HOBBY HORSE

In September 2011, I did, indeed, provide to Mr. Dave Serna. proprietor of Hobby Horse Custom Cabinets $500.00 in cash so that he could purchase the materials necessary in order to construct the lingerie cabinet I requested of him as he lacked the liquidity to do so himself.  A little alarming, but given the economy - okay.  Finances are pretty tight for most, businesses included.
I didn't hear back from Mr. Serna and Hobby Horse thru the New Year, but knew there were some bigger contracts he needed to fulfill first and I wasn't in an enormous hurry.  By this spring, though, the lack of communication regarding my cabinet was becoming displeasing and I made repeated calls to ascertain the status of the project without getting answers.
When I finally got Mr. Serna to answer my calls last month he stated he hadn't even begun work on the cabinet in question at which point I wanted to cancel our agreement outright with immediate refund of my $500.00 earnest money.  He cited continuing financial woes and asked for two and a half weeks in which time he would receive payment on another project and would be able to return my $500.00 payment he had free use of for 9 months - and used for something OTHER than my cabinet.  Two and a half weeks came and went.  No call.  No money.  Calls to Mr. Serna were kicked to voicemail and although messages were left, he did not bother to return them, nor did he try to initiate any contact with me.
When finally caught by phone a week ago Mr. Serna claimed he had been away tending to a family emergency out of the area.  A quick search on Facebook found a page for Hobby Horse Custom Cabinets and would seem to dispute his statements to me as posts were made during that time speaking of business dinners, bids, and new contracts.  Something clearly doesn't add up.  Mr. Serna stated he would meet with me today, at noon, at his business location on Pioneer in Las Cruces and have my $500.00 ready.  Although I was present at his 455 Pioneer business location, he was not.  Knocking on the door proved fruitless as there was no answer and, sadly not surprisingly, a call to his business cell phone went unanswered, forwarded immediately to voicemail.  He has yet to return the call.
It doesn't matter the quality of the work.  When words and actions don't match and when business practices aren't honest, it's all hollow and for naught.
Save yourself the time and hassle of my experience and take your hard earned money, and business, elsewhere.