Ohio Furniture Store Accused of Fraud, Leaving Many Customers Empty-Handed

COLUMBUS, Ohio — In 2023, Amy Rose said she bought a beautiful cabinet from Burke Decor for her Sunbury home.

“[I] just loved the whole look about it,” she said.

She liked it so much, she decided to buy a second cabinet from the Youngstown-area business.

But almost a year later, the wall that would have held the cabinet is still bare.

Rose mentioned that around two months after placing her order, she realized that she had not received any updates. When she reached out to the company, she was informed that there were issues with suppliers causing a delay in shipping until October.

By mid-October, Rose said she contacted Burke Decor for an update and was told her order had been cancelled.

So she asked for her money back, but it never came.

“They said it could take up to 14 days,” she said.

Rose financed the purchase through PayPal.

The company’s Purchase Protection Program typically allows customers a 180-day period after purchase to be eligible for a refund. Unfortunately, Rose’s order was canceled after this timeframe had expired.

“So I’m still paying payments on the cabinet that I don’t have through PayPal,” she said.

According to Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, Rose is one of hundreds of Burke Decor customers with the same problem.

“There’s over 250 unresolved complaints, $350,000 involved,” Yost said.

Amidst a legal battle, the company is being urged to pay fines, cover legal fees, and reimburse all affected customers. However, records from the court indicate that the company’s founder, Erin Burke, has declared bankruptcy.

10TV called and emailed Burke and her lawyer, but is still waiting to hear back.

With that in mind, Rose told 10TV she wanted Yost to answer this question: “If they go belly up, they don’t have the money, what recourse does the state, or anybody, have to get me my money back?”

“You can’t discharge fraudulent activities in bankruptcy, so if you can prove that’s not dischargeable and you can still be on the hook for it,” said Yost.

It’s an unfortunate situation that could happen to other shoppers, so 10TV asked Yost for tips on how you can protect yourself.

“They can check our website at the Attorney General’s office to see if there are complaints against this company. You check with the Better Business Bureau,” he said, “Then some common sense kinds of things: do you have a contract in writing, is there a delivery date where they promise you’re going to get it by this date, are they making you pay everything up front before you get delivery?”

And when it comes to making a big purchase, he added that using a payment plan could leave you vulnerable.

“This is the reason we tell people to use a credit card when they have transactions. Because when you have fraud, you’re limited to a $50 loss. You have more rights with a credit card and you can dispute it with a merchant,” he said.

10TV contacted PayPal to see if they have any comment on the situation or if they’re willing to make an exception for customers like Rose, but did not hear back.