Buckeye fans score $1.5M in free furniture

More than 500 customers at Morris Furniture won free furniture Monday night with the Ohio State win in the College Football Playoff National Championship game.

Morris Furniture Company ran a promotion at its 15 Morris Home Furnishings and Ashley Furniture Home Stores in Dayton, Cincinnati and Columbus for people who purchased $1,999 or more of furniture between Dec. 17 and Jan. 1. The company said it would refund the money customers paid if Ohio State won by 7 points or more Monday against the University of Oregon Ducks.

A third-party company underwrote the promotion and will pay out nearly $1.5 million in furniture costs because of the Buckeye’s 42-20 win, said Rob Klaben, vice president of marketing and advertising at Morris Home Furniture Store.

The phones were ringing early Tuesday morning from customers wanting to know how they would get their money back, Klaben said.

“They are thrilled,” Klaben said about the store’s customers. “The promotion created a lot of great conversations in our showrooms.”

Asked if his company regretted making the promotion, Klaben said, “Absolutely not.”

“It’s been a great story for the Buckeyes and it has created good buzz for our stores,” Klaben said.

Klaben said customers spent an average of $2,500 and about 125 bought their furniture, hoping to cash in on the promotion. Customers will have to return to the store to fill out a claim form to get their money back.

“I think it’s been an incredible season for the Buckeyes, now on their third-string quarterback,” Klaben said. “And who would have thought they would have run away with the Big Ten championship. Just the momentum and excitement out there, I think it’s just incredible…”

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