Picture

Compass Group USA Heists Consumers Through Contractual Interference
Sandra Jenkins reporting from Washington DC
June 27, 2011

Compass Group USA, a contracted food service provider renowned for allegedly ripping off the general public has become the object of extreme hatred and public animosity.

A case in point, Mike Klenda of Southern Polytechnic State University reports that he was charged over one thousand dollars for a food service plan that was canceled and never used at his local college. However, when the student reported the unauthorized charge to the company, Compass Group replied with a false statement of fact, asserting that they did not provide services to Southern Polytechnic State University where the student was ripped off. Relentlessly the student continued making contact with the company and was given the runaround for nearly one and half years before Compass Group USA came out with the truth in March of 2011.

In a recorded conversation, Jamie Ballew, operating manager at the Southern Polytechnic branch of Compass Group's satellite locations was confronted by the disgruntled student directly on November 15, 2010. During the recorded narration, the manager, Jamie Ballew, was caught in a direct lie when he tried to deceive the student about where the funds went. The manager contended that he heard "something about how the company admitted funds on an unauthorized charge," and that the student's $1,200 went to the state. But when the student replied, stating that the funds, in turn, were remitted back to Compass Group USA, Jamie Ballew stated that he "had to buy food."

A closer look behind the scam reveals that Jamie Ballew was informed by a school administrator on April 30, 2010 and again in August of 2010 that the company accepted $1,200 for services not rendered. However, the manager intentionally dismissed the notification, hoping that the student would give up on getting back the stolen money. The contract warranting the charges specifically states that the meal plan can be canceled at any time by “letting the business office know.”

Electing the meal plan with Compass Group was performed by contract through the college with the opportunity to cancel at any time. The student canceled the contract after a case of disorderly conduct of an employee in Fall of 2009, which was poorly addressed by the location manager, Jamie Ballew. Still the student was charged for the proceeding semester (Spring of 2010) in which the meal plan was never used.

As such, Compass Group USA committed what is known as a tort of wrongful interference with a contractual relationship. And the student has a legal standing against both Compass Group USA and the school for not rescinding charges on a contract that could be canceled at any time.

The student has since taken the case to court on numerous occasions: First against the wrong entity Southern Polytechnic State University Foundation and again, in the wrong jurisdiction, as the company did not have a registered agent in the jurisdiction in which the student was ripped off.

Mike Klenda, the disgruntled student reports, “They were hoping that nothing would happen as a result (which I imagine would be the situation with many students) but that isn't the case here. As a good citizen it is my duty to hold unprofessional personnel and businesses accountable for their actions, because doing so not only protects my rights, but the rights of others in this community. Will follow up again after filing suit (for the third time) in Cobb County ın which their registered agent is located."

Compass Group USA has since attempted to sue the student for reporting the case to the general public using their registered trademarks to identify the company as the object of criticism. Compass Group last attempted to sue Godaddy for holding a domain on which the registered trademarks were displayed along to illustrate the student's complaint.

The heisted student has since spent nearly $20,000 dollars in terms of time and money pursuing the case. More on this story in developing news.
Picture
Picture
Images identifying Compass group and the supporting division, Chartwells, as the object of criticism and entities responsible for the tort of wrongful interference with a contractual relationship.