ST. LOUIS — The Better Business Bureau is warning people about working with a local contractor.
Renovate Rite is accused of taking more than $100,000 from customers across St. Charles, St. Louis, and Jefferson County. Those customers turned to 5 On Your Side's Holden Kurwicki and the Missouri attorney general's office for help.
From the front yard, you would never know that Julie Cune's St. Peters' home is under construction.
“It’s been 14 months,” Cune said.
The backyard is a much different story, but Cune said she hasn’t seen the contractors from Renovate Rite since February.
“They showed up one week and worked three hours," she said. "Another week six hours. They wouldn’t show up for a month. They’d give me every excuse there was.”
The company framed up a portion of the project, leaving half-driven nails, exposed electrical, and support beams unattached before abandoning the area.
“Renovate Rite is really Renovate Wrong," said Cune. "They just ghosted me basically.”
John Gilbert had a similar experience with the company.
“The lead guy was here less than an hour a day. The other guy, who was taking instructions from the lead guy, he would sit out here in his truck,” Gilbert said.
Gilbert signed a contract with the company in April of 2021.
“They declared the deck done enough to start getting material for the decking on the 10th of February. They never showed up after that. I could never contact them after that.”
Gilbert said in total, he paid them $32,000.
“I gave them $10,000 upfront. I gave them $10,000 after they ordered the material,” said Cune.
The Better Business Bureau is now warning customers about Renovate Rite, which has an "F" rating, after the company allegedly took more than $100,000 from customers and never completed any work.
“If I’m going to give this company the benefit of the doubt I think they got in over their head,” Gilbert said.
Gilbert sent Renovate Rite a certified letter, only to have it returned, so 5 On Your Side stopped by the business only to find the name had been scraped off the door and the store sign had been covered.
“They’re stealing our money. They need to be in jail,” Cune said.
A spokesman for the attorney general’s office confirmed they have received multiple complaints against the company, which is named in two breach-of-contract lawsuits in St. Louis County.
“Do you believe you will ever get your money back?” 5 On Your Side's Holden Kurwicki asked Cune.
“I would like to believe that, but sure haven’t had any communication from them. Now I can’t afford to finish it,” she said.
At KSDK we’re focused on you, and the stories you ask us to cover. If there’s an issue you would like Holden to look into, or a story you would like to share, send an email to hkurwicki1@ksdk.com.