Choosing a brand..HELP

[paulette]

Hello,
I am living the furniture nightmare..We are on a limited budget and ended up buying a Berndardt from Dillards.MISTAKE #1. It is less than 1 wk. old and looks like its been used and abused. Dillards is picking it up minus 15% AND delivery. I am now $500.00 in the hole for "new" purchase. Mother in law has direct buy membership and offered to help me buy a new piece if I go through there. They carry Flexsteel and a few other brands in my price range which is pretty small at this point. My question is the warranty on Flexsteel the same if I go through Directbuy and #2 what other brands are decent in the2,500.00 range.I am not the kind of person to keep furniture and recover it but I don't want a piece of junk either.Thankyou for any advice

[drcollie]

Unfortunately the brand you selected is not known for quality, though I'm surprised you could see a deterioration in that short a time. What exactly are your issues with the piece? The reason I ask is to try to help you head off any issues on a re-purchase. Another thing you may want to consider is to ask Dillards to forgo the 15 % restock fee if you buy something from them off their sales floor. Most retailers will agree to that.

If you go through Direct Buy or any authorized retailer your warranty will be intact.

Flexsteel is generally strong and durable, though its certainly not highly crafted or tailored. For $ 2,500, you can buy a first class sofa without compromising. You don't say if you were looking at leather or fabric, but as an example take a look at the Bradington Young closeout deals here on the forum (vendor classifieds). They will blow Flexsteel right out of the water on build quality and comfort. The deals are out there, but you won't find them at Department Stores and have to search them out.

http://www.myfurnitureforum.com/show...Clearance-Sale

[paulette]

After begging forever and then having my husband call and plead again they won't budge on the 15% or delivery pick up. I am so discouraged but I will NOT be purchasing there again! My cushions are flat on the back and the seat cushions are showing impressions.They consider that "normal".I do not want to straighten the sofa every single time we get up.I will try to upload a picture because it is unbelievable. I looked over the B.Young and they are not quite the style we are looking for. We want fabric,no slipcovers,I think the style falls under transitional? Do you know of any other brands we could look at? I wish we lived closer to you so we could just come in.Thank you again

[Briant73]

After begging forever and then having my husband call and plead again they won't budge on the 15% or delivery pick up. I am so discouraged but I will NOT be purchasing there again! My cushions are flat on the back and the seat cushions are showing impressions.They consider that "normal".I do not want to straighten the sofa every single time we get up.I will try to upload a picture because it is unbelievable. I looked over the B.Young and they are not quite the style we are looking for. We want fabric,no slipcovers,I think the style falls under transitional? Do you know of any other brands we could look at? I wish we lived closer to you so we could just come in.Thank you again

Try an EECB to Dillard's corporate. Usually that 15% fee is waived for items that the customer feels are defective or something is amiss. To send an executive email carpet bomb read here http://consumerist.com/2007/05/how-t...rpet-bomb.html

As for new furniture I would check out what furniture stores are local to you and see what they have, then come back here and ask questions on what items you liked.

[drcollie]

After begging forever and then having my husband call and plead again they won't budge on the 15% or delivery pick up. I am so discouraged but I will NOT be purchasing there again! My cushions are flat on the back and the seat cushions are showing impressions.They consider that "normal".I do not want to straighten the sofa every single time we get up.I will try to upload a picture because it is unbelievable. I looked over the B.Young and they are not quite the style we are looking for. We want fabric,no slipcovers,I think the style falls under transitional? Do you know of any other brands we could look at? I wish we lived closer to you so we could just come in.Thank you again

You may have purchased a sofa that had down cushions in it, which will flatten out when sat upon and never be really 'straight' per se. If that's a feature you want, be sure to stay in poly-dac (Qualux) and fiber cores, and also consider a tight back sofa which will always keep its shape and crisp form.

Delivery costs money to and fro, but the 15% restock fee should be able to be factored out or reduced to just cover a credit card surcharge if the item was paid for in that manner (2 to 3%). You'll have to get to the Store Manager as he's probably the only one who has authority to waive it or reduce it. Explain to him your dismay at the piece without getting emotional and them tell him what you want in order to remain a Dillard's customer (you'd be surprised how many customers do not offer up a solution as what would make for a reasonable resolution).

Take a look at the Taylor King Cozy Creations line. There's a lot of sofa here for the money, its made correctly and in the USA, and will meet your budget price points in a mid-grade fabric. I like this product a lot for best bang for the buck that will stand the test of time in durability.

http://www.taylorking.com/products.php?func=show_static&d=CC_brochure1&m=12! 0

[aaron]

If you go through Direct Buy or any authorized retailer your warranty will be intact.

I've never worked with DirectBuy, but it's my understanding that they charge a high membership fee, plus you have to pick up anything you buy or arrange your own transport from their warehouse to your home. I understand that fees and policies can vary by location, as they're a franchise business.

[Briant73]

I've never worked with DirectBuy, but it's my understanding that they charge a high membership fee, plus you have to pick up anything you buy or arrange your own transport from their warehouse to your home. I understand that fees and policies can vary by location, as they're a franchise business.

I have heard the same things, that's why I suggested checking local dealers to see if DirectBuy was really a deal or not.

[paulette]

The Directbuy memberships are high and you do have to arrange delivery but my mother in law already has one so I will be ordering through her membership otherwise I would not use them. I've figured I will have to pay delivery no matter where I buy from since I live outside of DFW. The furniture is about 50% off give or take. For example the Taylor King Expressions sofa is $1,122.00 ssshhh)but I am not leaping into anything without shopping around. Thank you so much for looking out for me and helping me make the right choices.

[drcollie]

Just for fun I took a look at that. I sell that sofa (Taylor King Expressions in A-grade) for $ 1,309 and delivery to Texas is about $ 265. No membership Required.

[simplyjeff]

There are a lot of reviews of Directbuy on the internet and it seems as though the majority are negative. Some of those people are really upset. Apparently if you buy very large amounts of furniture you can come out ahead. Unfortunately many subscribers never reach that threshhold. Other comments referred to the quality of the merchandise. It sounds as though there is a mixture of good quality stuff and not so good quality stuff.