Consignment shop suddenly closes its doors

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A consignment shop can be a great place to make extra money, but customers of one store say they are out money and their clothes.

One shop off Memorial Drive had been open for decades, but now the door is locked, the store is empty and customers say they cannot find the owner.

When Seema Dawson wanted to consign her kids' clothes, she went to Clothes for Kids off Memorial Drive for a specific reason.

"The particular company had been in business since 1973 and they have been in this location since 1994, so I thought it was a sure safe bet," she said.

That was in April. Now the shop is closed and most of the items for sale are nowhere to be seen.

Dawson says the first sign of trouble came Thursday.

She said, "I called yesterday to find out the status and the number had been disconnected."

Dawson then came to the store herself. "The door was locked and everything was emptied out of the store."

Dawson says she was never contacted by the owner and now cannot find anyone to tell her where the clothes are or if she is owned any money and Dawson is not alone.

Leah Napoliello of the Houston BBB says shop owner Roxanne Weideman answered complaints by email Friday afternoon saying she is bankrupt, adding, "After paying as many consignors and returning as many items to consignors as possible and with the advice of my attorney, I removed as many items as I could and have since then been calling consignors to pick them up from another location."

It's a call Dawson has yet to receive.

"None of the other women I know have been contacted either," she said.

We emailed the store owner about the missing merchandise and have not heard back.