Stern's Department store stupity

I purchased a Rocker Recliner from Sterns on February 26, 2000. The recliner was $361.00 and I put it on my Visa. I had just received a substantial credit raise on my card, so I had about a thousand dollars on it. I was told that the product was there, but I could not pick it up as I had no access to a truck, or people to help me at the time.

I made delivery arrangements. Unfortunately they were backed up and could not get it to me until 3/18. I asked them to make it the 25th as it was my fiance's birthday and I knew I would not be around the apartment all day.

Today, March 20th, I received a call from Sterns saying that the card was "hard declined". They had recommended that I call my Visa. When I called the bank, I was told that there was no record of their attempting to put it through on the 26th, or any time after that. Stern's is responsible to put the credit slip through 5 days after the credit was authorized, which they never did. As I went under the safe assumption that the credit was taken off he card, I spent quite a bit of my credit balance.

Right now, I do not have enough to cover this purchase because of the spending I did under that assumption. Stern's says their policy is not to charge the account until a few days before the scheduled delivery.

My arguement is that I considered the chair owned already as the chair was there for me to pick up had I been able to or if Sterns could have delivered it earlier. I would not have made all those purchases after the chair purchase had I have known about the policy, which was not explained to me.