Complaint Review: Crawford Furniture - Phoenix Arizona

I need help to get money that I spent at a furniture store

owned by Mr. Sharaf of Crawford Furniture, 4001 N. 28th Ave.

To further explain: I was planning to rent a two bedroom apartment and bought a trundle bed, head and foot board from him.

I needed the above because I am a 76 year old, brain damaged woman who expected my daughter to stay with me when I need help.

I did not rent the above mentioned apartment and instead returned to live in my one bedroom furnished apartment. I have no room for a trundle bed and never assembled same.

I called the manager, Steve, and explained my problem. He told me to return the unused mdse and he would return my money.

When I returned the mdse, the manager refused to take back the mdse unless I exchanged the trundle bed for other furniture. I told Steve the owner I could use a small desk, but he had none which would fit into my limited space. I also advised Steve that I could keep the head board but have no room for the trundle bed. I also reminded him that the salesman who sold the mdse promised that if I couldn't use same, I could return the purchase for a complete refund.

Again the manager refused, commenting that his boss, Mr. Sharaf,

wouldn't allow this.

I have both written and called Mr. Sharaf, and he adamantly refused to take the mdse back and won't return my payment.

Mr. badbusinessbureau please be advised that I have worked as a volunteer for 18 1/2 years in the Community Hospital at 19th Ave. and Maryland Ave. in Phoenix AZ. I have helped countless sick and troubled people as a volunteer. Now that I am in need, I feel that respect should be offered to me. Any local

store in Phoenix takes back unused furniture, particularly under these circumstances. Please use your expertise to convince Mr. Sharaf to return my money.

Mr. Sharaf is the owner of Crawford Furniture at 4001 North 28th Ave. and 9001 North 29th Ave., Suite 3, Phx., 85051.

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badbusinessbureau.com VOLUNTEER INVESTIGATES

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I attempted to call the Crawfords 28th Avenue store and got no answer. Current phone book lists a Crawfords in Tempe, AZ so I called that number. I inquired about their 28th Avenue store and the man told me it had closed 2 weeks ago, that they moved to 51st Ave. & McDowell (602-269-7364), and when I further asked how I could get hold of Mr. Sharaf, the man said that "Mike Sharaf" was the general manager of all their Crawfords stores and gave me the phone number where Mike Sharaf could be reached. That number is (602) 870-4119, and that is where I

called and spoke with Mr. Sharaf.

This outfit is BAD news. No question about it.

Essence of my conversation with "Mike Sharaf" is that I said I was with the Bad Business Bureau, that we had rec'd a letter from a lady, an older lady, a couple months ago, that she'd tried to return an unused/unboxed trundlebed that she'd recently purchased, that she was refused a refund, that I was unable to reach her, and wanted to know if the matter had been resolved.

I wish to hell I had the conversation with this SOB on tape.

He at first seemed very cordial, but said that that was a long time ago, indicating that it was too late for a return, and that he'd remembered the lady and remarked that he remembered that she was a volunteer. (She mentioned that in her letter also, that she was a volunteer at a hospital.)

I then explained that WE were late in getting to the matter ourselves because of being backlogged, that her letter to us was March 8, that she'd attempted to return the trundlebed shortly after it was purchased, mentioning something about it being unreasonable to not accept the return.

He then put the onus on me, saying I should write to him including a copy of her letter, and that our written complaint to him would be like the Better Business Bureau's manner of resolving complaints.

Although I told him I would put it in writing as requested, I very clearly told him that we were NOT like the Better Business Bureau, that the Better Business Bureau in many cities is an agency that merely takes membership fees from businesses for any business to be in "good standing" regardless if the proprietor of a business was in the clink for unscrupulous business practices.

I further said something about the unresolved complaints we receive, either through the ripoffreport or through the bad business bureau, are entered on the world wide web.

I then said that this was an "outrageous" action for a

business not to accept a return and provide a refund for an

unused/unboxed piece of merchandise from a poor senior citizen.

At that, this SOB took the offensive, repeating the word

"outrageous" a couple times, acting very put out at my use of the word "outrageous," saying that I had no personal knowledge of the matter, that I had no right to use that word, and that he would therefore no longer talk to me and slammed the phone down. That's right. He hung up on me.

It was clear to me this guy knew exactly who and what I was talking about, and in my initial explanation I made reference to the fact that shortly after her purchase she knew she had no use for it after all because her plans to move to a larger apartment had changed, that she had no room for it. I was even going to further explain the circumstances, how she was told by him that she would have to exchange it for another piece of merchandise, but that Crawfords didn't carry the only piece of merchandise she'd be interested in,......but I didn't get

that far.

With this jerk as the general manager for all the Crawfords Furniture stores, I am convinced that this isn't an isolated incident of bad business practices by Crawfords.

If you feel like raising hell with this man, his name is Mike Sharaf (pronounced ShaRAHF) and his phone # is (602) 870-4119. He was obviously also well aware of all he could get by with from being (apparently) "a member in good standing" of the Better Business Bureau.

Marilynn Wennerstrom

Consumer Advocate / Investigator / Volunteer

Again, I thank you.

Sincerely,

Irene Landi

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