Mike and Raghda Rafferty bought a new home three weeks ago and one week later, they ordered about $3,000 of furniture at the Art Van store in Shelby Township.

The seven pieces, intended to furnish two rooms in their home, were supposed to be delivered Saturday to their new house.

Instead, the couple sat in line for more than four hours at the Art Van headquarters in Warren, among dozens of other dissatisfied customers who were left with no choice but to pick up their furniture directly from the warehouse after the retailer announced it was shutting down all of its approximately 190 locations Thursday.

More:Art Van Furniture to close its stores, begin liquidation sales

Mike found out about the store’s closing from social media and immediately called customer service. He said he was told his delivery was not coming, his order was no longer in stock and he could either pick out new pieces of furniture from what’s available in the warehouse or lose $3,000.

“If we didn’t have to be here, we wouldn’t be here,” Mike said from the driver’s seat of the U-Haul Truck the couple rented for the day. “This was either get your furniture or you’re out of your money. We’re not here to shop around, we’re here because we have to be. Our money is tied up here. We have no choice.”

The couple rushed to the Art Van in Brighton Wednesday evening to select different pieces, having to accept a few floor samples due to low stock, and ended up spending another $140, despite the 20% discount the retailer offered as part of its liquidation sale.

“Mike and I sympathize with the employees, but the discounts are pathetic, I’m sorry,” said Raghda, who is 38 weeks pregnant. “You’re left in a hard place where you’re basically out of your money, and you don’t want to be out of your money. It’s not their fault, but it’s frustrating because we kept being told different things.”

Delivery trucks sat idle at the warehouse as the customer pick-up line stretched onto the road, leading to intervention from Warren police, who closed off East 14 Mile in an attempt to control the mass of customers trying not to lose their investments.

Alfred Clemons, of Allen Park, was the first of many customers to be sent away by police, who cut off the line after 4 p.m. Fortunately for him, a kind stranger ahead of him in line offered to let him hop in his truck, which had a 16-foot trailer attached.

“The cops aren’t going to chase me out of here without my furniture,” Clemons said. “I don’t care if I have to drag it across the parking lot, I’m not leaving without my stuff.”

Clemons had two pieces of furniture specially ordered, totaling close to $5,000, in November and kept having his delivery date postponed. At one point, the retailer delivered the wrong set of furniture to his house and only took them back after he insisted.

“I would rather sit on a rock than to have to put out all this money for nothing,” he said. “It’s been well over six months without anything in my living room. We’re talking about Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Super Bowl Sunday — all with no furniture.”

After similarly being told his special order was no longer available, Clemons went to the Art Van in Taylor to select new pieces. There, he said, he saw a cashier crying behind the counter, customers breaking pieces of furniture and someone even walking out of the store with unpaid merchandise.

“Everyone’s going nuts at the stores, it’s been an absolute nightmare,” Clemons said. “It was almost reminiscent of a riot.”

The Taylor Police Department received no requests for their services or any complaints about large crowds from the store, according to Lt. Anthony Neal.

Warren Mayor Jim Fouts told the Free Press that, according to city police, an irate customer caused a fight at the Warren location Saturday morning after being told they would not be receiving a refund. Due to an inadequate number of security guards, police intervention was needed to control the large crowds.

More:Warren mayor says Art Van store ordered to close early because of crowds

“I told my police commissioner we’re going to try and bill this (private-equity firm) for all the amount of money they’re costing the city,” Fouts said. “It’s private property. The Warren police should not have to go on their property.”

Fouts said the store was ordered to shut down at 4 p.m. Saturday to avoid further escalation, but an Art Van spokeswoman denied that and said employees decided to close early in response to the overwhelming traffic.

“The police in this city should have a bit more respect for the people,” Clemons said. “They should’ve been out here since the morning, they knew this was going to happen.”

The furniture retailer is expected to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy this week and all stores are to close in 60 days.

Art Van stores will reopen Monday at 2 p.m.

Free Press reporter JC Reindl contributed to this report.

Contact Miriam Marini at mmarini@gannett.com.