Southern Maryland, kitchen, bath, floors and design

RJO

New Member
Sorry for the long rant about to take place but realize there is a year this project is taking place

My story starts January of 2014. My wife and I have been exploring a custom closet. We had a few companies place bids on the job. We ended up going with southern Maryland Kitchen Floors and design. We liked the product being presented to us and we are suckers for buying local. (to the point where we were paying almost 50% more by going local though the product was a little better). The initial meeting with Anthony went well, he took measurements and then he came up with a design. We met in the store and got a price for what we wanted done. We negotiated a little and signed a contract. It was to be a 5 day installation. I was told they would not start until they had every item. He set an initial date in February but the products were not in by this point so the date was moved to march.
The installers worked on the closet and things were slowly going up. I noticed them having to measure and remeasure because everything was cut on site. Come day 4 of installation they stopped. I thought they were done early but it turns out they were missing some pieces. I am not talking a shelf or two, I am talking something like 25+ shelves, tie racks, belt racks, hamper pieces including the baskets themselves and a major cabinet piece of the closet. So much for not starting until they have most of their materials. On top of all this, surprise cost time. The price given to me did not include the supports for the clothes rods (something you think would be essential to the design) At this point the project is still going along so I did not grumble much about it. They apologize for the missing pieces and say they fired someone who was responsible (Hate to see that happen to someone but that is their business)
At this point all my wives and my clothes are out of the closet as it is unusable. We are told that the pieces should be in after a couple weeks. I take off time when they say they are coming for installation and they only come with a few parts here and there as I have to plan my days around when they come. There are 3-4 days of arriving with pieces for this closet (each time being told they are bringing everything, I am starting to believe it was not the person they fired).
Fast forward almost couple months with our unusable closet and they finally get majority of the missing pieces and install them. To my dismay I am still missing 15+ shelves. I can thankfully use my closet so our room isn't cluttered with stuff that goes into the closet but I am still annoyed. They have the nerve to ask for final payment before the project is finished.
Fast forward to end of June. They bring materials for shelves and cut them and. they are still short 5 shelves. They ask for final payment again and I have to keep telling them until the project is complete I am not paying them the final payment. Anthony tells me to plan for them to come with the rest of the pieces on the weekend of July 4th. I tell him we will schedule when he is sure he has all the rest of the pieces.
Fast Forward to September. Anthony tells me he has the rest of the materials. I tell him this whole logistical nightmare was terrible and that I will talk to my wife (who was upset at this whole thing by now) I get back to him in October and say we want a discount for the project for the inconvenience which he initially scoffs at because some of the shelves in question were "free" shelves that were part of the negotiation. I told him they got the contract because of the negotiation.
Sick of Anthony at this point I leave a message for another manager. Don't hear back so i call back in January 2015 (a year has passed). She said I lied about calling called (even though my phone records show I did) and that its my fault this project is not done. I tell them I will bring by a shelf of the same size to be cut because after being called a liar they aren't allowed in my house. I pick up the shelves spring 2015.
Long story short, a 10x10 closet took them a year to complete.
Oh, for my inconvenience, 10% off the final payment (or 1% of total cost, that's all they saw this pain worth)
 
At this point all my wives and my clothes are out of the closet as it is unusable.

A friend reported a less extreme but similar experience if I got the company name right.
Sorry about your troubles.
Thanks for the mildly amusing phraseology.
 

wharf rat

Smilin on a cloudy day
Bought and had them install our kitchen countertop, sink and faucet a few years ago.
My head hurts just thinking about that nightmare.
We tell all of our friends to stay clear.
Hard to believe they're still around.
 
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