Approximately ninety consumers will receive $100 each in restitution as a result of an agreement between the State of Vermont and Buck’s Furniture, a furniture dealership previously operating out of Wolcott, Vermont. Buck’s Furniture, along with its owner and manager Sandy Howard, have agreed to a consumer protection settlement that requires it to pay a total of $9,000 in restitution to consumers as well as $11,000 to the State.
"Furniture purchases are one of the largest household expenses that consumers face,” explains Attorney General William Sorrell. “Businesses engaged in the retail sale of furniture must be honest with consumers about their pricing and delivery practices.”
The settlement resolves the Attorney General’s claims that Buck’s Furniture engaged in unfair and deceptive practices, which included:
- Extended delays in delivery of paid-for furniture, often in excess of three months;
- Delivery of floor models when consumers ordered new products;
- Deceptive comparison pricing, where the compared-to-price was not an actual price at which goods had been sold; and Violations of the consumer protection rule regarding going-out-of business sales.
Source: Vermont AG 11.5.2014