Florida remodeling company takes deposits on dream kitchens that evaporate into thin air along with cash
Then … crickets.
That's the situation Tampa-area homeowners find themselves in after forking over thousands of dollars to the local company One Stop Kitchen & Bath for cabinets that never materialized.
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Now their money is missing, too.
Angie D'Angelo told WFLA News Channel 8 in Tampa that she and her husband paid $31,000 to the company for cabinets that never showed up.
'I don't know how you sleep at night when you're taking people's hard-earned money,' said Angie D'Angelo.
Kari Sterling and her husband put down a $26,000 deposit with the company in October 2024 expecting new cabinets to be installed in January 2025.
All they got was bad news. One Stop Kitchen & Bath — with showrooms in St. Petersburg, Oldsmar and Tampa — abruptly closed down.
A sign at its Oldsmar location says closure was 'forced' upon the company 'due to severe financial pressures beyond our control.'
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In an email to one customer, the company blamed the cabinet manufacturer MasterBrand for its insolvency.
In response, a MasterBrand spokesperson said it had placed a 'credit hold' on One Stop Kitchens and Bath for failing to pay its financial obligations.
MasterBrand reports that it has not received any money from One Stop Kitchen & Bath for the D'Angelo or Sterling projects. Now homeowners want the company to pay them back..
'You can't just say, 'Oops, sorry, we're bad business people, oh well,'' Sterling said.
By late March, 24 angry customers had filed complaints about the company with the Pinellas County Consumer Protection office. The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office is investigating.
Contractor fraud and home improvement scams are common. In 2023 alone, the Federal Trade Commission recorded 83,000 reported cases of home improvement or repair scams. Some contractors do shoddy work or overcharge.
Unethical contractors engage in price gouging in the wake of disasters. According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, post-disaster contractor fraud totalled $9.3 billion in 2024. This impacts insurance premiums as well.
When you're looking for a contractor, online reviews are a good start, but it's a good idea to do more thorough research and get written quotes from several contractors and asking them to explain their quote in greater detail..
Another way to identify a more reliable contractor is to work with one that is vetted and licensed.
You can search for a licensed contractor in the National Association of the Remodeling Industry's online directory. These professionals are insured and follow local, state and federal regulations.
Beware of any contractor who is pressuring you to make a decision fast, refuses to give you a written contract or asks for payment upfront.
Another red flag is a contractor who doesn't have any kind of an online presence.
If you believe you've been the victim of a contractor scam, contact your local consumer protection office, police station and home builders association.
You can also raise awareness of your issue through the media — as the D'Angelos and Sterlings did. One option is to contact the national organization Call For Action, which connects individuals with media that cover consumer protection issues.
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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
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