CONSUMER NEWS    RECALLS    COMPLAINT FORM    SCAM ALERTS  


Complain about a product or service

Small Claims Guide | Class Actions | Lemon Law | FAQ | Resources | Newsletters | Spanish
Automotive    Education    Electronics    Family    Finance    Health    Homeowners    Shopping    Travel   
NEWS   Latest |  Archives |  Auto |  Cells, etc. |  Computers |  Financial |  Health |  Homeowners |  Parents |  Privacy |  Scams |  Seniors |  Travel

Internet Furniture Seller Slapped With Court Order

Consumers Complain about North Carolina Furniture Buy Direct



By Mark Huffman
ConsumerAffairs.com

November 13, 2006
North Carolina is famous for its furniture companies, but one company has been drawing the wrong kind of attention. North Carolina Furniture Buy Direct, based in High Point, has garnered a slew of consumer complaints and now it's been slapped with a court order.

"We've heard from hundreds of people who paid for furniture they never received," said Attorney General Roy Cooper. "That's not the way to do business, and we're taking action to stop it."

NC Furniture Buy Direct Internet Furniture Seller Slapped With Court Order
Consumer Complaints
---
More about Furniture ...

Cooper is not the only one who has been hearing from angry consumers about North Carolina Furniture Buy Direct.

"I ordered $3000.00 worth of furniture in January and like everyone else have been given the same run around. I have had to give them my credit card number numerous times because they conveniently can't find my information to refund me," Jennifer, of Slidell, Louisiana told ConsumerAffairs.com earlier this month.

"I ordered over $6000 in living room, bedroom and dining furniture in Oct. 2005 and was told in Feb 2006 that my order was misplaced," Jeffery, of Sayville, New York told ConsumerAffairs.com last month. At the time, he still hadn't gotten his refund. That's right, refund. The company required Jeffery and other consumers to pay for their purchases, in full and up front, then never delivered.

A North Carolina judge has granted Cooper's request for a temporary restraining order to stop the company from demanding upfront payment from consumers, then never shipping the furniture. Cooper is also seeking to permanently stop the company's bad practices, and is asking the court to order N.C. Furniture Buy Direct to pay refunds to consumers and civil penalties to the state.

As alleged in the complaint, N.C. Furniture Buy Direct began selling furniture via the Internet in January of 2004. The company required consumers to pay at least a fifty percent deposit when they placed an order and more recently required full payment upfront. Consumers were told that their furniture orders would arrive in four to 12 weeks, however many people never received their furniture as promised.

The federal mail order rule requires companies like N.C. Furniture Buy Direct to give customers the option of a full refund if their order doesn't arrive on time, which the company failed to do even after Cooper's Office reminded them about the rule and the company said it would change its ways to comply.

According to the Attorney General's complaint, N.C. Furniture Buy Direct took out a loan from First Bank in High Point in June 2006 that it told Cooper's office it would use to pay refunds to dissatisfied consumers.

Cooper said that when his office followed up, they discovered that many consumers still hadn't received either their furniture or a refund. N.C. Furniture Buy Direct recently began to take orders under a new name, N.C. Furniture World, and instructed employees to deny that the two companies are connected when in fact they are the same operation.

"There are many excellent furniture firms in our state, and we want consumers who order from North Carolina businesses to get what they pay for," said Cooper. "To protect yourself, check out the company before you order."



Report Your Experience
If you've had a bad experience -- or a good one -- with a consumer product or service, we'd like to hear about it. All complaints are reviewed by class action attorneys and are considered for publication on our site. Knowledge is power! Help spread the word. File your consumer report now.


Consumer News

August 29 2008

Recent Recalls & Safety Alerts



FREE CONSUMER NEWSLETTERS

The Daily Consumer
Afternoons M-F

Sign up now!


Consumer News & Alerts
Every Sunday

Sign up now!


Knowledge is free.
Knowledge is power.





Back to the top |

Advertisement


Home | Complaint Form | News | Recalls | FAQ |
Consumer Resources | Small Claims Guide | Lemon Law | Newsletter | Contact Us
Advertise With Us | Testimonials | Newsroom | RSS Feeds |


Terms of Use Your use of this site constitutes acceptance of the Terms of Use

Advertisements on this site are placed and controlled by outside advertising networks. ConsumerAffairs.com does not evaluate or endorse the products and services advertised. See the FAQ for more information.

Company Response Welcome If complaints about your company appear on our site, we welcome your response. Please see the Response Form for more information.

For more information, see the FAQ and privacy policy. The information on this Web site is general in nature and is not intended as a substitute for competent legal advice.  ConsumerAffairs.com Inc. makes no representation as to the accuracy of the information herein provided and assumes no liability for any damages or loss arising from the use thereof. 

Copyright © 2003-2008 ConsumerAffairs.com Inc.  All Rights Reserved.    The contents of this site may not be republished, reprinted, rewritten or recirculated without written permission.