Customer complaints about false advertising, faulty merchandise and bad customer service prompted the Better Business Bureau to issue a consumer warning about Bel Furniture.
Kristi Pena of the BBB said the furniture company recently earned an "F" rating with the bureau.
"The consumers are just being left with nothing," Pena said.
Pena said the BBB received 108 complaints, which include advertising, delivery and merchandise.
"In addition to that, you inspect the furniture when they deliver it, and it's broken or chipped or not the quality of what you saw in the store." Pena said. "So, now we're seeing a trend here, and this is a problem."
Kimberly Valadez, who works at a surgery center in Stone Oak, said she spent $4,000 on new bedroom furniture and got nothing but problems and empty promises from Bel Furniture.
"No phone call back, you get hung up on, put on hold for minutes and minutes at a time," Valadez said.
She said the company did not honor its own ad, delivered the wrong merchandise late and it was damaged.
"I mean, of course I'm really upset," Valadez said. "It was $4,000 that we thought we were getting something really beautiful."
Bel's website notes the company's integrity and how it puts the customer first.
In a telephone interview, Bel Furniture President Sid Mollai said the company takes care of all customers and that complaints are the result of the company's huge volume of business.
Bel Furniture is an advertiser on KSAT.
Mollai said because of this story he will no longer be placing ads with the station.
KSAT 12 received the following email from Mollai concerning the story:
The story of Mr. Brian Mylar given in your news and in your website is misleading and beyond any truth.
Mr. Mylar has not produced any facts and perhaps he was in rush to air the story. He did not investigate properly the issues he covered in his report.
While talking to Ms. Kristi Pena of BBB, our officials were simply passed on to Ms. Dufner. She mentioned about the assigning F Ratings to our company. Now it is our duty to respond to this F Ratings issue.
We feel BBB's judgment and ratings are biased. In order to prove our point we like to get the actual complaint figures of our competitors who are BBB ACCREDITED.
The figures are quite opener.
ROOMS TO GO has 1723 complaints in 3 years and 638 in 12 Months RATINGS A +
ROOMSTORE has 265 Complaints in 3 Years and 110 in 12 Months RATINGS B-
BEL FURNITURE has 108 complaints in 3 years and 40 in 12 Months RATINGS F
At this point of time we seek explanation of BBB on the criteria of Ratings and also want Mr. Mylar to know this fact.
BEL Furniture is adding 50,000 customers a year and 40 complaints from these amount of customers is nothing while any one judge.
BEL Furniture certainly puts the customers at first place and endeavor to satisfy each and every single customer..
While talking to Mr. Sid Mollai, Mr. Mylar did not mention the name of Ms. Valadez even once or details of her purchase from Bel Furniture. .
Mr. Mylar was well informed by Mr. Sid Mollai through an e mail sent at 6:00 pm that company was investigating and will revert next day but reasons best known to Mr. Mylar he rushed to put up the story on website and also on TV without waiting for our side of explanation. Such quick action of Mr. Mylar in connivance with BBB was never expected.
The unfortunate report on our company was well designed to tarnish our image which we are building over years by advertising heavily through media, including KSAT.
It is imperative to mention Mr. Mylar was in such rush the he quoted the customer's and Mr. Mollai's names wrong. While talking to Mr. Mollai he was already shooting for the story without waiting for the response of Mr. Mollai which he clearly requested Mr. Mollai to submit.
At this point we wish to clarify to all concerned that BEL FURNITURE vows to keep the customers on Top and satisfy them to the utmost possible.
Regards,
Sid Mollai
Bel Furniture