ST. LOUIS – The I-Team has a surprising follow-up to an investigation we've been working on for months.
A Missouri furniture company accused of defrauding hundreds of customers is still taking orders.
That's even after the Missouri attorney general launched an investigation.
According to the Better Business Bureau, Rough Country Rustic Furniture has pocketed close to $5000,000 for orders that haven't been shipped. Several customers told our I-Team they have been waiting more than a year for their orders to arrive.
Many customers report the company does not respond to emails and has not issued requested refunds.
The company makes coffee tables, bed sets, even lamps that let you store your firearm within easy reach.
Owner Jeffrey Ross told 5 On Your Side in January his business was sabotaged by a former employee- and that was the reason behind the order delays.
But the I-Team also found the company is being sued for nearly $1 million by financiers, suppliers and transportation providers.
While the company has 1,200 BBB consumer complaints against them, the I-Team learned the business may also be selling under the name Rustic Concealment Solutions.
Some customers have been successful in getting refunds through their credit card companies. A representative for Rough Country Rustic Furniture told 5 On Your Side they've been working with the attorney general to resolve complaints.
They also say they've successfully resolved more than 400 complaints against them.
RCRF Full Statement:
"We do still have many BBB complaints active, same as the last press release. We were hoping to devote some time to those complaints, but instead, we have been focusing on complaints with the MO AGs office as they are a government agency rather than a private company like the BBB. We met with investigators with the AG's office and made the decision to make these complaints priority. As we resolve the complaints with the AG we will simultaneously be resolving BBB complaints, as many people were urged to file a complaint with both. However, because we do not directly respond to the BBB complaints, they will remain active until the customer closes the complaint or we respond to the complaint and still, it is up to the customer to close it. We have successfully resolved 416 complaints in the past couple months out of 618 and will continue working on these until all are resolved along with fulfilling our other orders. Once we have successfully resolved all complaints with the MO AG, we will shift our attention to responding to the BBB complaints and finding resolution for those. We value each of our customers and deeply apologize for any and all inconvenience we have caused. We will continue on our path to recovering and getting our business back on the right track."
