Rafi's Electric

SCAMMER-stole my $400 sliding doors

SCAM SCAM SCAM!! Be aware people - Rafi may seem like a nice guy at first but half way through my project he disappeared with my $400 sliding doors and has fallen off the face of the earth.

To give you the full story... we contacted Rafi through Craigslist to build a wall in our new office with large sliding doors. Rafi showed up quickly and gave us a decent price so we decided to go with him. After all, he seemed like a nice guy. At the start of the project we gave Rafi the money for all the materials (including the $400 doors from Ikea) as he was going to pick them up and assemble them as part of the job. We had a work order, copy of his ID and Bank Card etc. so all seemed legit.

As promised Rafi showed up the next day (though 4 hours late but at the time it was no big deal) and he completed the structure as promised. The next day, he came and finished the dry wall portion of the wall but asked that he be paid for the work he had completed that day even thought the job wasn't finished. He gave us a sob story about needing the money and since he had done a good job thus far we went ahead and paid him for the day.

The next day he was scheduled to come and install the doors which was the last part of the job - home stretch we are thinking... WRONG.

Rafi never showed up and come Monday we were still in the same place as last Thursday with just drywall. So, I called Rafi and he apologized and offered to come by to explain. I am a super reasonable person so of course I said no problem and he came by. He explained that his truck radiator had broken and he couldn't get it out since he didn't have enough money so if we could pay him for the remainder of the job now he would throw in a paint and primer job for free ($200 value he says). So, reluctantly we agree. Rafi had been in our office for days and honestly seemed like a really genuinely nice guy. He promised when we came in Tuesday all would be completely painted and then he would come Tuesday afternoon to hand the doors.

Well... Tuesday came and went - no paint in sight and no doors. We called Rafi so many times all week and haven't heard a word. He just took the money and ran.

I am so disappointed not only in Rafi for being such a slime ball but in myself for falling for such a ridiculous scam. Don't make the mistake I made - hire a licensed contractor - it will be worth it in the end.