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New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo announced that an upstate New York furniture chain must stop deceptive pricing schemes and deliver overdue furniture.

Utica-based Affordable Furniture received a cease and desist letter that gives the company two weeks to deliver all overdue furniture.  The company will also change its sales practices so that sales prices are disclosed showing the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP), the store’s “customary” price and any sales price.

Posted under Complaints

The Charlotte Observer and other North Carolina media outlets are reporting that Sonic Automotive, one of the nation’s largest automotive dealer groups, has reached an agreement with the state to change its sales disclosure practices throughout the state.

Sonic employees were reportedly engaged in selling after-market accessories to consumers. Sonic, the target of a major NBC expose, reached the agreement with Attorney General Roy Cooper according to the newspaper. Neither Cooper’s office nor the dealership would comment on the agreement, which is due to begin this summer.

The dealer group is comprised of dozens of dealership locations in multiple states and generated $7.8 billion in revenue and $91 million in profit during 2005. Sonic has agreed to pay nearly $1 million in refunds as part of its settlement.

Posted under Automotive, Customer Service

A week after Maytag announced a recall of more than 636,000 vacuum cleaners, the company reported that its first quarter sales were down 80% and that costs were higher than expected.

Investors punished the stock today, dropping the share price 28%, the lowest that price has been in more than a decade. The company warned investors that its future earnings would be lower.

Despite the massive recall, the company’s web sites still do not include recall information even when selecting customer service options.

Posted under Products