Furniture retailing is a very hard market in which to succeed. The housing market has been really strong and people want to fill their big homes with all kinds of furniture. But in spite of that, furniture retailers still are struggling. Huffman Koos, a popular furniture retailer in the Northeast, is liquidating because the company couldn’t find a buyer to take over its ailing business. Sometimes furniture stores just shut down one day, and people who have paid for furniture ahead of time are left holding the bag. When you order custom furniture and there is a deposit you must put down, make sure you pay with a credit card. Do not use a debit card, cash or a check. Once you pay, you should start the clock. If the retailer said the furniture should arrive in four to six weeks, and that time passes with no furniture, you should start to wonder. The furniture may be just a little late. But the company could be in financial trouble, meaning your furniture was never ordered. At seven weeks, call and ask what’s going on. If they stall you some more, get ready to file a dispute with your credit card. At eight weeks, you are in danger. When it reaches 55 days, file the dispute. You only have 60 days to file a dispute, so make sure you get it in a few days early. If it turns out that you eventually get your furniture, you can always remove that dispute claim and release the money to the company. But make sure you are protected regardless.