Ashley Furniture

Darlene of Flower Mound, TX October 22, 2009

In years past I have purchased furniture from Gabberts, Freed's, Neiman Marcus, Horchow, Haverty's, Thomasville, Sunny Land, J.C. Penney, Rosewood, Sears and many others. I am a repeat customer because these stores are generally consistent in cost, quality and service. In addition, they seem reasonably committed to customer satisfaction as reflected in the way they deal with customers and handle orders. Completing transactions with these and others has been relatively easy with no surprises or confrontations. Simply select furniture, determine availability with the store's help, set up delivery date, pay for furniture. No hidden traps, no hassles.

This is the routine I was expecting when I made furniture selections in Ashley's Furniture Store in Grapevine, Texas, on October 13, 2009. To say that Ashley's policies, their one sided way of doing business, their rude displays toward a customer trying to complete a transaction are an unorthodox way of doing business is an understatement.

After quickly selecting some peices for a guest bedroom, I was asked to sign a "Sales Worksheet". Stated on that Worksheet is a cancellation charge to the customer of 30% of the total sale. The pieces I selected came to about 4,000. I had no intention of cancelling the order but I questioned the salesman telling him that a consumer has by law a grace period in which he/she may cancel an order without cost or penalty.

The salesman told me that grace period did not apply to Ashley's. I asked him, "Do you mean that if I cancelled the order ten minutes after signing this, I would owe Ashley's 30% of the sale?" He stated that, yes, I understood correctly their store policy and there was no way around it. He went on to say that the store required payment in full then and there but he was evasive as to when the furniture would be delivered to my home. I said, "No. I'll pay half down and the balance upon delivery." He reluctantly agreed. The salesman told me he "thought" the furniture was in stock and "maybe" could be delivered in about two weeks. I asked him to call me with a firm delivery date and at that time I would pay the balance.

Several days passed and I received a call from someone with Ashley wanting my credit card number to take care of the balance. I asked that person if he could tell me when to expect the delivery. He said, "I CAN'T GIVE YOU A DELIVERY DATE UNTIL YOU PAY FOR THE FURNITURE IN FULL." I replied that I did not feel comfortable paying for the order in full until Ashley's could give me a delivery date. He told me he was "pretty sure" they had the furniture in stock. I replied that, if indeed, the order was ready to be delivered why couldn't Ashley's give me a delivery date?

He began yelling and talking over me as I tried to appeal to his sense of reason. He threatened to charge me 30% of the order and then refuse to ever deliver the furniture. When he stopped yelling I asked him to have a store manager call me. Later that day, I received a call from a man with Ashley Furniture Store who identified himself as "Cowboy". I told him that I am not accustomed to doing business with someone who identifies himself as "Cowboy". I asked him if there was a reason why he could not give me his real name. He gave me a first name but was extremely hesitant to give me his last name. I asked him if he was the manager of the store and he said that he was.

I once again tried to explain that as soon as Ashley's could give me a delivery date I would be happy to pay the balance a day or two in advance. Then he began yelling at me stating that there is no way they will give me a delivery date until the store had been paid in full for the furniture. I protested stating, "But, what if, I pay the balance on the order and Ashley's cannot make the delivery for many months? In that period of time I could go to another furniture store and receive the items quicker." Then he fired back at me their store policy about payment first, and the delivery of merchandise was to be left up in the air. He came across as a bully shouting over me as I was trying to reach an understanding. When I realized that trying to reason with "Cowboy" was a futile effort, I hung up the phone while he was still shouting.

Later that evening, he called my home and left a message that if I wanted the furniture by Thursday, I must call them before 7:00pm. I thought, why didn't he just tell me the order would be delivered Thursday in our previous conversation? In the message he left he went on to say that "I better call by seven o'clock or the furniture will just be left sitting out on the dock." His tone was authoritative, dictatorial and hateful as if to say that he was doing me a favor by allowing me to spend money in his store.

Had I researched Ashley's beforehand I probably would not have walked into one of their stores. I think that one of the owners is Mr. Levitz formerly Levitz Furniture. After going out of business suddenly, perhaps leaving customers and suppliers high and dry, he has managed to resurface under a different name: Ashley's Furniture. This venture, like the others, will run its course and disappear because customers will not tolerate such rigidity. It is important to keep in mind that all Ashley's store personnel are simply reflecting the attitude of the owners and investors of the company even though Ashley's employees play the role of "the heavy" a little too well.

I "think" but am not positive that my furniture order will be delivered on Friday, though Ashley Furniture will not send me a confirmation of delivery via email like every other furniture store with whom I have ever dealt. I paid the balance out of concern that because of Ashley's Work Sheet I signed I would end up paying them 30% of a 4,000 order with no furniture to show for it.

Needless to say, I will never do business with Ashley Furniture Store again. Their prices, quality and selection are not that great by comparison. Doing business with this group is needlessly stressful in ways I have never experienced with any other store. Ashley Furniture Store like Levitz needs to go out of business in my opinion. The sooner the better. Competition in the furniture market is still such that the customer can afford to be particular. After all, money is hard to earn. Why not spend it in stores where one's business is treated with appreciation and respect?

Kelly of Sullivan, MO October 16, 2009

Went into the store to look for tables. Had the saleswoman give me prices on them, and found one I liked. It was a "retirement sale" and I asked the woman if I could pick it up Monday, as I didn't have room to get it today. She said she would check for me. She came back and said they had to get it from their warehouse, so it would be next week. I was happy and went to the payment area. The cashier filled out out what I was buying on the order form. She then had me sign it. She took it back, and put on there I paid half in cash and half on my debit card. She told me that the warehouse would call me next week to arrange a pick up time. She folded my receipt up into thirds and attached the debit card receipt to it and handed it to me.

At no point in time was I told it was a 3-8 week back order. After I signed the receipt, she them put on there "BO" and stamped it back order without telling me or showing me. At no point in time did the saleswoman or the cashier tell me that it was on back order. I went to the store today (a week later) to ask for a refund. I talked to the Cashier and the same saleswoman and another man who was a store employee and they told me they have a no refund policy and all sales are final. I was NOT told any of this at the store location. I am not satisfied and feel like I was deceived. I want a refund!

Jaclyn of Mt Olive, AL October 4, 2009

I purchased a 500 flip flop sofa from the Ashley Furniture store in Fultondale Alabama on May 2, 2009. I went to their warehouse in Leeds and picked it up on May 16, 2009, got it home and unwrapped a total mess. It had holes in it, the leather had a huge wrinkle in it where it was off center, the whole bottom of it was all busted up, and it looked like it was put together with toothpicks. The back part was supposed to fold up and down, needless to say, it did not come close to folding in any kind of way.

I took the furniture back to the Ashley Furniture in Fultondale on May 18, 2009, since that it is where I purchased it, and they were very apologetic and told me that the piece of furniture should have never made it out of the warehouse like that.

It is now 5 months later, and I have no piece of furniture and nothing to show for the 500 I spent. I have been round and round with these people and spoken to everyone at Ashley Furniture including the President. They are refusing to give me my money back or give me another piece of furniture. They are saying that I damaged the furniture. I did not spend 500 and drive all the way to Leeds and back to damage some furniture.

I spoke with the manager again on October 1, 2009 and told him to either give me my money back or just give me the piece of furniture that I paid for and I would sit it up in their parking lot and let all the customers see what they are paying for. He then went to tell me that to get the furniture, I would have to pay 1,080 to get it out of storage.

The bottom line now is that they have my 500 and I have nothing. They are refusing to issue a refund or even give me a new piece of furniture. I have tried for 5 months to resolve this with Ashley Furniture as well as with the credit card company in which I used to purchase the furniture and I am still out 500.

Pauline of Athens, GA September 15, 2009

On July 13,2009 I went into Ashley furniture to purchase a bedroom set.My intentions were to buy cash. After picking the set I wanted, I was taken to Miss A to complete purchase. I was not told that I was now dealing with Rent A Center..RAC. She suggested that I pay a part and I would have 90 days to pay off the balance.I must admit I made several mistakes, I shoud have insisted I get an itemized list of my purchase, I asked and was told they do not do that...that should have been a red flag for me....she had me sign a paper, I was told that was for delivery purposes....I did not read before signing...it ended up being a contract with RAC.

I paid 2,000.00 at the time and was told by Ms A my balance was 683.00(have that written by her). In trying to make payments, I was told a larger amount was due. My first payment was by credit card for 200.00. Ms A charged my account twice for 200.00 and an additional 239.92 of which I put a stop payment to. I ended up having to pay 1,028.44 as a balance due .

I contacted Ashley Fur.main office and was told they were not affiliated with Ms A I was given the runaround, nobody took responsibility for Ms A action...I was not told exactly what I was getting into.This created a financial hardship on me, because I had budgeted for 683.00 not 1,000.00. She did not admit to the additional withdrawal from my account. I think they shoud have also refunded the 15.00 I paid to stop unauthorized payment.I feel RAC and Ashley Furniture should be investigated.

Mary of Surprise, AZ September 5, 2009

Our couch with double recliner and recliner love seat was delivered on 9/3/2009. We had three days to either return or cancel the order, we chose to cancel and did so on 9/4/2009.

The seams in the sofa and loveseat do not align, both pieces on the left side do not feel same as right side, (like they forgot some padding). The measurements appear to be off, 2 inches on the width of the sofa and four inches on the width of the love seat (shorter than ordered). They offered to send a technician and we said no just cancel. Now we have to pay a pick up charge also as well as the delivery charge. These defective pieces should not have been delivered. Doesn't say much for their Q.C.

When we went in to cancel the order they demanded the pick up and delivery charge be paid right then or they would not pick up the furniture. Then told us they had to wait 48 hrs. before arranging the pickup. I intend to file a complaint with the BBB and the Attorney Generals complaint department. I will also hit Channel 5 Action Button.

Hazem of Thief River Falls, MN September 5, 2009

I tried for almost 2 hrs to resolve this with CitiFinancial(Ashleys Credit Card affiliate) which was just a waste of time. I then drove to Ashleys in Grand Forks ND, which is approximately 75 minutes from my house and my complaint was reported to the store Manager. This was followed up with a personal letterdetailing my complaint. The store manager at the Grand Forks Location was rude, hostile, and just basically wanted to get rid of me. I wanted 118.00, a finance charge which I unexpectedly received, after being told repeatedly by Ashley sales personel that there would be no finance charge, no interest for a 48 month period during one of their special sales promos. Since I could not get my money back because the manager said I signed the agreement. I then suggested 118.00 in store credit given that I have bought more than 3600.00 of furniture there and even referred my family relative who recently bought a 699.00 mattress.

She would not compromise, would not listen to alternatives, and when I told her that I will take my businees elsewhere and report to the Better Business Bureau, she said that is "too bad"

I have also emailed official site and wrote a formal complaint on 9/3/2009 without hearing a reply. I know I signed the agreement, but I trusted sales personell with the information they provided. I cannot go thru 10-15 pages of legal contract talk in the store with 2 young kids in a stroller crying to leave and a pushy salesperson trying to get us to sign and complete her sales deal.

Unfortunate experienece, rude management, deceptive advertisements, once they take your money, forget about any further assistance. Do yourself a favor and shop elsewhere where they really will appreciate your business.

Sandra of Fort Worth, TX September 2, 2009

We bought a leather couch with two built in recliners and two matching separate recliners. A few months after the purchase, the leather started separating from the vinyl on all three pieces. We purchased the warranty, and repairs were made. Two weeks later the vinyl started splitting on the sides of every cushion on the couch and on one recliner. They replaced both pieces. Four months later the vinyl started ripping again, this time in 8 separate places along the sides of the middle cushion on the couch. The warranty (we paid almost 300 for) doesn't cover "wear and tear". The store refuses to fix the couch and has washed their hands of us completely. The couch is less that one year old, but they say that the replacement voided the one year manufacturer's warranty. I'm embarrassed to have company over, and the splits in the vinyl irritate your skin if you aren't wearing long pants. I will NEVER purchase another piece of furniture from this store. Vinyl on a couch should last longer than 9 months.

Elizabeth of Phoenix, AZ August 29, 2009

On Wednesday, August 12, I contacted their Phoenix, Arizona customer care center by telephone. I left a message after listening to a message that said my call would be returned in 24 hours. I left my home phone for looking up my prior purchases; but carefully explained that they needed to call my cell phone, which I then left.

When I didn't get a return call, I called again early Friday, August 14, 2009. At 5:01 PM on Friday, August 14, 2009, a call came into my cell phone. I explained the problem I was having with the leather sofa I had purchased with the extended warranty. The woman explained that she couldn't help me; it wasn't covered under the warranty. At one point, she read the warranty to me while I was trying to talk. She explained she was corporate customer service and she was the final decision. When I requested a supervisor, she said she was the final authority.

In the past, I would call up and they would send out a tech. She never offered to do this; just kept explaining it wasn't covered. Finally, after some time of me continuely asking for a supervisor, she sent me to Ralena. She gave me the same run around. She actually lied to me! I asked for a supervisor, she said she and another manager were the only supervisors in this facility and the other manager had gone home. She said she was the final authority. She did finally agree to send out a technician, but told me I had no recourse if the technician decided not to fix the problems with my sofa. She asked me multiple times what I wanted. I told her multiple times I wanted Ashley to stand behind their product and fix it.

I was so frustrated; I got in my car and drove to the store I bought my sofas from. As I reached the front of the store, this rep finally asked to put me on hold. During the time I was on hold, I asked the woman sitting at the desk in the front of the store if they had a phone number or an email address for the owner of the company. I had asked for this during the phone call of all the reps I talked to; none of them would provide it. She called a sales rep up and they told me you were the owner and gave me this email address.

During the time the store rep was giving me this information; another woman came on the line. I asked for her name; it was Insil. She identified herself as the last rep's supervisor. I explained that the last rep had lied to me and told me she did not have a supervisor at one point and then told me she wasn't there. Insil tried to say it was because she could have been in a meeting or elsewhere in the building. I told her this was not the case; she said her supervisor was not there. Insil continued to provide me the same run around. She was offering to send out a tech, but not deal with the problem.

Finally, after a full 34 minutes of conversation on my cell phone, being lied to and jerked around, my cell phone died. When I explained my situation to store reps, they told me to contact th owner and they provided an email address. They were far more helpful than any phone reps.

The next day I checked my voice message and found one from Insil. She says to call her back and she will send out a rep or she would intercept this email and address it then. Since I have NO level of confidence in these reps, I will not deal with her again. I want to deal with the ownership of this company. Also, since the behavior of their representatives suggests to me that the owner may never see this correspondence, I have filed with the Better Business Bureau in hopes that when enough complaints are filed, they will address the problem. I am also post on online websites so [others] don't suffer.

Here is a definition of the problem: The leather color is absolutely disappearing on the seat cushions. Also, we have never been able to keep this sectional together. The portion of the sectional with the sleeper seems to sit lower. The other night, my 6' tall husband sat on it, and his knees came up to his chest. He thinks the structure has failed. I used to recommend Ashley, I don't anymore. We won't be purchasing any additional furniture from [them] and we will certainly explain the extremely poor service we have received. It completely baffles me why in these economic times, their service reps wouldn't treat customers right in the hopes they might be back.

vicki of columbia, KY August 26, 2009

promotion throug ashley furniture in bowling green ky said if you send in 100.00 dollars of gas receipts you will in return get 25.00 gas card. i have sent in these every month jan through august. have only recd 1 gas card for 25.00. i have emailed the website with no return email or phone call. i contacted ashley furniture in bowling green ky today. they gave me your website. let me know any info. they need to honor their end of the deal made with ashley furniture. that is one of the main reasons i made the purchase

Michail of Amory, MS August 25, 2009

we purchased 2970.00 worth of furniture from ashley furniture in tupelo in order to qualify for one of the rebate offers. The advertisement stated that with each 100.00 spent in gas purchases, we would mail in our gas receipts and would receive 25.00 each month in free gas. this was to be 500.00 in gas cards. we did as we were suppose to, as far as mailing in gas receipts, but have only received 2 gas cards (for 2 months) i then e-mailed them at the e-mail address given. they responed one time stating their company was undergoing some changes, but we would receive our gas rebate catds as previously promised. they then apologized for any inconvenience.

we have not heard anything since. i have tried to e-mail them once more with no response. my husband called ashley furniture today and was told this company has gone out of business. we are so dissappointed because we had counted on those gas cards to help us out. we would have never purchased the furniture if we had known this.

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