96-year-old veteran sends SOS to 7OYS for help with a warranty
FORT LEE, New Jersey (WABC) -- When 7 On Your Side got an SOS from a WWII veteran and COVID survivor, it became their mission to help.
Gerald Gersten is known as Fort Lee's Flying Ace - a radio engineer in the United States Army Air Corps who served with the greatest generation from 1940-1945.
"I was 19," says Gersten. "They'd get these new guys they were 18, I'd shake hands, next mission, they'd be dead."
He's 96 now, but still on a mission: to get his lift recliner chair fixed after it broke down last Christmas.
Luckily, Gersten's daughters purchased a warranty when they bought the chair last August from Corner Furniture in the Bronx.
"I called the warranty phone number, it was like falling into a black hole," said daughter Lisa Gersten.
The warranty company, Montage, sent a service tech from a subcontractor in January. Months later the Gerstens were then told to have the furniture store order the parts.
The girls rented a chair to help their dad get up. He got a bedsore and then COVID. Thankfully he survived.
They say while still waiting for the chair, their 96-year-old dad got pneumonia and was hospitalized
"We are still waiting, here he is deteriorating," said Lisa.
In April, the store said it would deliver a new recliner within two weeks. Six weeks later it still wasn't delivered
"Our dad is a hero and American hero, he's our hero, the fact we have to wait every day for it to be fixed is so disrespectful and unnecessary," said Shari Gersten, Gerald's other daughter.
7 On Your Side thought so too. So we called the store and the chair's manufacturer, Ashley Furniture.
In just days, Sgt. Gersten was ready for lift off and Corner Furniture bought Gerald a brand-new recliner.
"It's like floating on air," said the veteran as he reclined in his chair and showed off how it can lift him up.
Ashley reimbursed him more than $600 for the rental chair. Corner Furniture refunded the price of the warranty saying:
"We are extremely happy that Mr. Gersten is happy and comfortable. We at Corner furniture are happy this was resolved."
"God bless you all thank you so much," Sgt. Gersten said.
But we are the ones who want to thank Gersten for his service to our country.
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