New Life Style furniture Store Product misrepresented! We paid for high quality solid pine beds, but received lower quality press board! Pittsburg California
I am starting to believe my parents have been ripped off.
My parents purchased chest beds for my two sons from New Life Style, a furniture store in Pittsburg, CA. The store did not have what we were looking for in stock, so we chose the beds from a catalogue they showed us. After finding a style we liked, we asked specifically what the beds were made out of because we did NOT want anything other than solid wood. (No press board, no particle board etc.) We were told that the beds were made out of solid pine. That was just what we were looking for, so my father placed the order. This was the day before Easter.
Fast forward one week, to the following Saturday. The beds were delivered, and the only thing solid wood on them is the knobs on the drawers!
I called on Monday to see if there had been a mistake. The manager acted very sorry and said he wanted to make things "right", that he'd look into things and that he would call me back. I waited until Friday with no call back from him, so I called the store again.
I was told by the lady who answered the phone that the manager was with a customer and couldn't come to the phone, but that he said to tell me that the beds should arrive by Monday. Huh? I told her I didn't know what he meant by that, and she said he would have to call me later.
I waited. He didn't call. So I called again later that afternoon. I was told that he "just stepped out" and would have to call me when he came back. I was preparing myself for another long wait, but he did call me fairly soon after that.
His explanation was that there must have been a mistake, and he has ordered the correct furniture for us. He said it should be in the store for us to look at on Monday. He also assured me that he will take my calls from now on, even if he is in a meeting.
Well now it is Monday, so I called to see if the beds had arrived so we could come out and see them. I was informed that they have not arrived. By the way, I was also told the manager was not in the store, then placed on hold for a while, then told the manager was with a customer. Hmmmm.....
A few minutes later, I got curious about the manufacturer. I called the store again to ask who the manufacturer is, and this time I spoke with a guy, not the lady who usually answers the phone. I just asked him who makes the twin beds with drawers underneath, and he said he'd check real quick and put me on hold. A few moments later, another guy came to the phone to answer my question. I didn't think he knew who I was, so I asked him what they are made of just to see what he would say. He asked the manager, and then said "press board". Press board! I confirmed with him that it was the manager who I had been dealing with all along who told him this. So it seems to me as if they always knew the beds are not solid pine.
The bottom line is this:
We feel that we were misled, either intentionally or by accident, about the quality of these beds. Now we seem to be getting the run-around. For the price we paid, we expected good quality solid pine furniture. After all, that is what we were told we were ordering. Incidentally, to add insult to injury, we found the same beds in an advertisement for another company for over $400 LESS than we paid for them! The high price was part of reason we believed them when we were told they were solid pine.
Is there any recourse?
Thanks!
Ellen
Bay Point, California
U.S.A.
7 Updates & Rebuttals
Ellen
Bay Point,California,
U.S.A.
NOT RESOLVED YET!!!
#8Author of original report
Sun, May 21, 2006
I had high hopes that this would be resolved by now. The store offered to give us an exchange for some beds that just came in to the store. We went out and looked at them, and they are not acceptable to us. They are not a in a style that we like, and they do NOT include headboards. (We thought the exchange would be for beds and headboards similar to what we purchased.)
The manager (Emmette Jones)lacked in customer service skills and was reluctant to even shake our hands! My husband asked him if he did, in fact, have two of the replacement beds for the exchange, assuming we decided to even take them at all. The manager acted like he didn't know we had two beds!! He said that was a "problem", but later said he would take care of it. How could he not have known that after all this time and all we've been through? It was very suspicious to us. We left the store and said we'd be in touch after we made a decision. If we had agreed to the exchange, we would have ended up only getting ONE bed for TWO. He gave us his business card, but I won't be calling him. I'll be in touch with the mediator instead. (Incidentally, the store's web site on his business card does not exist.)
So it looks like we still have no resolution! The manager said again that if we want a refund they will hold back 25%. That is unacceptable to us! He was even upset that we didn't want to pay a delivery charge to have them pick them up. Why should we give them a dime after all that has gone on here? We feel totally RIPPED OFF!!!
Also.....In the interests of finding a peaceful resolution, we offered to let the store match the price on the same beds at another store. (As in, we would just keep the beds and they would just give us a refund for the difference in price.) They refused, even though a huge sign in their window says that "Nobody beats our prices"!! Does that constitute false advertising?
Ellen
Bay Point,California,
U.S.A.
Still not resolved!
#8Author of original report
Tue, May 16, 2006
The store finally agreed to come get the beds, but they will charge us an additional $59 dollars. They will also not refund the original delivery charge.
I would like to point out that they are also saying now that they will deduct 25% of the refund amount as a restocking fee. That is not what the were saying last week.
The mediator advised us of our legal options. She also gave me contact information for a local news reporter. I'm thinking of contacting him.
Ellen
Bay Point,California,
U.S.A.
In mediation with Dept of Consumer Affairs....
#8Author of original report
Thu, May 11, 2006
We are in mediation with the Dept of Consumer Affairs, but are at a stale-mate. The store refuses to give us a refund unless we deliver the beds (at our own expense) back to the store. We asked them to come and pick the beds up, but they are unwilling.
I'm looking into the costs for us to bring the beds back to the store. (Truck rental, moving help etc.) After that, we'll decide what step we want to take next.
Ellen
Bay Point,California,
U.S.A.
In mediation with Dept of Consumer Affairs....
#8Author of original report
Thu, May 11, 2006
We are in mediation with the Dept of Consumer Affairs, but are at a stale-mate. The store refuses to give us a refund unless we deliver the beds (at our own expense) back to the store. We asked them to come and pick the beds up, but they are unwilling.
I'm looking into the costs for us to bring the beds back to the store. (Truck rental, moving help etc.) After that, we'll decide what step we want to take next.
Ellen
Bay Point,California,
U.S.A.
In mediation with Dept of Consumer Affairs....
#8Author of original report
Thu, May 11, 2006
We are in mediation with the Dept of Consumer Affairs, but are at a stale-mate. The store refuses to give us a refund unless we deliver the beds (at our own expense) back to the store. We asked them to come and pick the beds up, but they are unwilling.
I'm looking into the costs for us to bring the beds back to the store. (Truck rental, moving help etc.) After that, we'll decide what step we want to take next.
Ellen
Bay Point,California,
U.S.A.
In mediation with Dept of Consumer Affairs....
#8Author of original report
Thu, May 11, 2006
We are in mediation with the Dept of Consumer Affairs, but are at a stale-mate. The store refuses to give us a refund unless we deliver the beds (at our own expense) back to the store. We asked them to come and pick the beds up, but they are unwilling.
I'm looking into the costs for us to bring the beds back to the store. (Truck rental, moving help etc.) After that, we'll decide what step we want to take next.
Ellen
Bay Point,California,
U.S.A.
Official complaints have been filed
#8Author of original report
Thu, May 04, 2006
Today I filed official complaints with the Better Business Bureau and the CA Bureau of Home Furnishings.