Good article, but I find it lacking in what you can do as a consumer to combat these problems. Years ago I bought from a national furniture retailer; not only was the delivery date extended, but the furniture damaged when it was delivered AND there was damage done to my apartment. I contacted the store manager and faxed him a "short story" about my experience with his company. On the last page I asked for what I wanted in return, a dining room table and chairs. When you have a bad experience at a restaurant you get a free meal, why not furniture? And what was the worst that could have happened, a no? Not bad odds.

great info! you just never feel like you are on solid ground buying furniture. i guess the main point i get from this article is to be vocal and proactive.

As a retail store manager I have to stand up for employees. We might want our commission but (most of us) aren't out to get you. If somethings wrong I do my best to fix it because we're not going to get anywhere if our customers don't return for future purchases and bad mouth us to their friends. When people get ridiculous though (I was 50% off! I want it free! I want this and this and this PLUS what I ordered) then I get pissed.

@jessicaf
You are pretending a meal and a set of furniture is in any way equivalent? Really?

of course, you are entitled to undamaged furniture in the first place. Sorry. Was set off by an obnoxious review for a restaurant I read recently....

That article coud have used some editing... still interesting, in parts. Sort of take exception to the idea that ppl are not responsible for their impulse buys. Store layout might faciitate impulse buys, but not even the salesperson is holdng a gun to your head. Also, do ppl really wander blindly into ikea on their first visit (assuming they aren't there to sightsee?) The place is huge. There are maps for a reason!

Great article. Thanks for sharing. "Most furniture retailers mark up their prices by about 80% (and in some cases more) to maximize profits."

@Shannon Ashely: as a retailer manager myself, I thank you for your pointing out the absurdity some customers try get away with. Yes, we do have an obligation to cultivate and maintain our customer base, but sometimes you need to draw the line on who is worth keeping, and who is just going to bleed you dry.

Thanks, very informative article.

This is why I love to buy used furniture. If a piece has held up well for its age, it'll probably give me the years I'll need it.

Awesome insight. I've had several issues with furniture and home accessories being "backordered" for 8-10 weeks and have always argued to cancel the order. Nice to have this knowledge under my belt. And, side note, this particular furniture store carries some of the most unique and well designed items out there - they just never have them in stock. Totally stinks for them! I know they'd get a lot more of my money if their inventory or turnaround time was more realistic.

I do have a great deal of sympathy for salespeople and managers that work in retail environments, as retail customers can be as difficult and challenging to deal with as vendors and delivery companies. The most important thing to remember when purchasing furniture, is to educate yourself properly on what you want and expect, and communicate that BEFORE you buy the furniture. Should any mishaps occur, make sure that you are working directly with the manager, and NEVER sign for damaged furniture on delivery. NEVER. It's extremely difficult to recoup those expenses after the fact! The best position to be in (should there be damage to your furniture) is to call the furniture store while you still have the delivery people at your home, allowing the company to have the chance to load the piece up and take it back to their warehouse- saving everyone time and money.

@AmyPureHome: are their pieces more custom? Some companies don't stock items and instead make them to order to keep overhead down-especially upholstery. 8-10 weeks for a customized sofa is actually pretty fair lead time.

As a retail manager, I know that my company does everything possible to fix any issue with furniture.
One thing I have noticed since economy tanked, is that customers get very upset when have to go through the proper procedures with shippers to fix an issue. Also, I have learned that the further we go, the more we find out about the reason for cancellation or return of product. It usually starts with "I am so mad at your company for the lack of customer service", or "quality", or "shipping time". Later we often find out that the customer lost their job, or a spouse was unhappy with the price of an item and they just want to return it.
Just be honest, unless you have something to hide.

80 percent mark-up?? try 1000%!!!

While articles such as these can be insightful for those who are wet behind the ears, they tend to lump all retailers into the same category.

It's been nearly a decade since I worked for a furniture company (for 5 interesting years) & they have since closed their doors, but we were not as evil as these articles make us out to be. We were a big company (therein lies some of the reason why they went belly up) with shareholders, not a franchise, therefore we did not earn commission. Of course we did still have specialized training to encourage add-ons, store credit cards & the like, but it wasn't some unsavory plot. I can't deny that a lot of businesses run on greed, but we were different. This proved especially difficult when customers who most likely read articles about how to get around the retailer & I would have to tell them "No, I am not at liberty to negotiate pricing/make items materialize faster/bend as-is item rules/etc."

All in all, be a smart shopper, not a paranoid one.

Interesting article, but I agree with atbrunner: you can't lump all furniture retailers together. This article really focused on the negatives. I worked in a great store for two years, and we were NOT out to screw over our customers. That said, we also weren't a big store: we were a small, family owned business.

My thoughts on some of the issues raised:

8 - 10 weeks is fast for a custom order. If your order is NOT custom, you may want to look at where the furniture is being made and shipped from to arrive so quickly. Also: If your furniture store orders from outside vendors, they really CAN'T tell you when your order will be in, because they really don't know. Their sales rep with the vendor likely doesn't know how long it will take from time of order to delivery. All they can do is tell you how long it -usually- takes.

Asking for a discount on the sticker price is reasonable, but remember that not all salespeople can give you another 10% off your already 50% off sofa. You can ask (and people LOVE to ask), but you may not get it. Where I worked, that 10% accounted for shipping, meaning the store would be making nothing on your sale, or possibly losing money. Furniture isn't like buying a shirt for $7 at the Gap, regularly priced $60. The Gap is still making money, but a small furniture store is not.

If you buy quality furniture, the sales people will be upfront about where and how the furniture is made because its a strong selling point. Unfortunately, people selling poor quality furniture will do the same with what little they have, so you have to learn to do your research, listen and ask the right questions. For example: 'Italian leather.' What does that mean? Is the leather made in Italy? Or is it made in China using a similar technique? Is Italian leather actually any better than leather made from a Canadian hide? Or does it just sound better? Important things for a customer to know.

The fees you -can- incur after purchasing are simple to navigate, and don't need to be a surprise. You can ask for a delivery quote before you ever purchase the furniture, and some stores offer free delivery within the city. All you have to do is ask. Also, the fabric protection plans are often worth it. It may cost $300 to cover your sofa, but if they can't get a red wine stain out of your fabric, they may end up replacing your entire sofa for you. Read the fine print, but don't dismiss these plans as an unnecessary expense.

Lastly, yes, furniture loses its resale value almost immediately, so be sure that what you're buying is going to last a long time. Meaning: quality, function, and style. Or, at least two of those, if you can't afford all three.

Lame - I couldn't get past the first point - Don't believe the hype. Salespeople working on commission (usually between 4 and 10 percent) may make up reasons to get you to buy, like "this sale ends tomorrow" or "we only have a few of these left."
what jaded person wrote this?

Carlhag- Not so far fetched. I moved into a town that had a "going out of business- last week!!!" furniture business. I raced in and bought shelves. 4 months later they were still "going out of business!!! Last week to save!"

I had a bit of a sofa nightmare a couple years ago. I bought a top end sofa that took MONTHS to show up, with the wrong sofa being brought at one point, and a variety of excuses for the delays. When they finally brought the correct sofa it was stained. Their stain removal guy couldn't get it all out and they started to tell me that they'd order new covers (while also suggesting that it was my fault for choosing a white sofa ... as if delivering a dirty sofa where it was hidden by the fabric would have been acceptable?!) At that point, it was about 7 months since I'd originally purchased the sofa and I told them I wanted a full refund. They actually tried to argue at first, but eventually gave in. It was ridiculous and I wish I'd requested it sooner since it was such a stressful and long-drawn-out hassle.

I later bough an IKEA sofa, that was delivered that same day I chose it (and it was a Sunday!). The comparison of experiences soured me on ever trying to buy an expensive "investment" piece of furniture since I am perfectly happy with my white Karlstad.

Note: just to be clear, I wasn't asking for a refund and to keep the stupid sofa.... I wanted to return it!

Much of our furniture is vintage and made to last.

I choked at the closing bit about the family who bought a $2,000 bedroom set for their daughter. Isn't a child better served by pieces that transition into adolescence? Slipcovered headboards, curtains and pillow covers are very cheap (by comparison) and easy to change out when a child outgrows a "theme."

most of these are reasons that i won't shop at room & board any longer.

"80 percent mark-up?? try 1000%!!!"

Exaggerate much?