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Bank of America review: Scam 8

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5:01 pm EDT
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On May 2, 2008 Mitchell Poller, a representative from both Countrywide Draperies & Blinds of Bloomfield, NJ and American Draperies and Blinds of West Orange, NJ came to my house in Cedar Grove, New Jersey. He wrote up a work order/invoice for one wooden blind and three roman shades. On this same day, May 2, 2008, I gave Mitchell a deposit check for $1, 300.

On August 30, 2008 Mitchell Poller installed my one wooden blind. The wooden blinds that I received cost $208.65, therefore I am due a refund of $1, 091.35 for the undelivered roman shades. While installing my blinds Mr. Poller said I should be receiving a refund check soon. As of today, May 16, 2009 (almost a year later) I have NOT received my three roman shades or a refund check. I was informed that I would have these three roman shades installed in my house by June 15, 2008.

Also from June 15, 2008 until this moment I have been given every excuse in the book to why I do not have the shades, from the wrong fabric was ordered to the shades were made going the wrong way. Starting on June 15, 2008 when I started calling the store at least once a week I spoke to a Patricia Reilly and once in awhile I would speak to Mitchell directly. Patricia Reilly would always be nice and tell me Mitchell was at a job site and would get back and she did not know what the hold up was.

I have since dug deep into reports about this company and have found that Mitchell Poller and Patricia Reilly have been running this "good cop, bad cop" scam for years. They have moved their company 4 times. They had a store in Montclair, East Rutherford, West Orange and now Bloomfield. They have also changed the name of the company numerous times - Countrywide Draperies & Blinds, Remnants to Go, American Draperies & Blinds, and Interior Designs of America.

On February 20, 2009 I filed a complaint with Bloomfield Township against Mitchell Poller and Patricia Reilly. On March 11, 2009 Mitchell appeared in court (without Patricia Reilly) and pleaded not guilty and the judge ordered mediation. On April 15, Mr. Poller and Ms. Reilly and I appeared for mediation. The original complaint I had was they owed me a refund of $1, 091.35 ($1, 300 deposit minus the $206.65 wooden blinds received). When the mediator asked for our stories, I went first, then when it was Mr. Poller's time he said he agreed with everything I said – that he did not give me my three roman shades and yes I did give a deposit. So the mediator asked how we were going to resolve this issue. We negotiated that Mr. Poller and Ms. Reilly were to give me $941.35 plus my fabric that would have been used to make the blinds. Mr. Poller and Ms. Reilly were to have both the check and fabric to me by Thursday, May 7, 2009.

On May 7, 2009 I did not receive either the check or the fabric. The mediator informed me that if this negotiated deal was not met by Mr. Poller and Ms. Reilly that the deal would be null and void and they would owe me my full $1, 091.35. On Wednesday, May 13, 2009 I went back to court and asked the judge to re-open the case against Mr. Poller and Ms. Reilly. We are all to show up to court again on June 2, 2009. I am not sure what is to happen, what the courts can actually do, but I am asking that both Mr. Poller and Ms. Reilly be put in jail as this is theft.

Back in 2007 Mr. Poller and Ms. Reilly did this to a woman in East Rutherford a Ms. Vinci Governali, who also filed a theft report with the police dept and after some local coverage she received her money back. They have also done this to other people, Kessical Furichard of East Rutherford and Al Flejzor of Wallington, who at the time of the story had still not received their stolen money. These two despicable people, Mitchell Poller and Patricia Reilly, will keep doing this to people until someone stops them.

I have spent hours in courts and hours worrying about my stolen money. Someone needs to stop these horrendous people from continuing on preying on other innocent people.

Update by Laura Szymanski
May 24, 2009 5:34 pm EDT

I was afraid to get a law firm involved as I figured the fees would add up more than my $1100 settlement. are you saying I can get a pre-paid legal service to do this for me for $26 a month? What is the name of them?

Resolved

The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.

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8 comments
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Mitch the Carpet King
Centerville, US
Jul 31, 2014 12:06 pm EDT

Please visit our new Yelp Page and leave us some reviews! http://www.yelp.com/biz/drapery-and-blind-company-lyndhurst

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John Hagn
Hackensack, US
Jan 16, 2011 1:51 am EST

I know who Laura Szymanski is . She is a very unhappy with her husband and cheats on him. Laura needs to have a child to feel like a real women. This women is a contractors nightmare and needs to get a life. Laura get some Help

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John Hagn
Hackensack, US
Jan 16, 2011 1:41 am EST

dealt with this company many times. I have always been satisfied.

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Mary Oconner
, US
Jan 08, 2011 2:25 am EST

DO NOT GET SCAMMED BY THIS COMPANY! These people are completely rude and obnoxious! I was fortunate enough to take my business elsewhere, at HALF the cost!

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tiredof ripoffs
, US
Oct 27, 2010 4:16 am EDT

he is a crook

rwj19731
rwj19731
Sumter, US
May 25, 2009 2:43 am EDT

thats the thinking of alot of us about lawyers because we dont want to get a lawyer that cost more than the problem so thats what the membership is for because alot of that could have been handled thru a series of letters and phone calls from ya providing law firm for ya state so if you like i can email you the site and my email is rwj19731@yahoo.com and heres the membership number its a 15minute recording [protected]

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gracefull7
, US
May 24, 2009 7:03 pm EDT

i hope you get your refund...

rwj19731
rwj19731
Sumter, US
May 24, 2009 5:24 pm EDT

i am so sorry you have to be going thru that but as for me iam a member of prepaidlegal services and for 26.00 a month i have a law firm to pretect my rights in a situation like that so i wouldnt have to waste so much time and hours and im pretty sure this situation would have been resolved for you if you had a law firm fighting ya battle for you