Complaint Review: Lyle Ruby

I tried to hire Lyle Ruby to do a simple landscaping job.  He was recommended by someone on Facebook.  He sounded nice and knowledgeable on the phone.  I decided to go ahead and work with him.  He eventually pulled together a quote and asked for a 50% advance for supplies.  I provided him with the advance through an email transfer.  The day he was supposed to do the job he sent me a text telling me his father in law had just passed away.  I later found out this was BS.  I decided to take his story at face value and tried rescheduling.  Eventually we rescheduled for a week later and he never showed and he didn't contact me.  I was obviously concerned.  I tried contacting him by text, no response.  

I tried contacting him by phone, straight to voice mail.  He would not return any of my messages.  I eventually tracked Lyle Ruby down on the Internet through his former employer.  I contacted his former employer and he had nothing good to say about him.  The former employer knows some of Lyle's acquaintances and used these channels of communication to inform him I was ready to take this matter to the police.  This is when Lyle got in contact with me to let me know he'd be returning the money.  However, he didn't do this right away.  I needed to send him a follow up message to let him know I was ready to go to the police.  At this point he became hostile and rude and eventually sent back the money.  I hope this report keeps Lyle Ruby from pulling this BS again with other unsuspecting people.