Charlotte Furniture temporarily banned from operating in North Carolina

After allegedly taking money upfront and then leaving customers without the product they purchased, a company called Charlotte Furniture has been temporarily banned from operating in North Carolina.

Attorney General Roy Cooper last week filed a lawsuit against Charlotte Furniture and its owners, Adel and Nader Judeh, after receiving complaints from 13 customers who said the company failed to complete their furniture orders, and refused to refund their money.

The defendants knowingly gave misleading delivery estimates for customers’ orders and avoided other customers who attempted to get in touch with the company about missed deadlines, according to the complaint. Sometimes customers who did receive their orders found that the furniture was defective, or that the order was incomplete.

Also according to the complaint, when customers threatened to pursue legal action, the defendants closed the store, moved to a new location and reopened under a different name.

Under a temporary restraining order signed Monday by Wake County Superior Court Judge Allen Baddour, Charlotte Furniture is not allowed to operate in North Carolina. The company is disallowed from advertising and collecting payment from customers in the state, as well as for accepting advance payments for furniture in the state, according to a statement Monday.

“It’s simple. If you pay a store for merchandise, they should give you what you paid for or refund your money,” Cooper said. “Pocketing payments and failing to deliver on promises is no way to do business.”

This story was originally published October 3, 2016 at 5:15 PM with the headline "Charlotte Furniture temporarily banned from operating in North Carolina."