SAUNDERS DESIGN

I was introduced to Eddie by Courtney Jones of Artesanias Furniture (Church Street in San Francisco) now Kohler-Jones. I was told Eddie worked as a consultant at the store and that he offered two hours of free consultation at a client's home. He was charming when he came to my home and after checking him out on the BBB website, I hired him. He never lived up to the terms of the contract we signed. He had no staff and didn't follow through with having someone come to measure my space, or provide sketches or drawings of the rooms so I could see how the furniture would fit, etc. He was always calling to cancel our appointments (he had doctors' appointments, shingles, food poisoning [twice], a car accident, his mom died, his significant other's dad died, he had a panic attack, he was too dizzy to drive, etc.). He lied all the time about everything. I learned a lot from another of his victims (a lady in San Carlos who is also suing him) as well as from several of the contractors he engaged, none of whom are willing to work with him again. Over the past 20 months he has received $59K from me. He has not delivered one item of furniture, lighting or window coverings, despite telling me he ordered, purchased and was storing the items in his warehouse until my home was "ready" for delivery. We went shopping at the Design Center/Galleria in San Francisco several times and also visited Los Angeles to see/purchase a sectional I wanted for the family room. None of the vendors have any evidence he ever ordered anything. I have been living in a dark, empty house for over seven months now. The contractors he engaged were not paid by him and threatened me with putting liens on my house. He lies every single time he opens his mouth. I filed suit for fraud and breach of contract. I just learned today (2/18/2011) that he has filed for bankruptcy and so my case has been stayed by the court. I have also spent over $5K in attorney fees pursuing him and now it looks like there will be no recovery of funds for me. I have reported him to the BBB, who previously rated him "A" and now his rating has dropped to "D+" because he has 2 unresolved complaints pending against him. I expect when the BBB hears about the bankruptcy, they will give him an "F" rating. I intend to blog about him to any and everyone I can find. I am a widow living alone and I have learned that he has been ripping off women living alone since the mid-1990s. He is a thief who should be in jail, not free to walk the streets. He pretends to be your friend, takes your money and disappears. He uses every excuse in the book except "the dog ate my homework," and he should not be trusted at all. I have learned a very difficult lesson and he has destroyed my confidence and trust completely. I don't want him to find any more victims; I just want to make him as miserable as he has made me. A few additional comments (added 2/19/2011): Eddie tried to get me to "invest" in his business and I politely refused. At the time I was not working (the company I worked at had closed down during the recession) and I had a number of unexpected high-end expenses (new furnace, auto repairs, etc.). He was well-aware of my circumstances. This man does not have a conscience. He "converted" the funds I paid him to his own purposes.and left me in a situation where I am seriously contemplating giving up my home of 28 years. Unfortunately, my feelings toward Eddie cannot be put into words that can be published.