LAND O' LAKES, Fla. -- Customers of Encore Boutique & Consignment said they're looking for answers after the store's owner closed up shop with no notice last week.

They said she took items they'd consigned and money they were owed with her.

• Encore Boutique & Consignment has closed doors, according to customers
• Store's website, Facebook pages taken down
• Attorney says there is little regulation of consignment stores

"I kind of went into shock a week ago Tuesday when I came to the store here to drop off some clothing to be consigned, and the entire store was empty," said customer Laurie Zoock. "The doors were locked, and I'm thinking, 'Where’s my stuff?'"

"I can't imagine where she put this much merchandise. She could not have put it in her house," said Patricia Natoli, another shopper. "There were three storefronts of merchandise here."

The women said there were red flags. Natoli said she called the owner in June about picking up her check for jewelry she'd consigned to the store. She said the owner told her she wouldn't be able to get it until after August.

"I didn't understand what was going on. I thought she might be having some problems," Natoli said. When she called again earlier this month, she said the owner told her she'd mail the check that day. Natoli said she still hadn't received the money as of Aug. 28.

Zoock said she started asking questions when the store ran "Too Good To Be True" sales two weekends in a row.

"I said, 'Are you closing up shop?' and she said, 'Oh no, we've got tons of stuff here," Zoock said.

The boutique's locked doors aren't the only barrier customers have faced in getting reimbursed. Zoock said she quickly found the web site and Facebook page were taken down, and emails she sent went unanswered. 

An email Zoock said the owner sent earlier this week states, "With deep regrets due to family health issues and the landlord not willing to work with me, it is with a very heavy heart I have had to close Encore Boutique."

The building's owner, James Farr, said he tried to work with the store's owner when she was late paying rent in recent months. He said he had no idea she was planning to move out.

The email also said that the owner plans to sort and return items. Both Zoock and Natoli said they're not optimistic about that.

"It would've been easy for her to send out an email blast, like she did for the sales, and say, 'Hey, I’m sick, I’ve got to get out,' but she didn't do that," Zoock said.

Customers said they're wondering where to go from here, and attorney Andrew Lyons said they're in a tough spot. A division of his firm, The Lyons Law Group, is dedicated to consumer protection issues. He said because there's very little regulation of consignment stores and Pasco County has no government task force or entity dedicated to consumer protection, it can be hard for people to solve problems like this on their own.

Customers can sue, but collecting on a favorable judgment can be tricky.

"All too often, the problem is they don't have anything to go after, and there are no assets. So we're left holding a piece of paper that's essentially worthless," Lyons said.

Zoock said she's pursuing an avenue Lyons recommends: turning to law enforcement. She said she reported the issue to the Pasco County Sheriff's Office. Community Relations Director Kevin Doll confirmed an investigation has begun.

Lyons said there are steps consumers can take to protect themselves when consigning. He encourages keeping receipts and maintaining photos signed by both parties, if possible. Terms of consignment agreements should also be written down.

Doug Templeton, operations manager for the Pinellas County Consumer Protection Department, said these agreements should lay out how much property will sell for, what percentage consumers can expect to take home, when and where they can pick up checks for sold merchandise, and how long stores will hold items for before they need to be picked up.

Spectrum Bay News 9 obtained a copy of the contract Encore customers had to sign, which details all of those issues. Lyons said even with all the proper precautions, it's hard to predict a sudden closure. 

Zoock said she had 15 pairs of pants consigned to the store that she thinks were worth around $350. Natoli said she had a lot of jewelry in the store and isn't sure how much it was worth. Neither have receipts. They said after shopping at the store for years – Zoock for four, Natoli for three – they trusted the owner.

"She came to my house, and I actually let her go through my two closets and pull all my shoes and clothes out, and she filled my suitcases and brought all my stuff here. I trusted her so much. I felt really betrayed," said Natoli.

Several attempts to reach Encore's owner were unsuccessful.