I was a member of the Better Business Bureau for almost 10 years. I was a member as I feel the consumer should have some area of redress without getting the legal system involved. Was I shocked when I filled a complaint against American Furniture Warehouse with the BBB and found out that all they had to do was respond to my letter! No satisfaction, no arbitration or mediation, only write a letter! A letter that said, American Furniture Warehouse did not want my business!

I tried to talk to supervisors at the BBB but the phone system did not offer me that opportunity. Later I was talking to a news reporter about business and I mentioned my experience with the BBB. Six months later (9 months after the complaint) the director calls me to tell me I'm wrong, I should have been offered mediation. As a person who relies on my reputation for business, I felt the BBB director should have done a better job of hiring and managing the employees. Regardless, in Colorado Springs the consumer is without representation. Since American Furniture Warehouse is still a member and treats consumers (and other members) like I was treated, I seriously doubt if the BBB would have done anything to them. Your WEB site has many unresolved complaints against American Furniture Warehouse, which supports this point.

I choose to be only associated with things I respect and have dropped the BBB logo from all my advertising. I feel the BBB logo is not something I want to be associated with. I feel that the BBB did not want to anger American Furniture Warehouse so choose to blow me off instead.

Better Business Bureau of Southern Colorado