Businessman sweetens a sour deal

Deirdre Newman

A financial dispute between a customer and the owner of Gen X Living,

a trendy furniture store on Newport Boulevard, was made public and

then resolved Tuesday in two diametrically opposing ways: a blatant

protest against the store and the subtle intervention of a

neighboring businessman.

Anthony Geisler filed a lawsuit against Gen X Living Tuesday

morning, claiming the store owed him $5,000 for not delivering the

full bedroom set he ordered. He also paid four people to stand

outside and picket the store, and he rented a truck, for about $1,800

a day, and parked it outside the store Sunday with a banner that

shouted out his problems with the store for passersby to see.

But when Tony Lubiani -- owner of Lubiani II, an Italian mens’

clothing store down the street from Gen X Living -- intervened,

things got settled between Geisler and Gen X manager Dan Tran.

“Obviously [Geisler] is angry, he’s spending extra money for this

[protest] -- it doesn’t make sense,” Lubiani said. “I went to talk to

Dan. He agreed it doesn’t make sense.”

Geisler, who owns L.A. Boxing, said he went into the furniture

store the last week of April and paid $3,000 cash for a five-piece

bedroom set. The employee who sold it to him, Dennis Nafisi, signed

the back of his business card and wrote “3,000 -- cash,” the only

receipt Geisler said he got.

When the furniture didn’t arrive, Geisler went back to the store

and talked to Tran.

Tran said he had no record of the sale and that writing the price

of something on a business card is standard procedure to let people

know how much something costs, not to confirm a sale.

Geisler said Tran gave him two options -- take him to court or pay

$1,350 for the delivery charges. Geisler paid half the delivery

charges because the armoire was back-ordered, and Geisler decided he

didn’t want the mirror, Tran said.

But when the furniture Geisler expected wasn’t completely

delivered, his frustration motivated him to action. He ordered the

banner truck and hired the picketers at $10 an hour to carry signs

that said things such as, “Owner Dan Tran Will Not Deliver.”After

about only one hour of picketing -- and with Lubiani’s smooth

diplomacy -- the issue was settled.

“I didn’t want to make any money; I just wanted to get what I

bargained for from the beginning,” Geisler said.

“I was just very surprised that he did that because we tried to

accommodate him and give him the benefit of the doubt,” Tran said.

Tran fired Nafisi for various reasons, he said. Tran said he is

considering putting a sign in the front of his store to warn people

that they will need a receipt to prove they have purchased something

at the store.

Both Geisler and Tran lauded Lubiani for caring enough to get

involved in the dispute.

“I think it’s awesome,” Geisler said. “[Lubiani’s] not receiving

anything out of it. He cared about two people. With his help, we were

able to resolve it.”