Consumers file complaints against Grant's Appliances

The Illinois attorney general's office Thursday said it is helping dozens of consumers file complaints seeking restitution after purchasing products at Grant's Appliances before its stores suddenly closed last month.

So far, a total of 38 consumers filed complaints with the Better Business Bureau of Chicago and the attorney general's office after spending as much as $10,000 on appliances and not receiving their merchandise. More consumers are likely affected. It is unknown if consumers will be reimbursed.

Grant's Appliances, also doing business as Bassgar-Illinois Inc., has not filed bankruptcy in court, but it is in “assignment for benefits for creditors.” An “assignee,” or an agent, has been named to distribute the company's assets, said Maura Possley, a spokeswoman for the attorney general's office.

Letters from the attorney general are expected to be sent this week to consumers to encourage them to file a claim, she said.

The Better Business Bureau received a couple of complaints in August and September and then 18 more in October, about the time the stores closed around the suburbs, said BBB President and CEO Steve Bernas.

“Normally when a company is about to close, and they're still taking money from customers, you'll see a pattern of complaints leading up to the closure,” Bernas said. “But that hasn't been the case here. We just got a surge of complaints in October and that's unusual.”

The BBB handed over its complaints to the attorney general's office for further investigation and action, Bernas said.

In mid-October, the stores reportedly closed and customers complained on various websites, including grants-appliances.pissedconsumer.com/.

The troubled company also was the subject of a class-action lawsuit in 2010 where about 7,000 consumers said they never received their promised $500 rebates after purchasing appliances. A $600,000 settlement in 2013 was provided to help resolve those complaints. Bassgar-Illinois did business as Grant's Appliances TV & Video and Grant's Appliances Electronics & More, among other names, and had denied any wrongdoing in that matter.

At that time, the company had two stores in Downers Grove, and one each in Aurora, Joliet, Orland Park and Merrillville, Ind. All reportedly closed around mid-October.

Phone calls to some Grant's stores only prompted a voice message about store hours, said its voice mail was full and did not allow for messages. The company website and Facebook site have been taken down.