After finding Steve Arnold of Avalon Home Services on Service Magic.com, we interviewed him for a bathroom remodel job. I was really impressed by his business procedures and his integrity. Well, what I thought was integrity. I once thought thieves came into your house when you were not there to rob you. Now I know you can actually pay them to do that. We put 10% down. The first three weeks went well - Steve said we were on schedule as the the demo progressed. We selected our tub, toilet, sinks, faucets and other materials. He said he had vendors he used and could get us a good price so we paid him to order the items.
On the fourth week work really slowed down as workmen came only once or twice a week and no tasks were being completed. Steve had numerous excuses. When I called to see when the shower door would be delivered I found that it had not been ordered because he had not paid the deposit. He said he would take care of it. He did not we had to put down the deposit ourselves even though we had alread paid in some money on the deposit. He actually told me the second week on the job that he had paid the deposit on that door.
When I checked usacomplaints.com I found similar complaints. I gave Steve a deadline to deliver all the materials he told me he had ordered (I had asked him all along if they were in and he said yes!) I called him the day of the deadline and he said he would have them there that evening. He never showed up and has not returned phone calls or e-mails. We will have to take legal action to recover our money - more than $6,000 mostly for materials he never ordered and some money for jobs not completed.
He puts the "con" in contractor! I am sure he intended to rip us off from the very beginning. I hope that all of us who have been ripped off by Steve Arnold can somehow get in contact with each other and legally stop this menance and recover our money.
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