So, you ordered furniture from Bassett and they have not lived up to their end of the agreement, (i.e. delivered defective merchandise, did not deliver as promised). What do you do now? Depending on your situation and how you paid for your merchandise, there may be remedies available.
If you ordered your furniture, paid for it with a credit card and either have not taken possession of it, or received it in less than new condition, you can ask your credit card company to open a dispute for you. It will be up to Bassett to prove to your creditor that they delivered your merchandise as promised or you may not have to pay for that charge on your bill. The credit card company may then advise you to either, 1) return the damaged merchandise, or 2) refuse it at time of delivery. They may then do a "charge back" or, take the money away from Bassett's merchant account and take it off of your bill.
This applies even if you financed your furniture using a Bassett credit card backed by GE. The following excerpt from the GE credit agreement may offer some options:
Special Rule for Credit Card Purchases
If you have a problem with the quality of property or services that you purchased with a credit card, and you have tried in good faith to correct the problem with the merchant, you may have the right not to pay the remaining amount due on the property or services. There are two limitations on this right:
(a) You must have made the purchase in your home state or, if not within your home state, within 100 miles of your current mailing address; and
(b) The purchase price must have been more than $50.These limitations do not apply if we own or operate the merchant, or if we mailed you the advertisement for the property or services.
If you used Bassett SmartPlan, you can stop making the payments and force them into either satisfying your demands or filing a lawsuit against you to collect their money, and leave it up to a judge to decide if you ought to pay. Be advised that anytime you default on ANY payment arrangement, for whatever reason, your credit may suffer, and there are no guarantees when it will return to its original state.
If you paid cash for your Bassett purchase, file a complaint with Consumer Affairs, Better Business Bureau and/or file a lawsuit against Bassett to try and get your money back. You should also complain to Bassett's CFO and advise him of the other action you are taking. Below you will find some links to help you resolve your situation.
J. Michael Daniel, Controller and Interim CFO, Bassett Furniture Direct
P.O. Box 626
Bassett, VA 24055
(276) 629-6614
Bassett Message Board, Yahoo Financials
Department of Consumer Affairs/Civil or Small Claims Court-contact your individual state or county
Disclaimer: I cannot guarantee the success of any of the suggestions posted above. You should seek legal counsel if you feel your rights are being violated or if your credit history is being unjustly compromised.
