October 2023 by Brandi J.
I assume this is the appropriate place for my review. I enlisted a contractor through Angi to paint the exterior of my house, and the individual in question is Ricky Ortiz, the owner of Lonestar Painting / Lone Star Painting (I'm not sure now how they state the name of the company, there are many that are called Lone Star). Initially, Ricky and his assistant commenced some repairs on a day when there was light rain. They assured me they would return at a specified time the following week. I must say that Ricky was quite helpful in providing pricing guidance, and he even went the extra mile by purchasing the paint for me (and I reimburse him) and assisting with choosing the right color shade.However, when Ricky returned the following week, his partner was absent, and he completed the remaining repairs and painting in a single day. This rushed approach resulted in a messy finish in some areas, and I had to remind him about certain agreed-upon tasks before he left.Shortly after Ricky's departure, my husband and I noticed areas where the paint was missing. I promptly called Ricky, who advised me to let the paint dry completely and contact him the next day. He assured me that he would return to rectify any missed areas. While he initially hesitated when I texted him the next day, he ultimately agreed to fulfill his commitment. Regrettably, Ricky never came back as promised and stopped responding to my calls and texts.Frustrated and concerned for his well-being, I reached out to Ricky's wife, Jennifer, who handled the financial side of their business. She informed me that Ricky had been on his way to my house the previous evening but had been in a car accident, so she had turned off his phone. Subsequently, she began to hassle me, suggesting that I should have pointed out any issues before Ricky's departure. This required me to reiterate our previous agreement.I inquired about Ricky's well-being and expressed my hope that he was alright, but received no response from Jennifer. After sending another message about Ricky's condition, Jennifer confirmed that he was okay but ceased communication thereafter.My attempts to contact them both through texts and calls the following day also went unanswered, leaving me in silence for an entire week. This experience left me puzzled and questioning the legitimacy of this "Lone Star Painting" contractor since I couldn't find any information on them online and started to doubt if I had even hired them through Angi.In summary, I strongly discourage working with these contractors. They left behind a subpar painting job, which was particularly frustrating since my homeowner's association mandated the painting. It's disheartening to encounter a seemingly humble couple trying to make a living, only to be met with evasiveness and disappointment after an unsatisfactory job. My expectation was simple--to have a few missed spots repainted. I had trusted Ricky's word that his partner was unavailable, as is common in the contracting business, but he failed to follow through. Additionally, the lack of response, Ricky's turned-off phone, and Jennifer's uncooperative attitude raised suspicions of a potential scam.
