New furniture not right/needs fixed

[Briant73]

Duane,

We spoke a few times by e-mail and over in the "other" furniture forum but now I'm coming here for some help on my predicament. Long story but I feel I better tell in full so I can get the correct advice.

I looked for furniture high and low and finally settled on a Smith Brothers couch and recliner in fabric. After about a month wait at the end of April this year the items were delivered, the items were correct in appearance and nothing seemed wrong with their structure. I did notice on the fabric several fabric knots that the delivery personnel said they can send out someone to look them over and take care of. One knot they cut off at delivery time but it left a bit of a hole in the recliner front side panel. They delivery person noted it on the receipt and then said it would be replaced soon as they got a new one from the manufacturer.

The recliner other than a few knots and the tiny hole has worked well. The panel though still has not been replaced. The store now claims they want to send the chair back with the couch (see below for that).

The couch is a different story. The showroom one was in leather and the one I received was fabric so I knew the leather would feel a bit softer with a little more give but the chair was also the same and it sits pretty close. But the couch to this day sits way different than the showroom model even after five months. The couch I got almost pushes you off it's so stiff/bouncy, the seat cushions you feel like your rocking side to side if you sit on them in the middle. Twice the sales person has visited and twice he seemed to agree with me that there is a problem and it's not right. Recently on the one side the couch is making a slight clunk when sitting down. Also the seat cushion welts look horrible to my eye in that they are twisting and not following a straight line. I even have had a upholstery store owner over and they felt the couch cushions were overstuffed. There also exists some knots.

I have spent months trying to get these problems corrected but due to circumstances at the dealer this hasn't happened yet. I won't go into all the details but let's say I have been for the most part patient and followed up on my end. I did speak with the owner who explained why things took so long and apologized which I accepted but explained I want things made right which he agreed to do. He said they will be coming out to pick up my furniture and send back to the manufacturer to let them fix it right. I was told the first week in October I should hear something, I figure last week and the beginning of this week would be that time period. So I have the owner's word they want to make things right and that things are going to happen soon.

My questions are how much longer should I be patient? So far other than calling them every few weeks I haven't done anything else but am willing to if it keeps going on. What options do I have if things keep dragging?

I'm hoping that most of this post will be made irrelevant this week and the dealer will come through but if that doesn't happen I'd appreciate any advice what to do next instead of just getting upset.

[drcollie]

One of the things I would suggest you do is start a paper trail. Phone calls are easy to make, but they leave no record, and a piece of paper in letter form on the owners desk is far more a reminder than a jotted note made on a phone call.

Find out who the VP of Sales or President is at the maker. When you write to the dealer, cc: a copy to them every time to that person's attention. Don't write direct to the maker, let the dealer handle it - but mail a copy. You want to keep the supplier aware that you are taking the time to write this all down and keep records. Its the old 'squeaky wheel gets the grease'.

Take photos and include them in your letters, especially to the supplier. Keep your letters short and to the point, with no emotion.

Suppliers will lightly pressure the dealer on the issue, because that letter sits on that VP's desk as well and they want to resolve it.

Send a letter every week if need be. It can be the same letter just with an updated request. Polite persistence is the key.

Good luck!

[Briant73]

Thanks for the advice. I will start using written word (letters, faxes, emails) in my communications if things break down again.

I guess the hardest part of this is that it's dragged out but never once when I have contacted the store have I been rebuffed or told anything other than they want to make it right. I then got the explanation why it dragged out but they will do their best to remedy the problem. Just after five months my patience is about gone so one more setback is not going to sit well.

[drcollie]

Five months is ridiculous. What the store is doing it simply waiting you out, assuming that once the newness wears off you'll simply accept it and stop calling them. It's a hassle for the store to return your furniture to the supplier, lots of handling and repacking - no store wants to do it. You can make yourself a real headache by just applying non-relenting pressure to resolve the issue...and again you do that with a lot of letters. Don't use email, and faxes aren't as good as letters. As I mentioned before, type one up and send it to the owner of the store, and CC to the suppler VP or President (get a name).

Every week that goes by mail the letter again, with a footnote that it is being resubmitted on such n' such a date. Keep this once a week letter going and by the third week I can almost guarantee you something will happen.

Keep a copy of these letters for yourself as well.

If all else fails, file in Small Claims Court where you live for refund of the pieces, and you have the letters and photos for your evidence. I guarantee you things will happen quickly then, and filing is cheap in most locales.

[Briant73]

Five months is ridiculous. What the store is doing it simply waiting you out, assuming that once the newness wears off you'll simply accept it and stop calling them. It's a hassle for the store to return your furniture to the supplier, lots of handling and repacking - no store wants to do it. You can make yourself a real headache by just applying non-relenting pressure to resolve the issue...and again you do that with a lot of letters. Don't use email, and faxes aren't as good as letters. As I mentioned before, type one up and send it to the owner of the store, and CC to the suppler VP or President (get a name).

Every week that goes by mail the letter again, with a footnote that it is being resubmitted on such n' such a date. Keep this once a week letter going and by the third week I can almost guarantee you something will happen.

Keep a copy of these letters for yourself as well.

If all else fails, file in Small Claims Court where you live for refund of the pieces, and you have the letters and photos for your evidence. I guarantee you things will happen quickly then, and filing is cheap in most locales.

Yes, I am hoping that things are moving forward but as I said it's been five months and they haven't done anything so far. I'm willing to go to the next level if things don't move forward soon.

I can say that I just purchased a new home and by not correcting this that they are losing out on any new furniture purchases for this home.

[Briant73]

I decided to call the furniture store, the owner wasn't in so I left my name and number. I figure if I don't hear anything by the end of the week, over the weekend I'll compose a letter to both the store and as you suggested a copy to the furniture maker.

[Briant73]

I just was called this afternoon by the furniture store to arrange pickup of my furniture today to send back to the manufacturer. I got the odd feeling they almost forgot me and that my call yesterday jogged their memory.

So tomorrow they are supposed to pick up my furniture and send it back either in this shipment or the next one. So now I will take pictures and document everything to make sure it is correct when I get it back. I am including a letter with the furniture of my issues.

[Briant73]

Well good news, the furniture was picked up and now hopefully will be repaired as needed. As to why the store took so long, I have been given an explanation that though doesn't make the wait right, it does explain things.

Thanks for your help in case the store was dragging their feet on purpose and the advice should help anyone who runs into an issue with their purchase where the store is not following through.

[McCall]

Hey, after all that can't you tell us what reason they gave? and let us know when it comes back, if it comes back LOL , if it was fixed

[Briant73]

Hey, after all that can't you tell us what reason they gave? and let us know when it comes back, if it comes back LOL , if it was fixed

As to the reason - I canl say the reason was not anything to do with store policy or an employee trying to string me along. The reason was one where my contact had something personal to deal with and had to take off suddenly and unexpectedly. I probably would of pushed the issues sooner but I had the "fun and pleasure" of moving into a new house while readying my old house for sale.

To be fair my contact always promised they would get this issue taken care of and even made visits to my home to check the issues just somethings fell through the cracks on this. Both from personal experience and my work I dealt with enough vendors/stores to get a feeling when something is amiss and didn't feel that way for the most part with this experience. But to due to the length of time I began to worry that maybe my feeling was not correct and something was amiss, so I wanted to see what options I had just in case and I thank everyone for sharing those.

I plan on updating on what was done when it comes back and what condition the furniture is in.