POTEET, Texas — Alejandra Lopez put $11,000 down on a mobile home in late January, and also paid a $500 application fee. She found a woman on Facebook that helped sell homes with a company called Mobile Homes Factory Direct.
Lopez liked some of the homes the company had available, and visited their office, but had trouble getting financing for the kind of home she wanted. Lopez said the office changed the home in the deal to try and give them an option, but it wasn't one they were interested in.
"Before signing, we didn't want to sign because she had changed a lot," Lopez said. "That's when we said we want our down payment back."
Lopez said they asked for a refund in person on Feb. 2, and the sales person said it wouldn't be a problem. She said the business was supposed to email them document to fill out for the refund, but instead sent them another option to buy a mobile home.
Lopez then went back to the office on Feb. 9 and filled out a formal request, on paper, for a refund. She said the staff even back-dated the request as happening on Feb. 2 to expedite the process and she said the refund would be processed in 15 days.
Lopez said she called 15 days later and was told she would need to wait 15 business days. She then showed up in person two on March 2, and March 4 to pick up the refund. She still didn't get it.
"They told me they had talked to the person in charge but he was not there and they didn't know how to help. When we talked on the phone on Tuesday, the (March) 5th, they still didn't know what was going on," Lopez said.
A week after that, Lopez still had no idea if she would get her $11,500 back. She called KENS 5.
KENS 5 visited Mobile Homes Factory Direct last week and General Manager Timothy Tristan agreed to meet with us. Tristan said their team tried to help Lopez get financing options but "the bank was not comfortable with the transaction" and there was a problem with their mortgage application. He knew they requested a refund but did not know exactly why it was taking so long.
"It might have been a breakdown in communication. I know they requested it immediately and they would show up on days when their accounting office was not working. We strictly have sales staff on certain days," Tristan said.
Tristan also said Lopez had asked to speak with him directly, and no one else, but he didn't speak Spanish so he was not able to do so without a translator.
Regardless, Tristan said the business had been working on the refund and Lopez would be able to pick up her refund check the next day. Lopez confirmed she received the check on that day.
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