2 June 2009

Furniture Direct fails to deliver. Newsflash, guys: it's bad business to give false assurances to close the deal.

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We ordered something from Furniture Direct in late April. Before we ordered it, we asked when it would be delivered as we needed it soon. The salesman said it would be a couple of weeks, and when questioned further, he confirmed that we could expect delivery in two weeks’ time. Satisfied that we would have the item by mid May, we paid in full for the item plus delivery.

Three weeks later I started calling Furniture Direct. After making several calls – they don’t ring their customers back – I was informed that the item would definitely be delivered the following week. I said this was unsatisfactory and asked about cancelling the order as I’d found something elsewhere that could be delivered immediately.

The manager I spoke with pointed out that the small print on the sales docket says no refund will be made for a ‘change of mind’. I argued that the situation is not a ‘change of mind’ on my part; it’s a breach of their verbal contract to deliver my furniture within two weeks. After substantial debate, the salesman said he could offer a credit note but not a refund. We can’t afford to be out of pocket for that amount of money, and there is no way we will be buying anything from Furniture Direct in future.

It’s been over 5 weeks now and (surprise, surprise) we haven’t heard from Furniture Direct. I’d much rather have a refund than the furniture now; I don’t want them to have my money. It seems that all I can do, though, is spread the word and save others from similar hassles.

A postscript: I was bitching about this to a friend last week and she said she’d ordered furniture for delivery in March – it hasn’t come yet, either. Imagine our surprise when we discovered we were BOTH dealing with Furniture Direct! I wonder how many more customer dollars they are sitting on while we wait in limbo for our furniture…

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This thread deserves a bump: I talked to some friends recently who’d (unsurprisingly) had similar problems with Furniture Direct, to wit:

Furniture Direct lied about delivery dates in order to make a sale, failed to deliver as promised, then failed to provide a refund when asked politely. Apparently the couple having problems with Furniture Direct have followed through the proper lines of complaint (ending with the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal) and have had the Tribunal find in their favour … Furniture Direct couldn’t be bothered to get involved in the process and *still* hasn’t refunded the money after more than 6 months of messing these people around.

Apart from the need to name and shame, I find it a bit depressing that there’s a lack of proper consumer support for this sort of thing.

The message I get from all of this is: If you have a company take your money and give you nothing in return, you’re pretty much stuffed, because there’s no organisation with the authority to enforce restitution.

I’m more than a little appalled by this. If I were the people in question, I’d be doing more than simply badmouthing Furniture Direct … hell, given the frustration they’ve experienced, I think that I’d be sorely tempted to go chuck some bricks through their windows in protest.

I can never understand why people read a legitimate account of something like this, and feel the need to attack the person making the post. Give your opinion, but attacking someone like this is really quite weird.

Agreed 100%. The OP tried to get things resolved and got royally stuffed around – name and shame away AFAIC.

ImaybeabitchBUTnotYOURbitch6:34 pm 03 Jun 09

Wow, who’d have thought the Internet could be a place for rude and unwarranted personal attacks?

It is not my intention to smear the business but to discuss its practices and policies publicly in the hope of saving somebody else from having similar difficulties. I’m glad that some have had positive experiences buying from Furniture Direct, but the fact that others have had experiences like ours indicate that this business could stand to improve their customer service and policies regarding back orders.

We would not have ordered this furniture, which we needed in place before putting up several sets of interstate visitors, if we had not been told we’d have it in time. We’d simply have bought similar furniture somewhere that *could* deliver it in time.

In the past (elsewhere) I’ve had great service and told others because I like my friends to have good experiences and avoid bad ones. Makes sense, doesn’t it?

While I understand the retailer’s argument that they don’t want to end up out of pocket, I’m sure they can sell the furniture to another customer – and the next customer who orders this item will no doubt be very pleased that it’s available immediately.

I am disappointed that the retailer failed to honour their undertaking to deliver the item by the time we needed it, we had to make several calls to find out delivery would not occur until at least two weeks after we needed it, and that despite our polite, persistent approaches we have been unable to get a refund even though they breached the verbal contract to deliver our order within two weeks.

I did worry about the Kleenmaid angle, but I suspect it’s probably just poor customer service.

Gee, I really wish we hadn’t sold all our milk crates on eBay to pay for that order… they’d have been pretty handy.

swamiOFswank said :

All you deserve from Furniture Direct is an apology, and perhaps if you weren’t such a twit, they might have refunded the delivery charge. I hope they do neither now.

Wow. You really missed the pointed.

This business LIED to get a sale, then continued to obfuscate and bullsh1t over a long period of time in order to deny decent resolution to a customer.

No wonder they’re being slagged off in a public forum, that’s just appalling behaviour and I’m amazed that you’d try to stick up for them based on the old ‘they did stuff for charity’ line. What a bunch of cheesy poofs.

I’ve had a similar experience with FD (a set of couches that took 4 months to arrive after I’d been confidently informed that they’d be delivered within a fortnight – innumerable phone calls either not answered or responded to with tired meaning bollocks) and I’ll take every opportunity to let everyone know just how crap they are.

I’ve had major stores run late with delivery of items. But not once have I experienced lying and deception of the order that I’ve had with FD.

Read the post title: there wouldn’t be a problem if this business didn’t LIE in order to get business. If you can’t promise delivery within a certain date, don’t f*cking do it.

I might add that your personal attacks on the OP mark you as a deeply unsympathetic poster, no matter your point of view.

Woody Mann-Caruso11:05 am 03 Jun 09

While there may be a problem with whatever you ordered ImaybeabitchBUTnotYOURbitch,it’s pretty crap to broadcast it all in a public forum, particularly when your so-called ‘contract’ for delivery was only verbal, and all you did was make a few pissy phone calls. Perhaps you could have gotten off your lazy rear end and actually gone into the store to enquire.

The OP tried to resolve it with FD, and wasn’t successful. The OP in entitled to talk about it to everybody and anybody. How many phone calls should it take? Why would things be any different in person? Do they have helper monkeys answering the phones, but save the real talent for the floor?

A contract is a contract. Retailers know that. They just don’t want you to know that. They knew damn well the furniture would take more than two weeks to arrive, because it always does. I’ll never shop there again after they pulled the same trick with me over a pair of bookshelves. Sounds like a few people in this thread have had similar problems. Hopefully word will spread and we’ll see them in receivership sooner rather than later.

Clown Killer9:32 am 03 Jun 09

swamiOFswank as a business owner, I know that I have only one chance with each and every client – I have to provide them with the service that they are expecting and paying for or else they will go elsewhere in the future.

I know that my business can only be judged by the worst experience of our most difficult client, not the best experience of our least demanding customer.

I know that I have no right to expect an unhappy customer to come to me with a complaint before going elsewhere.

I treat all other businesses I deal with in the same way.

This company has failed a customer in its obligations that were clearly established and integral to the business that they conducted with that customer. The events that have unfolded here are the result of their actions not the customers.

swamiOFswank said

swamiOFswank said :

While there may be a problem with whatever you ordered ImaybeabitchBUTnotYOURbitch,it’s pretty crap to broadcast it all in a public forum, particularly when your so-called ‘contract’ for delivery was only verbal, and all you did was make a few pissy phone calls. Perhaps you could have gotten off your lazy rear end and actually gone into the store to enquire.

This is a very odd response to the OP. It’s good that you have good relations and dealings with Furniture Direct. Plainly however the OP has been very disappointed and the shop has not fulfilled the agreement they made when the OP gave them the order, and paid them.

What if she/he needed the goods for a specific purpose or event, and made the purchase on the understanding that the goods would be provided by the contracted date?

I can never understand why people read a legitimate account of something like this, and feel the need to attack the person making the post. Give your opinion, but attacking someone like this is really quite weird.

Madame Workalot9:15 am 03 Jun 09

swamiOFswank said :

I’ve furnished a number of houses (for a charity) with great furniture from Furniture Direct. FD have been generous with discounts, helpful with choosing items that go well together, and have always delivered on time and without problems. I’ve dealt with the manager personally on a number of occasions, and have had nothing but professional contact and service.

While there may be a problem with whatever you ordered ImaybeabitchBUTnotYOURbitch,it’s pretty crap to broadcast it all in a public forum, particularly when your so-called ‘contract’ for delivery was only verbal, and all you did was make a few pissy phone calls. Perhaps you could have gotten off your lazy rear end and actually gone into the store to enquire.

I’ve had major department stores run late on delivery of items – shit, as they say happens. Sometimes these things are out of the retailers control.

I don’t agree that you deserve a refund – maybe items are only manufactured or dispatched once the sale is guaranteed. Many businesses require payment of at least a deposit before the work commences and I don’t see why FD should be any different if you’re not buying floorstock items.

Naturally enough, you seem to think that having a friend who also had a bad experience with FD justifies your public slagging-off of what must be a reasonably successful business – they wouldn’t still be there after a number of years if they were as bad as you’re claiming. Shit customers happen too…and to whine about it here puts you right up there among them.

All you deserve from Furniture Direct is an apology, and perhaps if you weren’t such a twit, they might have refunded the delivery charge. I hope they do neither now.

I think you’re wrong. The OP posted here because s/he thought they had no option but to wait for the furniture to show up (as advised by FD). They have now been informed by other posters that there are other options for them, and they will be exploring those options.

Just because their contract was verbal does not make it any less valid, so I don’t understand what point you’re trying to make there. And if the OP would have gotten better service if s/he had visited the store in person as opposed to making phone calls, there’s something wrong with their customer service charter.

I understand that you’ve had good experiences and feel the need to defend FD. But I think it would have been more useful if you had simply recounted your positive experiences here without feeling the need to attempt to pick holes in the OP’s story and insult him/her.

Just hope they don’t go the way of Kleenmaid – continuing to take orders for months in advance, while insolvent, to try and pay their debts..

I’ve just done the street view on google maps and realised that I have bought cheap & cheerful furniture there a couple of times – very obliging people, and I got amazing classic furniture made by Vietnamese cabinetmakers from old recycled Scandinavian pallets (? cypress pine possibly) , for an amazingly low price and delivered on time. No complaints from me.

swamiOFswank11:05 pm 02 Jun 09

I’ve furnished a number of houses (for a charity) with great furniture from Furniture Direct. FD have been generous with discounts, helpful with choosing items that go well together, and have always delivered on time and without problems. I’ve dealt with the manager personally on a number of occasions, and have had nothing but professional contact and service.

While there may be a problem with whatever you ordered ImaybeabitchBUTnotYOURbitch,it’s pretty crap to broadcast it all in a public forum, particularly when your so-called ‘contract’ for delivery was only verbal, and all you did was make a few pissy phone calls. Perhaps you could have gotten off your lazy rear end and actually gone into the store to enquire.

I’ve had major department stores run late on delivery of items – shit, as they say happens. Sometimes these things are out of the retailers control.

I don’t agree that you deserve a refund – maybe items are only manufactured or dispatched once the sale is guaranteed. Many businesses require payment of at least a deposit before the work commences and I don’t see why FD should be any different if you’re not buying floorstock items.

Naturally enough, you seem to think that having a friend who also had a bad experience with FD justifies your public slagging-off of what must be a reasonably successful business – they wouldn’t still be there after a number of years if they were as bad as you’re claiming. Shit customers happen too…and to whine about it here puts you right up there among them.

All you deserve from Furniture Direct is an apology, and perhaps if you weren’t such a twit, they might have refunded the delivery charge. I hope they do neither now.

I got a mattress recently from Forty Winks in Fyshwick that was meant to take 2 weeks to arrive, but it came in one week!

My mate ordered a boat trailer from a company in Melbourne, with a guaranteed Friday morning delivery date so that he could take his family and their boat away on a long weekend. He takes Friday off work and confirms on the Thursday that the trailer will be delivered next day. Lunchtime Friday, no sign of the trailer, so he calls the company and they tell him transport truck left on time and should be there by now but they’ll chase it up. About 20 minutes later he gets a call from the truck driver telling him he’s been caught in traffic but will be there within 1/2 an hour. 45 minutes later another call from driver, who can’t find my mate’s street (understandable given Canberra street design), so my mate gives him detailed directions from the local primary school which the driver is currently sitting outside (should take less than 5 mins). Half hour later driver calls still can’t find my mate’s street. My mate asks him exactly where he is so he can drive down and show him the way to the house. It is at this point late on Friday afternoon that melbourne truck driver learns that the suburb of Gordon in Sydney is not the same suburb as that of Gordon, ACT on his delivery docket.

Anonymity

ImaybeabitchBUTnotYOURbitch said :

Thanks to those who posted their thoughtful and informative comments – commiserations to those who have had similar experiences. I had checked out the ACCC and Fair Trading websites previously but persisted with the less formal route until this week. As Fair Trading advises, we are sending a formal letter to Furniture Direct requesting a refund as they did not provide the goods in the time frame we agreed to at the time of purchase and we needed that furniture to be delivered promptly. In the end we found a suitable but less affordable item that could be delivered quickly, at a small local business.

But that’s beside the point – sometimes I eat at McDonald’s because they can provide me with a fast, affordable, ‘good enough’ meal when that’s what I need. And even at McDonald’s, if there will be a three minute wait for my fries they say so and let me change my order if I don’t want to wait for the fries. They don’t take my money for the fries, leave me wondering what happened to my fries, then eventually tell that persistent customer that they are still waiting for the potatoes to arrive but if I really, really don’t want to wait for them I could use the credit to buy a sundae instead.

PS: I created my forum name tongue-in-cheek; I am not generally unreasonable, but sometimes people like to write off somebody who stands up for their rights as being some sort of a crank. (Or, it appears, as a poorly punctuated idiot.)

Yay you – I hope you get resolution … best to just ignore the meanies on here as the safe cloak of anonomity seems to inspire unwarranted rudeness at times.

Igglepiggle said :

fnaah said :

I’m amazed too, deezagood – i’ve had the same issues with Frisco that the OP has had with Furniture Direct, and I’ve heard of others that have, too.

+1

So I got lucky I guess (I can be very convincing if and when required)

#24, +1 jim (your to fast) ; )

and good on you, imaybe…etc, good news you eventually solved your furniture issues; and welcome to the riot. just ignore the ignorant posters and you’ll be fine. unless you want to dissect their grammar, then by all means!

[i hasten to add, however, that mcdonald’s is never a meal and should never be ‘good enough’… but you’ll see i am just a food nazi]

ImaybeabitchBUTnotYOURbitch5:18 pm 02 Jun 09

Thanks to those who posted their thoughtful and informative comments – commiserations to those who have had similar experiences. I had checked out the ACCC and Fair Trading websites previously but persisted with the less formal route until this week. As Fair Trading advises, we are sending a formal letter to Furniture Direct requesting a refund as they did not provide the goods in the time frame we agreed to at the time of purchase and we needed that furniture to be delivered promptly. In the end we found a suitable but less affordable item that could be delivered quickly, at a small local business.

But that’s beside the point – sometimes I eat at McDonald’s because they can provide me with a fast, affordable, ‘good enough’ meal when that’s what I need. And even at McDonald’s, if there will be a three minute wait for my fries they say so and let me change my order if I don’t want to wait for the fries. They don’t take my money for the fries, leave me wondering what happened to my fries, then eventually tell that persistent customer that they are still waiting for the potatoes to arrive but if I really, really don’t want to wait for them I could use the credit to buy a sundae instead.

PS: I created my forum name tongue-in-cheek; I am not generally unreasonable, but sometimes people like to write off somebody who stands up for their rights as being some sort of a crank. (Or, it appears, as a poorly punctuated idiot.)

Hugh Lews said :

Your probably an idiot

Ah, the irony.

Felix the Cat2:13 pm 02 Jun 09

screaming banshee said :

What do you expect when you eat at Mcdonalds shop at furniture direct

It shouldn’t matter where you buy food/furniture, there are laws in place to protect consumers from being ripped off. Though saying this we have only heard one side of the story, there may be a problem with the manufacturer/supplier that FD deal with. In any case they (FD) should keep you informed as to what’s going on.

Judging someone on their blog/forum user name is a bit harsh, you don’t even know the person!

Roadrage77 said :

I was on your side until I caught glimpse of your username. Now I really hope you get screwed over.

Same. Your probably an idiot, so you deserve what you get

fnaah said :

I’m amazed too, deezagood – i’ve had the same issues with Frisco that the OP has had with Furniture Direct, and I’ve heard of others that have, too.

+1

screaming banshee12:28 pm 02 Jun 09

What do you expect when you eat at Mcdonalds shop at furniture direct

Beserk Keyboard Warrior12:14 pm 02 Jun 09

This broad strikes me as the type who’d have a ‘back off- this bitch bites’ sticker adourning the back windscreen of her VN Commodore.

Ceej1973 said :

I am starting to ponder with the idea of using my digital voice recorder whenever doing business with so called businesses now, for reasons the same as what you have experienced. Give em a warning first, that you are about to record this conversation, then if they re-neg on the agreement, then write to head office and attach the recorded voice message.And if head office doent react, then take em to small claims.

the recorded conversation can be claimed to be gained under duress. not worth it. get them to write down the agreement on a piece of letterhead, and then sign it. better chance of physical evidence.

Woody Mann-Caruso11:30 am 02 Jun 09

Just go straight to small claims. It’s only $42 to lodge a claim. Here’s the application kit. You’ll win, they’ll cry.

I am starting to ponder with the idea of using my digital voice recorder whenever doing business with so called businesses now, for reasons the same as what you have experienced. Give em a warning first, that you are about to record this conversation, then if they re-neg on the agreement, then write to head office and attach the recorded voice message.And if head office doent react, then take em to small claims.

ahappychappy said :

Clown Killer said :

Keep in mind the price you paid and the product you purchased was not just a couch (or whatever it was), it was a couch delivered in two weeks. Furniture Direct has taken your money for those goods and not provided them.

I would suggest that you write to them detailing the failure to deliver and advise them that they have seven days to provide a refund in full. You have not changed your mind. The goods for which you paid have not been provided. You have a legal right to a full refund.

Agreed – So long as you had made it clear that the goods were to be delivered in two weeks without fail as they were needed by that time. If they were aware that this was the time frame needed, and didn’t notify you or try and mitigate damages, you should be right in a legal sense and receive a full refund as requested!

another point to make is that you should never sign for any delivery until you have inspected the goods first. many a time have I seen servers with forklift tines through them, and a client who has signed for it, in good condition, by not checking the delivery first. I have also seen deliveries of meat of all things with a pallet with a hollow core – my dockman at the time used to dissect the pallet and count the boxes. many a time a short shipment would be found out.

It is the same for private deliveries. if the courier is in a rush, tough. don’t let them get you to sign prior to inspection. you may find that you have received furniture or other goods that are damaged, either prior to or during transit. you can also reject delivery. if it is incorrect, or you have purchased something in the interim to replace it, reject the delivery. if they try to leabve it without your signature, they are pretty dumb.

Die Lefty Scum10:36 am 02 Jun 09

Better hold onto them milk-crates a bit longer.

I would have thought you and your workmate are well within your rights to demand a refund as they have not provided the goods within the timeframe as agreed

Statutory rights trump any small print the shop may use an excuse to circumvent your consumer rights.

Have a look at information provided at ACCC and at the ACT Government web sites regarding your rights as a consumer.

ahappychappy10:30 am 02 Jun 09

Clown Killer said :

Keep in mind the price you paid and the product you purchased was not just a couch (or whatever it was), it was a couch delivered in two weeks. Furniture Direct has taken your money for those goods and not provided them.

I would suggest that you write to them detailing the failure to deliver and advise them that they have seven days to provide a refund in full. You have not changed your mind. The goods for which you paid have not been provided. You have a legal right to a full refund.

Agreed – So long as you had made it clear that the goods were to be delivered in two weeks without fail as they were needed by that time. If they were aware that this was the time frame needed, and didn’t notify you or try and mitigate damages, you should be right in a legal sense and receive a full refund as requested!

yeah i was thinking about a purchase from them, not now

ahappychappy10:26 am 02 Jun 09

This seems to be getting more and more common (big unhappy sadface from happychappy).

My parents recently bought a door from Doors Plus. My dad, being the fool he is, paid for it upfront before the door had been installed, however it was agreed that Doors Plus would be out the day after trying to fit the door, to fix the minor issues caused by incorrectly fitting the door.

Surprise surprise, they never came back and would not return his calls. He ended up giving up and we got someone else in to do the job.

Moral of the story is probably do not pay until you’re happy with the service? Unforunate that this is the case, but after this I think he’s learnt his lesson.

Roadrage77 said :

I was on your side until I caught glimpse of your username. Now I really hope you get screwed over.

Because ‘Road Rage’ is such a sympathetic moniker.

Did you have anything intelligent to add to the discussion?

thanks for the tip, I won’t be buying from them ever.

I was on your side until I caught glimpse of your username. Now I really hope you get screwed over.

Clown Killer10:18 am 02 Jun 09

Keep in mind the price you paid and the product you purchased was not just a couch (or whatever it was), it was a couch delivered in two weeks. Furniture Direct has taken your money for those goods and not provided them.

I would suggest that you write to them detailing the failure to deliver and advise them that they have seven days to provide a refund in full. You have not changed your mind. The goods for which you paid have not been provided. You have a legal right to a full refund.

If, in the interim the goods arrive do not accept them, do not sign for them, if you maust enter into a discussion with the delivery people advise them that these are not the goods you ordered – you paid for furniture that would be delivered in two weeks not five plus weeks.

Thanks for the heads up on another dodgy enterprise with a crap business model.

I’ve had the same problem with them.

Never again.

I’m amazed too, deezagood – i’ve had the same issues with Frisco that the OP has had with Furniture Direct, and I’ve heard of others that have, too.

I sure won’t shop there. On the other hand, Frisco Furniture were really great when we recently changed our mind about a mattress purchase that they had already ordered in; gave us a full refund on the spot with no questions asked. I was amazed.

Thanks for the heads up. I won’t be buying from this retailer.

Whether you can get a refund possibly depends on whether FD can demonstrate that they were faced with circumstances outside their control …

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