It all started with a 10 x 10 foot piece of carpet, and now an argument over its installation has erupted into threats from both the customer and the business, police in Indiana say.

A Fort Bend resident says he set up a deal to install carpet in a bedroom at his mother’s home, reports KHOU 11 (warning, link has video that autoplays). His father was set to come home from the hospital after suffering a stroke and the son wanted the room to be carpeted before that.

The customer says after he’d reached an agreement with the company and made two payments for a total of $255, the carpet business kept putting off the installation, and finally stopped returning his calls.

When he reached the owner’s wife on the phone, he says he demanded the carpet get installed or he’d call the police.

“I threatened his wife by saying ‘hey, I’m gonna turn you guys into the police at this point because at this point it’s theft,” he told the station.

A minute later, he says he got an angry phone message threatening to kill him and his mother.

“Hey you, whoever the hell you are, you call and threaten my wife and threaten her one time I will kill you and kill your mother,” said the caller. “Don’t threaten my wife or my family ’cause I will kill you. I will find you and I will kill you.”

When the station got in touch with the carpet business owner, he says he made the threatening phone call because the customer had threatened his wife and made her cry.

In the meantime, the customer has contacted the county sheriff’s office. A spokesperson for that office says that while they’re aware of the case and the death threats and is planning on providing the information to the District Attorney’s office, it’s doubtful that charges will be filed since it’s believed both parties made threats against each other. Instead, they’re advising the installer to return the $255 and have the whole thing end there.

The customer has since had the room re-carpeted by another company. This does go to show, however, that if you’re upset with the service you’re receiving, making threats against a business could return to haunt you. A better move would be to get in touch with the Better Business Bureau to lodge a formal complaint, and contact authorities before saying anything you’ll regret.

$255 carpet dispute leads to death threats [KHOU-11]

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