The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries is very familiar with Buffy Campbell, Shari Purves-Reiter of L&I said. Purves-Reiter said that if L&I had a "most wanted" list, Campbell would most likely be on it.

"She tells people, it appears, that she's a registered contractor when she is not," Purves-Reiter said. "So, she's at least lying to people. She very well knows that she's breaking the law."

George and Pam Walker hired Campbell late in 2010 to point the inside and outside of their Bainbridge Island home. They didn't know at the time that Campbell's contractor's license had expired in 2007. The couple wrote Campbell a check for $5,526.50 and said they agreed Campbell would begin work a few mornings later.

"When she didn't show up by 2 p.m., I had a cold chill go down my back and up my neck," George Walker said. "I called Bainbridge Island police."

George said Campbell eventually showed up at 4:30 p.m., but by then he had done some internet research where he found blog posts warning about Campbell and her various businesses as well as information on L&I's website showing that Campbell isn't licensed to be a contractor and that she has nearly $20,000 of liens and judgments against her.

George said that based on what he found, he no longer wanted to do businesss with Campbell and told her so.

"I said, 'You know, Buffy, you lied to me,'" George said. "'I thought you were bonded. I thought you were insured. I thought you were all those things that you said you were.'"

Jeff McKay, also of Bainbridge Island, hired Campbell to clean his very large roof, but said, "She didn't get very much done."

McKay said he paid Campbell half of hte $1,600 job upfront, but that she only cleaned a very small portion.

"All she really did was that little section there on top of the office," McKay said, motioning to his roof. "When I called her to try and find out when she was going to come back to finish the job, she never returned my calls."

McKay said he felt lucky to have only paid Campbell $800 instead of the full $1,600.

The Walkers said they are still out more than $5,500.

"That money was our savings," Pam Walker said.

The Walkers and McKay said they had difficulties reaching Campbell to remedy their situations, so they filed complaints with the Washington State Attorney General's office. KIRO 7 brought both cases to the attention of L&I.

"Based on the information I have from you, I'll be assigning it to an investigator today," Purves-Reiter told KIRO 7 recently.

"L&I is going to look into this, based on our story," KIRO 7 Investigator Amy Clancy asked.

"Oh, you bet," Purves-Reiter said.

KIRO 7 wanted to hear Campbell's version of events, so Clancy and KIRO 7 Photographer Brain Doerflinger went to Port Townsend to meet with her. Clancy called Campbell, who answered her phone and asked Clancy to call back at 3:30 p.m. that day. Clancy did and there was no answer, so she left a message. She tried again every 10 minutes and left multiple messages.

Campbell finally called back and agreed to meet with KIRO 7 the next day, but Campbell later called and cancelled that meeting. She then agreed to meet with Clancy and a photographer two days later at a park on Bainbridge Island. At the agreed-upon time, Campbell wasn't there. KIRO 7 Investigators waited a half-hour, then left.

KIRO 7 eventually reached Campbell by phone, at which time Campbell said she didn't finish McKay's roof due to closures of the Hood Canal Bridge. Campbell also admitted to owing the Walkers some of the $5,526.50, minus the hours she had already worked and expenses.

"I was willing to give it back to them and they said, 'No, we're just going to take you to court,'" Campbell said. "And I said OK."

Campbell has still not paid back any of the money.

During a phone interview with Clancy, Campbell blamed her business problems on extenuating circumstances and said she had hundreds of satisfied customers. She said only a few customers were unhappy with her.

According to the state, however, what really matters is that consumers only hire contractors who are licensed, bonded and insured, so consumers have recourse if disputes arise.

Asked if she would do business with Campbell, Purves-Reiter said, "Oh, no. Oh, no."

To find out if a contractor you're considering hiring is licensed and bonded, visit http://www.lni.wa.gov/TradesLicensing/Contractors/HireCon/. You can even check to see if there have been complaints or violations attributed to the contractor, on the site.