Milwaukee , Wis. – The Wisconsin Better Business Bureau is warning consumers about Home Supply Cooperative, a home furnishings store that has racked up 19 complaints this month.
The store, which is currently in Wausau and has a closed location in Shawano, sells membership in its cooperative that allows consumers to purchase furniture and home furnishings at “exclusive, members only pricing”. According to the complaints filed with the Wisconsin BBB, memberships cost from $1,200 to $1,500. However, the complainants state that ordered items have not been delivered, the doors are closed and the company is unreachable by telephone or e-mail. In some cases, furniture was ordered as early as February 2008. Complainants, on average, paid more than $1,600 for items that have not been delivered.
Calls made to the store’s phone number today state that the store is closed for the holidays. Attempts to leave a message were unsuccessful, as all voice mailboxes were full. However, the store’s website was up and running. Complainants state that they’ve been told the store has “been closed for the holidays” since Thanksgiving.
If you are a customer of Home Supply Cooperative, the Wisconsin BBB offers this advice:
• If you paid for the merchandise via credit card, write to your credit card company to dispute the charges. Please note that consumers have a limited time to do this, and time limits vary by company.
• File a complaint with the Wisconsin BBB at http://www.wisconsin.bbb.org. If the store is closed, you are still owed the product for which you paid. Complaints filed with the BBB will follow the store if it should re-open under a new name.
* As of December 16, 2008, the store has not filed for bankruptcy. However, if it does file, consumers will have to file a claim with the bankruptcy court administering the process—the deadline is typically 90 days after the filing date. More information on filing a claim, including downloadable forms, is available online at http://www.uscourts.gov.
For more information or further inquiries, please contact the Wisconsin BBB at http://www.wisconsin.bbb.org or 414-847-6000 (metro Milwaukee ), (920)-734-4352 ( Appleton ) or 1-800-273-1002 (elsewhere in Wisconsin ).
