Attorney General takes action against furniture store as owners scramble to make amends

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Sofa Beds & Recliners Unlimited. Credit WINK News

After more than two years of gathering complaints, the Florida Attorney General takes action against local furniture store Sofa Beds and Recliners Unlimited.

Unfair, Misleading and Deceptive

In the lawsuit, the Attorney General’s office claims that father and son owners, Jeffrey and Lane Granitstein, continued to take money from customers for more than two years, even though they knew they were behind on orders and may never be able to fulfill customers orders. The suit is seeking damages for all former customers.

WINK News first started reporting on upset Sofa Beds and Recliners customers in October of 2017. Since then, we’ve compiled a list of 81 unhappy customers. All the customers we spoke with said the same thing: they were promised custom furniture in anywhere between four to eight weeks, and when the company didn’t deliver, they heard a lot of excuses.

“There was always a holiday, an incident — whatever,” said Jeanne Rylander when talking about her experience.

She paid for a recliner in May of 2017. When she spoke with us in August, she still had not received her furniture or a refund.

“I don’t even want the damn chair anymore because I don’t know what I’m going to get. We bought a pig in a poke. We bought a picture.”

Response about delays

We called Sofa Beds and Recliners Unlimited owner Jeffrey Granitstein multiple times and he canceled an on-camera interview twice.

Over the phone, he reiterated that there were three sides to every story and that part of the problem included a severe downturn in the economy. He said he’s been in business for decades without any blemish on his record, until recently.

“I’m working hard to make everything right,” he told WINK

Making amends

It appears Granitstein is trying to make things right. Most of the 81 people we called had seen some kind of resolution. And those that hadn’t, Granitstein said, were in the process of being contacted.

Granitstein also says he believes the Attorney General’s office will drop the lawsuit because he is making good on all customers’ orders.

However, on September 18, the Attorney General’s office filed a motion for a default and a hearing has been set for October 8 at 1:30 p.m.

If you have an unresolved issue with Sofa Beds and Recliners Unlimited, the Attorney General’s office says you can still file a complaint at myfloridalegal.com.

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