She’s out to cull rotten retailers

You better watch out
You better not cry
Better not pout
I’m telling you why,
Helen Sears is coming to town.

She’s making a list
And checking it twice
Gonna find out who’s naughty and nice,
Helen Sears is coming to town.
She sees you when you’re sleeping
She knows when you’re awake
She knows if you’ve been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake!

I’m sure you recognize this as a modified version of the Christmas classic, "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town." I’ve just substituted the name Helen Sears for ol’ Saint Nick. And that change means we have an entirely new tune.

In case you missed it, Helen Sears is the name of a New York City Council member from Queens. It seems that a growing number of consumer complaints about allegedly less-than-scrupulous furniture stores put Ms. Sears in a mood that is anything but jolly. She appears to think that too many retailers have been far too naughty

In particular, Sears is angry about a growing number of complaints from consumers who report that furniture stores in her area accepted deposits or full payments from them but never delivered furniture.

To safeguard her constituents, she is proposing a statute that calls for the licensing of furniture stores, and that would empower the city’s Department of Consumer Affairs to revoke the store’s license if it could be proven the store broke its contract with the customer.

According to the Web site of the Commissioner of Consumer Affairs, area consumers filed some 800 furniture-store-related complaints with that office in 2006, up more than 40% from the prior year.

Under New York law, furniture dealers must provide customers with a written delivery date. If the furniture is not delivered by then, the consumer can ask for his or her money back, cancel the order or request a new delivery date.

It’s a shame that a few rotten apples spoil the basket.

So, Helen, don’t judge the entire basket on the basis of a few bad apples. The vast majority of furniture retailers are hard-working people with admirable personal and business ethics.