Spectrum Home Furnishings, Spectrum, Great Chandeliers.com, Freedomcrystals.com, More! RIPOFF, SCAM, FRAUD, UNLAWFUL PRACTICE, MISREPRESENTATION, and I was CHARGED FOR ITEMS NOT RECEIVED and it was an INCOMPLETE ORDER Farmingdale New Jersey
This complaint is about Spectrum Home Furnishings Inc., Farmingdale, NJ. and greatchandeliers.com
on ebay: You should stay away from this company like the plague! Reasons? In my opinion,
FRAUD, UNLAWFUL PRACTICE, MISREPRESENTATION, and I was CHARGED FOR ITEMS NOT RECEIVED and it was an INCOMPLETE ORDER, to name a few!
I would like to post a complaint about Spectrum Home Furnishings Inc. / NJ (they are located in New Jersey but also do internet business and they have numerous company names and websites, all of which I will try and list here.
Here is my horror story.... of the "top ten (and more) list" of "Things that are sure to happen to you if you buy from Spectrum Home Furnishings":
This company is full of dishonest people that are in business solely to rip people off, in my opinion. They probably laugh all the way to their bank because there is always the next sucker to rip off as they do business on the internet, including ebay auctions, and they also have ads in most major decorating magazines. Although there are consumer laws to protect us (and they are directly breaking some of the NJ laws) they seem to know just how to get around it. Meaning, they know how the credit card companies work with complaints against them......which is almost stacked in their favor as it takes months and months of keeping track of the complaint BY THE PURCHASER because credit card companies give 1-2-3 months for them to resolve the issue etc.
I can state this because of my nightmare experience with this company. I am STILL dealing with trying to get my money back for these misrepresented and broken junk that they call chandeliers! To top it off, the people there are rude and crude! I read all the complaints already posted by others about this company (and there are many) and I has similar experiences with their nasty replies during phonecalls etc. Wish I had known about these complaints before I bought from Spectrum! Well hopefully MY complaint will steer you clear away from these dishonest people. I am simply amazed that they remain in business though...since they are breaking many laws, namely many in their own state of NJ! I suggest writing tothe officials there. I certainly plan on doing that. Spectrum is located in New Jersey but also do internet business and they have numerous company names and websites, all of which I will try and list here.
I ordered over $4000 worth of chandeliers from Spectrum and received lots of grief over a 9 month period ...... and I still do not have my refund. I ordered 11 chandeliers and 4 wall sconces for a new home I was about to move into and they had to be delivered and installed by a specific date (which we indicated to Spectrum when ordering). They were promised to be delivered COMPLETELY ASSEMBLED, except for the largest 50 inch high one, which they said would require minor assembly, but what I received was an entire shipment of 6 inch high boxes! When opened they contained frame parts only, no crystals whatsoever.
To save time we had the shipment sent directly to the new home to be installed, so you can imagine our shock when we saw the tiny chandelier boxes! They jeopardized the purchase of our new home because the lighting fixtures needed to be installed in order to close on the house! We had to run out and immediately buy temporary fixtures (like light bulb sockets, and some other inexpensive lighting fixtures, oh just lovely in our new home!)
We spent over a year trying to get reimbursed for the misrepresented chandeliers etc. Well here is our story in a nutshell, and also info. you can use to write to authorities to stop Spectrum from doing this to anyone else!
I did not receive what I ordered regarding:
1) QUANTITY (charged for items I did NOT receive: charged for 2 chandeliers
and 2 sconces not received).
2) INCOMPLETE ORDER (parts still missing),
3) FRAUD (content of materials misrepresented)
4) UNLAWFUL PRACTICE both regarding content of materials (as mentioned above) and Spectrum stating that chandeliers would arrive "fully assembled" , when they arrived completely UNassembled) without indicating such at time of sale or in any advertising or website info. (breaking NJ laws 56:8-2.4 and 56:8-2). Here are the New Jersey laws that Spectrum is in violation of:
NEW JERSEY LAWS:
***Spectrum shows a picture of an assembled item but customer receives an unassembled item (in hundreds of parts) and they do NOT state either on their website or telephone that item needs assembly. (Even when customer is placing order and they are asked if the item will arrive assembled, they say yes it will.)
There is a NJ law that states "56:8-2.4. Advertisement of unassembled merchandise as assembled in picture or illustration; prohibition It shall be an unlawful practice for a person to advertise merchandise for sale accompanied by a picture or illustration of the merchandise in an assembled condition when it is intended to be sold unassembled, unless the advertisement bears the notation that the merchandise is to be sold unassembled".
*** Spectrum misrepresents content of materials that the chandeliers are made out of. (For instance, stating that a chandelier is 100% murano/venetian glass or 100% solid cast brass, when it is NOT).
There is a NJ law that states: 56:8-2. Fraud, etc., in connection with sale or advertisement of merchandise or real estate as unlawful practice The act, use or employment by any person of any unconscionable commercial practice, deception, fraud, false pretense, false promise, misrepresentation, or the knowing, concealment, suppression, or omission of any material fact with intent that others rely upon such concealment, suppression or omission, in connection with the sale or advertisement of any merchandise or real estate, or with the subsequent performance of such person as aforesaid, whether or not any person has in fact been misled, deceived or damaged thereby, is declared to be an unlawful practice; provided, however, that nothing herein contained shall apply to the owner or publisher of newspapers, magazines, publications or printed matter wherein such advertisement appears, or to the owner or operator of a radio or television station which disseminates such advertisement when the owner, publisher, or operator has no knowledge of the intent, design or purpose of the advertiser.
5) Spectrum refuses to answer my calls (or speak to me, once they hear who is calling, and refuse to answer my emails any longer.)
6) Spectrum refuses to supply me with a detailed list of exactly how many chandelier crystals of each type, for each chandelier, go on each fixture (SO I COULD CHECK THE ORDER and INDICATE WHAT WAS MISSING). They refused to send this info. despite numerous requests.
7) Spectrum refuses to supply me with assembly instructions and diagrams (I was not supposed to assemble these in the first place though!)
8) Spectrum claimed week after week that they shipped missing chandelier crystals but I never received anything.
9) Chandeliers took 5-6 hours EACH to assemble (NOT including adding hundreds of crystals, that were missing anyway) .NOT the few MINUTES they CLAIMED assembly should take! Therefore if I were to ship these back the shipping of these large items would cost MORE than the cost of the chandeliers themselves. I would also need to charge them for all the labor in assembling these.
10) This was NOT an internet order, it was a telephone order, so ALL guarantees were made over the phone by Spectrum. We did look at pictures of chandeliers on the internet to discuss chandelier order but ALL guarantees were made verbally by salesman "David" at time of order.
(And one more on my "top ten" list) #11) If we are required to adhere to their internet website company policies (not mentioned to us via the telephone order) then their policy regarding orders via the internet website states: "WE GUARANTEE OUR ITEMS WILL ARRIVE TO YOU IN GOOD WORKING ORDER". How can these items arrive in good working order if they are NOT assembled (as shown in their photos and item descriptions) and not even WIRED? (also all crystals missing and items missing etc!) IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS FOR THE CONSUMER TO BE WIRING THESE COMPLICATED CHANDELIERS THEMSELVES ESPECIALLY WITHOUT INSTRUCTIONS! But since the nasty company employees (I spoke to someone named Steve and they refuse to give last names) refuse refund AT ALL, the consumer has no alternative, being stuck with these hunks of junk!
Here is more info. on this company who operates under many names:
Spectrum Home Furnishings, Inc.
800-668-3899
OR
Spectrum, Inc.,
address on shipping box:
510 Squankum Yellowbrook Road
Farmingdale, NJ 07727
(They also have a location in Atlanta Georgia because they mistakenly sent me a box with that address on it! This scam could be nation wide!)
online site is:
great chandeliers.com"
but others are:
freedomcrystals.com
greatchandeliers.com
greatchandelier.com
spectrumhomefurnishings.com
also selling on ebay under "greatchandeliers"
also they have ads in almost every major decorating magazine...so beware!
Check ebay feedback comments from customers (ebay bidders) who were also sold fraudulent merchandise (not assembled etc.) and complained.
My experience with these people was a complete nightmare and I hope others are warned NOT to deal with Spectrum at ALL! Please beware!
I am soooooo glad there is a place like ripoffreport.com to expose these dishonest rip off people!!
P
Bethel, Connecticut
U.S.A.
4 Updates & Rebuttals
P
Bethel,Connecticut,
U.S.A.
BRASS HERE
#5Author of original report
Thu, December 03, 2009
I'd like to reply to "Art Forme` - Troy (USA)" who posted an answer to my original complaint about Spectrum.
First of all your name calling is quite unprofessional, that I don't have "BRASS" to "REVEAL" my name.....that has nothing to do with the situation here one way or another. I assure you I have documentation to prove I purchased these items from Spectrum and further documentation to prove I went almost a year dealing with my credit card company trying to get this all straightened out etc. and finally they found Spectrum to be at fault and that is the only way the situation got resolved through THEM putting a charge back on Spectrum and Spectrum finally losing a case! (Had I used a check I would be out all the funds and have no recourse other than court, and I WOULD have done that.) You have to understand people like these scam artists COUNT on the consumer getting worn out when they give you the run around, and run around they did. Problem is, MOST consumers just give up because it usually involved ONE chandelier or such (and that's EXACTLY what Spectrum counts on and how they KEEP ripping people off time and time again), and only a few hundred dollars perhaps, but my order was thousands so I kept on pursuing this. I posted this complaint ONLY to warn other unsuspecting consumers of their tactics. Sure perhaps a FEW of the sales from Spectrum go off without a hitch, but those just might be the simpler models of chandeliers, the all-one-part ones or the metal ones in particular, that are not as complicated to assemble (although still ridiculous with many parts, just not as fragile and fallig apart is all) so there's that, but re-read my complaint for all the reasons why Spectrum is putting people in jeaopardy, not to mention ripping off their money for this junk merchandise.
Let me start with your last paragraph first, where you accuse me of "ASSUMING" and "NOT PAYING ENOUGH ATTENTION" when placing this rather large $4000 order for 11 chandeliers and 4 wall sconces. Now does that statement REALLY make sense? Yes right, I placed a $4000 order and asked NO questions whatsoever (I say sarcastically). RE-READ my original complaint, Spectrum guaranteed over the phone that all items are assembled,and they KNEW my time frame situation with needing these fixtures by a certain date to close on a home (and we ordered with sufficient time to spare), and when I received these they were in almost-flat boxes, zillions of pieces, and NO crystals in sight, NO instructions for assembly, and one main larger chandelier arrived in a tiny box and all I got was ONE chandelier ARM. The invoice stated it was POTTERY that was delivered, the return address was an entirely different company, and when we complained and they CLAIMED they were going to send out the missing pieces, they sent ONE item and it was wrong, and they sent it to the wrong address....should I go on? This all went on for NINE months!
Sure I know their prices are low but NO WHERE on their website (when I ordered) did it ever say "assembly required" and again when I spoke to a live person they assured me everything arrives assembled (and said that was the reason for freight charges, larger cartons, special handling, etc.).....and THAT, my dear "posted your name Arte Forme", is against the law in NJ where they are located. MISREPRESENTATION for starters. Then add FRAUD, UNLAWFUL PRACTICE, CHARGED FOR ITEMS NOT RECEIVED, INCOMPLETE ORDER, etc.!!! Not to mention that consumers attempting to wire lighting units themselves (out of desperation due to Spectrum's unprofessional antics, more on that in a sec) risk injury or death through being electrocuted, OR damage to their home if something is not wired properly and the house burns down as a result. THIS is why they MAKE these laws. Or are you going to tell me we should factor in the price of HIRING AN ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR to assemble these each time we place an internet order for alighting fixture guaranteed assembled? Oh THAT wouldn't cost a lot (NOT!).
I've owned my own companies too and I would NEVER misrepresent merchandise as Spectrum has, and then count on stonewalling tactics to make sure I wear out the consumer and they simply give up the fight. I am happy that ripoffreport.com gives us consumers some sort of voice so at least others have a CHANCE at not getting caught in the same web I was with Spectrum.
I had immediately notified Spectrum when I first opened the first few boxes, and the scam started from there. I was confronted by a nasty young man who was anything BUT professional. He accused ME of all sorts of things, would only give me his first name (which you quickly find is the case with anyone else you talk to there), then gave me a fake "name of the day" as the person who was president etc....and then ventually stopped taking my phone calls entirely......it was a nightmare. This is where my credit card company then too over contacting them. Also when you deal though a credit card company they give Spectrum 60 days to reply, and the beat goes on from there, each time.....again Spectrum counting on consumers giving up the fight. They never met ME. BY the way at one point my credit card comapny put us on a three way phone call and only THEN did the spectrum rep. act like a complete angel, promising to send me everything under the sun, but as soon as I dealt with them on my own again it was another story, nasty young men laughing at us the consumer, as they tell tale afterfalse tale, and keep giving different first names only, phoney president names, and false promises. THIS is what most of the complaints on here about Spectrum have experienced....see a pattern here????? I think so.
What I found was that besides everything being unassembled, the metal parts were SOOO inferior and NOT the color in the photo...for example one "solid brass chandelier" that arrived was nothing more than a cheap tin in ORANGY metal color, just atrocious. Then all of the "Maria" style fancy supposed-to-be-all-crystal chandeliers were plastic and/or glass and falling apart and pieces all cracked etc.
By the way, I did not build my home, I just ordered GUARANTEED assembled fixtures from this lighting company called Spectrum, to be installed ij the home I was purchasing from a builder, and although I ASSUME a builder will have his electrician install lighting fixtures so I can close on a home, they are in no way responsible to ASSEMBLE fixtures that I supply to them......nor should I have to pay that extra cost when I bought these with a verbal guarantee they would arrive ASSEMBLED....so I never assumed anything, I had the facts guaranteed upon ordering, and had the facs straight. Where this went bad is when me, the consumer, had to then deal with these unprofessional folks at Spectrum. Yes I use the "sugar" (professional) approach because I would do it no other way....so I guess you could say what I got back was not only "vinegar" (unprofessionalism and scam tactics) from Spectrum, but more like molasses......such a sticky mess that a person simply cannot believe this company remains in business. How many more ripoffreport.com complaints does there need to be before someone DOES something to stop these disreputable people? They seem to fly under the radar.
How can you say with a straight face that we need to hire an electrical contractor to assemble lighting fixtures when we place a simple order online for same, and it does not have the required "assembly required" posted, as by law? (they also guarantee items will arrive in "working condition" which is quite a joke...how can something work if it is not assembled and all the parts incomplete? I was also charged for items not received, by the way.....LARGE items like few chandeliers and the 2 wall sconces! Had I not been diligent in checking merchandise and paperwork I would have been out that money too.
Let me close by saying NOTHING I said has been "blown out of proportion"....I told the story just as it happened to me and please, anyone reading this steer clear of Spectrum, just bad BAD news there. Don't be enticed by the low prices, that's their HOOK, then YOU sink deep into the "sea of nightmares" to come.
And by the way, read Belinda's posting right under yours Arte...another scammed customer, and there are many more I am sure, check the ripoffreport website for more....and also other complaints about Spectrum online. Remember they use many different company names too! How anyone could even consider ignoring all the numerous negative postings on ripoffreport.com about Spectrum is beyond me.
I wonder if I should ASSUME Arte is from Spectrum? :-)
Belinda
Parkville,Australia,
Australia
similar problem
#5Consumer Comment
Thu, December 03, 2009
I just wanted to add that they are also working with
chandelier liquidators - www.chandlierliquidators.com
I ordered products from this company that would never have arrived had a not got Australia post to stop the parcels at the port on their second journey back to the USA.
They were actually products sent from spectrum home furnishings and great chandeliers even though I ordere them from chandelier liquidators. They had totally incorrect postage addresses - but my name on them. Of course the return address was correct.
I suspect their intention was to keep and resell the returned items pocketing all the money.
These packages made the voyage from USA to Australia 2 times (3 in one case). Several boxes as I bought several lights.
Anyway, I finally got them stopped at port with the help of Australia Post, and sent to me. Otherwise I would have kept belieiving it was the fault of the postal service here.
They swore black and blue that they had checked everything at their end (TWICE!) and that they were not at fault. They are such fluent con-men that they even convinced me to pay an additional $500 USD for the resending.
Needless to say I have never seen the money and had to get as smart and tricky as them to ensure that I received anything at all for my money.
Frauds, stealing money, lying, misrepresenting themselves and then refusing ultimately to answer any calls and emails. Beware! A very expensive lesson to learn.
(oh, and by the way, either incomplete, incomprehensible or entirely missing assembly instructions when I finally got them). Rubbish!
Art Forme`
Troy,New York,
USA
Have the "Brass" to go Face to Face
#5Consumer Comment
Wed, October 07, 2009
I am a consumer of Spectrum Lightings products and have to say this report is quite slanted. IF you read and communicate with Spectrum or any of their affiliates you understand WHY their pricing is so reasonable. It is because everything they sell is "unassembled" and sold in broken down order. That is why they are able to provide "free shipping" on many of their items and why so many of their chandeliers are multiple boxes.
For someone to come out "blasting" like "P" above (who doesn't even have the brass to name themselves is quite bothersome. If what they feel is so true, I would think there would be no problem in facing the fact that it is what it is and saying who they are. I think there is more to this problem than meets the eye.
I will agree, there are hundreds, if not thousands of parts and pieces to these things. If you are building a home and furnishing it with beautiful fixtures from these folks you had better be prepared for your ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR to do some extra work. The contractor can get the fixtures wired and in place and there is no reason you can't attach all of the hundreds or thousands of crystals! (By the way, the crystals don't have to be attached for the house inspection)
There were alot of comments in the report above that were blown way out of proportion. Obviously there is a reason "P" hasn't gotten their money back as of yet. Spectrum offers an array of chandeliers. The lesser crystal ones are Italian crystal that I put in one of my homes and was quite happy with, they sparkled quite nicely and reflected in the large mirror wonderfully. In my new home, I just ordered a larger Swarovski French Empire Style 12 light chandelier, it's going to be a bear to install, however I know I saved a bundle and I will be extremely pleased.
Maybe it's all in the attitude and expectation. Ya think?? Obviously they found Spectrum online and did some investigation before calling, they just didn't pay enough attention and made some assumptions that shouldn't have been made. They are a good company. I own my own company and know how some customers can be, you certainly get more with sugar than with vinegar, first impressions are everything. I can only imagine "P's" initial phone call. There, I think I've said enough. Thank you.
P
Bethel,Connecticut,
U.S.A.
I found more company names and website Spectrum uses!
#5Author of original report
Fri, August 18, 2006
Here are more of their websites(and names!) to beware of!:
http://www.spectrumhome.pointshop.com/
http://www.spectrumfurnishings.com/
on amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/b/104-5683941-6512745?ie=UTF8&me=A1N3YT1P428DFM
phone to contact them from amazon.com website: 800-668-3899
on MSN:
http://shopping.msn.com/results/shp/?ptnrid=175,ptnrdata=200230,bCatId=4846,av=2-128176