SOUTHERN INDIANA WOODWORKING

I purchased, mahogany 8% sheen, natural finish, Green City Cabinets and moldings from one of their dealers, Howard’s Kitchen Studio Inc., located in Cincinnati, Ohio. I based my order on a Green City Cabinets’ sample. When I received the cabinets, October 28, 2011, the cabinets were wrapped in sheet foam, but enough of the wood was showing, I could see that the wood, grain and finish looked nothing like the sample we ordered from. Later, when they were unpacked the false front of the sink cabinet fell out and one cabinet door was hanging down because of stripped screw holes in the wood. I called Mark Kaplan, owner of Howard's Kitchen Studio Inc., the same day of delivery October 28, 2011, and complained. Mark said he would come to look at the cabinets the following Tuesday November 1, 2011, but he didn't come. I called Mark Kaplan and he said to call him the day the contractor unpacked the Green City cabinets; he assured me he would take care of any problem. I again called Mark Kaplan, the day the contractor unpacked the Green City cabinets. Mark then said to have the contractor go ahead and install the cabinets and he would come to our home and look at them. The contractor with his helper worked two days and Mark never came to our home. It was about this time I realized that I was paying for Mouser quality and getting a value line cabinet with inferior quality wood, workmanship and finish, that looked nothing like the sample we ordered. In fact our old cabinets looked better than the new Green City cabinets. My wife and I went to Howard’s Kitchen Studio Inc., to select the hardware for the Green City cabinets and while we were there we talked to Mark and picked up the mahogany sample we based our order on with our promise to return the sample the next day. Our contractor looked at the sample and told us the Green City cabinets, were nothing like the sample in wood, grain nor finish. I again called Mark Kaplan, and he came the following day. Mark took pictures, and he took two of the cabinet doors with him. Mark asked for the sample and insisted we give it to him, because he said he had a customer coming to look at the sample. I gave him the sample and he took it with him.The following week Mark requested we have our contractor remove one of the wall cabinets that was especially bad and remove all the doors and he would have them remade. The contractor came and did what Mark requested. I had more discussions with Mark about the problems with the Green City cabinets and he thought it best that all the cabinets be remade in cherry. Mark then requested all the doors be put back on the cabinets and the other wall cabinets be removed and he would pick them up. We did as Mark requested. I had to pay my contractor $600.00 for the work that Mark Kaplan, instructed me to have my contractor do. Howard's Kitchen Studio Inc., finally picked up the cabinets January 3, 2012, and returned the cabinets to Green City Cabinets. By January 11, 2012, the dealer had not offered a reasonable solution to the problems. The dealer told my wife and I that he preferred not to remake the cabinets in mahogany because he didn’t think Green City Cabinets could remake the mahogany cabinets to look like the sample we ordered. The dealer, suggested having the cabinets remade in cherry. First, the dealer wanted to charge me an additional $2,500.00, to remake the cabinets in cherry. Then he agreed not to charge me the $2,500.00, but would not refund me the 10% premium charge I had paid for the mahogany wood. The dealer, Mark Kaplan, owner of Howard’s Kitchen Studio Inc., told my wife and I, that it was his final offer. I refused his final offer. January 12, 2012, Weidner Kitchen’s, a Mouser Custom Cabinet dealer came to my home along with my contractor and I ordered new Mouser Cabinets, previously Weidner Kitchens’ had given us a proposal for new Mouser cabinets. I did this out of necessity, I have been without a kitchen since December 5, 2011.I paid Howard’s Kitchen Studio Inc. $19,828.57, for just the Green City cabinets and Kentucky sales tax. I have my own contractor doing the remodeling and cabinet installation.The dealer, Howard’s Kitchen Studio Inc., took the cabinets back to Green City Cabinets but will not refund any of my money. My contract specifies, mahogany, 8% sheen, natural, and I expected the cabinets and moldings to look like the sample that I based my order on in wood, grain and finish. (See pictures of the sample and cabinets that are attached)I emailed a picture of the mahogany sample we ordered to Paul Graber Jr., one of the owners of Green City Cabinets, he admitted it was their sample and then tried to resolve the problems with his dealer but was unsuccessful after three attempts, that I know of.Paul Graber Jr., told me his dealer Howard’s Kitchen Studio Inc. paid less than $8,900.00, for the cabinets and then charge me $18,706.29 plus $1,122.37 Kentucky Sales Tax.Levi and Joe Graber, also listed as owners of Green City Cabinets, do not return phone calls and must think their problems will go away if they ignore them.Given, the dealer Howard's Kitchen Studio Inc. ended up with most of my money. I still believe Green City Cabinets, is responsible for this mess, because, they should not give their dealer a sample of beautiful mahogany, probably a top grade, and then make the cabinets and moldings out of inferior mahogany that looks nothing like the sample. This is nothing less than bait and switch. The bait is the beautiful sample and the switch is the cabinets and moldings you get after you have paid your money. It was their sample that I ordered from that made them part of the bait and switch deception and fraud, that I am a victim of. I’m retired and 67 years old.