By Anthony Rifilato
"I thought my kids would love sleeping in a bunk bed," said Belmar, who works as a court reporter at State Supreme Court in the Bronx. "There were signs up and down Grand Avenue for Global, promoting their sale."
Belmar picked out a nice oak set, priced at $698, on Oct. 16. "We made the order and they planned the delivery," she said. Her total, with tax and delivery charges, came out to $758.16, and she was supposed to receive the beds in November.
They never came.
Belmar said she believes she is one of many customers who have not received their orders from Global Furniture and Bedding after it closed its doors last month. "They just closed up shop," she said.
Belmar is filing a complaint with the Nassau County Department of Consumer Affairs, and is hoping to get her money back. "What they did was really low," she said. "You don't just leave and take people's money."
Jim Reed, deputy commissioner of consumer affairs, said that the department is looking into one complaint -- he has yet to receive Belmar's -- regarding Global for misrepresented service, and he recommended that others who have complaints about the furniture store contact his office. "We're their only hope," Reed said.
Global Furniture and Bedding opened up in a 12,000-foot space at the Baldwin Shopping Center in 2002, when many of the stores were empty. At the time, the Herald spoke with Mohamed Mansour, who identified himself as a partner at the store and who said he was hoping Global would do well in Baldwin.
Some local workers said they believed the store had not done the business it had expected, and said the rent at Global was exorbitant. "They were doing really bad," said an employee at Grand Unisex Hair Design who wished to remain anonymous. "Their rent was like $23,000 a month."
Attempts to contact Global were unsuccessful. Calls to the shopping center's owner, Rosen Associates Management Corp., were not returned.
Belmar said that at first she was told by Global that her bunk beds had been damaged in a fire at the store in December. Baldwin fire officials confirmed that Global had sustained extensive damage to its inventory and storeroom.
But Belmar was told by a store manager not to worry, and that her beds had been re-ordered. She called back two weeks later. "When I called, I was referred to the Rockville Centre store," she said.
Belmar said she was also told by Global Furniture in Rockville Centre not too worry. Then the Baldwin location closed its doors. From then on, Belmar said, each time she tried to contact either store, the phone just rang endlessly.
The Herald also tried to contact both Global locations using several phone numbers, and sent an e-mail to the company's Web site, www.globalfurnitureandbedding.com. And a Herald reporter went to the Rockville Centre location last week.
The store, at 202 Merrick Road, also had going-out-of-business signs on its windows. Employees there would not comment on any complaints made in Baldwin, and referred all inquiries to the manager, who was unavailable at press time. One employee did say that the Baldwin location had a different owner, and noted that the fire was a reason for its closing.
Belmar said that she regrets paying for her order with cash. "I wanted to use cash because I didn't want to run up my credit card," she said. "Unfortunately, I didn't have that recourse where I could have the credit card company step in."
Reed recommends that customers use credit cards for expensive purchases. "People should use credit cards to pay, because they can dispute the charge if they haven't received their furniture in 60 days," he explained. He also suggested that people contact the Better Business Bureau to check a business's references. "I would do a financial check," Reed said.
Nancy Hsu, also a Baldwin resident, said she had purchased a dining room set from Global Furniture in Baldwin for over $3,000 three months ago. She received part of the set, she said, but not the complete set. Hsu said she made numerous calls in order to get her items or a refund, like Belmar, but to no avail. She said she plans on filing a complaint with Consumer Affairs as well.
"This dining room set was someone's Christmas gift," Said Hsu. "Now I can't give it to them."
There may be a bright side to the story. Belmar said that she called Global Furniture in Rockville Centre on Monday, and, to her surprise, someone answered. "They weren't answering the phone for over a month," she said. "Now they're being very accommodating, and said they'll honor my receipt."
Comments about this story? Baldwineditor@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000
