Furniture Business News

Furniture store refund mess

August 3rd, 2007

By Tappy Phillips

(New York-WABC, July 30, 2007) - It’s a furniture store that has been a fixture in Lower Manhattan for almost 40 years. But when the store suddenly closed its doors a few weeks ago, it left customers without their furniture — and out thousands of dollars.


That is, until Tappy Phillips and Seven On Your Side got involved.

Lyndon Johnson was in the White House when the Chelsea furniture fixture opened it’s doors. But now forty years later the store closed for the last time, and now scores of consumers are left dangling without deposits or merchandise.

All that’s in Margaret Walter’s living room is four walls and a TV on a make shift stand.

“Gave old furniture to my niece … she took my couch, my cocktail tables, my end table, everything,” Margaret said.

Margaret had ordered new furniture from Foremost Furniture. But about two months ago, Foremost closed its doors leaving Margaret out her deposit — more than six grand.

Tappy Phillips: “No answer?”
Margaret: “No answer … it was disconnected.”
Tappy: “Phone was disconnected?”
Margaret: “Yeah.”

Diane Simonetti was in the same boat, out nearly three thousand dollars to Foremost since last November.

“Nine months later, they lied to me from the beginning. They promised me something they knew they were never going to give me,” Diane said.

So her living room still has her old couch.

When Foremost closed its doors, there were still many customers besides Margaret and Diane who had given them deposits on furniture and had not received it. Foremost is now auctioning off its inventory.

But after our calls, Diane got a full refund.

“I think with your help, things really sped up everything,” Diane said.

And Margaret and I put our feet up on her brand new leather couch and ottoman.

The Department of Consumer Affairs says before ordering furniture, check with them for complaints, don’t pay in full until the furniture arrives, and if it isn’t delivered when promised, make a complaint right away to both authorities and your credit card company.

If you are having a problem with Foremost, contact consumer affairs to mediate.

(Copyright 2007 WABC-TV)

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