Call for Action helps man get back $2,400

COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. -A local granite business refused to deliver product or refund a customer because they had an issue with the customer’s contractor.

Brandon Tyler and his wife had been saving up to remodel their kitchen. This summer, they finally had enough money to undertake the project. However, when they got started they had no idea just how long the project would take.

Tyler was working with a contractor to put in granite counter tops. However, his wife wanted to pick out the granite, so Tyler went to Granite by US to look at the different options. When Tyler found the granite his wife wanted, he said he paid the store directly.

“We went and paid with my personal check, the receipt was there,” Tyler said.

However, when it came time to deliver the granite, the company Granite by US refused. He said that he had a dispute with his fabricator in the past and that I would have to deal with my fabricator to get my money back.

“He said that he had a dispute with his fabricator in the past, and that I would have to deal with my fabricator to get my money back,” Tyler explained.

Tyler said he asked the owner of Granite by US to work with him, but he refused.

“I pleaded with him multiple times to either please release my granite to another fabricator or just to give me my money back by text, by meeting in person, through email…He’s basically refused,” Tyler said. “I’m fed up. It’s been a tough pill to swallow…It’s tough enough to try and pay the mortgage and bills and my wife and I’ve been trying to save for a long time to get this done.”

WINK News Call for Action volunteers called the owner, Tim Cooke, multiple times. Call for Action Reporter Lindsey Sablan also called Cooke. Cooke explained the Tyler’s contractor owed him money, so he applied Tyler’s money to that debt. He then said it was the contractor’s responsibility to refund the Tylers. When Call for Action questioned Cooke about punishing Tyler for someone’s debt, he hung up. So, WINK News went to Cooke’s business to see if we could get answers.

Roughly 20 twenty minutes after our crews arrived, Cooke sent an employee to the curb with a check for Tyler.

“Obviously couldn’t have done it without you [Call for Action] and appreciate all your efforts I really do .Without your help, he wouldn’t have budged at all…I can’t thank you enough,” Tyler said afterward.

WINK News Call for Action reached out to Cooke afterward and gave him the opportunity to speak on camera. He declined, however he did send an email saying, “We apologize for the time it took to correct what should have been an enjoyable experience for the Tyler’s. We attempted to work between the contractor and the client. Unfortunately their contractor did not perform responsibly and in a timely manner.”