A MAN said he was slapped with a $2,600 bill for a bathroom remodel that never happened, and now he’s being sued.
The shopper insists he canceled the job within the allowed timeframe and says he never got a single item.
The situation unfolded in Sun City, Arizona, roughly 30 miles from Phoenix, where Bill Bruns and his wife went to Lowe’s in 2023 to explore options for remodeling their bathroom.
Lowe’s referred the couple to Re-Bath, a remodeling company it partners with for home projects.
A salesman from Re-Bath visited the couple’s home and gave them an estimate of over $9,000.
Bruns and his wife agreed to the estimate but say they were told they had three days to cancel the job.
They changed their minds after just one night, but say they couldn’t find a way to reach Re-Bath.
“There was no demolition. Nothing was taken out. Nothing was replaced. No work at all was done in that bathroom. Nothing was ordered. Nothing,” Bruns told On Your Side.
He claims the Re-Bath salesman didn’t leave a business card or contact details.
The couple say they canceled the project by calling and visiting their local Lowe’s store.
Still, Bruns was shocked when he got a letter saying he was being sued.
The claim was filed by Synchrony Bank, a financing partner of Lowe’s, which alleged Bruns opened a credit line to fund the remodel.
Bruns said he has been refusing to pay monthly bills for nearly 18 months.
“I’m retired. I’ve been retired for 27 years, and I don’t need the stress,” 82-year-old Bruns said.
He said reaching out to the press was his “last hope.”
“I said I gotta get something going. I can’t do this. I can’t go on for another year and a half with people saying, ‘You owe me or we’re going to sue you,’” he told On Your Side.
MYLOWE’S REWARDS TIERS EXPLAINED
Here are the tiers included in the Lowe’s rewards program:
- Bronze Key: Earns 1 point per dollar spent and offers free standard shipping on eligible purchases of $35 or more.
- Silver Key: Earns 1.25 points per dollar and includes free standard shipping on eligible items with no minimum purchase required.
- Gold Key: Earns 1.5 points per dollar and provides free standard shipping on eligible items with no purchase minimum.
Documents showed the $2,600 charge came from a “restocking fee” imposed after the cancellation.
That fee, with time, grew to $2,621.35, the amount Bruns is now being sued for.
Bruns has insisted that nothing was ever delivered or even ordered.
“There was nothing to restock,” he said.
He reached out to the local news station for help after getting nowhere.
The outlet contacted Lowe’s, Re-Bath, and Synchrony Bank for answers.
Soon after, Re-Bath confirmed it would pay the full $2,621.35 to Synchrony Bank to settle the issue.
Bruns said the development appears hopeful, but he has remained wary.
“I’ll probably get another letter or two here this week. I don’t know. I just had enough. I had enough a year ago,” he said.
