Online Furniture Purchase Experiences?

[LaffingBear]

Anyone else bought furniture online? I'm curious about experiences.

 

I'm redecorating.

 

Bought a rug from Overstock.com. Called with questions before I placed order. Phone rep explained "no returns if you just dont like it." Also looked up specific item history, telling me mostly excellent reviews, a few comments that color was slightly darker. I wanted slightly darker... ordered it. Arrived on time, and very happy with purchase.

 

Ordered a chair from Wayfair.com. Delivery repeatedly delayed, eventually took 5 weeks. Although ordered free delivery which means drop off at door ...nice delivery guys unpacked and started assembly. Drivers discovered damage, picked up chair and moved back to truck. Excellent service, but disappointing experience. A little luck in that fabric, color varied significantly from website photo - which is not a reason Wayfair will take return. Refund processed quickly. Replacement chair purchased locally - Macy's .

 

New flatscreen, difficult to find TV Stand locally that fits my room .... ordered stand from Houzz.com. 2-day delivery. Houzz said shipped, FEDEX said not yet shipped. Target delivery date changed. 10 days later, inquired on Houzz website - "we're contacting shipper." Three days later I called, insisted on waiting on phone while they contact shipper. Item discontinued, Houzz shouldn't have sold. Web search show item listed as discontinued on other sites... Houzz still selling after my return. Refund pending.

 

Ordered a different TV stand from Wayfair. Arrived in two days. Raining here.... box soaking wet and torn. Spoke with Wayfair, they said keep it.... if damaged, they'll refund. They don't want it back, regardless.

 

Lengthy post, I know.

 

Given my experiences, I'm wondering.... is anyone ordering furniture online with success?

[+ Funguy]

I have had only good experiences, especially with Overstock.com. I ordered 3 large area rugs (8.5 X 11 and 2 even larger). Two came in perfect condition, no problem; 3rd came and had a big crease down the middle when unrolled, like at one time it had been folded. I called about returning it for a replacement of the same item but I had torn the plastic it was rolled in. They said no problem, just wrap it in heavy duty trash bags and duct tape, making sure the ends were sealed and they would pick it up when they delivered the new one. Came off without a hitch 5 days later; new one was fine.

[+ purplekow]

Bought a divan at wayfair. The color was off. The next day, got the same exact divan. So now I had two divans, I only wanted one and the color was off. Tried to return them. Told that they had no record of the second divan and the first could not be returned because of color discrepancies. I used them anyway. Almost immediately my dog ripped one, which I move to a location in which the rip could not be seen.

Even with two for one, the product was shabby. Pressed plywood. Coarse fabric. I still have one which is bascially now a dog bed. The other eventually got torn worse and was tossed without regret.

[gallahadesquire]

Caveat Emptor. For purchases as large as furniture, I'm going to the store.

We have a plethora of good-to-cheap furniture stores--Brick and Mortar--here. Must be something about Yanquis.

 

I've taken to buying clothes online, because the selection of shirts is SO much bigger from Jos A Bank. And you can return locally, which seems to work for them whereas it failed at Land's End with Sears.

 

Of course, I bought socks from Walmart, as they no longer carry the item in question. And they sent me the wrong ones, anyway.

 

My TV was bought online, and I couldn't have been happier with delivery.

 

If I'm going to spend a large amount of money ... say for a stereo amplifier ... I want people I can see face to face and show them what's wrong with it.

It's our last chance to see "The Little Guy" stay in business.

[+ deej]

I've had a mixed bag, like any set of customer experiences.

 

I'll agree overstock.com is great, as is amazon.com.

 

jcpenney.com not so much. (The item was found on a google search.) They accepted the order, said "you'll receive a shipping notice". Two weeks later: "We won't be able to fulfill this order. Sorry." An hour later I'd found the same item elsewhere and it was delivered in two days.

 

My problem with most furniture buying online is that it ships knocked down and you have to assemble it, and the stuff is so flimsy it won't survive a move. (Often just from room to room!)

 

I'm a little wary of online furniture.

[gallahadesquire]

I've had a mixed bag, like any set of customer experiences.

 

I'll agree overstock.com is great, as is amazon.com.

 

jcpenney.com not so much. (The item was found on a google search.) They accepted the order, said "you'll receive a shipping notice". Two weeks later: "We won't be able to fulfill this order. Sorry." An hour later I'd found the same item elsewhere and it was delivered in two days.

 

My problem with most furniture buying online is that it ships knocked down and you have to assemble it, and the stuff is so flimsy it won't survive a move. (Often just from room to room!)

 

I'm a little wary of online furniture.

 

I had some great bookcases for the family room ... looked nice, were real veneer on particle board. Local supplier went out of business. They were in a flood, and the particle board just disintigrated. Sigh.

But I'd buy those again. Also bought as 6' tall cabinet. My housemate assembled it, so I have no idea how difficult it was (She said two hours or so) but it's solid and looks great.

[510guy]

I have bought desks, media racks, small dining table from online. There are times I have found maybe not quite what I wanted but it will due. My general rule is if I can live with it maybe not quite what I want if I can't return it I will take the chance. It's a chance I am willing to take if cost is under $300 but I normally prefer to be able to visually see what I am buying.

[LaffingBear]

I definitely wont buy upholstered furniture online again.

 

I have a "standard" for purchasing local v. online - all items. I start local. If equal price or slightly higher priced locally, I buy local. If significantly less online... 20%... I buy online.

 

The determining factor is usually choices, options. More and more, I cant find exactly what I want in local retailers, and buy from Amazon.

 

In the case of my TV stand(s) ... Ive got a wide recessed area, and seeking a stand of a certain width. None available locally. Hundreds of choices online. Most TV stands require assemby anyway, so I ordered.

 

I wont try Houzz again. Latest Wayfair attempt is still in box... I'm letting box dry thoroughly before opening. The box-damage is really Fedex's responsibility. Nonetheless, If I open box and find damaged contents... I'm finished with online furniture purchases.

 

Sad, because I suspect retail will continue to disappear. My furniture choices, even in a major metro area's suburbia, are crap or very high-end. Nothing mid-level. Macy's was closest. And many stores I walked into wanted me to pick items from catalogs anyway.

[510guy]

y stores I walked into wanted me to pick items from catalogs anyway.

 

That's a good point. Now that I think about it when I have bought locally I have either had to settle for what they had or ended up ordering from catalog anyways. The one advantage, at least with Asian places is I was able to negotiate price or delivery charge by buying multiple items or paying cash.

[body2body]

I've worked in the Home Furnishings field for over 40 years, both as a Designer, and as a product supplier. Buying online is problematic for a number of reasons. When you look at a product image online you are seeing the color as it was interpreted by the camera that took the image, and the again by how that color is rendered by your display screen. The chance that the color will match the screen image is slim to nil. Also, all color is relative- colors read differently depending on their surroundings. If you are working from a blank slate this may not be of any importance, but if you have to coordinate with anything else, you may have problems. Some online dealers like Pottery Barn, and Crate and Barrell offer swatches and finish samples. You have to pay a small fee, and wait to receive them, but you will have a better idea of what you will receive. If you have a critical color match, and cannot get a swatch or finish sample don't buy it. The biggest mistake I have seen friends make has to do with size and scale, they do not take dimensions into account.

Get some graph paper and make a simple floor plan. If it is a big piece ( chair, sofa, Dining Table, etc.) you may want to use a sheet folded to the dimensions of the piece and placed in the space to check how the footprint of the piece will look in the room. A friend recently ordered a sofa on line. It was the same length as his existing piece, but it was 8" deeper. It made his living room look crowded, and overwhelmed the space. Now he is stuck with it.

[Deadlift1]

furniturelandsouth.com

[johnjohn]

if you are in North or South Carolina, hit me up ,and i can help you out with your furniture needs

[rvwnsd]

@body2body, you have summed up why I won't buy furniture online. Bought two dining chairs from Overstock. When I assembled one of the chairs I found that it sat too low to the ground for me. Measured the chair and found that it was lower to the ground than what was specified online. Overstock allowed me to return it, but I had to pay to return the chairs. Shipping cost was almost as much as the chairs. I donated them. Bought chairs at Home Goods and loved them. When it came time to buy a dining room set for my current place I went to my stand-by: Macy's. L O V E my set.

[+ Charlie]

I am typing this at a computer desk that I bought several months ago from Wayfair, the only piece of furniture I have ever bought online, and I have been very pleased with it. I never buy anything online until I have searched locally and can't find what I need. For furniture, my next option is to drive 85 miles to the nearest Ikea, where I can almost always find something that works.

[Bearofdistinction]

This was years ago -- I was looking for a dining table that had to fit into a particular space -- After shopping about 25 stores with no luck. I bought online direct from the manufacturer in North Carolina a beautiful Mission Style Table -- with two collapsible butterfly extensions built in

--- I had to assemble the table base and attach the top -- 10 minutes with a socket wrench ---- Table was/is Beautiful and 18 years later the table and the chairs still are beautiful in great shape - When not in use I keep the wood on display - no tablecloth --- visitors always comment on the beauty of the wood, the finish and the detail.

 

I think with shipping the entire set table and 6 chairs cost $1k ---

[bigvalboy]

I just spent the morning helping a friend buy new patio furniture. We must have sat in a dozen different style of chairs and couches, all of which looked wonderful until you sat down. Only one was truly comfortable. It was noticeably so, in fact the moment we sat down, we both looked at each other, and there was a simultaneous...Ahhhh. We both commented on how difficult it is to buy furniture on line, because there isn't anyway of knowing how comfortable it will be, whether or not the color is right, or the quality up to standards. Like shopping for clothes, I need to feel the fabric, examine the quality first. One size does not fit all...but that's just me.

Edited March 3, 2018 by bigvalboy

[RyanDean]

When setting up a temporary place in a traffic-clogged city I didn't know, I found Overstock really useful.

But of all the things I got from them, I think the only thing I actually kept when the gig finished was one area rug.

[rvwnsd]

I just spent the morning helping a friend buy new patio furniture. We must have sat in a dozen different style of chairs and couches, all of which looked wonderful until you sat down. Only one was truly comfortable. It was noticeably so, in fact the moment we sat down, we both looked at each other, and there was a simultaneous...Ahhhh. We both commented on how difficult it is to buy furniture on line, because there isn't anyway of knowing how comfortable it will be, whether or not the color is right, or the quality up to standards. Like shopping for clothes, I need to feel the fabric, examine the quality first. One size does not fit all...but that's just me.

Patio furniture! Oy!! I've had the same experience as you and your friend. Where did I find chairs that fit on my balcony and were the right size for me (6'4" and all leg)? Walmart! (The nice one in North Scottsdale). Most were too low or had a million pieces to assemble.

[bigvalboy]

Patio furniture! Oy!! I've had the same experience as you and your friend. Where did I find chairs that fit on my balcony and were the right size for me (6'4" and all leg)? Walmart! (The nice one in North Scottsdale). Most were too low or had a million pieces to assemble.

 

LOL...

The box arrived the other day from Lowe's. My friend is in Connecticut for a few days, and I decided to assemble everything to surprise him when he returned. Opened all the boxes and...NO SCREWS!!! <sigh>. They found one other set in Plantation, but when they opened the boxes, no screws either. Apparently there are no screws for that set in the whole district, sooooo...Lowe's has agreed to pick up all the furniture, take it back to the store, assemble it all, and redeliver. Great customer service. Kudos to the salesman at the Fort Lauderdale store who is "family".

[rvwnsd]

LOL...

The box arrived the other day from Lowe's. My friend is in Connecticut for a few days, and I decided to assemble everything to surprise him when he returned. Opened all the boxes and...NO SCREWS!!! <sigh>. They found one other set in Plantation, but when they opened the boxes, no screws either. Apparently there are no screws for that set in the whole district, sooooo...Lowe's has agreed to pick up all the furniture, take it back to the store, assemble it all, and redeliver. Great customer service. Kudos to the salesman at the Fort Lauderdale store who is "family".

THAT's the other thing I liked about these chairs - no assembly required.

 

Glad to hear Lowe's took care of you and your friend. I found them to be very service-oriented in San Diego.

[+ nycman]

I used to buy some furniture online.

 

My experience was 50/50.

 

Initially, proper "scale" was my biggest problem. Once I learned to carefully look at the measurements

and to get out my measuring tape and "visualize" the piece in the space I planned on using it in, I had

much fewer "scale" problems.

 

Next problem is "quality". Now I only buy items online with tons of glowing reviews. It's cut down on

my "accidentally buying pieces of crap"...by 99%. As little as 2-3 people saying the item is junk....

is usually enough to deter me these days.

 

Third is color. This one is hard. I agree that samples help, but they're not foolproof. Especially when it

comes to patterns. What looks great on a 4''X 4'' swath....can look horrendous on a giant couch.

Once I ordered 3 dressers that were different shapes but in the same exact style from the same retailer.

All 3 arrived with the handles stained very different shades of tan. They looked idiotic next to one another.

 

Finally, don't buy large "big ticket" items online. It's too much of a risk. It's like doing an overnight

before doing a few hourly hires. You are just asking for trouble.

 

Even shopping at brick and mortar stores can be tricky. The showroom is not my living room.

It does however cut down on many of the above issues....and often it's not that much more

expensive. All my large furniture items that I "love"....have been bought in real stores. These days

I pretty much stick to real stores for shopping and occasionally pick up disposable accent pieces

online.

Edited March 3, 2018 by nycman

[+ bashful]

If I'm going to sit or lay on it, have to do so before purchase.

 

Bought my ottoman from Overstock. The only one I could find at stores or online in the right size where the sides didn't go all the way to the floor, allowing you to stretch legs out a bit, and put your feet below it when sitting on the sofa. I'd recommend Overstock.

[+ Charlie]

If I'm going to sit or lay on it, have to do so before purchase.

 

I feel the same way about walking in it. I can't imagine buying shoes online--I have to walk in them first.

[+ bashful]

I feel the same way about walking in it. I can't imagine buying shoes online--I have to walk in them first.

 

Me too. I used to order online when I was working, and didn't have time to shop. Sent a lot back.

[LaffingBear]

Appreciate all the feedback.

 

I'm currently 75% finished with assembling a TV Stand purchased from Wayfair. It arrived in two days. The box was torn and very wet- thats due to Fedex Ground, not Wayfair. Called Wayfair, they gave me options, and I decided to keep it. Let it dry before opening.

 

Opened next day, one part broken. A drawer part, so I can continue assembling, use without drawer. Called for part. Everyone at Wayfair, phone & email, very polite... but messages differ. The original item arrived in 2-days.... the replacement part, a small piece of wood, they're telling me 2-weeks.

 

I've gained some insights into Wayfair from my experiences . There are soooo many more choices, its tempting to try them. High volume, and I'm guessing most customers happy. I shopped everywhere locally, and couldn't find a TV stand that would fit in the alcove in my room.

 

With that high volume comes high problem-rate. When my first purchase, a chair, was delivered damaged.... I was lucky that the delivery guys did more than drop-off as specified... they unpacked and started assembly (screw on legs). When they found broken leg, they didnt give me an option - they just picked it up and put it back on the truck. Told me to call Wayfair.

 

Wayfair seemed flummoxed the chair was already gone. They were ready to tell me to keep it... apparently the initial response is "keep the problem item, we'll send out a repair man, or replacement parts." They dont want returns. But who wants broken, unusable furniture, sitting around, waiting on some repair man?

 

That became apparent again this week when I reported that the TV stand box arrived damaged, and again when I reported that a part was broken. A phone rep explained they dont really like returns.... minor damage they remedy. Too bad about delays. Major, irreparable damage, they try to send another, or refund... and tell customer they can just discard or donate broken item. Sounds ok, except getting rid of broken item is a customer's hassle.

 

If not for the options associated with online services, I'd declare that I'm 100% finished buying furniture online. Yet I suspect that's unrealistic, as more and more retailers close showrooms.