Prizant's follow-up

Both the Post-Gazette and Tribune-Review have examined the Prizant's Flooring situation. The company suddenly closed its doors leaving many out in the cold who had paid down-payments for products they've yet to receive. Prizant's had a store in Cranberry.

Tribune-Review:

So far, 36 consumers from Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Indiana and Washington counties and East Liverpool, Ohio, have contacted the [attorney general], spokesman Nils Frederiksen said, adding the office doesn't discuss investigations unless criminal complaints are filed.

The Better Business Bureau, meanwhile, has logged 37 complaints in the last 10 days or so against the chain, President Warren T. King Jr. said. The bureau, which listed an "unsatisfactory" rating for Prizant's, now notes on its Web site that mail sent to Prizant's is being returned, and the bureau can't reach the company by phone.

Post-Gazette:

Molyneaux flooring, another Pittsburgh chain, has offered former Prizant's customers discounts if they made a deposit but never received carpeting, so long as they have proof such as a canceled check or deposit receipt. That offer expires Jan. 15, said owner Pat Molyneaux.

But those discounts, up to one-third of the full Prizant's order, still won't satisfy the customers who paid more than one-third; these customers want to know Prizant's next move. (Neither Prizant's nor Sweetwater Investors has filed for federal bankruptcy protection, according to court filings, and it's unclear if they intend to do so. )

Mr. Scioscia called the Post-Gazette to say Prizant's would be making an announcement this week regarding how customers could get their money back, but so far, none has been forthcoming.

One hundred customers have contacted Molyneaux since Christmas. As many as two hundred former customers of Prizant's may have been affected. Prizant's website has been shut down.