PALM HARBOR, Fla — A project to add hurricane protections at a Palm Harbor home left a homeowner out hundreds of dollars as she claimed her contractor took her money but didn't do the work.
Denise Clayton said she was trying to complete a wind mitigation report for a homeowner's insurance credit. As part of the report, Clayton replaced windows throughout her house with impact-resistant windows. The last window left was one next to her front door.
In November Clayton said she reached out to Ryan Bober, who is a Florida-licensed contractor.
"I contacted SAP Glass and Doors, Ryan Bober, and I found him online," Clayton said.
Clayton showed ABC Action News paperwork for a $950 estimate to replace the window and an invoice that showed she paid a $500 deposit.
"He cashed the check before he left the house," Clayton added. "Said it could be done in a few days time, and within a week glass would be delivered and installed."
A few days turned into weeks and Clayton said Bober never showed up with the glass.
"I’ve texted him. I’ve tried leaving emails, I've tried leaving phone messages on his office and his mobile and both the phone messages now says the boxes are full," Clayton said.
"I have no glass, I've lost 500 dollars," Clayton said, "Just be honest with me, don't take my money then ghost me."
ABC Action News called and texted, but Bober didn't respond to multiple messages.
Bober has a storage building in Dunedin listed with the state as his place of business, when ABC Action News stopped there a neighbor said Bober packed up months ago.
It took some time, but eventually, Bober responded and said he would drop off the glass the next morning.
"He was supposed to be here at 9 then it was 9:30," Clayton said.
The I-Team was there while Clayton waited for hours—three hours after he first said he would be there, Bober showed up with the long-awaited glass.
On top of the window Bober refunded the remaining balance on Clayton's deposit plus some change.
He left her home as silent as his answer to ABC Action News' requests for an interview or comment.
"I don't think I could have done it, just never would have happened so I'm very very happy that Susan stepped in and was able to help me," Clayton said.
The glass wasn't exactly what Clayton expected.
"It's clear glass and it was supposed to match the existing that's in the entry way," she said. "In the scheme of things I am just thrilled that we were able to get it resolved."
Clayton mentioned how she paid with a check to avoid credit card fees. She got an invoice for her deposit which helped. However paying with a credit card or certain payment apps can give customers added protections by allowing them to dispute a charge.
Viewers have been contacting ABC Action News after receiving suspicious text messages from numbers that claim to be the United States Postal Service. We spoke with a U.S. Postal Inspector about what to do if you receive this text message.