New York AG Tells Upstate Retailer to "Cease and Desist"

Utica-based Carl's Furniture City has received a cease-and-desist notification from the New York Attorney General's Office, the Utica Observer-Dispatch reported on Monday.

Company president Carl Vogel said in the report the problem contracts were issued by a third-party using his name while operating under a license agreement. Carl's Furniture City owns stores in Utica and Watertown.

The report cited an Attorney General's Office letter saying that the store's contracts "fail to conspicuously state in writing an estimated delivery date," and customers reported that the store refused to provide a full refund on furniture that it failed to deliver in a "timely" manner.

Vogel's attorney said in a statement that Vogel began leasing part of his Watertown location to New York-based Grems Inc. earlier this year, and also entered into a license agreement that allowed the company to operate under the name of “Carl’s Furniture City.”

"Although Grems, Inc. utilized the name 'Carl's Furniture City' ... neither Carl Vogel nor Carl's Furniture City, Inc. had any involvement in the operation or business at the Watertown Store," the statement said.

Vogel said he terminated the license agreement and the lease immediately upon learning of the contractual issues and is now running the Watertown store and working with the Attorney General to clear up the matter.

"Mr. Vogel's reputation for outstanding customer service is well known and established in this community," the statement said. "He looks forward to providing the widest selection of high quality furniture to customers in the Utica and Watertown areas for many years to come."