Recliner gives Canton woman a scare; she finds it difficult to return item

CANTON, Ohio - A Canton woman who was trapped in a piece of furniture she recently purchased received help from NewsChannel5 to speed up the exchange process.

Lora Jean Weidleman of Canton received her second knee replacement back in March. The procedure has now forced her to use a walker.

While she was in the hospital, Weidleman took delivery on a pair of powered recliners. The chairs cost her nearly $1,500.

"I can't sleep in my bed," said Weidleman. "I have to sleep in a recliner."

But weeks after the chairs were brought to her condo, an accident occurred Weidleman reports she will never forget.

"My leg got caught as the chair was closing and it tipped forward," said Weidleman. "I was trapped, and it hurt badly."

Fortunately, a phone was nearby, and the 79-year-old was able to call her friend, who freed her a half hour later.

"I called Jill, I knew she would laugh at me, she said 'how did you do that?'" she said.

Weidleman wasn't injured, but was too scared to sit in her new recliners again. Weidleman and her daughter contacted Levin Furniture to arrange an exchange, within the store policy.

However, two months went by and Weidleman was still waiting to exchange her recliners for chairs she could trust.

"I called seven times, the last time I talked to her she said 'I'll talk to the manager,'" explained Weidleman. "I have not received a call from a manager, no."

5 On Your Side called the Canton store and the manager responded immediately. NewsChannel5 was told Weidleman's exchange was still being processed by the corporate office.

Weidleman is now being shipped the chairs of her choice.

Consumers need to read and understand the store return policy before they buy. If the return policy isn't posted, ask the store staff to show it to you in writing.

Keep all receipts and paperwork for your purchase throughout the return and warranty period. If you aren't getting the the attention you deserve, consumers should not be afraid to ask for the store manager.

Filing a consumer complaint with the Better Business Bureau can also produce results.

More tips on how to return merchandise, posted on this website:
http://sbinfocanada.about.com/od/retail/a/storereturns.htm