The homeowner, Candace, said she did her research and believed she did everything right when hiring Four Seasons Sunrooms of Raleigh. She was excited for her new oasis in her backyard as she hired the company to turn it into an all-seasons sunroom.
"Having a place where I can come and drink coffee in the mornings and entertain friends and family. It was just such a beautiful dream of mine."
Timeline
Candace tells ABC11 Troubleshooter, Diane Wilson, that she signed the contract with Four Seasons Sunrooms of Raleigh in April of 2024.
"I gave them almost 25% of the project right up front to start the project, and then from there, I went on and got the homeowners association approval and the permits," Candace said. Once the permits were approved, Candace wrote a second check in September of 2024 to Four Seasons Sunrooms of Raleigh to start the work.
According to Candace, "They never sent a crew. Never sent any materials. Never sent anything. Never texted. Never called."
Later that day, when Candace did get a call from a worker, she says she was told the owners of Four Seasons Sunrooms of Raleigh were on a cruise.
"I finally got another start date on the first Monday of May 2025." However, she says no workers showed up, and once again she says the owners were on a cruise.
Candace says that for months, she was promised more start dates; no materials or work started, so in July, she was done waiting.
She said to Troubleshooter Diane Wilson, "I asked for my money back, certified letter, all of that." She also reached out to the NC Attorney General's Office.
A check with a note
Bob Gustavson, the owner of For Seasons Sunrooms of Raleigh, did send Candace a $10,000 check with a note promising the rest of her deposit as soon as they can. In an email, the owner said to Wilson in part that the primary reason the work did not start as expected was due to a significant and unforeseen shortage of skilled laborers. He also adds, there were significant material price increases, and freight charges for delivery also increased significantly. Gustavson adds that this meant that they were losing money on each job, and the insufficient crew size further exacerbated their delays.
"Please be assured that we are not thieves; we are a small company currently navigating through some challenging times. We sincerely regret that this situation has unfolded and are trying our hardest to rectify it as quickly as possible."
Candace says she's been more than patient since they've had her money for more than a year.
"I'm not going away. It was too much money to just walk away from. I will stay until I've been fully refunded."
Gustavson says he hopes to have another refund check to Candace next week. We will keep you updated.
Besides Candace, Wilson heard from another customer who is also waiting for work to get done. The owners also promise start dates, but so far no work.
ABC11 Troubleshooter Diane Wilson will keep you updated on both cases.
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