Consumer Alert: Local furniture store owners say they’re addressing long wait times

This consumer alert addresses viewer comments about a local furniture store.  Monday, we answered a good question about whether Ruby Gordon is going out of business. That led to emails and Facebook messages that fell under my purview. Many shared their frustrations about waiting months for furniture that never arrived. So, I took a look at the issue.

When you visit Ruby Gordon you’re greeted by big, bold, neon signs that say everything must go. But in our Good Question report on Monday, the owners of Ruby Gordon, Aaron and Janetta Ruby, told News10NBC’s Emily Putnum that the store is not going out of business. They’re just closing temporarily.

“And then reopen to the public with this whole new concept and whole new offerings,” said Aaron.

After that story aired, we heard from viewers with comments like Leslie who posted on our station’s Facebook page, “ordered a sofa and loveseat in February. I was okay with a 10-week delivery time but after 16 weeks of waiting and no end in sight, had to cancel my order.” To which Jennifer responds, “Same thing happened to me,” and Larah pipes in with “OMG same happened to me.” 

Right now the company has a C plus rating with the Better Business Bureau, in part, because of complaints from customers like Sheri who ordered furniture in February and was first told 8-to-12 weeks, then later was told six months. The owners of Ruby Gordon say, “They hear you.”

“Customers are tired of waiting and they want product now,” said Janetta. “So, we’re meeting with all our manufacturers, new manufacturers and figuring out which ones more align with what we want to do for our customers.”

And what aligns with their customers is getting their furniture quickly. The owners blame the long wait-times on manufacturing delays. 

“So, we’re meeting with manufacturers; we’re meeting with vendors, and we’re coming up with the ones that make sense for us that will flow our goods, that will keep us stocked, that gets customers their product when they want their product.,” said Janetta.

To be fair, we also heard from viewers who are loyal to the family-owned store and encouraged others to buy local. The owners told Emily they plan to close their Henrietta store in early September and be closed for two to three weeks as they push the re-set button. They hope to re-open with a new look, new vendors, and new product.