Roanoke “Ashley Furniture Homestore” part of group closings
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Published: September 20, 2008
Updated: September 23, 2008
Updated 12:10 a.m., Saturday September 20th
I’ve been able to confirm that in addition to the closings in Georgia that I reported earlier, there are also two closings in South Carolina.
A source tells WSLS 10 On Your Side that owner Corey Baker ownes 4 stores; in Roanoke, Virginia, Augusta, Georgia, and Columbia, South Carolina.
Baker sold three of his other stores earlier this year.
The source says that was plan for the 4 remaining stores - but that transaction did not happen.
This, despite a sign on the window that says the store is “undergoing a change in ownership…and is not open for business during this transition period.“
Employees are out of jobs, and tell us that they will be collecting unemployment.
No word on how many employees worked at all 4 stores.
I have tried calling the owner several times at his Georgia home—but he has not returned my calls.
The public relations department at Ashley Furniture, which is based in Wisconsin, issued a release Thursday—but have not commented since then.
Updated 6:00 p.m.
I’ve learned that Roanoke area customers are not the only ones left wondering about the status of their orders.
‘Ashley Furniture Homestore’ in Roanoke closed its doors yesterday.
But WSLS 10 On Your Side has learned that the Roanoke store is not the only Ashley store that has closed.
An Ashley store and outlet in Augusta, Georgia has also closed.
We tried calling the owner of the Roanoke store, Corey Baker, several times at his home in Atlanta… but he never returned our calls.
Meanwhile—we’re receiving dozens of calls and e-mails from concerned customers wondering about the status of their orders.
Ashley furniture says that that it will contact customers to try to resolve their concerns.
The company says it is not legally required to do so, but is acting as a good samaritan.
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Updated 2:00 p.m.
I’ve been meaning to share this with you all. Sorry for the delay, I’ve been out in the field working other avenues.
I will continue to update you throughout the day via the web (when possible) and have the latest on our evenig newscast.
Thanks,
Mollie
News release from Ashley Furniture
ASHLEY FURNITURE STEPS FORWARD IN ROANOKE, VIRGINIA STORE CLOSING
ARCADIA, WISCONSIN (September 18, 2008) - The recent closing of a retail furniture store in Roanoke, Virginia, has shoppers questioning the status of furniture ordered from the store. A Wisconsin furniture manufacturer has offered assistance with fulfilling orders for the furniture it manufactures.
An ASHLEY FURNITURE HOMESTORE® retail furniture store in Roanoke, Virginia, which is independently owned and operated by the Virginia Limited Liability Company, THE BAKER GROUP INTERNATIONAL OF ROANOKE LLC, (“BAKER GROUP”), closed its doors on September 18, 2008. BAKER GROUP had a license to use the trademark ASHLEY FURNITURE HOMESTORE® from Ashley HomeStores, Ltd., and sold furniture manufactured by Ashley Furniture Industries, Inc. (“Ashley”).
“While BAKER GROUP had the license to use the trademark and business name ASHLEY FURNITURE HOMESTORE®, BAKER GROUP received all money paid by its customers and is solely responsible for fulfilling their orders”, according to a spokesperson for Ashley.
The spokesperson continued, “Upon receiving notice of the store closing, Ashley contacted BAKER GROUP and its secured lender, GE Commercial Distribution Finance Corporation. Ashley obtained from BAKER GROUP a list of customers who had purchased furniture from and paid a deposit to BAKER GROUP, but who had not received the furniture manufactured or distributed by Ashley (the “ASHLEY® furniture”) they purchased from BAKER GROUP.“
Ashley, while under no obligation to do so, will be contacting customers whose names are on the list Ashley received from BAKER GROUP to confirm orders and deposits and to determine if Ashley, as a good samaritan, can resolve their concerns by offering to deliver the ASHLEY® furniture these customers ordered. The spokesperson explained that Ashley was considering this voluntary course of action, even though Ashley is not legally obligated to do so, in an effort to aid consumers.
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11:10 a.m.
I have received dozens of phones calls and e-mails from you—viewers concerned about whether they’ll receive their furniture.
Thanks for contacting me!.
Though I may not be able to reply to each and every one of you, please know I am aggressively pursuing an answer for you.
I’ll keep you updated via this website and our evening newscasts.
Thanks, Mollie
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Reader Reactions
Customers who have been ripped off i am writing with further info in regards to the ASHLEY story i have called two Ashley Homestore locations that still have the Corey Baker Group as their Greeting for voice mail i have called all the closed stores and they have no voice mail greeting make of that what you will it is also interesting to note that this type of incicdent has happened several times where a store closes and ASHLEY comes out stating that they bear no responsiblility as they had given the group the license to use the trademark and buisness name but the licensee was a seperate company although business failures are not uncommon but the exact mo occurs one day the store is open the next day closed with the same press release instead of the store having a going out of buisnes sale it just closes virtually overnight.
P.S. Here are the numbers and addresses for the stores with the Baker Group still being identified on the voice mail
answering service.
1(865)392-5401 11051 TURKEY DR KNOXVILLE TENNESSEE
1(423)794-1240 155 MARKETPLACE DR JOHNSON CITY TENNESSEE
i only bring this up because if ASHLEY is still doing business with this group he should be made to give those people in GA,SC AND VA either their money back or their merchandise and they claim that they will make good as good Samaritans but heck they are still doing business with him they can require him to make good as a condition for him to keep his license to operate.
Let’s see, here. They license their name to an outfit that pays them a fee. They pocket that fee. They apparently WANT you to THINK you are buying from Ashley Furniture, and are most pleased if you do so, profiting nicely. Then, when consumers lose their monthey to Ashley’s agent, Ashley wants to call itself a “Good Samaritan”, and “hopes” to deliver their already-paid-for furniture. Let’s see, does this smell bad?
Ashley could have distributed its line of furniture through unrelated retails stores, like so many others, but instead took the route of labeling each store with its own name, and believes it is not “on the hook”? The Ashley Board of Directors needs to review this faulty line of thought if they wish to stay in business. I cannot fathom consumers accepting the current Ashley line of thought.
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