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WATCHED THE SECOND PRESIDENTIAL
DEBATE ACCORDING TO NIELSEN,
DOWN ONLY SLIGHTLY FROM THE
FIRST FACE OFF.
ANOTHER BUFFALO AREA FURNITURE
RETAILER HAS CLOSED UP SHOP.
CUSTOMERS WERE CAUGHT BY
SURPRISE WHEN F-W-S SHUT DOWN
TODAY WITHOUT NOTICE. NEWS 4'S
RACHEL KINGSTON IS LIVE ON
ELMWOOD AVENUE.
ALL OF THE SUDDEN TODAY, THIS
SIGN APPEARED ON FWS'S DOOR.
"WE'RE CLOSED FOR BUSINESS; IF
YOU HAVE AN ORDER WITH US, CALL
THIS NUMBER." IF THE STORIES
YOU'RE ABOUT TO HEAR ARE ANY
INDICATION, CALLING THAT NUMBER
PROBABLY WON'T HELP MUCH.
FWS'S CLOSING CAME WITHOUT
WARNING -- OR DID IT? A NEWS 4
INVESTIGATION FINDS THE COMPANY
HAS BEEN IN DEEP TROUBLE WITH
ITS CUSTOMERS FOR MONTHS.
((WE CURRENTLY HAVE 55
COMPLAINTS FILED OVER THE LAST
12 MONTHS. A NUMBER OF THOSE
HAVE BEEN FILED SINCE AUGUST OF
THIS YEAR.)) MOST OF THOSE
COMPLAINTS INVOLVE FURNITURE
THAT WAS ORDERED, BUT NEVER
RECEIVED.
((IT WAS VERY AGGRAVATING. YOU
WERE PROMISED TWO WEEKS, BUT
THEN YOU'D CALL IN AFTER THE TWO
WEEKS AND THEY'D SAY, 'WELL,
IT'S GOING TO BE ANOTHER SIX TO
EIGHT WEEKS.')) AFTER THREE
MONTHS OF WAITING, LYNN
CANCELLED HER ORDER... EXPECTING
SHE'D GET HER 837-DOLLAR REFUND.
((WELL, THEN I WAS INFORMED BY
THE MANAGER THAT THE COMPANY WAS
FOR SALE AND ALL THE ACCOUNT HAD
BEEN FROZEN.)) AND THE MOST
SERIOUS COMPLAINTS AGAINST
FWS...
((PENDERS: WE HAVE REPORTS OF
REFUNDS THAT HAVE BEEN RECEIVED
THROUGH CHECKS, AND
UNFORTUNATELY SOME OF THOSE HAVE
BOUNCED.))
((I DID DEPOSIT IT IN MY
CHECKING ACCOUNT, AND SURE
ENOUGH, I GOT IT BACK
YESTERDAY... THE CHECK WAS NO
GOOD. AL: THE CHECK BOUNCED?
CUSTOMER: THE CHECK BOUNCED. AND
I WAS CHARGED A $15 SERVICE
CHARGE BY MY BANK, FOR A 'RETURN
SERVICE FEE.')) THIS MAN, NICK
AND LYNN ALL HAVE BEEN CALLING
FWS SINCE JULY. EVERY MESSAGE,
THEY SAY, HAS GONE UNRETURNED.
((NICK: EVERY TIME I WOULD CALL
AND SAY I WANTED TO SPEAK TO MY
SALESMAN, I WOULD NEVER GET A
CALL BACK.))
((NOBODY'S CALLED US BACK FROM
FWS, FROM JULY 29 TO TODAY.))
((LYNN: I HAVE NO IDEA WHEN I'M
GOING TO GET THE MONEY BACK.
CUSTOMER SERVICE HAS BEEN
ATROCIOUS. AND IT'S JUST VERY,
VERY AGGRAVATING; AND A TERRIBLE
WAY TO DO BUSINESS.))
NOW, WE SHOULD NOTE THAT FWS HAS
BEEN WORKING WITH THE B-B-B,
TRYING TO RESOLVE SOME OF THESE
COMPLAINTS. IF YOU'RE AN FWS
CUSTOMER WHO'S BEEN LEFT IN THE
LURCH, YOU ARE ENCOURAGED TO
FILE A BBB COMPLAINT OF YOUR
OWN. WE HAVE A LINK TO THE
COMPLAINT FORM
IN THIS STORY ON WIVB DOT COM TO
HELP YOU GET STARTED.