I shopped on-line at Great Priced Furnitures beautiful site. The furniture looked fabulous and the site made much of it quality, great customer service, fast delivery, 100% satisfaction guarantee and easy returns.
The problems began when after placing my order for a new dining room table, Great Priced Furniture advised me that it was on back-order and would be delayed by several weeks. I ordered it at Thanksgiving hoping to have it my Christmas, but ok, these things happen. But Christmas came and went, no table. Then New Years, Valentines Day, Ground Hog day, huge family party, St. Patrick's Day. You get the picture. Note, the site and company's recorded message when you call touts "the fastest delivery in the business."
With each delay, I got a nice e-mail from a lovely and very apologetic sales rep., Kali, who was clearly embarrassed. Finally after the fourth missed delivery date, I cancelled the order. I then got a call from the company's President apologizing and promising delivery by the end of May. I said "ok." I really wanted the table, it looked so pretty in the picture. To be fair, they knocked a hundred off the price and offered me free "white glove" delivery for my trouble. With that, the delivery guys would bring it into the house, set it up and take away the packaging, this will matter later.
The end of May came and went, still no table. However it finally arrived on June 10. I was excited to come home from work and see what I had waited for. Unfortunately it looked nothing like the picture.in the glossy web-site photos it was all inlaid wood and rich finishes.in person it looked like cheap South China stuff I could have gotten locally at Target.in person, the fancy wood in-lay from the picture looks like it might in fact be a photograph of wood inlay superimposed on cheap wood. Kind of like Pergo flooring was picture of real wood grain on hard plastic. There are no seams on the table.in short, not at all worth the time, trouble wait or money.
But these things happen, disappointing but no problem, I'll return it. I contact the company and get a form e-mail saying that to return it, I must: 1) put it back in the original packaging 2) arrange for my own furniture mover to get across the country, 3) pay return shipping and 4) suffer a 20% restocking fee. Of all of these, it is the packaging / arrange your own shipping that sent me over the edge. Their people took the packaging! I have no early idea how to economically package and move a large dining room table across the country. I suspect they know and rely on both these facts. Most people probably give up at this point. After most consumers do the math of the cost of shipping furniture at retail rates, the 20% return fee and paying for commercial furniture packing, it is cheaper to keep it than return it. Awwggg!
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