Deccolux Window Covering Total Disappointment! ripoff Corona California

I was filling out a job application that mandated I find the address for all previous employers, so I happened across this page. 

I used to work for Deccolux from around the beginning of 2007 till the third quarter of 2011. I started out as a receptionist, answering calls and taking messages. This went on for about 5 weeks. 

After that, I was promoted to Customer Service Manager as there was an opening. I was good at my job, and I tried to help as many people as possible. Around this time, I started to notice the ongoing issues with Shutters. A lot of customers were missing shutters or had bad installs. I was responsible for creating the daily install schedules, so I always had full calendars for appointments. 

About a month later, we(office staff) were told the company was struggling and we would be downsizing. The company laid off the accounting clerk who had been there since day one. I asked why I, having been there the least amount of time, was not laid off in her stead. I was told it was because she was 'too nice' and they needed someone with 'backbone' hence I was retained. I was happy to have my job, but saddened. 

I was now tasked, in addition to my other many responsibilities, with handling some of the accounting. Once I was in, I noticed discrepancies in the books. Money coming in, but not a lot going out. I also learned that Chris Candler, who was introduced to me as a mere Warehouse manager, was actually LISTED as owner of the business. Obviously this was not true, or at least it wasnt represented that it was. Peter and Steven Kwon were Vice-president, and President repsectively, and both owned the company evenly to my knowledge. 

The problem of the shutters continued to escalate. I started asking explorative questions as to when exactly we could expect to fill these orders. I was given mostly vauge answers until the Office Manager quit suddenly. I was told I would be filling her role as well, effectively giving me three jobs and paying me for one. I was young and had a car payment, so I continued to work. When I was told this, I was also informed to forward all calls to Peter. 

After a while, I realized Peter was not calling people back consistently. I again questioned him on what was going on and greatly exaggerated some calls and in person visits from customer to create urgency. Peter was only in the office a couple hours each day and he finally disclosed to me that shutter orders dating back to the previous year were never ordered. He made it sound like a supplier mistake and that the company in China (not Japan, sorry), were advising 6-10 weeks for order fulfillment. I was told it was over 75 thousand in shutter orders. 

I was suspicious now, but I continued to work, yet gleaned as much information as possible. I learned that all the sales people quit, and Peter and Steve were supposedly out doing sales themselves. I learned that one of the salespeople, Roman I beleive his name was, was owed over $3K in commissions and was never paid. He happened to be a close friend of the Kwons. This greatly disturbed me. The next several weeks went by at a crawl as I slowly saw the company fall apart. Steve was never available, and Peter only was at the office for maybe 3 hours PER WEEK. Obviously, forwarding calls and lying to customers was tiring and nearing an impossibility. 

Peter showed up one day to 'train' me on collections, knowing my previous job I had a little experience. I was tasked with calling customer who had not paid in full for their orders. Most of the list I was given did not have shutters, but some did. I was told to threaten legal action if they refused to pay. No one I called agreed to pay the company anything. When I gave the list back with a report, Peter told me that was fine, and that his lawyer will be filing liens on those properties. 

The final two weeks were brutal, as I had to keep up this 'act'. I eventually realized there was a problem. How does a company just magically not order almost $100K in shutters? Why havent you paid a good friend of yours? It didnt add up. Finally a customer came in, demanding Peter. I called Peter on his personal cell phone and he talked to the guy, and said a series of abrasive things which angered the customer even more. He proceeded to throw the phone through the window in anger. It came too close to me for comfort and after that I was done. The next day I quit. 

But my story was not over. I was owed about $367, and I made it clear I was returning for it. Peter told me it would be the end of the week(I quit on a Weds). Well I didnt get paid. 

I called the office, and got Chris Candler, once. He said hed let Peter know. Well I never heard from him. I gave him 3 days. On the 4th day, I drove there and parked next to Peter's car. I sent him a text saying, 'I am parked out back next to your car. I need my last check. You can bring it out here to me, or let me in to come get it.'

10 minutes later, Chris Candler comes out, telling me Peter would be out 'shortly' to give me my check. 20 minutes after that, Peter comes out, handwritten check in hand(something he couldve done 10 days prior). He proceeds to give me some bullcrap story about how things went bad here, and he was unlucky, but would reopen another location again in Banning or in East Corona. He wanted me to be Office Manager. I was polite and told him to just call me, knowing full well I would never hear nor see him again. He gave me my last check and I left. 

I had saved the number to one of the customers who came in multiple times and I met with him near my then home to tell him what happened. I told him there was nothing I could do, but perhaps he could go a legal route. I gave him peter's number, and told him I knew the Kwon's had a home in Banning he could have looked into.


All in all, it was a very well crafted ploy to siphon as much money from the good citizens of the Inland Empire as possible, and I am sorry for the role I played. I realized in the final few weeks what was going on, and it was too little, too late. I hope this gives closure to someone who reads it. That is all. 

It seems as though these people NEVER had a business license in the City of Corona. I was told by one of the city reps last Thursday that they have been "trying" to contact Deccolux since April of this year to get a business and as we can all see that was never done. Their business license with the California Contractors State License Board is still active as of today: 082907. I agree with Benny (Beaumont), Roy (Riverside) and Golfpunkgrrl (Anaheim), we need to get together and file a class action or do small claims against these people before they do decide to file bankruptcy (if they haven't already). My sales reps were: Nick and Justin. I can be reached at: (((redacted)))

CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.