Friday the 13th came a day early at my house, delivered by a guy named Murphy

[mnhtnbb]

Here's the set up:

A month ago--actually March 9th--guys delivered a piece of furniture for my apartment. Of course it had to be assembled. They discovered they were missing a crucial piece. Customer Service was gotten on the phone who promised me she'd track down the necessary piece and get back to me when it could be delivered. (It hadn't been left at the warehouse.)

The following week I've heard nothing from the customer service rep. I e-mailed her. No response. I called her and left a voice mail. No response. Two days later I e-mailed again. No response. Then I phone again. No response. By Friday--a week after the first delivery--I called and asked for a manager in Customer Service. I was promised a return phone call. At 4:15 pm, I called again (hadn't received a phone call) and was told all the managers had left for the day. Finally got a shift supervisor to take my call and promise me I'd have an answer Monday.

On Monday I called and finally got hold of the original customer service rep who told me the problem was the piece I ordered was modular and the salesman who placed the order didn't order the correct number of pieces! He was placing the order--with the Canadian manufacturer--and they would let me know when the piece came in.

Last week (then 3 weeks after the original delivery) I get an e-mail to schedule delivery! Hooray! Scheduled for today (another week waiting). Ten minutes before the guys arrive, the power goes out in our entire block in downtown Raleigh. I live on the 17th floor, so if the power is out, no working elevators). When the guys get here, I bribe them with a promise of $20 for each if they'll walk the piece up (it doesn't weigh more than 10 lbs) and assemble the furniture. They agree.

Knock on the door. Hooray! They get out the instructions and then tell me this is supposed to bolt to the wall, and they don't do that. WHAT? This is supposed to be a free standing armoire! They can arrange for someone to come do that. Call the original customer service rep and tell her I no longer want this thing. There was no disclosure from the website description or the salesman who took the order that this had to bolt to the wall (I live in a rental apartment and no way I'm going to attach something like this to the wall.) OK. BUT, the delivery guys can't take it back with them because the power is out and the elevators aren't working!!!! AAAGHHGHGH.

So, now I'm waiting for them to schedule someone to come pick up this hunk of junk which is sitting in my entryway.

And I still don't have a place to hang coats which are taking up my limited clothes closet space.

Yes, I know it's a first world problem. But I just thought the incredibly bad timing, when the power was off for 90 minutes, coinciding with these guys arrival after I'd been waiting a month for a part--which the first delivery guys never told me had to be attached to the wall--was unbelievable.



Anybody else want to share a pre-Friday the 13th story?

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. I am really sorry to hear this, my dear mnhtnbb...

Yeah, I can hear the voices now saying well, it's not exactly life or death. Well, really, we know that. Nonetheless, it IS a problem.

I hope it will soon be resolved.

And in your favor.

[mnhtnbb]

3. Thanks, CalPeggy.

[mnhtnbb]

2. PS: Guess what I discover when power comes back and I turn on my laptop?

An e-mail from management saying the elevators were working even though power was out! (Back-up power for elevators in high rises).

Never having lived in a high rise previously, I didn't know this. In other words, the guys could have taken the stuff back with them today
if I'd gone out and checked to see if the elevators were working.

[red dog 1]

4. Did you order it through Amazon.com?

[mnhtnbb]

5. No. A well known furniture company

in High Point, NC.

[red dog 1]

7. If that happened to me, I'd call the credit card company to tell them what happened, and ask

them to remove the amount charged by the furniture company.
(In other words, I'd officially "dispute" the amount charged to my credit card)
Also, get the name of whomever you talk to on the phone...ask them to spell their name if necessary.

[mnhtnbb]

14. I paid for this in January!

The furniture company held it until I took possession of the new apartment on March 8th, the armoire was delivered--minus a piece--on March 9th.
I suspect the window for disputing a charge on my credit card is long gone.

The problem started when the sales guy I spoke to in December--when I placed the order--didn't tell me this thing had to attach to the wall. I never would have ordered it. Then the guys who showed up with most of it in March--and had the installation instructions out--also didn't tell me it had to attach to the wall. If they had, it would have gone right back with them then. Instead, they misdirected me with how to get the missing part replaced.

[red dog 1]

15. Still, you have nothing to lose by calling your credit card's customer service number

(except your time)

Also, it may be too late to get a refund; but it's not too late to file a complaint with their local Better Business Bureau (In the city they operate out of)

Also, Yelp is a place you can go to post a review of businesses - You can tell others what happened to you & warn them not to use that furniture company
Google:
"Browse Businesses in High Point, North Carolina - Yelp"

[Skittles]

8. I am curious why you cannot say who it is

[mnhtnbb]

11. Until they actually come and pick the damn thing up and refund my money,

I don't want to publish their name. After I have the credit on my credit card? I will write a scathing review of them
anywhere reviews are found.

When I called them Friday morning to schedule the pick-up, they gave me a BS excuse (the truck hadn't returned and they
can't schedule the truck out again until it checks back in) and told me I'd have to wait until Monday to call them to schedule pick-up.

This morning--Saturday--I find an e-mail in my in-box that I can schedule the pick up on-line. First available date? April 30th.
Two more weeks before they come get it!

[elleng]

6. OH GEE!

Fortunately I have no such story! Didn't realize Friday the 13th is upon us. Very windy here, so if I have to go out tomorrow, I'll watch carefully!!!

BEST!

[grantcart]

9. Was it from Palliser?

[mnhtnbb]

13. No.

[Laffy Kat]

10. Real Friday the 13th story.

I found out I owe $8K in taxes. Last year I got money back. Thanks Trump.

[mnhtnbb]

12. Ouch! Sorry to hear that.

[Wounded Bear]

16. You didn't hear? Murphy was an optimist...