5 On Your Side

Customers upset with delays, excuses from Apex furniture store

After waiting for months for the delivery of furniture and getting fed up with an Apex furniture store, a Wilson couple contacted 5 On Your Side for help. Genia Bone's story isn't an outlier - it's one of multiple complaints 5 On Your Side has received involving Gole's Casual Furniture in Apex, a store that has been in business for decades.

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APEX, N.C. — After waiting for months for the delivery of furniture and getting fed up with an Apex furniture store, a Wilson couple contacted 5 On Your Side for help.

Genia Bone's story isn't an outlier – it's one of multiple complaints 5 On Your Side has received involving Gole's Casual Furniture in Apex, a store that has been in business for decades.

Genia Bone has been using a hodgepodge of furniture on her back porch for more than a year.

"I feel terrible because I don't have anything out here to show for the money that I have spent, absolutely zero," she said. "After a year, if you have not been able to deliver, I think any decent deliver person would refund the money."

In June 2015, Bone ordered several pieces of patio furniture from Gole's – a love seat, two rockers, three tables and four dining chairs. The pieces were all special order.

Bone put down $3,500 in cash of the $5,200 order, and she expected delivery of the items within 90 days.

When that didn't happen, she began calling Gole's every month. Every month, Bone says she got excuses from owner Ed Gole.

"It went from one thing to the other, as far as having to change distributors," Bone said. "Supposedly, at first, he was using somebody out of Florida. Then he told me he had to change and use somebody out of South Carolina."

Bone said eventually Gole would tell her the furniture was coming in, but the store would never set up a delivery schedule.

"Tried to get him to commit to set up delivery time the first part of the next week. He would not do it," Bone said.

After waiting more than 13 months, Bone contacted 5 On Your Side.

5 On Your Side has also heard from other customers who have complaind.

A Raleigh couple waited months for their order and didn't receive it until they took Gole's to small claims court.

Another customer waited months before she ended up buying furniture directly from a distributors. She disputed her $1,100 deposit with Gole's, but her credit card company denied the claim based on "information" from Gole's. Ed Gole told 5 On Your Side that the customer got her money back.

After calling Gole's and getting nowhere, 5 On Your Side went to the store to talk with Ed Gole and his father, Joseph Gole.

5 On Your Side told Gole they were trying to give him an opportunity to share what's going on because people are wondering.

"There's nothing going on," Joseph Gole said.

Joseph Gole told 5 On Your Side to leave the store

Ed Gole called later admitting that the Bone's case should have been handled faster. He said the store changed policies last year to refund deposits on any orders that took more than 90 days.

Ed Gole would not say why Bone hadn't already been refunded, but he promisted to send her a $3,500 check.

"I think people need to be aware of the type of business man that he is," Bone said.

Bone got a refund check from Gole's on Monday.

Gole's now has a banner posted outside their store saying it is closing. Ed Gole said the landlord sold the building, forcing them to move.

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