clients’ checkbooks. Not by a long shot.
In an email Update from January 2006, obviously written by Denise, another gouging scheme comes to light. Under a heading titled “Payment” is following:
When paying fees, it is important to write your name on the check and outline what the check is being sent towards. If you’re sending fees over $4,000, the fees need to be paid in the form of a cashier’s check. All fees are due per your contract.
A cashier’s check? Why? Were clients bouncing that many checks – or were the attorneys in Guatemala demanding near-cash payments from BBAS? Did it make it easier for BBAS to deposit the check in their own bank and then write a check to the Guatemalan attorneys, minus BBAS take? Don’t forget “per your contract” that Commitment fee is “due immediately.” Spend that extra $$$ for that cashier’s check! BBAS needs to get rolling on their skimming.
Clients are further admonished to spend more money in getting the cashier’s check and other payments to BBAS:
When sending fees in the form of a money order (large amounts) or in the form of a cashier’s check, we strongly advise you to send these fees via UPS/FEDEX USPS Express where your package can be tracked. If your fee does not arrive in our office, you will still need to pay the fee and obtain a new check to send.
Yes, we know important documents and fees should be sent by trackable express mailing services. Sure we do. Yet…how much more money does a client have to spend on an already costly adoption? (Have you ever noticed, by the way, how often Denise essentially treats her clients as idiots like this, even when she has to have good reason to know they’re not? Think about it ... it’s a subtle yet effective way of discouraging them from asking questions they probably feel they should be, by getting them to question their own judgement)
Wait! There’s even more. The January 2006 BBAS client update also has the following. Perhaps it was written in light of some of the Guatemalan problems brewing. However, other agencies don’t pull this on their clients – why is BBAS and its Guatemalan contacts doing it? What are they trying to cover up? Or is this a Denise Hubbard-only special?
STARTING February 1, 2006
All families wishing to visit more than one time, excluding pick up, will be charged a service fee of $500 to cover staff time and expenses for extra visits. It is typical for families to visit the child once prior to picking up their child. Any visits beyond these two trips will be subject to these additional expenses. All visits scheduled after 2-1-06 are subject to this travel service fee. Prior to your visit, you will be required to send a $500 money order, payable to Building Blocks Adoption Service in order for your trip to be arranged in country.
Why on earth is a family being charged an extra $500 to visit their baby for a second time? Aren’t the initial fees enough to cover “staff time and expenses” for another visit? And why is Building Blocks getting the $500? Shouldn’t the “staff” in Guatemala be getting the $500 directly since they are the ones arranging the trip in Guatemala and visits with the baby?
Indeed, where is that extra $500 really going? Into whose bank account?
The price gouging scheme goes even further for Guatemalan clients only! We could not believe it ourselves, but, even more money can be mined from the unsuspecting and hopeful.
Building Blocks’ Adoption March 2006 email Update has a blatant one.
If you chose to accept a referral prior to your completed dossier being received and ready to send overseas, you may be subject to a $450 a month foster care fee that will need to be paid for each partial or full month until you get your dossier and power of attorney submitted overseas. So please only accept referrals if you know you’re going to truly be ready to submit your paperwork immediately. Once the attorney receives the entire dossier, plus the power of attorney, the foster care being covered for six months as stated in the contract will begin.
What a horrible thing to do. Let’s see. Clients just up and receive a baby’s referral out of nowhere. They magically receive the referral from the Ethernet and chose BBAS to process the baby’s referral.
BBAS receives referrals from their “reps” in Guatemala. Why is Building Blocks giving these referrals to families who are NOT PAPER READY? What purpose does it serve, once again, to give a referral of a baby to a family who is not paper-ready? What kind of horrid sales pitch is this? “Here’s a waiting child. But you’re not paper-ready. Okay, you can still accept the baby, but it’s going to cost you $450/month in foster care. Even if you signed our non-refundable contract.”
Always dangling waiting babies in front of her hopeful, anticipating clients. Always moving souls for the greedy in Guatemala and Medina Ohio. Remember it’s all about moving children:
We are getting referrals in and need paper ready families. If we do not refer the children, the attorneys will not provide more referrals until all are placed. So please let us know ASAP when you feel you will be ready for a referral so we can try to have no wait time for a referral or minimize the wait time significantly.
Translated from Hubbard-speak, this is what Denise is really saying: “If we don’t place those procured infants ASAP with one of our clients, we lose out on deposits to our private piggy bank. We don’t really care about the infants – remember, our attorneys work with several other agencies. The infants can be placed with those agencies. But if those nasty competitors make a buck, we loose two!”
One more picayune way for BBAS to gouge clients was copying fees. Under the head of “Dossiers” from the March 2006 Email update, is the following:
If you elect to have our office make your copies, the cost will be .25 cents a page for each copy. If a dossier comes in without copies, we will copy the dossier – unless you state otherwise and then we will return the dossier for copies. If we make copies, you will be billed. If we send the dossier back, you will be billed for courier services.
Even we sat slack-jawed reading that. They charge you to mail the dossier back if you didn’t make copies of it. And if you want them to make copies – MO’ MONEY, MO’ MONEY, MO’ MONEY. At 25 cents a copy, you’re looking at more money orders sent to BBAS.