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Leon's limbo: Store shutdown leaves customer fighting for answers

A Bridgewater, N.S., family is struggling to get straight answers from Leon's after the furniture giant shut down its store in the town.

Jeremy Porter has been fighting with the company for the last week to find out what happened to a bed he ordered from the Bridgewater store and if his credit card would be charged.

"I must have called at least 25 times, sent voicemail messages, waited in good faith for automated messages from store or from the corporate office," said Porter.

"I've been bounced around so many times, misdirected so many times, have had so much misinformation. It's been a short little nightmare."

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Porter used a Leon's credit card to buy a new bed for his 15-year-old son back in mid-November. The $535.90 bed wasn't in stock, so the store ordered one in. Porter was told it would take up to eight weeks to be delivered.

But while Porter waited, the Leon's stores in Bridgewater and Coldbrook shut down. There was no word on whether the bed for his son was on its way or if Porter's credit card would be charged.

The sign on the old Bridgewater location directed Porter to call the Leon's in Dartmouth. Most of his calls got him nowhere.

"The messages evolved over time to basically say that the best the Dartmouth location would do is to provide us with a comparable bed, mattress, or store credit," said Porter.

"However they could not void my order and have a refund because that's not what they'd been directed to do from the corporate office in Ontario."

Submitted by Jeremy Porter
Submitted by Jeremy Porter

Frustrated by the service he'd received, Porter decided to cancel his order. But even that took numerous phone calls.

He eventually reached a manager that was able to cancel his order, but he's still waiting for confirmation that he will not be charged for the bed.

"My customer service experience has been nothing short of frustrating and stressful," he said.

Submitted by Jeremy Porter
Submitted by Jeremy Porter

CBC News reached out to the Leon's store in Dartmouth for comment and was told to contact Leon's corporate office in Ontario. Messages left with the corporate office were not returned by deadline.

In an email last week, the company said it will serve all of its customers out of the Darmouth location, saying that "customers will receive the highest standard of service."

Porter certainly doesn't feel that Leon's has met that high standard.

"I'm also frustrated that my son — 10 weeks later — doesn't have a bed," said Porter.

"Somehow, amazingly, he's content with a futon mattress ... so he's been a good trooper throughout the entire thing."