$15,000 dry clean bill stuns Garner woman

COVERAGE YOU CAN COUNT ON.

>>> MORE THAN $15,000 FOR A DRY

CLEANING BILL.

>> $15,000.

>> 5 ON YOUR SIDE'S MONICA

LALBERTE SHOWS US A GARNER

WOMAN GOT THIS BILL AS PART OF

A FALL OUT FROM A HOUSE FIRE.

SHE WANTS TO WARN ALL OF US.

A BOLT OF LIGHTNING DESTROYED

YOLANDA SINCLAIR'S HOME IN

JUNE.

MONTHS LATER, CREWS ARE

REBUILDING.

>> IT'S COMING ALONG.

>> BUT SINCLAIR IS STILL

BATTLING THE COMPANY THAT

CLEANED EVERYTHING FROM T-

SHIRTS TO TOWELS.

IN THE CHAOS AFTER THE FIRE,

SHE SHE SAYS HER INSURANCE

AGENT CONTACTED CRDN, CERTIFIED

RESTORATION DRY CLEANING

NETWORK.

A DIVISION OF BROTHERS

CLEANERS.

REPRESENTATIVES ARRIVED A

COUPLE OF DAYS AFTER TO REMOVE

HER THINGS.

WITHOUT FULLY UNDERSTANDING

THEIR CONTRACT, SINCLAIR SIGNED

IT.

>> IN MY MIND, I WAS THINKING

IT WAS GOING TO BE ABOUT 3 TO

$4000, REALLY AND TRULY.

>> AFTER ALL, IT WAS JUST HER

IN THE TWO BEDROOM HOME.

SINCLAIR EXPECTED AN ESTIMATE,

NOT THE BILL HER INSURANCE

COMPANY GOT, FOR $15,720.

>> THEY COULD HAVE GAVE ME FIVE

OR SIX, AND I COULD HAVE BOUGHT

EVERYTHING IN MY HOUSE.

>> BRAND NEW.

>> THE CRDM CONTRACT DOES NOT

MENTION PROVIDING AN ESTIMATE.

BUT STATE FARM ACCEPTABILITY

THE COMPANY THIS E -- SENT THE

COMPANY THIS E-MAIL SAYING

QUOTE WE PREVIOUSLY REQUESTED

ALL POLICY HOLDERS RECEIVE AN

ESTIMATE.

>> IS THAT ONE OF THE THINGS

YOU WOULD LOOK AT AND SAY,

WE'RE GOING TO THROW THIS OUT.

>> INSTEAD CRDN CHARGED MORE

THAN $12,000 TO CLEAN THE 9-

YEAR-OLD FLIP-FLOPS, $40 FOR AN

OLD CAP AND GOWN.

$18 EACH FOR SHOWER CURTAINS

AND 46 TOTE BAGS, INCLUDING

REUSABLE GROCERY BAGS, CLEANED

AT $12 EACH.

>> IF THEY HAD SENT ME AN

ESTIMATE PRIOR TO DOING THE

WORK, I WOULD HAVE TOLD THEM

NOT TO CLEAN ANYTHING.

>> WE ASKED CRDM, WHY AN

ESTIMATE WASN'T PROVIDED AND

WHETHER THEY CONSIDER THE COST

EFFECTIVENESS OF CLEANING

VERSUS REPLACING.

OWNER BOB HILKER PROVIDED A

STATEMENT SAYING THEY'RE A

RESTORATION COMPANY, NOT

INSURANCE CLAIM CONSULTANTS.

>> I DON'T SEE THINGS CLEANED

MOST OF THE TIME.

>> Reporter: ALTHOUGH HE WAS

NOT INVOLVED IN SINCLAIR'S

CASE, STATE FARM POINTED US TO

AGENT CHAD RICHARDS.

WE ASKED HIM ABOUT CLEANING

ITEMS OF LITTLE VALUE.

>> 100% SEEMS LIKE A WASTE OF

MONEY.

>> Reporter: RICHARD'S DEVICE,

WHEN HIT WITH A DISASTER, STEP

BACK.

>> YOU HAVE TIME.

YOU HAVE TIME ON YOUR PLATE.

THERE IS NO REASON HE SHOULD

EVER HAVE TO FEEL RUSHED.

>> IT HAS FELT VERY

OVERWHELMING, THE WHOLE

PROCESS.

>> Reporter: SINCLAIR WISHES

SHE HAD NOT RUSHED THOUGH STATE

FARM GAVE HER A CHECK TO COVER

THE $15,000 CLEANING COST.

>> A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD SAY

YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY IS

PAYING FOR ITST WHAT'S THE BIG

DEAL.

>> ALTHOUGH THE INSURANCE

COMPANY IS PAYING FOR IT,

THAT'S NOT RIGHT.

YOU KNOW, I HAVE TO STANDBY

WHAT IS RIGHT.

AND I HAVE TO STANDBY WHAT IS

RIGHT.

>> SHE TOLD SINCLAIR THE

DISPUTE IS BETWEEN THEM.

THE INSURERRER DECIDED TO

INVESTIGATE THE CLAIM.

WE'LL KEEP YOU POSTED ON THAT.

SO FAR, SINCLAIR.

WE HAVE THE ENTIRE INVOICE FROM

THE CLEANERS.

WITH OUR STORY ON WRAL.COM.

>> AND SHE'S REALLY DONE A

GREAT SERVICE SAYING SHE WANTED

TO.

>> ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE IN

THAT SITUATION, AS HARD AS IT

THAT SITUATION, AS HARD AS IT

IS, SO EMOTIONAL AND BRING A

FRIEND AND FAMILY MEMBER,