When an Arlington resident Vickey Wyatt replaced her carpet, she says she called a local business and installers botched the job. When she tried to get a refund, she got the run-around instead.
Most homeowners eventually have to replace their flooring. When an Arlington resident Vickey Wyatt replaced her carpet, she says she called a local business and installers botched the job. When she tried to get a refund, she got the run-around instead.
Vickey called NBC5 Responds, and when our investigators began making calls and checking records, we discovered Wyatt had hired someone else entirely.
Wyatt liked her laminate flooring, but it's not the flooring she'd planned. She had wanted carpet, having already owned it and simply needed carpet layers to be installed.
That's when she found an ad on Craigslist which appeared to be for for Arlington Painting and Remodeling.
"I talked to them on the phone. I read all of their reviews," said Wyatt. She says a man named Mike Mcferrin said he'd send installers. When they arrived, Wyatt said she sensed trouble.
"They had no tools. They didn't have a carpet stretcher. They did go to Home Depot and get a carpet steamer because I told them they couldn't use the iron," Wyatt remembered.
She said the finished job was awful. There were large visible seams that were so big, she suspected they had little experience laying carpet.
"I just wanted them to go. Whatever I needed to do. So I got cash and just paid him," said Wyatt.
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She said she paid them $250. Then she had to pay another business to remove the damaged carpet and put down new flooring.
When she texted pictures of the sloppy carpet installation to McFerrin, he texted back, "Holy [expletive]. Consider this taken care of." And by email he promised, "Yes I will refund your money Ms. Vicky (sic). Please allow 3 days for mail..."
More than two months later, Wyatt still had not gotten her refund.
NBC5 Responds' Deanna Dewberry called McFerrin. He said he never worked for Arlington Painting and Remodeling, blaming the sloppy installation on their business. He then hung up, and then called back, but then called back an hour later.
He said he had leased the website for Arlington Painting and Remodeling. We reached out to the co-owner of the business, Jake Enriquez. He told us he had so much business, he allowed McFerrin to lease the website to help him start his own business after first checking out the quality of Mcferrin's work.
Enriquez said McFerrin was supposed to change the banner to McFerrin's business name during the month he leased the site. Enriquez said he felt bad that his business name had been used, and .Enriquez personally paid back Wyatt for the botched job.
As for Mike Mcferrin, he's operating a business called DFW Building Contractors. He accepts none of the responsibility, saying the carpet layers were only referrals, not his employees. He argues he neither had a contract with Wyatt nor was he paid.
He wrote, "It wasn't me or Arlington Paint and Remodel,. but the [expletive] who burned her carpet and took money."
Before you hire a flooring company, Here's our advice:
- Get an itemized bid in writing. It should include the cost of flooring removal, repair of subfloor, cutting the doors, accessories like base boards and transition strips.
- Ask him to confirm that the condition of your home is suitable for the flooring you want.
- Check the BBB, and the AG's office for complaints.
- Ask for references
