MONTECHRISTO STONE & IRONWORKS/ROB VARELA FRAUD, NON-DELIVERY,LYING, Acton California

On May 5th I paid full price in advance $1470 for a custom fire table. I received an invoice and was told I had to use my Debit VISA card because Google wallet had problems with processing a credit card. I received verbal promises the fire table would be ready in 1 week if I could pay invoice in advance in full. I was willing to wait 3 weeks but when ahead and paid in advance in full to get the table in 1 week. Multiple, documented telephone, text and emails have been with Rob Varela of Montechristo Stone, Acton CA. Since making payment on 5/5/2016 I have phoned, texted and emailed Rob of Montechristo Stone  through the May 27, 2016 promised date of completion to learn of status of the fire table (is it ready for pick up?). Rob provided me with many reasons/excuses why the fire table was not yet complete, including weather and equipment breakdowns. Rob firmly stated my fire table would be ready by May 27, 2016..  I called, texted and emailed Rob that morning with no response. Upon finally speaking with Rob, he assured me I could pick up on Memorial Day May 30th, 2016. Same pattern occurred (no response that day or the days leading up to it.). Rob stated he would call me to confirm this. I received no type of communication. I phoned, texted and emailed and when Memorial Day morning came and passed, I still had zero response. The next day, I phone, texted and emailed Rob again. I was becoming concerned with promises not kept. Rob called me May 31st to state he was working on it and would keep my updated. 4 days later on June 3rd, with zero status updates.  A troublesome pattern had developed. I would call, email & text every few days but receive zero response.

 On or about June 15th, Rob called to offer more various reasons/excuses why the table was not complete  and stated the table would be ready within a few days. From June 16th to June 26th there was no communication from Rob. On the afternoon of June 27th, I tried all 3 forms of communication and finally received an incomplete, incoherent text message from Rob. I responded and asked him to call me, which he did. Rob stated he had not been able to complete my fire table due to hot weather, although he did state he could finish this type of work inside a building with air conditioning. Rob promised that he would complete the fire table within the next few days with pickup by me. Rob assured me the table would be ready for pickup on Saturday July 2nd. Because my rights to file a claim for return of my funds expired 60 days after date of transaction, I was unwilling to gamble that the Montechristo Stone/Rob Varela would be true to his word by that date, so a few days before (on June 30th), I contacted my credit union Debit VISA department representative and filed a claim for reimbursement. I have found 2 other complaints against Montechristo Stone/Rob Varela for nearly exactly the same thing on the website Ripoff Report.com. Bert, Camarillo, California