LEE DOUGLAS INTERIORS INC

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We just completed our first and last home construction. It was an interesting process to say the least. LDI was recommend by a friend and we were very sceptical to say the least about using such a place. I went in and met with them and explained our budget and was reassured that they could work with our budget. They received a copy of our flooring allowance and specific numbers we had to work with. They said no problem. We moved forward and I met with them to pick out flooring and some accent lights for the house. I had two days before the electrical inspection and had still not received the bid for the lights. I contact them and restated that I needed them asap. They were out of town when I received a bid for lighting of $9,500 for some accent lights for the bathrooms, living room, etc. Most of the lights for the bathroom were over $400 each. That was way out of our budget and I was a bit upset as I had little time to find alternatives myself which I did for ¼ that price. We had specifically discussed cost and even went so far as to define a price range for lights. They went way beyond what we had discussed. I expressed great concern over this and we discussed moving forward on the flooring and was reassured that they had exact numbers on the flooring allowance (actual contract for the house) and this would not be an issue again. LDI was given a flooring allowance of $16,000 (which I will admit, I later discovered was too low but nonetheless, that is what they were given and said ?not a problem?) and they sent us a bid for $53,000. Yep, and nothing was said prior and this was just e-mailed and stated ?let us know if you would like to move forward?. I was VERY upset and I think rightfully so. I received a call the next morning and was yelled at, told the allowance was ridiculous and impossible, and I would pay their consultation fee or I could deal with the collection agency. I was not offered an apology of any kind and was told it was all my fault. The really horrible part was they actually called my friend at home that recommended them and involved them stating things that I had said that I did not. It would not matter what I said, you don?t do something like that, EVER. That was so incredibly unprofessional I could not believe it. Have you ever heard of a business doing something like that? I could have been crazy and said who know what and you don?t call a reference at home and involve them. That is absurd! When the dust settled and we had time to calm down a bit, we decided that we would offer them half their consultation fee just to be done with it and move on. We were building our dream house and did not need the stress. We mailed them a check and they claim they never received it. I sent the letter myself. I did include a letter that stated we by no means felt that we owed them anything as we received absolutely nothing for their time. That the check was a one time offer to settle it without further dispute. I did write on the check ?payment in full for services?, I am guessing that they did not like that. We lost time and money, as I had to take the time and start all over with picking out flooring. We used nothing from our time with LDI nor did I use their ideas or flooring options, yet they believe we should pay them for not staying in our budget that they were provided and said they could do? I ended up going with EMO flooring and found better quality materials at almost have their bid. They had told me that would never happen. BOTTOM LINE: I would HIGHLY advise to avoid LDI as they are not honest, unprofessional, and EXTREMELY overpriced. If money is of no concern, you most likely will be just fine. I am guessing that is the bulk of their business. If you are looking for honest and professional people to work with, avoid LDI. This was one of the worst experiences of the entire building process and possibly the worst experience I have ever had with a business.

We like the colors and the selections we ended up using and owe a thank you to the designer for that help. The designer was aloof and did not make us feel comfortable. We wish we had chosen a different designer--we wanted the experience to be less stressful and frankly, more fun. She did indicate she was having some medical issues and we were sorry that she was experiencing problems. However, we felt she used it more as an excuse for several errors that were made in ordering and communications than a true bid for sympathy. I am hesitant to use a designer in the future as it ended up making us feel uncomfortable. She has not asked us how we like the final product nor made any effort to see the finished project. No call, no contact after selections were made--absolutely no follow up by her or by the company.