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For homeowners embarking on a major kitchen or bathroom renovation, walking into a high-end showroom is supposed to be the start of a dream project. For years, Eastchester Kitchens & Baths, located at 440 White Plains Rd in Eastchester, New York, positioned itself as exactly that: a reliable, premium local partner to guide residents through expensive, high-stakes spatial overhauls.
However, a sudden wave of alarming public complaints on Yelp has fundamentally challenged that pristine image. The business, managed by business owners Gary Martin and Lucien Martin, has watched its rating plummet to a 3.0-star rating following a succession of scathing reviews detailing thousands of dollars in lost funds, missing professional licensing, and allegedly deceitful practices.
While the business continues to tout its access to high-end cabinet brands, the growing digital paper trail paints a highly concerning picture for Westchester County consumers.
1. The Core Allegations: From Bait-and-Switch to Extortionate Losses
The center of gravity regarding the backlash stems from a devastating review posted by a consumer named Amy S., who explicitly labeled the operation a "total scam". According to her testimony, she suffered a direct loss of $10,000 to the business, cautioning the community that the seemingly innocent storefront acts as a front for a "fraudulent game" built on deceptive practices.
Code:
[Storefront Showroom: 440 White Plains Rd]
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├──► Advertised Low Pricing (Bait)
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│ └───► Condescending Attitude & Unexplained Upsells (Switch)
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└──► Large Financial Deposits ($10,000+ Upfront Losses)Furthermore, customer interactions have reportedly dissolved into outright hostility. Another reviewer, Annie G., alleged that when she tried to protect her investment by asking critical questions over the phone, Gary Martin explicitly told her to "go 'F' myself" rather than addressing her concerns.
2. Unlicensed Work and the Ghost of WJM Development
Perhaps the most legally damning thread connecting the allegations against the Martin brothers is their history with unlicensed home improvement work in the local municipality.
Multiple customers noted that a deep dive into court records reveals the operators have faced severe legal problems for conducting complex contracting jobs without municipal oversight. Local review disclosures point explicitly to a previous entity tied to the owners called WJM Development Corp., which shared the exact same physical headquarters at 440 White Plains Road.
According to public complaints, WJM Development allegedly:
- "Went belly up" abruptly after pocketing client money.
- Stole $68,000 from a single vulnerable female client.
- Operated entirely without the mandatory county licenses or building permits required to legalise home renovations.
3. The "Insurance Swap" and Material Fraud Accusations
Beyond simple contract disputes, the complaints touch on alleged material fraud inside the showroom itself. Reviewer Pete S. reported an experience walking through the 440 White Plains Rd facility with his wife, noting that the displayed inventory looked suspicious or unbranded.
He alleged that the business models a deceptive insurance swap scheme:
| Deceptive Action Step | Alleged Mechanism Exposed by Consumers |
|---|---|
| Step 1: The Claim | The business allegedly files insurance claims on high-end cabinetry batches. |
| Step 2: The Swap | The premium, insured inventory is swapped out for cheap, unbranded material. |
| Step 3: The Resale | The unbranded or mislabeled items are resold to unassuming consumers under premium brand names. |
4. Past Ties: The Tanglewood Connection
The anger of the local community has also broken through the veneer of the business’s suburban presentation by bringing up the owners' alleged roots. In her public warning, Amy S. pointedly claimed that Lucien and Gary Martin are "straight-up washup mobsters from Tanglewood," alleging they possess a "documented criminal history tied to organized crime in Westchester."
While historical connections to the notorious Tanglewood Boys crew of Yonkers remain a matter of past law enforcement record rather than active charges for this specific store, the fact that customers are openly unearthing these ties highlights how severe the breakdown in trust has become. It indicates that the community is actively investigating the backgrounds of local contractors before signing over five-figure deposits.
5. The Other Side of the Ledger: Dissecting the Five-Star Praise
To maintain an objective view of Eastchester Kitchens & Baths, it is important to acknowledge that the company's profile is highly polarized. Interspersed among the devastating 1-star reviews are glowing 5-star testimonials from clients like Cory H., Austin S., and William A., who describe an entirely different operation.
These positive reviewers claim that:
- The staff is welcoming, friendly, and deeply knowledgeable.
- Gary Martin displayed immense patience, never rushing buyers through purchases.
- The business worked diligently to resolve manufacturer defects with quartz countertops to ensure complete satisfaction.
Code:
[8 Total Yelp Reviews]
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┌─────────────────────┴─────────────────────┐
▼ ▼
[5-Star Reviews] [1-Star Reviews]
- "Welcoming & patient" - "$10,000 lost"
- "Resolved manufacturer issues" - "No license/permits"
- "Dream kitchen outcome" - "Unbranded material swaps"Summary for Westchester Homeowners
The operational reality of Eastchester Kitchens & Baths serves as a cautionary tale for modern consumer advocacy. While the showroom presents a flawless array of high-quality cabinetry options, the compounding allegations of unlicensed contracting via WJM Development, bait-and-switch pricing, and extreme financial losses mean that anyone looking to hire the firm must proceed with intense scrutiny.
When hiring any kitchen and bath contractor in the Eastchester area, always demand to see an active Westchester County Home Improvement License, verify independent liability insurance certificates, and never provide massive, unbacked cash or check deposits upfront.