No no no: Huffington Post Super Wrong About Collection Agency Story

The main thing to keep in mind when reading this terrible and terribly reported news story is: Blackmon Mooring is NOT a collection agency.

At all.

Even a little.

It’s a “cleaning and restoration services” company that folks call when something devastating and messy has happened to their home. “When disasters strike, Blackmon Mooring is there to help you get life back on track with a full range of disaster recovery services that include fire damage restoration, water damage restoration and mold remediation.”

In fact, Blackmon Mooring even helpfull lists its services:

• carpet cleaning
• water damage restoration & extraction
• fire damage restoration & smoke removal
• construction services
• air duct cleaning
• mold removal & remediation
• furniture, upholstery & drapery cleaning
• tile and grout cleaning & sealing
• additonal services*

[* Those "additional services"? Still not collection agency services.]

So, why are we even talking about Blackmon Mooring and this story? Well, it’s all Harry Bradford’s fault. He posted a piece on the Huffington Post titled “Mara Kafarela, Texas Homeowner, Sues Blackmon Mooring For Taking Possessions As Her Home Burned.”

Mara Kafarela’s house burned down. Kafarela alleges that a collection agent from Blackmon Mooring coerced her into signing a contract — while her house was burning — that handed over Kafarela’s possessions to Blackmon Mooring.

In the story, and in the court report, it’s Kafarela who refers to Blackmon Mooring as a collection agency.

However! Here’s the money shot from Harry Bradford’s own piece in the Huffington Post:

“However, when contacted by The Huffington Post, Blackmon Moorings’ legal department said it does not offer debt collection services, and is primarily a fire damage repair company.” [emphasis added, because come on]

The very next paragraph written by Bradford goes like this:

“Still, if true, the episode would fit neatly alongside other recent instances of invasive debt collector behavior.”

What?

What Bradford has essentially done is this: ignored the truth in the story to continue supposing with the more attractive lie. It’s a better story for his angle if Blackmon Mooring is a collection agency — which it isn’t — rather than a clean-up service — which it is.

It would be like saying, “John Doe didn’t kill the victim. But if he had, it would just be like something John Doe would do, isn’t it?”

Ugh.

So: you guys know what to do, right? Get your Respectful Commenting Fingers ready and head over to that awful Huffington Post post and educate the writer and readers about what a collection agency is, and isn’t.