Arroyo Grande furniture business closing as customers await orders

August 3, 2016

An Arroyo Grande furniture business that has come under fire for not delivering beds and couches that customers purchased is preparing to close for good. The business may close without refunding customers whose orders were not fulfilled. [KSBY]

For months, customers have been waiting to receive the items they purchased from RoomsExpress, formerly known as Ashley’s Home Furniture. Several customers turned to the media to pressure the furniture store to deliver the beds and couches they purchased or to refund the orders.

In June, the company’s attorney said the orders had been delayed because the furniture store had just emerged from bankruptcy. But, all orders would be fulfilled by the end of July, attorney Robert Rosenstein said.

At the conclusion of July, some customers had received their furniture, some had received a refund and some had received neither.

One customer said, in May, he paid nearly $3,000 for a couch set. A representative of the store called him in July and said RoomsExpress had no time frame for the couch delivery and that it is not possible to refund the purchase because the company filed for bankruptcy, the customer said. The company told him to dispute the charge through his credit card company, the customer added.

Customers told CalCoastNews that, at one point in July, several people were inside the Arroyo Grande store demanding their furniture of their money back. RoomsExpress responded by threatening to call the police and announcing the store was permanently closing that day.

After the angry customers left, the store reopened. RoomsExpress is currently having a closing sale. A sign outside the business says everything is 50 percent off.

Customers also say the store has been encouraging furniture buyers to pay with cash.