American Furniture Warehouse Lifestyle Furniture

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 6, 2015/08/13) */
We always require the return of furniture before submitting credit however after looking into our notes and reading the customer's concerns through the Revdex.com we contacted the customer and informed her that we would be happy to give her full credit...

for the chair. The chair was not repairable to industry standards, we would have had to destroy the chair and send it to the trash container according to notes in the service report so with our apologies we should have made a exception to the "the customer must return the furniture rule" in this case. Thank you, [redacted]
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (2000, 9, 2015/08/19) */
(The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)
Yes, I accept the response from AFW in replacing the chair. They were very helpful. [redacted]

We ask that customer's measure to make sure that their merchandise will fit into the home or there will be 15% restocking fee. Looking at our records the drivers took pictures of measuring the sofa and pathways to see that the sofa was too big to fit. The 15% restocking fee is not a fee to cover our...

delivery drivers wages - it is a fee to cover handling as in getting the merchandise from our warehouse to the truck, prepping the merchandise for delivery; and to again prep the merchandise to be put back in a warehouse location before actually putting the merchandise in a warehouse location. Delivery fees not only cover driver wages (which wouldn't be the case here as they are only paid for what they deliver), they cover the costs of fuel, truck costs and maintenance, insurance etc. NOTE: we provide a 2 1/2 hour delivery window with a link to track deliveries to our customers to prevent them from having to wait around half a day or longer.  We will process the refund of the delivery fee and restocking fee as requested. Thank you.From our website:Why a 15% restocking fee?Our motto is "Do it right the first time". We are able to have the lowest prices on quality furniture because we strive to do it right the first time and prevent returns and exchanges. We want you to be happy with your selection and have all of the information you need to make an educated buying decision.Returns or exchanges significantly increase the cost of doing business. When customers want to return or exchange an item that is not defective, we are incurring additional costs as a business. Most businesses help recover these additional costs with a restocking fee. These added costs include receiving and inspecting the returned product for defects or damage, as well as the risk of taking back a product without any guarantee of future sales; once it has been returned, the product cannot be sold as new.If a product has been delivered and is being returned there are even more costs associated with the return or exchange. It takes two delivery drivers and a truck to pick up the furniture. It is then handled multiple times by multiple employees while the return or exchange is processed.Thank you for understanding and we look forward to helping you turn your house into a home for years to come.

We have contacted [redacted], we are still working on this with her with high hopes of resolution.

As we stated before to your original post on our [redacted] page, we apologize that we disappointed you. American Furniture Warehouse will not "knowingly" allow a customer to load up with an unsafe load...we feel we have a responsibility not only to the customer but to the community as well. This is...

not to say that all merchandise tied to the top of a vehicle will be deemed unsafe (safe might be smaller merchandise light in weight tied down securely to a roof mounted rack for example) nor does this mean that all unsafe loads don't or won't make it home safely. It simply means that we will not knowingly endanger traffic safety. Also worth mentioning is that by strapping down a queen size mattress to a van roof, this can damage the mattress and this is not covered under the manufacturer's warranty. If a customer comes to American Furniture Warehouse in a vehicle not suited to transport the merchandise safely we will suggest other options. Options as in coming back with the correct and safe vehicle for the job, maybe possibly renting one of our trucks (a great value and much better than damaging your van or hurting someone or worse) or we may suggest that the customer has the merchandise delivered by a delivery team and a truck. It is all about safety...we hope you can understand that...we've all seen or heard of accidents involving furniture transporting misshapes...lets do our part to try and prevent them. Refunds for merchandise paid by a credit card are processed immediately by AFW...however, it can take up to 3-5 business days for your bank that issued you the credit card to process the refund to your account. Thank you, AFW

As we understand it we contacted the customer and was able to make amends...we hope the customer agrees. Thank you.

We are currently working with the customer with hopes of resolving this with her. [redacted]

With hopes of resolving this with the customer we contacted the customer AFTER submitting the Revdex.com reply and agreed to pick up the mattress for a refund even though we were not obligated to do so as outlined in our original response.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 9, 2015/07/09) */
It is important to know that the table referred to is a table made from "reclaimed wood" to which we sell at a fraction of the price that other stores sell this product for...and it is also important to know that this is a highly sought after...

"look" that keeps on getting more popular every day. The rustic look is rugged and we need our customers to understand what they are buying...it is not the furniture for you if you are looking for "fine furniture that is highly finished nor does it have a precise fit and finish", meaning that imperfections are not defects, they are part of the romance to each piece: hence why we don't want to negotiate prices or discounts. If a customer doesn't like what the table is, of course we would expect the customer to look at another type of table that is better to their liking. We offered the customer to return the merchandise for a full refund and we will stand behind this offer. It makes no sense to exchange it, as the customer now knows because this is the product we are selling (this became clear when we exchanged it at the customer's request even though we tried to explain why it wasn't an solution to her not liking it...and the customer was unhappy with the next one as well). It makes no sense to discount it (why would we be discounting is the question...for the table being not being something it's not? This is what we are selling at the prices as priced). We apologize we had to call our security after asking the customer to leave several times after dealing with the customer's conduct when she was in the store, and at this time due to this conduct we have left the customer flagged as "do not do business with", however the customer can return the table for a full refund (as long as it is still in new condition). Thank you, [redacted] AFW
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 11, 2015/07/25) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
I completely understand what a rustic is. that is why I had purchase it, I love the DETAIL. but rustic does not mean poorly fabricated. the table has clearly an uneven surface. I want a table that I can have the freedom to set a cup of coffee a plate or anything on that side with out worrying of tilting of having a spill on my table, going into my 300$ carpet or my new hardwood floors just because the surface is not even. even years ago when people would fabricate their own rustic furniture, they would file it until it was smooth and even. this is not a flea market or a second hand store. its a prestige store. I am expecting quality just like they announce it at tv and have signs all over their store. since I purchase one of the most expensive table of their showroom. the floor model does not have that defect. they did send me another one and it was in even , unfortunately the lumber was broken in half from the bottom of the table. the rails where broken to. so I could not accept that. even the delivery guy notice it how the table was cracked on the bottom. why does American furniture warehouse does not want to be responsible for it? The manager of her store gave me two options. because they don't want to fix the problem. Return it for a full refund or give me the 20 percent they promise me at first as long as she put a not to shop again note. Now she change her mind again? They need to stand behind their word. I want the 20 percent they promised since they banned me out of the store. How is a company representative going to change its mind every time the problems comes up To her? If they already made the decision then they should do what they said when I left. She clearly said I will give you the 20 percent but you are not to shop here again. I did not Said anything again because I wanted to reported with Revdex.com to get a better solution, hopefully they would send me a piece that works for my table. but since they already decided for me then they should keep their word and respect the 20%. discount. I understand you sell it for less then what other do but again American furniture advertise quality for a lower price. I did not go into the store asking for a discount or better price from other stores. American furniture ADVERTISE IT. this has nothing to do with the claim. I need my promised 20% off and I need my table fix. the store should advertise improper assembly, scratched furniture and to a low cost. the first picture is my table u can see how uneven it is. this is not acceptable the third and the next one are the second table, unfortunately I did not took more pictures to appreciate the cracked wood. if I was to get that table with cracked wood the table would have not lasted a reasonable time.
im sorry but this is not a rustic look.
Final Consumer Response /* (4200, 15, 2015/08/20) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
I am very disappointed with your service.
I need to be explained why if I had been promised to get 20% off and they said they will put a red flag on my name. why put me a red flag and not be giving the 20%? is this company all about playing and lies?
I demand what has been told. and respect it. if u are not giving what u promise why banned me out?
again you don't understand my point I am talking about the surface of the table is uneven. I showed proof and pictures of it. if I put a glass of water or coffee or whatever I wish it will be tilted. and spilled, damaging my new carpet and new hardwood floors. to be compensated I demand 20% off that was initially offered. again when I walked for the first time into the store explaining the problem they had offered me 20% off I never asked for it. then they said nevermind just 10%, really?. yes they had send me a different table wich I refused since it was obviously cracked. the delivery guys from afw notice it too. and agreed that it was cracked from the bottom and the metal rails broken and damaged. I could not accept that table. so I decided to keep the original one with the 20% compensation that they offered and promised from the beginning. that is the least afw can do.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 20, 2015/09/22) */
Please refer to our original reply: we would be happy to give the customer a full refund with the return of the table if the customer so chooses. It is more than a "rustic" table...it is also a table made from reclaimed wood...every table in this category will have perfect imperfections. Thank you!

On 6-5-16 we left a message with the customer that an exchange was keyed, the exchange was scheduled with the customer on 6-5-16 and we will make the exchange on 6-15-16. Thank you.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 6, 2015/11/07) */
The merchandise was brought to the customers car fully assembled and in the box, and the box was too big to fit in the car...the customer asked us to take it out of the box and load it into the backseat (too big for the trunk). The customer...

claimed that the dock employees scratched the paint and interior when placing the merchandise in the back seat, however when reviewing the video, we didn't see that the dock employees were being careless when doing as the customer requested. We will mention that we have signage at our load out dock (visible in the video as well) that states "AFW is not responsible for damages to merchandise or vehicle due to the loading or the unloading upon the customer's request".
Merchandise being assembled and shipped assembled in the box does not indicate that the merchandise was from the show floor as the customer outlined. If it was shipped un-assembled in a box and then we assembled it, it would not fit back into the box it was shipped in. When explaining this to the customer the customer argued he had purchased this before and it was shipped un-assembled so this couldn't be true...we explained that "same merchandise" can be shipped in different ways which the customer didn't believe. It is true though in the furniture business...it is very common. The customer's claim was denied for the very minor scratches in a area of the vehicle prone to scratches from normal use, meaning we were unclear of what scratches we caused or what may have been there already. Also in the decision to deny the claim was because of our signage clearly saying we don't take responsibility as I have outlined previously plus the fact that our dock employees did not act irresponsibly when doing what was requested by the customer.

AFW received this complaint from the Revdex.com 6-30-16, looking at our records we replaced the mattress with a new mattress determined to be the same or greater valued mattress on 5-6-2016. At this time we assume this has been resolved with the customer. Thank you, [redacted] AFW

We disagree that we pressured the customer in anyway whatsoever to make this purchase. 8 months after the purchase the customer called us to complain about the cushions and said the arms were loose..we agreed to pick up the merchandise that is out of our service area and to bring the merchandise in to make requested repairs even though the customer did NOT send us pictures of the merchandise as requested. We brought the merchandise in as made the need repairs and adjustments and delivered back out to the customer via our AFW truck - a two day route; free of charge. We did so at the customers request and did so as soon as we could as the customer asked us to hurry because they were moving. We feel that this customer now asking for compensation is unreasonable.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

AFW attempted to assist this customer even though the merchandise was out of warranty however due to the damage and dog damage (which voids warranty) we were unable to assist this customer; we did not charge for the service evaluation. The information that we have from the tech evaluation which...

is confirmed with pictures:  Both have signs of abuse and neglect as there is extensive fading all over seats and arms. The backs are scuffed from hitting the walls. Sofa 1 has a chew mark from dog RHF outside bottom. Pet scratches are extensive covering all seats, inside backs and arm rests.  Our warranty in part that is posted on our website: All products have a one-year warranty unless otherwise stated (this merchandise is over one year old - purchase date 11-12-16 ) "The AFW warranty covers manufacture's defects only and does not cover normal wear and tear. Any abuse by customers or animals will void the AFW warranty."

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. However, I will never give them a recommendation or another dime of my money again.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 6, 2015/11/07) */
We would first like to apologize to the customer if she had to wait to receive help from a salesperson...we have a low pressure sales policy however we do not want our valued customers as this to feel ignored in any way. We apologize for the...

customer having to wait for help and we will forward this complaint to the sales management team to address this concern with their sales team.
Looking through our documentation, the customer wasn't home (she was at work) for delivery...it was her mother there at the time of delivery? As we understand it the person that was at the home to receive the delivery was unsure of which bedroom set went where and the rooms were not ready for delivery (the rooms were not clear or empty). Please keep in mind that our delivery teams are not "movers"...I have attached our delivery agreement that our salespeople go over with every customer requesting our delivery service. It asks the customer to check off that they have read; "I understand that the rooms must be ready for delivery and that there would be an additional charge to move existing furniture".
Per our information the rooms weren't ready and when our drivers were asked to set up a bedroom set in one room...the person taking the delivery found out that she was mistaken and the furniture needed to be taken apart and moved to another room and assembled again which the drivers did - when the drivers were asked to move existing furniture they informed this person that there is an extra charge; we apologize if that sounded wrong or rude.
We are unclear of what refund the customer has requested or why exactly, as our information differs; we will contact the customer in hopes of a better understanding of her concerns and what amount she is asking for in the way of a refund.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 8, 2015/11/12) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
This information is absolutely incorrect! I am getting extrememly frustrated now and beggining to think AFW will say anything to be "right." My mother was home for the delivery. I was on the phone with her when the delivery men arrived. The things delievered to me were a king sized bedroom set, and a full bed in my daughters room and a dresser and night stand in my sons room. My KING sized bed would have NOT fit in my daughters room and there was already a bed in my sons room so there is no way there was furniture "assembled" in the wrong room that then had to be taken apart and built again. I confirmed this with my mother as well. My frustration doesnt come from the fact that we needed to pay extra to have furniture moved, it comes from HOW it was told to us. I was ON THE PHONE when my mom asked them to help move a king sized mattress to the garage and the man was so rude that I was shocked! My mom ended up doing it on her own because the man was so rude and we were disgusted at how he talked to us. And yes I say us, because I was on the phone and he knew it and could hear everything that was said. Then I called to complain and was again treated terribly. I had a woman call me to ask what phone number I called from because they couldnt find my calls?? I gave her the information I had and am hoping AFW will do the research needed and make this right for me. Again, I do want to be compensated in some way in the form of a refund for how poorly I was treated from start to finish, and NOW the delivery drivers are LYING to save themselves!! This is absolutely ridiculous. I have never in my life been treated so poorly after spending the amount of money I did. Also, I have spent several other thousands at this very store over the last couple years. And I dont pay with credit, I pay out of my bank account! Please make this right. I am an honest and reasonable person and I dont even want anyone to lose their job. Mistakes happen, but these employees need to be reprimanded because I was treated very poorly. Everyone dropped the ball on this whole transaction and all I asked is that AFW make it right.
Final Consumer Response /* (4200, 12, 2015/12/02) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
I did speak with a woman over the phone and told her as well as the Revdex.com that I would feel a refund would show that I am valued and that they are sorry for the way I was treated. I specifically mentioned that I would be happy to have AFW offer me an amount in what THEY think is fair based on how I was treated. Since that amount seems "unclear" then I would be satisfied with a refund for MY bedroom set that was purchased which was the Diva set bed, chest of drawers, and vanity, along with the king sized mattress.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 14, 2015/12/05) */
We called [redacted] who explained to us that she is unable to provide a phone number she used to call customer service due to the way the phones at her place of business is set up so we were unable to find any recorded conversations with our Customer service. With that, we apologized for the way she felt her experience was handled from the beginning to the end and assured her that her concerns with the delivery team had been addressed with the delivery manager. We too apologized for the way she felt she was treated by customer service and it was too bad we were unable to follow up due to her not knowing the phone number she called us from. We offered to refund 1/2 of the delivery fee as a way of offering our apologies and showing her that we care about her as a valued customer. The customer took the offer as an insult because she has spent thousands of dollars with AFW over the years and this experience was so poor.
[redacted] wants to wait for a Revdex.com response to her rebuttal.
1/2 of the delivery fee is about $143.00.

(The consumer indicated he/she DID...

NOT accept the response from the business.)
American Furniture Warehouse has replaced my sofa with a new one, but they still haven't resolve the damages they done to my door and my handrail stairs. A handyman has contacted me on Monday 12/07/15 and set up a visit to my house for Saturday 12/12/15 to see if he can fix the damages, but he already said over the phone that he thinks the door cannot be fix and will need to be replace. This case is not resolved yet, will wait for the "handyman" to come by and see what he says about fixing or replacing the door.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 11149041, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Sincerely,
[redacted]
*

Complaint: 11032787
I am rejecting this response because: AFW obviously does not understand this complaint and is having someone who knows nothing about customer service let alone my situation do the responses to this case. I'd like to reiterate that we never once told them that we were moving as we have no plans of doing so. I was only going to be out of town for work and was trying to schedule the delivery when I would be home. As far as pictures of the damaged merchandise AFW is completely wrong in saying I did not send pictures because I in fact sent over 5 pictures to the rep I worked with on the warranty repair. As for acting like they went above and beyond by completing a half as repair on the one sofa, this was a warranty repair and was fully within my one year warranty so there shouldn't be a charge for any of it. I maintain my stance that I was pressured into picking these particular sofas. I have no problems with the dining room set or credenza that I ordered from AFW at the same time but these were the items I had chosen originally. I did the same with sofas but due to poor customer service I was forced to choose something else. When I attempted to just get a refund and shop somewhere locally the sales rep panicked and did not want to lose the sale so she pressured me into choosing these sofas. The fact that AFW is trying to cover this up is typical but should not be acceptable. I continue to ask that AFW give me a credit for a future purchase at the very least to make up for all of the trouble from delivering the wrong item to not telling me the other was back ordered this has been a terrible experience and I would think it would be worth it for AFW to give me a credit and guarantee another purchase instead of losing not just one customer but any potential referrals as well.
Sincerely,
[redacted]