apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I have had the worst experience dealing with Bo Concepts. I ordered my furniture 6 weeks ago, and to date the store has no idea where my furniture is or when it will arrive. I get conflicting stories with each new employee that I speak to. I will never shop there again, and I would never recommend anyone else to either

I purchased a couch at Bo Concept about two weeks ago. Not only was the customer service rather on-top of things (especially since the store was swamped), but I got my furniture in two weeks instead of the estimated four. And we all hate those dreaded four hour windows on delivery day...my furniture showed up in the first five minutes of my "window". Now thats what I call service.

I have never had a worse experience with any company as I've had with Bo Concepts. They never called to say our order was delayed, were unapologetic about delaying it a month, never returned phone calls, and then finally delivered a damaged table 5 months after we ordered it. We then had to wait another 2 months for them to replace the leg. We insisted they compensate us for the delay to no avail so we refused payment of the balance of the order. Finally the president of the company called us and took 15% off our order. It was a nightmare.

We bought several items for BoConcept recently - sectional leather sofa, entertainment center with wall unit, dining table with chairs, full size mirror and a sleeper sofa. We bought these because of the design, price and decent quality. The person who helped us at the store was helpful as well. After that is quite another story.

BoConcept has one of the worst delivery and installation service. Our items came late, were poorly assembled. Compared to Crate and barrel, where we bought our bedroom BoConcept's delivery service is terrible. Given what went wrong I would hesitate to buy anything there. Let me list the problems:

1. Entertainment unit - delivery person broke a one of the legs while assembling!
2. Shelves - delivered with wrong size mounting screws so ended up damaging the wall!
3. Sofa - Incomplete installation, I had to complete the sectional installation and zipping the pillows etc. Not a big deal except we had paid $450 to install the sofa!
4. Mirror arrived without mounting brackets - so is not sitting on the floor
5. Dining table - assembled without around 5 screws, we are praying that the thing does not break!
6. Only one of 6 dining chairs delivered so far (after 2 months) - one was drenched (due to rain the previous day and leaks in their truck) and 2 wobbly so were sent back! the one we kept is slightly scratched...but scratch is a minor defect here!

Would I buy again or recommend them to anyone? Would you? I actually sent these comments in an email to their office.

No doubt they have good design and price and even the sales person we dealt with was very good - at par with the folks at Crate and Storehouse for instance. But the delivery and assembly was unbelievable!

I've been looking at furniture in the price range of Bo Concept and I wandered into one of their stores. The designs are handsome, but the quality is very low. They use very thin, cheap veneers and low quality junk as their bases. You can get good quality veneers for less money (veneer isn't necessarily a bad thing, it done right), and for a bit more you can get solid wood. They get the same price for their junky chairs that you'd pay for solid hardwood.

Bo Concepts has been the worsed experience in buying furniture. We ordered an expensive sectional that will take four months to deliver. The designer in the store layed out the sofa on our plan, and we thought it was well-conceived. When we laid it out in the room, it was wrong. The chaise piece needed to be flipped. Well Bo wants to charge us 50% of that piece which amounts to $1,000 to change it because it was 10 days rather than 7 days. We were out of town and did not return to our apartment, and immediately realized it was a mistake. Bo will not bend in any way, even though we purchased a sctional, other pieces and another sofa. The customer treatment is pathetic. It was not even 2 weeks == and yet, we have to wait for another 3 1/2 months to get it. We cannot resolve the issue and it goes on and one and we cannot accept the sofa made wrong.

Same story. Ordered 2 chairs from Bo Concept. We received a call from them stating that they were on track for a 12 week delivery. That was good news, but it wasn't until I called back a week later that I received their song and dance stating they are still "waiting for the fabric" and delivery would be 2-3 weeks late. Still waiting for fabric after 2 months??? It is unacceptable that we didn't receive a call from them regarding the delay. We won't be ordering from them again.

I recently bought two chaises from Bo Concept. I received a call from customer service the day before the scheduled delivery to confirm my delivery time, and the delivery people came right on time. I even got a call two days later asking how the delivery went. I have no complaints.

To All the Bo Bashers:

I have ordered many items from BoConcept, and I have yet to experience any of the above mentioned problems. The product continues to improve in quality and availability and has always been the best for the price. If you want any cheaper you can go to IKEA and get some "here and now" furniture that may look great until you go to use it, and it falls apart. Although the delivery times are sometimes a bit long (especially upholstered) they are custom made and not just sitting in a warehouse waiting to be picked. I also have some items from C&B which took longer to deliver than the chair I have from Bo (and it was made in North Carolina. If you are looking for great design you should have the knowledge enough to know that they take time to make. If you need something now, you should probably try "the room store". In regards to the veneer vs. solid wood, whoever thinks that solid is just a bit more $$, try 2-3 times the cost. Just because its more money doesnt make it solid or even better quality. Even the high end italian and euro manufacturers are using MDF and composite woods. Also when you buy solid woods you are making a concious desion to destroy the earth. Why does fur continue to be frowned upon, but when it comes to solid wood design nobody bats an eye.

Ill say it again, I am thrilled to have a BoConcept in my area (DC) and will continue to go there for all my furniture needs.

GO BO!

Dear M. Jackson,

Maybe instead of pointing fingers at Bo you should remember that you are the one who brought in the floor plan. Maybe you should take another look at your dimensions before blaiming the store that worked from your drawings.

Sorry for your mistake.

I have to say that although Bo Concept offers somewhat compettitve prices their customer service is irreprehensible! Originally they told me the New Jersey store didn't carry what I was looking for and that I would have to wait 3-4months. I conducted my own research and found that the NJ store does carry it which would mean only a 3-4 WEEK wait for delivery to Canada. When I phoned back to let them know, the manager was extremely rude, telling me she knows her job, she checks the NJ inventory daily, etc. I was apalled at the way she was "yelling" at me and asked her several times to please use a nicer tone as she was becoming extremely offensive to me and why in the world would she take up that tone to begin with completely unprovoked!!! Here I thought I was helping her out!!. She continuued in the same tone, having no insight to her abrupt, rude and defensive manner. She said she would reluctantly e-mail them and cc me just to show me that they don't carry it.In the end, the owner of the store phoned me to tell me they did have the merchandise at the NJ store and could get it for me! No apologies were given from the store manager and when I recounted the story to the owner, he was hardly concerned and gave me a very insincere "oh, sorry that happened to you, so do you still want the furniture?" I dealt with 2 other salespeople there, one who was absolutely so uninspired it felt like I was asking him to drag himself out of bed for each item he showed me and the other was rough and very cold. I don't know if it is a cultural Danish thing and that's the way they train their employees, but their cold demeanor and offensive behavior was the epitomy of an ineffective sales environment. As far as ever shopping with them again based on their customer service, it would be a flat out NO.

Signed

Completely Uninspired!

Bo Concept is the worst furniture store! We ordered a sectional sofa and two bar stools last year. We were delivered four bar stools and a sofa missing one cushion. We had to jump through hoops and take time off of work to get them to pick up the extra stools in order to get a refund for the money that they had wrongly charged us. But that is nothing compared to the time and aggravation invested over the past 8 months trying to get the missing cushion delivered. They change their story on the missing cushion with every phone call (which has averaged more than 4 a month). They have sent us three different wrong cushions, each time claiming it is the correct cushion even though none of them have matched the other cushions on the couch. They refuse to take the couch back even though they cannot send us a complete product. To make matters worse everyone that we have dealt with since the initial purchase has been completely rude and unsympathetic. I would never set foot in their store again. I cannot wait for the day that the entire franchise goes under. Clearly there is no one overseeing customer service in the organization. As a final note, we still do not have a complete sofa, and I am not at all confident that Bo Concept will ever deliver the product we ordered.

Just piling on here... same story. Super nice floor staff at the CT store, very helpful and attentitive (as long as you aren't dressed like I bum, I've learned.) Ordered a sectional and waited the allotted time. no couch. No calls, no apologies. Wait another month. Wait another month. Not in NJ. Call hte warehouse. Mixed up your order. blah blah blah. You know what? Eff You. We finally got it and we love it - but at what cost? it was 3 months late with no apologies and no discount. I will NOT buy another made-to-order item from Bo again.

Hi,

I love BoConcepts furniture. They are an expanding company and they are very detailed oriented. I love the Bo on 144 West 18th Street. The people are very kind and entertaing. I purchased a grey zen sofa, a black 3 seater diva and a momments bed. Everyone that steps into my apt compliments me on my art pieces from Bo. Keep up the good work Bo u have a custoemer 4 life...
K. Brooks

I too had a small issue of the it's going to be delivered in two weeks....
and it's in..but not...

however the table and chairs...they were worth
the wait..the fit for it perfect.....
where else can you get that...
Seamans?

May I hear from somebody who has experience with the Tysons Corner, VA store?

I ordered a bed and tv console from Bo Concept. The designs look nice, but if you closely examine the physical pieces, you only find a step up from IKEA. Don't fool yourself into thinking that you have purchased any high quality items! If you are looking for high quality and longevity, this ain't it...imagine putting together a bookshelf from the department store...cam nuts all over the place!
Bo Concept is not the only option. Other designers are out there...Natuzzi comes to mind...and are a little better in quality...though these other designers oftentimes cost at least 10% to 15% more than BC, the difference in in quality more than makes up for it. Having received several Bo Concept packages (several of them with components that were either damaged or destroyed in the mail), I do have to express a concern over the longevity of these items.
I wish that I'd known about my other options before choosing Boo.
If you are thinking of buying Bo Concept, think again. It's cute, but way overpriced (most probably because of freight charges stemming from their disregard of the American consumer and subsequent severe shortage of North American warehouses)!

Stuff about Bo Concept:
1. They are expanding...but not in a traditional "furniture company" sense. They are "franchising." How McDonalds/Subway-like. I guess it kind of makes sense...Subway DOES put together sandwiches for you! So...it works...kind of. I think they "own" their concept stores. For more info: http://www.letsfranchise.com/scripts/offer.php?offer=BOCONC-001
2. Most final product from BC goes through Denmark. Some piece goods (like SOME beds, SOME dining chairs) sold in the U.S. are stored in the "US warehouse" (which I think is in NJ), but most other stuff?: Denmark=>Franchiser=>You.
3. Most of your stuff is not custom-made. Come on, folks. Get real. It's MODULAR furniture...only items with custom fabric are "custom-made" because they HAVE to be made that way. So, why the big 4 month wait for a wall unit? Well, for ONE "wall unit" you can pick and choose SO many different pieces to go on it (glass door, frosted glass door, 2 drawers,4 drawers...you get the picture)...and they ONLY stock ALL of those pieces in...you guessed it: Denmark! And apparently people in Denmark haven't figured out how to quickly put boxes that hold components on pallets.
4. The owners/managers of/salespeople in these Bo Concept shops are probably just as p--d off as you are...they can't grow a factory and then go make your "late" items, and if they gave discounts left and right for orders that came "late" or "messed up" they'd go bankrupt(because as we all know they'd have to give at least one discount EVERY day of the week). Really, their supplier is to blame (in this case Club 8/Bo Concept Denmark); it's hard to take accountability for something that you're not responsible for. Furthermore, it seems like the Denmark office is clearly not offering any type of remunerations to the franchisees. Personally, I wouldn't take the money from MY store to give to customers either...because BC Denmark is so unreliable! If I did that, where would my profit come from? If you're unhappy, I think you'll just have to take a loss, and not order them again. Or adjust your expectations.
5. Bo Concept is a company with very eye-catching designs, but with international operations that are not being run very well. There are no incentives for after-service care...actually, there are incentives NOT to care about customers.

Funny stuff. Sorry folks. Just gotta roll with it!

I have had a roller coaster of events w/ my local Bo.
the cambridge staff is very polite and very knowledgeable of their product.
but after waiting over 13 weeks for my sofa, I became impatient and before I knew it, was involved in a cat and mouse chase just trying to find the an answer as to when I could expect my sofa.

After now waiting 16 weeks, the sales associate, who was sympathetic and apologetic felt and was at his wits end, felt he had no choice but to inform me exactly how the company runs.

Did you all know that Bo Concept is a franchise, every store is privately owned?

I never would have guessed such a thing after my first visit. The showroom had all the glitz and glams to make me feel comfortable and safe to make a purchase. The staff were a group fun, energenic, and very trendy young adults.

I totally fell for the trap!
It's been down hill ever since.

The warehouse/delivery dept. in New Jersey is basically worthless. The first 3 times I tried to speak to thr store's cust. serv. rep., I was forwarded to a voicemail, with NOT one return phone call. I had to contact my sales associate and see if he could contact this person, and he was finally able to have her call me.

Once I had the chance to speak with this CUSTOMER SERVICE REP., she was very rude and short with me. She replied to my requests and questions aggresively. I couldn't believe this person, first was a Cust. Serv. Rep., and two was associated with the cambridge store.

The after-sale-service at Bo Concept is not worth the reasonable price you'll pay for the hassle of trying to receive your merchandise.

After waiting 17 weeks for my sofa, it finally arrived, 2 hours after my assigned 4 hour long window period, and the covers for the back cushions were two sizes bigger than the foam in it. What gives?

I see disaster ahead.
Cambridge Staff, you're all great, but get out now while you still can.

Buyers Beware!

Thanks all, I was going to run down to the chelsea store in NY this morning and order a wall unit. NOT ANYMORE!

Yikes.
Particularly grateful for the "one step above IKEA" evaluation, and thankful for the "customer service"anecdotes.

I am suprised to read so many negative feedbacks on Bo Concept. I agree that is it MDF and not solid wood, but it ia a lot more durable then IKEA (but I would not recommend the OCCA line). The venner of the OCCA line for some reason is not as durable as BASIC 3D or the INZONI line.

I needed a lot of storage room since I worked at home. I searched many many different furniture stores before I finally stumbled accross Bo Concept. No other store had the flexibility and price their system offered. DWR had similar style but was at least 5 times more expensive and provided no flexibility in customization.

The modular system also allowed me to reconfigure the unit if I decided to move.

I designed my Inzoni unit to appear like a custom built wall unit. The height of the unit almost reaches my ceiling which maximizes my storage space. It stores all my work stuff with a very polished look.
However, the look is very common these days and my friends who's been over mistakened it as IKEA. It broke my heart when I heard that. The truth is, it is functional and it was the best option. I don't think even a custom built unit would have made be happier.

Back to customer service issue. I bought my units from the Chelsea store. I was not too happy with the delivery people initially(BoConcept contracts the delivery to another company). But the store rectified the problem in a timely fashion. They sent the assemble staff from the Chelsea store (who were very nice and knowledgable) and replaced all the doors and shelves that had any knicks. (I would have probably knicked it it I were installing it myself). The assembly charge and the delivery charge is realy buying insurance that you will receive a satisfactory item. This is not true if it was purchased in IKEA. If I screwed up the assemble, it would have been my responsiblity.

The legs of my desk developed hair line cracks after a few months, and BoConept glady replaced the entire desk (warranty within 1 year). Try getting that kind of service from Ikea.

First of all, the comment earlier by 'T' said it best.
Now, I have been to the factory, talked with most of the designers and reps for the company, and been to a Bo Concept workshop designed to show you everything about their product and what they're trying to achieve. And, I also own a Bo Concept studio.
What I am hearing from 90% of you are service orientated issues. I wouldn't know about that because my store seldom has those issues because I go with on every delivery. In some of the larger cities (N.Y./D.C,etc.) I can see trying to get around and deliver on time could be a nightmare, but there is no reason or excuse for rude behavior by sales staff or otherwise.
I have been in the contemporary furniture business for many years and I can tell you that there is no other line out there that gives you more 'bang for the buck' than Bo Concept. No other contemporary line is more complete either, having furniture for every room in your house (please don't tell me about IKEA, you get exactly what you pay for). Hey, we get frustrated at wait times too. To combat this we tell everyone 12-16 weeks on any un-stocked items. When it comes in faster, everyone's happy!
They recently got rid of their lower lines, so most of their products are of better quality. You can pay more to get better, or go down to IKEA level, depends on your preference.

..oh, and as for M. Jackson and the bad floor plan, you are an idiot, honestly. You gave the sales person a bad floor plan and expected to change an expensive sectional 10 whole days after you placed the order. You are blatantly at fault. I'm surprised they gave you the 50% option (a loss that they will incur at their expense). For every very real probem, there is always a difficult customer. That's as honest as it gets.

M.Jackson, perhaps that last comment meant for you was a little harsh, there was no reason for it and I apologize. I got a little worked up reading all of these posts. Hopefully, everyone can read 'through' the frusteration and appreciate the merit of the point.

I have worked with DC and Tysons corner stores ( Same Owner). As a Designer overall I'm very happy. I like most of their things, love some of them, have used Bo with several clients on a budget.
They do have a quirky delivery system . Regional, daily from NJ??? A way to speed deliveries isto insist on several sales orders. Their system doesn't split ship if items on one order arrive at different times. You may pay a little more but you will receive available items as they arrive. Early on I've had items sit for weeks waiting for one door or cushionn that was backordered.
I do laugh a little at the concept of compensation for delays.
Hah!
Growup!
The entire industries like this, unless you want an item that a mass marketer has 500 of in his warehouse. and want tol look like page 78 of the Pottery Barn cataloge Fall, 2006 forever.
Walter

Hey Walter, you dipisht, by "compensation" perhaps a simply apology an some honesty would be nice. I didnt want money, I wanted someone to tell me the truth for once about my 3 month delayed sectional.

is that too much to ask?

Hi everyone,

I have bought lots of wood items from Bo Concept over the years and am really pleased with them. (tall boys, chests of drawers, sideboards, bedside tables, coffee and side tables etc.) I have used them myself and put them in flats I rent out and they all look like new even after 7 years.

The designs are great and they have increased their fabric choice. They have become much more 'designer' this year which is reflected in their prices appearing to creep up a little but they are still loads cheaper than top designers like Cassina.

I recommend them!

I had a $1700 dining room table delivered and there was a painted over repair on the base. The spring action for the leaves was so loose that there is a gap when you try and close the table. I have been told that the two tracks the top runs on have to be replaced. I am dreading how long this will take as the table already took several months to get delivered.

We've just purchased a chest of drawers from BO Concept. We had no problems in terms of delivery, very quick (2 weeks in France) but are totally disappointed with the product. It's basically glorified IKEA at 5 times the price and twice as hard to assemble.
Because you have a choice of handles, you have to drill into the plywood (white) and the way they've done it is that you almost always end up chipping it (hence brown). The manual is hard to follow and the assembly is really longg. we have assembled a lot of IKEA furniture and it's nothing compared this. The quality of the product is not much better so it's a really not a good quality/price ratio. It's all marketing and hype.

Nobody could possibly have had a worse experience than my wife and I have had with them. Sadly, we liked the look of the furniture so much, we put up with one mistake after another until the last and biggest delivery snaffu on the last and most expensive piece we ordered. We put up with late deliveries for 3 bedrooms, and 3 other rooms in our house. But after all the horrible service we got, our couch was the worst by far. After spending alomst $6,000 on it, we waited about 4 months which was on the tail end of the estimated delivery date...we finally called them and they had NO RECORD of actually ordering the couch after we had paid for it IN FULL. So we had to wait another 4 months for it, which was a month longer than the second time frame. When we told them that we expected a discount, the manager told us he would get back to us about how much we would get off our price. We must have called them a half a dozen times in order to find out what they were going to give us back and told them that if they didn't meet our discount expectations, we would cancel the order. They finally told us they would give us 10% off...that's after we missed our wedding party held at our house (no couch in the main room), missed Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, etc. When we obviously cancelled the order, they then had the audacity to try and charge us a 40% restocking fee....UN-FING-BELIEVABLE....this was after I spent well over $15,000 on past purchases. It was only after I went totally balistic and threatened to sue them and picket the front of their store in Tyson II Mall in Va. (the manager there was totally rude and dismisive), did they come to their senses and give us 40% off....so about 8 months after ordering it, we finally got the couch, and honestly, I can't for the life of me, figure out why it takes them so long to make their furniture.

I want to back up Bo Concepts here. I ordered a media center from Bo Concepts in Chelsea and had nothing but a fantastic experience from the time I walked into the store to when it arrived. I was a bit concerned to order from there having seen the comments here, but overall had a great experience with the store.

The shipping company called me 30 days before delivery to schedule the delivery. I thought it was odd they did it so far in advance but liked the planning nonetheless. Then about 2 weeks before the scheduled delivery they called to say that it would be available earlier if we wanted and we moved to an earlier delivery schedule.

We had to then reschedule the delivery b/c we had to go out of town at the last minute. Unfortunately I had misplaced the number of the delivery company. I called the main customer service number and they were extremely pleasant and gave me the right number to call. Had no problem rescheduling the delivery yet again.

We had a four hour delivery window and they showed up in the first 30 minutes. The guys that delivered were pleasant and extremely careful with the unloading, carrying and assembly. And to top it all off we love the new piece of our living room and are happy to finally have the TV sitting on something other than boxes.

I highly suggest Bo Concepts and in fact am going to the warehouse sale this weekend to see if we can find something else we like from them.

I wanted to weigh in on the Bo Concepts debate. I also had a fantastic experience with them. I shopped at the Philadelphia store and after browsing a few times was contacted by one of the sales reps to let me know of a free shipping promotion they were running. Upon returning to the store I found a floor model sofa I loved (50% off - what a steal!) and a bed. The bed I had seen in the Chelsea store for a different price and when I inquired was offered the NY price (much lower because of direct competition in the NY market). The sofa (which was on the floor) and the bed (from the warehouse) were shipped free to my apartment in NY only 2 weeks. No tax since it was shipped out of state and assembly of the bed was $23. All in all, a great experience.

Has anyone run into problems in regards to canceling an order within the 7 day time frame that the store allows? Yesterday I put a large deposit on some furniture I ordered. I now wish to cancel after reading numerous accounts of bad customer service. I called the store today and was told that the manager wasn't in but they would contact me tomorrow. I was assured that my account would most likely be credited today. So far, no funds.

I had a good experience with BoConcept. I was very impressed with the sales staff at the Chelsea store (not so much at the SoHo location). The thing that turned me off was the the 12-16 week delivery time. Luckily, they had the exact couch and configuration available in their New Jersey warehouse.

The delivery time was 2 weeks, on a Saturday, and the guys that delivered it were really good. Very cautious and acceptably friendly.

After a month, I am very impressed with the quality of the couch. I would recommend this store.

I agree that customer service at BO is crap. The salesmen at the Madison Ave store were inattentive, unhelpful, and downright snobbish. Even thinking about returning to that store stresses me out. Often, they are just sitting in front of a computer with no interest in assisting you. I haven't gone back in years for this reason, and I don't plan to start now.

And to the poster who calls himself/herself "T" : welcome, BO Concept Marketing Coordinator!

Hi I just had a BoConcept hanging cabinet come crashing down on my floor. Has anyone else had this problem? They claim it never happens. Monica

I've purchased several items from BoConcept: queen platform bed & nightstands, a walnut coffee table, dining chairs & accent tables.

I've been very pleased with the quality, enjoyed working with the staff & received my items very quickly.

As with any store...you must be choosy & ask questions. But I feel like I've made some good choices & I've never been disappointed with my BoConcept experience.

Hello,

I am a manager of a BoConcept store, and would like to introduce myself. My name is Shaan and I run the Jacksonville, Fl location. I am both surprised and dissapointed at the number of unhappy people on this forum. I am dedicated to providing exceptional customer service for my customers and am amazed at some of your experiences. I am more than willing to answer/help any people who feel as though they have been treated poorly by their local stores. I love the product I sell. Dollar for dollar I honestly feel that what BoConcept has to offer is of extremley high value and it's concept is much cooler than every other similar priced furniture manufacturers.
I am not here to protect my company's reputation nor do I hope that this post will get me some extra business. That is not my intention.
I have an honest passion for our furniture and customer satisfaction and feel responsible for taking care of people that have purchased BoConcept furniture. I extend an invitation to anyone who has any questions, concerns or requires information about BoConcept furniture. Nothing is perfect, but with experienced assistance and the right product education purchasing BoConcept furniture can be a wonderful experience.
I can be reached @ sbatten@boconceptjax.com or 904.996.0661.

Cheers,

Shaan Batten
BoConcept Jacksonville

So are you the same Shaan as this:
http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/140/ripoff0140573.htm
You don't sound so helpful in this exchange.

Yes. As a matter of fact I am. I am also more than willing to talk with you and explain to you this specific situation if you are of interest. Remember, you have only read one side of the story and although I did not post mine, I am willing to provide it if need be. If there was ever an opportunity for me to be "helpful" in that situation, I can assure you that's what I would of done. My details are above if you'd like to contact me. If you would also like references from past customers who have experienced great service and are in love with their BoConcept furniture, contact me also, I am sure I can provide some for you.

Cheers,
Shaan Batten
BoConcept Jacksonville

Wow, all I can say is, I WISH I read all these comments before buying furniture from Bo Concept! It really has been a nightmare. It's so true how the sales people are nice and give you so much confidence when you are ordering. Ours told us the furniture will be in in 4 weeks, but most likely earlier! Instead it came a month late and that, too, damaged. So, they made a note and one more later, came to redeliver. Then that came imperfect, too! When I complained they said I was being "nit picky" hahaha. I think if you pay for furniture, you kind of expect it to be delivered perfect. haha. If I hit it with something later, then granted its not their problem.
Anyhow, worst experience! No more Bo Concept for me. I really wonder how much longer this company will survive. I feel bad for the franchisers who have to deal with such an incompetent company. Nobody in the store can help you, because really it is out of their hands.

Eating Crow,

I was worried about the products I had ordered from Bo Concept and this column in no way alleviated those fears. I would like to report that the platform bed, entertainment cabinet and wardrobe unit I ordered new and the wardrobe unit I purchased on sale as a floor model all arrived undamaged and were expertly installed exactly when Bo said they would be. Additionally one of the doors was not adjusted properly and when I call Bo they talked me through how to make the proper adjustments. I would purchase products form them again.

I have ordered furniture from the Jacksonville, FL store - a dining table, 4 chairs, and a platform bed. The in-store service was great, from the same Shaan as above, and although our chairs were backordered he told us that from the start and kept us informed of when they were coming in. We did not have delivery so I have no experience with that aspect of the company. We love our Bo furniture and would buy more in a heartbeat whenever we have the need and the funds to do so.

Very interesting to see such a large posting on Bo Concept. My wife and I had have had a miserable time dealing with their customer service (i.e. delivery service company) in New York. We ordered a dining table in early December 2007 from Bo. The sales person informed us that he was not sure when it would be delivered, but thought mid to end of January. We were ok with that considering the holiday season, but when end of February approached, we got worried. There shipping department was the issue. After many weeks of trying to find out when we would get our table, they finally called us to schedule a delivery in early March. Finally! We confirmed for a Monday evening delivery time slot since both of us work. We get a call from from the delivery company late Monday afternoon saying they cannot deliver, and could we reschedule for Tuesday. We agreed, reluctantly, and scheduled it for Tuesday early afternoon. We then get a call from the delivery company stating they are running late, and they need to extend the window from 12-5pm to 3-8pm. 8pm rolls by, and we get a call stating they will be there 9pm. We get a call at 9pm stating they just crossing the Queensboro bridge and should be delivering to us in 45 minutes. We get a call at 10pm stating they are actually still in Manhattan and will be in Brooklyn (where we live) by 11pm. We get a call at 11pm stating that if its not too late, they will definitely deliver to us by midnight. We get a call at 12:30pm from the dispatcher that they are, in fact, not coming and were already back in NJ.

The next day out table is delivered with a promise that our delivery would be refunded. Its now 8 April 2008! After going back and forth between the sales center and the delivery company, we still do not have our refund. The sales center has essentially told us that its out of their hands since its their delivery service that screwed up. I told them "so what?" Bo Concept is responsible for their service providers, which ultimately impacts their overall product to their customers . Let's see.

Total crap.....overpriced crap......
Nothing else to say

Yikes! I guess I'll have to thank all of you for your posts. I was so excited after just checking out their online catalog. I have a small one bedroom garden apartment in San Francisco and when I saw their "Individi 2" units, they looked perfect. I could get a 2 1/2 seater sofa with a "rest" unit (chaise).

I had decided on the Pottery Barn Square sofa with an ottoman but the Bo Concept pieces had a nicer look and I'd get my long awaited "chaise" which seems like it would be more comfortable than an ottoman.

But, I have a wonderful sales person at my local Pottery Barn store so I'm very hesitant to purchase something from a Bo Concepts since I've read countless horrible reviews.

If anyone has any other suggestions, I'm open. I was hoping to spend under or around 2k for the sofa/ottoman. Thanks!

I guess I should have done some research before I purchase anything from Bo Concept. I brought a sofa (Largo) back in May at their Connecticut store in Milford. After 3 months of waiting, they finally delivered the sofa around 11pm one night. But what about the sofa itself? How bad is it? VERY BAD. The sofa is really not comfortable to sit on. Additionally, the cushions cannot retain their original shape. The overall quality is not worth the money at all. I would NOT recommend this product or this company to anyone. Run!!!

BO concept has the worst customer service of any company I've dealt with in the last 10 years. Delivery date estimates are complete works of fiction. Furniture is set up missing hardware. Delivery crew is unconcerned with damaging your walls and carpet while installing. Attempting to schedule a delivery time is an absolute nightmare.

Example conversation with Nora at the customer service line: Customer Jon "Hi, you called me yesterday to tell me that my couch was ready for delivery and I'd like to schedule a day and time." Nora "I'm not supposed to be scheduling for this area right now, I'll call you back" Jon-"Er, Ok when can we-" click, Nora hangs up.

Jon waits for a call back that never comes... assuming Nora is at a class learning some time management skills.

Follow up calls handled with similar level of professionalism, apparently BO customer service personnel are annoyed that customers actually have the nerve to call the customer service line.

The San Francisco store has been superb so far.
We bought an item from the floor at a discounted price, and when the table didn't fit my car, the sales person offered to drive it to my place himself! We live less than a mile away from the store, but if that's not service I don't know what is.

The sales staff is patient, resourceful, and extremely knowledgeable.

We have just ordered a sofa plus an ottoman it will take 10-12 weeks...we'll see how that goes.

Oh. I am so glad I found this webpage. I am one of those very unhappy customers with very unhappy experience from BOCONCEPT!!!

I was with my designer for my new apt. We were in BoConcept SOHO first and salesperson there was very friendly and helpful. Few days later, we went to Boconcept Chelsea. We talk to a salesperson first, and he was very helpful too. However, when we come back the next day, we had a most terrible experience from their manager (I guess her name is Heidi). First of all, she was not friendly at all, I don't know why we need to get that kind of attitude from her. We might not spend millions there, but we do not need to be treated like we are there for free warm air!!!!! We also asked few questions and she totally showed us that she had no patient on us because we were returning customers and we should know everything and buy them!!!
You know what? My designer and I all kind of like Bo, but we definitely don't need that kind of face and attitude from them, especially a manager. I hope they know what they are doing!

PS, by the way, we didn't even understand what she was talking about most of time, but you can feel her tempt!

I only wish I had found this blog before I ordered from BoConcept in Santa Monica. We ordered 3 rugs, 1 table, and 2 "soon to be named" chairs on November 17, 2008.

It has been 13 weeks and after several phone calls, visits, even pleading to get back to us... nothing. We still haven't received anything. Are we screwed? Are they going out of business? Does anyone know? How can DWELL even affiliate themselves with this awful company?

BoConcepts customer service is terrible... what can we do? They have our money, and they don't care. I can't believe they can stay in business. How is this possible?

STAY AWAY FROM BOCONCEPTS....Stay very far away!!!

It is now 16 weeks and I have yet to even hear from BoConcept Santa Monica. Two weeks ago we got fed up and called New Jersey to find out where our stuff was. Well, the order was now complete (yeah right?) It was going to be put on the truck the following week. Two weeks go by. No call to schedule delivery... no call to say it's coming. So we call today. Our order is in New Jersey still. Why we ask? Well, BoConcept is a franchise... and get this... the Santa Monica store hasn't paid for it yet. So, yes, we have paid in full for our stuff, but NJ hasn't gotten their money. Get this, the order has been ready for delivery "for a while" but they couldn't ship it because the Santa Monica store hasn't paid for it. How can we get our stuff? Nobody returns phone calls. Anyone have any ideas of what we can do now? Help!
Obviously the Santa Monica store is in financial crisis... who do I call? They have had our money for 16 weeks now.

Again Stay very far away.

Buying a sofa at BO Concept was hands-down the worst furniture-buying experience ever. First, they delivered my sofa with HUGE creases in the upholstery. I called the store when the delivery crew as at the house to ask them what to do and the manager their Stella, told me not to accept the delivery and it would be better to send me a new sofa. OK, I accepted and did what she advised. They came back the next week with a sofa that had upholstery that was so slack and loose on the furniture, it looked like the saggy baggy elephant. There were bubbles in the fabric all over and a huge flap of fabric that jutted out from between the seat and backrest. We sent that one back too, and were then told by Judy in the warehouse in NJ, that the "manager" said he would not redeliver the sofa to us again and we could get a refund, which we did. Stella in the Dumbo store was great and very professional, but the supposed customer service manager "Sakeer" was so obnoxious that he turned us off to the company altogether. He told Judy that he would not redeliver because he thought there would be no sofa that would not have these kind of problems -- and was complaining to me that he spent money on the redelivery of the sofa. Well, that was his fault for having no quality control, not mine. BOConcept does not stand by their product. The people in the store in Dumbo are really great and professional, but as another commented here on Apartment Therapy, after you buy your furniture the lovely feeling and service you get in the beautiful stores is over and you are chasing down some rude manager in a warehouse in New Jersey to get the stuff you paid for with hard earned money.

I have read most of the above comments and agree with both the negative and positive sentiments:

Customer service = terrible

Product design = modern, sleek

Product quality = definitely better than Ikea, however overpriced

We ordered a table from BoConcept and were told it would take 6-12 weeks to be delivered. Of course we were hoping for 6 weeks but delivery didn't occur until week 12 - and only because I continually harassed the store and the salesperson and we ended up getting a table delivered that wasn't even technically ours.

There was never any apology, and there certainly were never any phone calls with updates on the estimated delivery status. Whenever I called, I was made to feel as if I were disturbing them, and that I should be patient.

I'm not quite sure how the company is expanding, but my recommendation is that BoConcept revamp their customer service department and change their priorities. They are great at selling their products to first-time buyers, but they will not create lasting relationships if they continue to SUCK BALLS.

All of these posts come as no surprise to me. Thankfully I have only spent a small amount of money in their store on floor samples and sale items. After hearing some bad word of mouth in the Orlando area about Bo Concept's poor customer service and delivery, I knew to stay away . . . far away and thanks blog only validates the choice.

Personally I look at organizations like this and realize that it is really an opportunity in disguise. If this company was for sale or if there were upper management positions available it would be great to jump into a place like this. From what it sounds like, a few minor changes can really sky rocket this company: Fulfill delivery promises. Be nice to the customer. Make courtesy calls when orders are backed up. All customer service basics! I have worked in customer service based industries for all my life and there are all things I learned by job 1 day 2. . . But hey, after all, they are based out of New Jersey. Did you really expect any better ;)

Bo, if you’re listening . . . Are you hiring!?!?

Wow...I was about to drop $6,000 on a sofa but I won't NOW! It's really too bad this company can't figure out how to handle their customer service issues.

I came across this page after I ordered their Versa sofa and almost canceled my order after reading the bad reviews regarding the wait time and eventual customer service. But I decided against it since I didn’t want to restart my sofa search. Plus the price point can’t be beat. I saw 1 sofa I liked from Ikea, but even that was $1,000. Since when does Ikea have $1,000 furniture (besides their custom cabinets and kitchens)?

Luckily for me, I only waited the 2.5 weeks as specified by the sales person. And the sales people at the Chicago store were nothing but friendly and polite (Alberto was the one who helped me, and he was great!). Helpful when I had questions, and not aggressive when I was just looking around. I’ve also been to the DC store, and the sales people there were a little snooty, but nothing like the reviews I read here.

I am wondering though whether those who ended up with incredibly long waits had to do with their pieces having to be built and then shipped to the US (unless it’s made in the US)? Mine was in stock, and only had to get to Chicago from NJ.

It’s unfortunate that some people’s perception of BoConcept’s been marred by their experience, since mine couldn’t be any more different.

Hello EVERYONE, I agree with many of your comments.

I recommend y'all go to YELP and CitySearch and leave them a review. Maybe enough reviews will get them to realize what a problem their customer service is and how it seems to be an issue across ALL of their stores.

My friend ordered a chaise from BoConcept and was given the same run-around. He was even told by the sales staff that they don't give out delivery dates when his receipt clearly showed a delivery date of July 17th. The same salesperson who was so friendly and helpful before the sale refused to return phone calls or emails after they got his money.

To make matters worst, my friend received a letter from BoConcept corporate office stating they had terminated the Santa Monica store's franchise, that Santa Monica had not paid them for product and all the unpaid orders were sitting in a warehouse in New Jersey. Corporate suggested that he file a lawsuit against the Santa Monica franchise to get his money back! Crazy.

If you go to BoConcepts website and look for the Santa Monica location you can read about it.

Not only that, but it seems the whole company is going bankrupt. I looked up their financials and it looks that they are going to be the next casualty in the furniture world.

Too many problems with too little solutions and ingenuity makes Boconcept = NO CONCEPT.

My friend told me about this website dedicated to, i guess how bad of a company they are:

www.BOCONCEPTSUCKS.com.

Pretty interesting teasers on there now, and if there weren't some real people involved, i would actually find it almost amusing.

I personally can't wait to see what it has to say about the Boconcept company that screwed me over along with most of the people on this blog.

You know you have some crazy problems and issues when you have a whole posting on our awesome site, Apartment Therapy, dedicated to and titled "Bo Concept: How Bad is it?" and a website that is apparently "coming soon".

Below is an e-mail exchange with Bo Concept discussing experience we had with a Dining Room Table - I highly recommend that unless you have money to burn you DO NOT purchase ANY furniture from this company.

ME:
First off I want to thank Stella for assisting us today with regards to looking at the floor model of the expandable table, and I must say it was in far better leveling shape than the one we received and rejected. Also the gentlemen who delivered the items were nice and did a decent job with the delivery.

I need to express my frustration.

We have 2 orders with Bo Concepts one which is our couch and dining table, the other is for a chair and footstool. We waited over a month for this table and were looking forward to finally being able to sit at a table to eat our meals instead of the sofa as we have been.

The dining table and couch arrived today. We are very satisfied with the couch, its wonderful and we are eager to get the chair and footstool in Dec. However, the table was not even, there is a corner on it that dips far below the level of the "H" frame and I was warned OVER and OVER not to accept if I wasn't satisfied. The gentlemen who delivered the table tried to tell me that ALL the tables in the show rooms were like this. I said if that was the case I wouldn't have bought it, I work in design and have a very sharp eye and the table in the show room did not look like this, uneven and one side dipped lower than the other.

He then proceeded to tell me the reason it was like this was because of how the table is designed and the table has this flaw. I asked, Bo Concepts made a poorly designed table and thought it acceptable to sell? That makes NO sense to me. He then said that if I went to the store and looked at it I would find that to be the case.

I had them take the table after taking photos (see attached). My fiance and I then went to the Soho store where we looked at the table and it looked perfect. The table was level, there was no unevenness to it nor was it as low dipped below the frame as the one delivered to us. I spoke with Stella and showed her the pictures and she confirmed the flaw that was on our table.

I'm not sure what the next steps are but I'm very disappointed and in all honesty would like a full refund for the table.

I look forward to hearing from you.

STORE MANAGER RESPONSE:
Thank you for the pictures. Customercare doesn't work during the weekend. They will look at the pictures and get back to you within 48 working hours.

I'll be off monday and tuesday. If you have any questions, I'll talk to you on wednesday.

Thank you!
Have a good weekend!!

ME:
Thank you so much for your help with this.

The customer care center just called me to discuss the table and I expressed to them that I didn't want it fixed and returned nor did I want to order a new one. They said they were going to contact you.

At this point after the experience we had I would prefer to cancel the order for the table. We love the couch, are excited about the chair coming, but with the table arriving as it did and with what the delivery guy said, I don't want to chance it. We really don't want that one fixed and re-sent, and we don't want to wait for another one. I have to express my concern about the quality of it, I really hope you can understand.

Thanks.

STORE MANAGER:
I spoke with customercare department. There are 2 options now.

1. We have a brand new table. We can deliver again with $135 delivery fee charge.

2. You can cancel the order with 40% restocking fee $320 charge.

Please let me know which option you will go for.

Thank you!