This consumer reports rant is from the lovely, Gari. It is too good not to post:
"WEST ELM------you've been there. We've all been there....walking around in DUMBO trying to find the place .......anxiously waiting for the Chelsea store to open.
Well, I'd like to give you fellow West Elmer's a heads-up on some lame furniture construction and even lamer customer service.
I purchased their wood frame bed in August of '04. Simple plan: bed frame. not a lot of money. good looking. (Plus, I just moved back from L.A. and had NO furniture, so it was key to get a bed ASAP!!) Anyway, I bought the bed and it came a few days later on the same day as my brand new mattress. I was happily in love with my new place of slumber and on to the couch project.
Just last week, which would make it about 2 months since the bed purchase, my back started hurting a lot. I chalked it up to the usual NYC stress and upped my chiropractor visits to twice a week.
My new boyfriend, however, informed of a startling fact late Saturday night whilst we were lounging - post-coital. He said, "your bed is broken." "What??", I responded, flabbergasted that my 2 month old bed could be nothing less than what it had been to this point - an oasis of slumber! "Yup. It's broken. Can't you feel it?"...
We immediately got up and lifted the mattress.....(think of the visual!) Sure enough, the wooden slats under the mattress had caved in and were no longer supporting the mattress. Horrified, I looked under the slats and found, much to my disappointment, the middle piece which is the ultimate support system of the bed, was completly bent and in a word: useless.
I know, I know, I thought the same thing....."Well, damn. We must've been getting it on quite seriously." And, in fact, we were. BUT, after further investigation, I found out that I was not the only one with a broken bed.
At first, I was adamant. "I can't believe the bed is broken. My friend has the SAME bed and believe you-me, she's been gettin' it on a lot LONGER than I have (on this particular bed)."
The following day, I called West Elm and spoke with a really nice sales person who without truly admitting it, implied that mine wasn't the first call she'd gotten RE: the bed. She offered to send me a new middle piece and assured me if it didn't work, West Elm would take the bed back and issue a full refund. I agreed and thought, "okay, well that was simple enough. I'll get the new piece and all will be fine again."
In the meantime, I called my friend with the same bed. She informed me that her bed, was in fact, BROKEN. Later that evening, I ran into my neighbor and we got to talking about apt. layouts. I showed him mine, he showed me his.......and suddenly, there it was: a WEST ELM BED. I HAD to ask....."Um, Mike...odd question for you. Is your bed broken?" "YES....it is.", he responded, "How do you know that??" I told him the whole story and asked if he'd received a new piece, but apparently, when he called West Elm, he was told that his "warranty" was up and he couldn't even get a new piece OR a replacement bed. So, how did he fix the bed?? Basically, he's got books underneath it holding the thing up!!
After that, I came to the sad realization that even a new piece would most probably not fix the problem This bed was just not made properly. Begrudgingly, I looked for a replacement bed and was disappointed to find other similar beds, at a much higher price....I kept hearing my father's voice, "OH Well. Ya get whatcha pay for!"
Today, I called West Elm and said that, given my recent discovery of all the people in Manhattan with a broken West Elm bed (add one more girl - who I met in a bar on Friday night), I'd prefer to just return the bed back to West Elm. She understood and we made arrangements for them to come and pick up the bed.
A few hours later, she called back to say that she's sorry to inform me, but I am responsible for getting the bed back to the store. Apparently, West Elm has had numerous complaints re: this particular bed, they've instilled a "new policy" which states, the customer is responsible for getting the bed back to the store, either physically or financially.
This bit of news was aggravating in that - Why should I, when West Elm has made not, one, but SEVERAL faulty beds, have to incur the hardship of returning this damn bed??
Just to be done with it, I agreed to bring the bed back myself however, I spoke with a friend of mine who encouraged me to talk with the Better Biz Bureau.
I share this story with all of you in the hopes that any others with the dreaded broken bed might have better luck than I did.
Who knows, maybe I'll contact NY1!!
GOOD LUCK!!!!"
(ReEdited from 2004-10-27 - MGR)
ok, no experience here with the bed itself. BUT while I've always thought stuff looked wonderful in their catalog, and eagerly awaited the opening of the Chelsea store, when it did throw open its doors, I was surprised at how cheap and flimly the products appeared.
Funny.
From Furniture Facts on the West Elm.
Wood bed frame is designed for use with a mattress only, substantial solid pine slats form a strong foundation, simple assembly, chocolate or white
Sounds like West Elm is being very bad, and misleading.
omg, I just bought one of these beds! It's not broken yet but West Elm delivered two instead of just the one I bought. Now I wish I had kept the spare bed for parts. I almost got the aluminum bed for $599 from Design Within Reach but for just $180 I couldn't resist the West Elm bed. Damn damn damn.
Wait for Room & Board to come to SoHo in December. Their beds are all steel, support ANYTHING, and weigh a ton. Plus, they'll make exchanges on anything that's gone wrong. Sure, it's $500+, but it will last longer than your mattress, or your relationship.
I just bought the bed in August and the SAME thing happened to me! I figured it was just my bed. The thing still holds up the mattress--the middle beam is just bent a little. I figure any day now it'll break. Maybe if enough of us complain we can all get our money back?
I also had the same problem with the bed it happened within a week of purchasing it...so I called West Elm this past weekend and they arranged to have a new frame delivered to me with no questions asked. I had the new frame delivered to my door the next day. I then assembled it and realized what the problem was. The 4 main legs don't have any traction on my wood floor so the bed easily slides all over the room but the center "support" leg carries most of the weight and gets pleanty of traction so it doesn't slide along with the rest of the bed. The flimsy screw bends from the pressure causing it to strip the threading from the center metal bar. What a horrible design flaw I bought some rubber floor protectors from Home Depot to prevent the bed from sliding and after 1 night the support leg hasnt broke. Im not sure how long this will hold up though
Hopefully West Elm will do the right thing and release a fix for all of the customers who already purchased the frame. Its a great looking frame and Im happy with it other than its one MAJOR design flaw.
Had the same problem with my West Elm bed. I tossed the metal center support, since all the welds were broken. Keep the center post. Go to the lumber store and have them cut 6" x 1/2" wood planks (3 of them cost $35) to fit lengthwise within the frame (measure first). I screwed the three planks into the frame, left, right and center (with the post attached below), slapped the crappy wooden slats on top and haven't had a problem since. Beats dragging the bed to Brooklyn.
This is a little off topic, but still West Elm related. Has anyone bought the "floating wall shelves" that are kind of free-form? They have a hidden mount - you put a screw into the wall and slip the back of the shelf over the screw head. I have not been able to get the shelves to fit tight against the wall, resulting in shelves that droop down so that I can't put anything on them. I can't figure out what to do (other than buying an under-shelve mount and ruining the (non)look of a hidden mount).
Now that you've all convinced me NOT to get a West Elm bed (and I was so, so close)....where can one get a similar style bed with better quality? What have some of you replaced your West Elms with?
West Elm is owned by Pottery Barn. Escalate. Write a letter to PB, cc'ing WE and cc the Atty General. (You don't even need to actually CC the atty general, just put it in your closing .sig line) Also, if you bought with an AmEx, write a letter to AmEx. Trust me, being on the other side of the business, these kinds of consumer antics make your customer service needs
jump to the top of the pile.
Good thing this was mentioned, as I'm in the market for a new qn sz bed.
oh goodness, i've just bought the bed as well. and just life grif, the sent me two beds. im kicking my own behind for returning the extra one. maybe west elm is insane.
Most beds with just wooden slats have this problem. I have a sleigh bed that had a middle slat that started to bend. The solution is to get an adjustable metal kit of three "legs" that go perpendicular to your slates that provide additional support.
I have a mattress and a boxspring.
Wow, I'm sorry for your misfortunes, all of you, but this really is incredible! That's the beauty of the blog--news travels fast. I think Eliot Spitzer's office is going to be getting busy soon.
oh, did the big bad company let you down? you can't take your boyfriend's c0ck in the behind anymore thanks to a lack of corporate oversight at an Indonesian manufacturing facility? oh pobrecita. such a sick, sad world. go tell the Internet about this massive injustice before someone else's life is totally, irreparably ruined by their choice in knock-off furniture.
I can't believe I am reading all of this. I just wentt to the curb.com site because someone from their company is speaking at a conference I am attending, and I see this West Elm bed problem on the front page of the site, and I am thinking - Ijust stupidly bought this bed last week. I was so impressed it was delivered in only 2 days, but when I had it assembled I was a little skeptical. My decorator suggested it because it was not very expensive - and it does look good. Thank goodness I am only 110 pounds, and sleep alone (right now) hopefully it will last until someone comes up with a better suggestion.
As someone else suggested - you get what you pay for.
You don't have to wait for Room and Board to come to SoHo. Order online.
www.roomandboard.com
You'll pay more for the bed, and for shipping, but it won't break. The frames are steel, as are the crossbars, which support larger padded-wood pieces. We've had ours for three years now and haven't had any problems.
"Just to be done with it, I agreed to bring the bed back myself however, I spoke with a friend of mine who encouraged me to talk with the Better Biz Bureau."
You don't need the BBB, just contact Williams-Sonoma headquarters. I'm an ex-store manager of one their divisions and I promise they will help you. It's been a while since I worked for them but the customer service policies should be the same. And tell the people you spoke to do the same. Their website is www.williams-sonomainc.com. You may need to e-mail them first to get the right contact person, but they will help you.
Same exact problem! Plus, once the fabric strips holding the wooden slats together come untacked, it's an ungodly hassle to reassemble. After a mid-coital collapse, for example. Good times!
I have been awaiting the opening of the new Chelsea West Elm store for weeks, but now I might steer clear of their furniture. Thanks for the heads-up.
Fascinating...I have this bed too, but I put cork non-slip pads beneath each of the legs. I've had my bed for over a year (w/ good "use") and it's still doing fine...
Maybe it's because it doesn't slide?
Attorney General. Better Business Bureau. Class action lawsuit. MEANWHILE, sue the bastards in Small Claims Court--you bought a bed, it's broken, you cannot sleep. Pure and simple, and I believe the filing fee is less than $50. Otherwise, gather together and find a young, hungry lawyer who would only charge you expenses (filing, etc.) and will do it for a percentage of the recovery. In unity there is strength. Go for it!
Couldn't believe when I read this - my husband and I thought we were alone! We had the same exact bed from West Elm (in chocolate) - just threw ours out after it collapsed mid-coital.
Argh. Everyone but me is getting laid, and to furniture destroying intensity too. I wish I had the problem of breaking my bed in some sort of coital engagement. It's simply no fun trying to break furniture by yourself.
Same problem. My friends all made fun of me for breaking the bed. I removed the broken center pole and had the lumber store cut three 4 x 4 post to the correct height, I then screwed them to the center metal bar. The bed is better than when I bought it.
Try BoConcept on 30th and Madison. Their beds cost more but good design that last.I brought my bed from the NJ store 4 years ago and it is still in good condition.
I suspect all their stuff is crap. After a visit to the 17th St location I am unimpressed. What would you expect. Cheap stuff indeed. Why do we need another junky place?
Hmm, just curious. What size are the beds that are breaking? I have had mine for nearly two years, it's a full, and I don't have this metal bar everyone speaks of. My sweetie and I haven't noticed any problems. Now, my Ikea couch, don't even get me started! I was going to replace the couch with a West Elm one. Any comments on West Elm couch owners?
I heard a CRACK the day before the first post appeared about the bed. How's that for timing, huh? I'm happy to say that West Elm is sending replacement hardware.
When I bought my mattress and box spring at Macy's, a steel adjustable bedframe was supplied. My experience has taught me to shop at the large stores--if anything goes wrong, they usually stand behind it.
And don't waste time with customer no-service---a store manager once referred to it, "the sales prevention department!"---go straight to the department or store manager.
I did not buy that bed, however I did buy the overlaping squares daybed in brown and the front slat cracked in half. Its realy greate to look at but don't try to clean it or have more then one person sit on it. As for West elm will they have been very helpful, but I live in two bed apt and it's supposed to be my bed/sofa during the day. However no one can sit on it, so I am out of a sofa.
We love our bed from Room & Board. We have the MacIntosh and it is amazing. So solid AND comfortable.
Room & Board makes terrific furniture. Will last a lifetime so make sure that you like the design before you buy.
This is in response to kag about the 'floating wall shelves'. I bought the cube shelves (set of 3) and besides the fact that the screw holes (there are 2 per cube) didn't line up, the shelves slanted forward preventing anything from sitting atop them. I discovered that if you stuff the holes with a little bit of tissue, the problem can be fixed. Not exactly a handy-man solution, but it worked. I think for the longer floating shelves, it would be wise to buy supports for them.
i wonder who are the designers behind westelm designs, these look wonderful. it's too sad that it's poor in quality. i would pay higher prices for these furnitures to be made in real solid wood.
Don't make the same mistake I did stay clear of buying furnature from West Elm.
in the spring i bought a similar bed from a local futon shop. I go the frame and a good foam mattress/futon for 480. Maybe the glossy pictures are a little deceptive in a catalog. Like i tell my waitsatff "i can put crap on a plate and someone will buy it but that doesn't mean i should".
I bought this bed last year - it broke in the way you described, after one of the side pieces broke in two and had to be replaced....I went above West Elm customer service and spoke with some incredibly accomodating employees of Williams-Somoma (owns Pottery Barn and West Elm) I guess I got lucky, b/c when I told them how disapointed I was that there was a design flaw with the wood bed frame (so I didnt' want a replacement ) and went on to say that I wish that I had just gone ahead and gotten the platform bed that I wanted, but it was just a little more than I wanted to pay at the time - they called me back and offered to replace my wood bed frame with a PLATFORM BED at NO EXTRA COST! Needless to say I am sleeping happily on my new bed, which I got for an incredibly great deal in return for my trouble with the first bed frame. If you don't like the answer someone is giving you, then call somebody else! Maybe you'll get lucky too. I may still have the number I had to call - email me and I'll see if I can find it.
Sadly I have a bad West Elm story too! After waiting the whole 5 hour delivery window my stuff never came (futon, desk, coffee table ...). I called them and they said that noone at the store had followed up on the delivery?? Next day the furniture arrived at a different time then I was given (while I was at work) so it was sent back to the warehouse! SO I reschedule for the 3rd time and decide to call the night before to confirm the delivery, but guess what, they said "it was delivered last week." Turns out the 2 of the 4 pieces I bought and had paid for in cash were put back on the floor and reSOLD and now there was none left!! I am still waiting for my nightmare on west elm street to end...
OMG! U saved me backaches and coitus interruptus, thanks!
Can someone post pics of their West Elm bed and frame? I was going to purchase one of these, the exact model in the picture above. However, after reading all the feedback (thank you!), I'd rather build my own. That will be difficult without some close-up pics of this frame. Can someone tell me if the mattress sits down inside the frame (below the top of the side panels) or does it just sit on top of the entire frame? Obviously, a similar looking bed could be built with 4x4 legs, 2x4 inner frame, and plywood. However, if you used 1x6 side panels, your mattress would only sit at most 2 inches down into the frame. Make sense? Looking for guidance on how to make a very similar bed on my own. Oh.. and from those of you that have purchased, do you think plywood would make the bed too stiff? Are the planks that are used in these frames intended to provide a little give and therefore act like a boxspring or do they simply use planks because they are cheaper to ship (obviously, you can't mail a big sheet of plywood). Do you think a frame like I'm talking about building would 'feel' different than a plank style inner-frame? Would appreciate any feedback you can provide before I start this project (and pics would be absolutely fantastic!).
I've had the full-size wood bed frame for a little over a year, even disassembled and reassembled for a move, and no problems here.. perhaps the queen-sized version is not so sturdy?
What a joy to find this page. I've been suffering with my West Elm bed for over a month now, and knew I couldn't be alone. All of the above posts speak the truth. Sadly, my case is even worse. The constant displacement of the errant leg, I've discovered, has created significant dents in my hardwood flooring. At least a dozen permanent marks. Armed with all your experiences, I called West Elm today, and lo and behold, I was told that the bed has been recalled due to its defective design!!! Apparently, it happened a few weeks ago, and they will be replacing the defective beds. They tell me to expect mine in a few weeks, in early February. Their customer service (at the Corte Madera store, anyway) has actually been stellar. Oh, and unless you've got several frustrating hours to kill, pay to have them assemble it. It's far from simple and quick.
In response to Rob's comment, I emailed West Elm to ask for confirmation that the bed was recalled and to find out how they planned to fix thte problem. Their response was that there is no recall, and that the bed is simply out of stock at the moment. Interesting that we'd get conflicting stories...
OMG....I just found out that my friend who works there told customers that there was a design problem with the beds, and he directed them to visit Room and Board for a bed in the meantime. They fired him!!!!! He said he was just trying to preven further problems, by selling a bed that would eventually break on them. I also heard that they fired another employee because he suggested to management during a store meeting that 10% of the stores sales for a day should be sent to Tsunami victimes in Asia via UNICEF. org. Those big business fat cats are unbelievable!
I can't believe I'm reading all of this...my friend too works for the big Chelsea Store...for practically pennies he says. They even adjust his schedule just enoug to avoid having to pay him health benefits!!!!
I heard about the real Tsunami victim there, and I think the Village Voice or NY1 should get invloved, write a store, and encourage ALL consumers to boycott West Elm Products!!!
I was told that managers named Amanda, Sean, John, and Debrah consistently lied to customers, and told employees to lie to customers just to sell product. They encouraged employees to lie, by saying there was a monetary prize at the end of the day...and then...NO PRIZE WAS GIVEN...cheap!
Aparently, managers told employees to go around the floor and hide damaged merchandise by painting over them with a marker. One time, he say managers tell stock people to destroy all scratched furniture. The employee suggested that they donate it to the Salvation Army, and they fired him too. What kind of human beings are running this place? BOYCOTT WEST ELM!
I really, and I mean really wanted that bed. My bed just broke, and I was about to order the bed. After my last experiance of in the midst of dead sleep and colapsing with one side of the bed on the floor and the fear that I smashed my cat, I couldn't possibly buy that bed. But then I have carpet and not wood floors and everyone on here is speaking of their bed on wood floors, do you think it makes a differance????
Steph M. plaese tell me what you think of the platform Bed???? That was my seconf option.
I love the west elm catalogue and almost bought the same bed, but since I don't live in NYC I thought it safer to buy a bed I could actually see. I ended up getting the Stockholm Platform bed from Crate and barrel and have to say, I love it. I did buy a wooden chocolate coffee table from West Elm and it looks great but within days it was scratched up. I ordered some great dining room and office furniture from Room and Board. It's alot more expensive but teh quality is great. A place I really like is www.sitcomfurniture.com. Their cosmo and studio lines are great and pricewise they're onlya little more than West Elm. Good luck all, and I hope you get a full refund for the defective beds!
whoa, too much coitus going on, i'm feeling left out like Anders. i got the platform bed and it is very solid, although now i'm suspicious. not too much coital action in our house since we just had a baby. buy hey, maybe we'll put on the barry white and see if we can bring the west elm platform bed to its knees! the bed is probably the only thing i would buy from west elm. the rest is a bunch of cheap crap, they have some good clean lines, but you do get what you pay for. i found my first visit to the dumbo store incredibly disappointing. i think crate and barrell has blown it on this one.
i have matress and sprengs only on floor. after i read i experience with nice young womans and coitus EXTRA hard!! no problem! i recomend you this and sucess lhave. elm people no nice chep shit.
thank you . vlad
So THAT's why those bed frames are "out of stock" utnil at least mid-March. They're trying to fix the problem that they are aware of. The furniture in their store looks absolutely BEAT-all scratched up and marred. Is there any reason to expect that it would last at home? Cheap prices mean cheap stuff. And who buys sheets with 200 thread count these days? Scratchy!! If you look closely at the floating wall shelves in the store, you can see that they lean downward in the front. Obviously, they aren't MEANT to hold anything! The store is definitely not for me!
As an employee of West Elm I can honestly say that this is the best company I have ever worked for. I find some of these posts to be completely ridiculous. This company nor any other retailer would never fire someone simply for suggesting another store or suggesting the furniture be donated. If termination occurred, I guarantee it was because of productivity or time and attendance issues. The company has a charity called "Gifts in Kind" that recieves damaged product.
The company is well aware of the bed issue and working on a replacement piece to repair the beds. Furniture pens are used to repair scratches and dings on furniture...is that wrong? See what happens to your furniture at home if you had 1000 people carelessly ramming carts and stollers into it everyday. West Elm furiture is far from top of the line but thats why its cheap. It is designed for the first time buyer to have something to furnish their place with for an affordable price. If you want something thats going to last for years and years open up your checkbooks and go to another furniture store. Clearly West Elm is not for everyone...its not intended to be. Do your research before purchasing furniture. Save yourself and us the hassle if you get pissed off because your $200 dining table scratched. Go somewhere else and pay the $2000 for a quality heirloom piece.
I was just going to place an order at West Elm to get the bed frame you guys are talking about and the Overlapping Square daybed to use as a couch/sleeper sofa. I have Pottery Barn dining chairs, which have been doing great, and I totally thought West Elm is cheaper compared to PB just because it hasn't known nationwide yet.
Now I don't have much budget for furniture and I need a queen bed frame for my Tempur mattress, which require a slatted bed or a platform bed and a sofa bed/futon/day bed. I checked out Room and Board web site. They are nice but I can't afford their furniture now. My current budget is more like Ikea range.
Which would you recommend, Ikea or West Elm???? (design-wise, I like West Elm a lot better over Ikea) Or amywhere else?????
i.e. I had Ikea platform bed for over 8 years and it never had a problem.
I just talked to West Elm. They said that they're changing vendors to fix the problem, and so the frames will be backordered until March. They also said that they're completely guaranteed.
I'm glad I discovered this site. I bought 2 of the open base modular seating units. After assembly, I began to question their strength (I'm a sexy 220lb hunk in Dallas). The cushions are back-ordered until March, so maybe they will give the seats a more sturdy feel. I don't plan on returning them, but I have become a little more cautios when it comes to this store. They have consistently given good customer service however.
Same exact thing happened to me, in fact, it happened right while I was doing "the deed"...talk about a mood braker. Didn't the design team at West Elm test these frames properly before cashing in on them? Did they assume people use beds just for sleeping?
With that many defective frames, they really should give anyone who bought one a new redesigned one, or at least come up with some solution to the design flaw. If I had know this earlier I would've just saved up a bit more for one that wouldn't have fallen apart.
1 year ago, I purchased the same bed from west elm. A few months had passsed when suddenly one night, the bed caved in. The middle piece of wood that supports the bed had cracked in half and the metal bar bent. I called west elm and they sent a replacement. A few months later, the exact thign happened. I called again, sent emails and no one has gotten back to me. A friend of mine purchased the same bed a few months ago and the exact thing happened. What a waste!!!
West Elm is awful. Everything I have ordered has been defective, and the items I ordered that arrive in Ok condition have either split, broke or lost all of the stain witin a few months.
I used to work for the parent company and the furniture (with the exception of Pottery Barn's sofas as most are manufacture by the reputable Mitchell Gold) is crap. Crap construction. Crap material. Most is "indonesion hardwood" which equates to cheap worm-wood.
Not to mention, I ordered my dining table with two gift certificates, with a $3.89 balance. They decided to charge my check card the entire amount. This is a day after all of my monthly bills were deposited. Everything bounced and as a consolation, they sent me a $25 gift certificate to buy more cheap crap. That's legendary service.
I would be VERY weary of purchasing any furniture items from this store. Textiles, lamps, anything "non-furniture" is OK. But stay away from the unique, genuine, one of a kind WORM WOOD.
I bought some west elm flatware which looked nice in the catalog. If you point the knife blade in when setting the table, the "INDIA" imprint faces upwards....not tooo cute
Dear John of WestElmerville,
While I understand your distain aimed at the cheapskates who patronize your beloved establishment, you seem to be missing the point. These cheapskates are your customers. And isn't it reasonable for even "first time buyers" (aka- cheapskates) to expect a product free from defects? I mean, the last thing one should have to worry about is crashing though ones own bed during a good shag. Or even a bad shag for that matter. It's rough enough out there.
A bit of thanks to all of you for saving me from the same aggro. I was just about to order the same bed, as well as dressers and side tables, because the price was right and the designs were simple. FYI the bed is b/o until early April...coincidence?
Contact http//www.complaintsbbb.org that is the national organization that will take down West Elm. It is better know as the better business bureau. They will get your mney back.
Don't have a West Elm bed, but thought it would interest all here that they have been advertising jobs for Designers and Merchandisers. Maybe there is some accountablility afterall.
Whoa, we had the same problem. In fact, almost the exact same scenario. I built some supports for it (similar to the stack 'o books idea) and I'm making due. Also, the veneer covering the end grain of the wood chips off every time we stub our toes on the bed, which is often.
The manufacturing defect in the bed frame is suppose to be fixed. Has anyone seen the new bed frame with the center support? How did they fix the flaw? I'm interested in the bed if the previous problems have been corrected. Thanks.
The new bedframes have 3 support legs that clamp on instead of the one that screwed in. Much stronger than before however they are on backorder until beginning of May in order to fix the bedframes still in the warehouses. All the stores sold out of the fixed bedframes within a matter of days.
This is in reference to the West Elm shelves.
I just bought 2 sets of the cube shelves (set of 3) and hung them (vertically). All I needed was one screw and it held the shelves fine. They are perfectly leveled to display my wooden japanese dolls. I did notice, however, that in order for the shelves not to slant forward I had to screw in the nails almost all the way so they would flush against the wall securely. I'm completely happy and satisfied with them and believe they are of good quality. They are completely solid and were not scratched or chipped in shipment.
TIP. I also did notice that the screw holes don't always line up EXACTLY but that's why they instruct you to measure them so your shelves won't slant. One hole can be a quarter of an inch higher and it wouldn't matter because it's hidden. If you measure it accordingly it will turn out right.
I think Hazy is a plant for West Elm....it's very obvious
Phillip - Just because a handful of customers have had a poor experience with West Elm, dont discredit the thousands of others, including myself, that love the product and the value. Great Job West Elm!!!
a handfull???? a handfull is'nt enough to prompt The Village Voice to write a full arcticle called "Big Business...Bad Home" it is coming out in three weeks. It is going to expose West Elm and Willams Sanoma...it's about time. I spoke with a friend who works for the editor of the Voice yesterday.
I LOVE MY WEST ELM! BED!!!!!! but then again, I bought a headboard. All those platform beds with the wooden slats have the same problem.
Is it possible to remove the slats and slid a boxspring in its place. That's how I built my old platform bed.
Thanks for the answers about those shelves. My friend was having that problem.
We have the West Elm cube shelves and the floating shelves. We didn't have any problem with the cubes. Yes, they are leaning a slight bit to the right because the holes weren't lined up properly, but no one notices it.
The floating shelves are another story. They have a totally impractical mounting system. We've tried getting them straight but they are still leaning forward. We thougt about getting some cool looking brush nickel brackets and mounting them underneath.
Oh no...not the Village Voice!! West Elm better lock its doors before that article comes out.
i'm considering a 2nd-hand west elm platform bed from a reseller (customer return). have people had similar experiences with west elm platform beds, or is this a better bet than the bed shown above?
Dear Steven,
I would avoid buying the returned/ second hand bed. Trust me, you will have problems. The problems you will encounter are the finish coming off if you rub your finger nail or shoe on it, and it may collapse on you. You may be better off with a bed from CB2 or crate and barrel, or room and board.
I love my platform bed. I would definately recommend buying one secondhand especially if they are offering a discount. The bed sits so close to the floor, I dont think you would have a problem with it collapsing. The wood is veneer so if you dont treat it right it will chip/scratch. For the price, its well worth the money.
Philip-
is your response based on personal experience or general ill will toward west elm? i'd like to hear from anyone who owns/has owned a platform bed from west elm and can provide me their experience with the product after having used it.
Steven
We'll I've been wanting the West Elm platform bed for a while now. Thanks to everyone for their personal experience!!!
I've been hesitant to buy it because its from a catalog. I live in Nashville, TN with no WE store insight. The nearest one is in Illinois. It would be a pain in the ass and my wallet if I had to return that thing because of bad construction. I think I'm going to build mine locally with a carpenter or furniture hobbist.
If anyone has some more feed back on the low platform bed, please post. I'd like to know more - good or bad!
I had a problem with the poor quality of West Elm things I ordered online. The first customer service response I got was lame but after that I got an survey email asking how was my customer service experience - I said it was terrible and 100% unhelpful. So they sent another "advanced" customer service rep to email me and she handled my problem perfectly. This one had Pottery Barn Specialist or something like that in her title. She actually even took back something I bought 6 months ago on top of the recent purchase I was complaining about and she even scheduled and paid for the UPS pickup.
I ordered the bed in January, backordered weeks then months. I cancelled just last week (mid April). whew!
I'm very please with other items I've lived with for a while now - low console, chunky tables, quilt, and really great jute rugs.
OMG!!! i got the same bed 6mo ago... it's not broken... yet...~ i also got another wall deco from west-elm... a wood cube... unfortunately... it's broken into two pieces... ugh... i would never think these stuff would get broken this easy... but, anyway, thanks for the information!
I work at West Elm Chelsea and have never heard of any problems with the bed frame as of recently, and I even own this frame without problems for quite some time. All of the employees are West Elm are extremely concerned about the company's image and really love the products, and speaking for myself and the many others I work with, we really strive hard for customer satisfaction; if you are not satisfied with a piece of furniture and you don't have a receipt you can still bring it back for a replacement without hassle. In instances where I should not have taken a return, I have been told to continue with the return / exchange and to remember that my job is customer service 100% before anything else. If you could only see the amount of customer abuse given to the funiture in our store (people spill drinks all over our sofas and beds) you would think differently about the quality of the furniture. And also; compared to the amount of furniture we sell, we have relatively low returns for manufacturer defects. The finish is singlehandedly the biggest problem with the funiture and I have been told that the veneer has been changed or will be changed in the near future which should solve any problems. I would highly recommend West Elm and not because I work there - I really love what I sell to people and most people who come into our store can furnish a room for $2000 which would be the cost of half of a bed at Design Within Reach or someplace like that. A lot of the garbage on this thread is really misinformed or uninformed. Though I don't doubt that there WERE design flaws in the beds at one point possibly, they have certainly been fixed as we have kids bouncing on ours in the store without any issues. This company really cares about it's product.
Well,
Notsaying....Go into the cashwrap and ask for the finish marker to touch up the furnitire daily...you know, the one you all use to cover up eask nicks to the furniture that is usually only 1/8th to 1/4 of an inch of wood anyway. Ask why the customer service manager and her angels laugh and mock customers who call to complain...saying, don't they realize it's crap refering to the product. Ask the shipping people below who break down the furniture instead of giving the crap to the low paid employees what is inside the furniture. They will tell you that the furniture peices including the beds have a wood veneer which is really , really thin and dents, and scratches easily, and that the CORE of the furniture is STYROPHOAM!!!! Thats right folks...styrophoam. After your done with the shipping guys, go to the managers and people at corporate and ask why they have had 6 managers quit within the past 3 months, and why countless employees have left and are leaving as well. Ask why cocain use is a common practice for a sales boy, who was then promoted to manager. Basically...OPEN YOUR EYES!
Philip. It was your friend that worked for west elm, at least you said in your earlier post. Guess it was you. You sound as if you have some issues to deal with and could stand to seek some professional help. Let go of your anger.
We dont have retouching pens at the cashwrap. In fact, if you know that it is called the cashwrap, something only someone who worked for West Elm would know about, then probably you used to work there. I can't complain about my salary and I can't complain about my employee discount either. In fact, I dont have really anything to complain about. I mean, do you think that you are going to get rich working at basically a retail job? I think that West ELm pays more than most retail jobs do anywhere else plus incentives plus there's the discount. Anyone who works retail knows you need a second source of income to make ends meet in NYC and I can't complain, really can't!!!! Sounds like you have a beef with the good ol' Elm tree. Let me tell you; where else can someone walk in and get furniture like this at this price, what do you expect? And some pieces are solid wood by the way. Can't complain. Love my job.
Phillip,
Just wondering how your boycott of West Elm was going. Seeing that they just opened 2 more stores on the west coast, 6 more locations this fall and profits exceeding all other divisions, not too well I guess.
Unfortunately my wife and I also ordered this bed. We placed our order well over two months ago and keep getting the run-around whenever we call about its progress. We keep hearing it will be here by the end of the week and then when the end of the week comes around we get a paper saying that the bed has gone on backorder for yet another month. I just wish they hadn't sent me the headboard and the slats already because I would gladly cancel, especially after all of these reviews.
Just an update - I owned this bed for about a year. Just broke up with my ex - they took the bed frame. We noticed a bend in it. Thought it came like that. I went ahead and purchased the same bed frame and noticed a difference in the design. Previously West Elm only had one support under the metal bar that goes across. This one I just got (2 weeks ago) has 3 supports. So they HAVE fixed the issue and the bed is amazing. I would highy recommend it.
There is no boycott. I'm making quite a profit on ebay from the stuff I'm getting. It's a shame people don't know better.
Is this bed solid wood? I would really like to buy this bed, but reading here has turned me away. I don't see anything at the other stores quite like it so I'm torn ... what would you do?
It is not solid wood. I suggest not buyig it. I would not recomend it at all. There is so much better stuff out there...it just takes some looking around.
I had the same problem--bed would collapse sometimes just from getting out of it. Eventually it got to the point where I started sleeping on the floor because the bed hurt my back so much. Finally called up West Elm and they sent me a replacement metal beam (they initially said it would take a month to arrive, but it got here in two weeks). While the beam itself looks similar, it now has three extra beefy steel support posts that bolt into it instead of the single wimpy post that screws in. I've been sleeping on it for a couple of days now and it seems to be working.
I bought this bed a few months ago. I have also been putting it to good "use." I am a pretty big guy at 6'4" and 235 lbs. The bed I bought has three metal supports under the main beam (in the center).
I have had no problems with the bed at all. I also have it on carpet, not a wood floor. The "new" bed design might be worth a second look to those that are questioning the integrity of the product.
Wow, this is pretty interesting. We were really close to getting the West Elm frame, but when we went to check it out in person (out to Oakbrook, IL) my guy didn't like it, especially the way you could see the hardware at the inside back corners (the mattress doesn't entirely fill the box), and it was still backordered. But I certainly liked the price. I guess he eventually talked me into our getting the metal Platform Bed at Room and Board (search product #854513) which was like $900. One of his arguments was that it was Quality, and would last a long time. Curiously, the last couple days I've been wondering if maybe we shouldn't really have spent that much on a bed that you can barely see, but I guess he may have had a good point about the Quality thing. Plus after shelling out for the fancy foam mattress from Design Within Reach, I would have been pretty disappointed to have the whole thing sagging and broken. Is $900 too much to spend on a bed (for us)? I don't know, maybe. He really wanted the much more expensive Leggero bed from DWR, which makes ours seem like a bargain, but I'm still unsure about how to balance our desires for a beautiful home with our desire to live well beneath our means and work towards financial independence. That is to say, at what point do we stop with the Ikea level products and spend more for Quality without feeling like an unresponsible spendthrift? Just musing on these things...
so I'm a college student looking for stuff my new apartment and was very close to getting stuff from West Elm. However, after reading the posts, it doesn't look like I'll be getting anything from them anytime soon. Do you guys have any ideas of where to get stuff in that price range, I love the look of West Elm but I don't want to risk buying anything and then having it fall apart in a few months. I'm also not a fan of Ikea... Let me know if you have any other ideas! Thanks!
I just bought a bed frame from West Elm, and when I assembled it, found that the three center legs were missing. A center leg on a bed is just a very simple, utilitarian piece of wood that keeps the whole thing from collapsing. Without the legs, the bed's useless. Nevertheless, they estimate that it will take 2-3 weeks before they can send me the legs.
I don't know about their overall product quality, but their approach to correcting quality control problems is just pathetic.
I'm so glad I found this site. I recently had a terrible experience at West Elm in Brooklyn, but we were considering going back.
Funny, if you click on John (the one who says he's a West Elm employee), Jim and Mike, who're mocking the people on this board and defending West Elm...THEY ARE THE SAME E-MAIL ADDRESS...at least if they were going to plant posts they could have been smart about it.
I wonder if this is the same John I had to deal with. Somehow I imagine that it is....
Here is an excerpt from my 2-page letter:
"Most disconcerting about our experience was the dishonesty of John, the Manager, when he told us that display models could not be sold, knowing full well that this was untrue (evidenced by the fact that he recanted his statement as soon as I asked for the Corporate Headquarters contact information). It calls into question whether or not he was knowingly untruthful when stating that the pieces would be available soon even though they have been discontinued(perhaps to have us buy the other items wed chosen).
Unfortunately, it is most likely that the company is promoting disingenuous business practices amongst managing staff. I found the general staff to be overwhelmingly be helpful, but without the power or resources to provide proper customer service."
Being that I work for West Elm - You should know that West Elm makes it a policy of not selling floor models UNLESS the item is discontinued and in new condition, and it is VERY VERY frowned upon because we don't want the customer to tell other customers that they purchased the floor model, and the furniture gets a lot of handling by potential browers in the store, we only want to sell products that are like new. The truth is that this company is not producing as much merchandise as the customer thinks, the price may be like IKEA, quality slightly higher BUT IKEA makes 10,000 beds, and we see only 100 or less, some full beds have been out of stock for months, and sometimes there are only 20 of an item for the whole freakin country. In fact, some of the things in the catologue we have never seen at all. The only way we can sell an item off the floor is if the distribution center specifically tells us that we can when they say that the product is no longer going to be availiable. I'm sorry - but if you want a $2000 bed, get a $2000 bed. If you are shopping at West Elm, you can't afford a $2000 bed and $2000 might be your whole decorating budget.
You might just be one of those customers who comes in just dying to complain about something. I mean you even said you would consider coming back to West Elm, yet you posted here. If you could only imagine all of the wonderful customer reponses we hear, and see the level that associates go through behind the scenes to continue the mission of West Elm - it's so easy to scream and yell but if you have a problem with anything you bought at West Elm, even a year down the line, it's going to be fixed for you free of charge or you'll get a replacement credit to buy something new. The bed thing is so over and done with - this board has turned into a gripe about West Elm and even mentions some of the managers who STILL work at the flagship Chelsea store - who every day are going out of their way to handle every customer instruction with utmost care like tissue wrapping a pillow. THIS GRIPING BOTHERS ME. WEST ELM IS HERE TO STAY WITH MANY LOYAL FANS. It's easy to talk about the bad experiences but you'll be back someday - the low prices and accessories are REALLY WONDERFUL AND ORIGINAL and the sale prices can't be beat.
I was told that even the managers themselves refer to their OWN customer service dept. as CUSTOMER NO-SERVICE. They laugh about it all the time
The DC...has very little say as to wether a floor smaple can be sold or not. It is policy that only a store manager that partners up with the visulas manager can decide to sell a floor sample. And then it MAY be discounted 10%. Accociates that work hard??? Accociates are told to take a HALL PASS to use the restroom....it's rediculous "big Business"!!!! Quit lying, and grow some "balls" not, saying!
The previous posts in this thread were NOT posted by me. I disavow all content attributed to me. It appears the posts were made by a disgruntled, fired employee named Christian who now works for a company on madison avenue. I have nothing against West Elm. I have never used their products.
Sounds like Phil is trying to get Christian in trouble. Regardless of who posted it. They were trying to help others.
Actually, I was a customer at the Chelsea store. I remember an employee named Chris and Christian. Both were very nice, and I remember Christian telling me he was leaving the company in the Spring. He told me because he was helping me with my bedroom set and wanted to steer me in the right direction. So Phillip....I highly doubt he was fired...he was like one of the best ones there. Duh!
Wait a miniute....I have been following this page closely. I know Key who works for the Chelsea store. He told me that Christian quit in March after finding a better job. And also, I have to agree with Jolene, on the handful of times that I was there, I would ONLY deal with Key or Christian! They seemed to be the only ones who really practiced customer servivce! I had a problem with a table and chairs for Thanksgiving...and after several calls, Christian got involved and saved the day. And just so you know Phil, the reason I follow this page is because from time to time West Elm comes out with something cool-looking ....I check this page to see if people have had quality problems. This page helps. Phil...quit being dramatic and tell the truth.
This thread seems to now have certain disgrunteled ex-employees posting. I will not partake in the catfight and just simply say, that if you come to West Elm in Chelsea; and you find the right associate your order is going to be taken care of in the professional manner you would expect when purchasing luxury furniture. Of course I don't doubt that there have been problems among former associates. That's probably why they no longer work there. But I will say that speaking for myself, many, many MANY of the associates working on the floor and at customer service truly care about your problem, providing you have a legitimate one, not that your bathmat dyed everything in your laundry machine indigo because you didn't follow it's care instructions. Even then, you could bring it back for a new one. Nope. I have been around the block and back and even the most self centered employees really are going all out of their way for their customers. It's a great bunch of people. I encourage anyone with an in-store experience in Chelsea to post here. It's not a mistake that WE Chelsea is the #1 Williams Sonoma store in the country.
Thank you all, because after all this I will never buy anything in west elm. The stuff they have looks very nice but I it looks like it's not to last. I want to change my queen bed, which I have for 8 yeras since we got married (we bought in IKEA and it is in excellent condition). Now we have 2 children (a lot of jumping in the bed) and we want a King because whenever they are sick (which is often) they want to sleep with us and we need the extra space. I am going to see what Ikea has right now and I am also checking Bo Concept as someone suggested thanks
Right on notsaying for supporting west elm. Its real easy for people that have never worked retail a day in their life to criticize employees for the way they do their job. Every customer issue is different and needs to be handled differently to satisfy that customer. To madison - I am not John from Chelsea, never even worked at Chelsea and I cant control it if other posts are using my email address. Coming from a smaller volume location I have nothing but respect for everyone that works at the Chelsea store. Knowing the amount of customer issues I have to deal with from customers like you in my store, I could only imagine what Chelsea employees have to go through. We cant make everyone happy nor do we believe we ever will. However our numbers speak for thmselves and I truly believe the predictions that we will surpass Pottery Barn sales in 5 years to be accurate. My advice is to stop shopping west elm and let the thousands that love our product continue to support us.
Also, it is important to note that the West Elm bed issue was fixed QUITE some time ago, so if you are thinking about a West Elm bed, the issue has been corrected. If you have an older West Elm bed, you can call 866-WEST ELM and speak to a customer service representative re: replacement parts which will be sent to you FREE OF CHARGE without hassle.
Outside of this bed, does anyone else have any experience with anything else purchased from WE? I'm in Boston, and I want to suggest some of their things to a few clients on a budget, but after reading this thread I'm wondering about WE.
I don't trust west elm furniture. It looks so cheap. if they could just up the quality a bit, i might consider buying a chair or sofa instead of just a candle holder. their prices aren't bad, but then considering the poor quality and cheap fabrics, they are expensive. some of the designs are really impractical too. none of the cushions stay on the hard wood furniture. you sit down and slide right off!
Just a quick reponse to those of you who have asked for more opinions. My husband and I have owned the WE platform bed for a while now (somewhere between 1-2 years) and have not had any major problems with it at all like those described here. We also have the nesting tables. Both the bed and the tables veneer chip off but we feel that's a not a huge concern in relation to how cheap they were. For us, they are inexpensive and they function well, simple as that.
Yes...the modular nesting tables legs are buckled!!!!! They all are! The paint and veneer chip off too! What crap! I'm telling all my friends to avoid west elm like the plague. Also....the email from the pootery barn employee seemed so arrogant. The seeting is scratchy too. The only thing worth buying is the vases and accessorie...but they are still made by little children in indonseia and asia for pennies on the american dollar!
The furniture from West Elm all obviously pretty cheap crap. If the prices don't clue that in enough, go to the store and LOOK at it. Modern-ish design with a slightly awkward and chunky, yuppie sensibility. Clean lines, but awkward proportions. Very cheap, thin glossy veneer on some kind of cheap wood. Highly dentable/temporary.
Some of the glass, textiles and random junk can be of reasonable quality. Kind of odd to buy a 'novel' glass piece or accessory out of a row of 20 in a catalog store when you can just look on ebay for the same, and maybe end up with something novel or timeless.
Its not a bad option to go there and buy junk on sale. You can get the overpriced (at introduction) candles for a song. Can't go wrong with globs of wax...
I have the aforementioned bed. Ordered it when the storefronts didn't exist yet (or I was not aware that they did). Aside the shipping process being a pain (2 of the wrong item were sent first), the bed has broken in a very short period of time.
Also for those who asked the mattress does not recess into the bedframe. It just perches awkwardly on top of it, in some cases with the wood slats peeking out of a side or corner.
- Mr. Sparkle
I hear that West Elm has fixed this particular frame. Has anyone out there had a bed to break within the last year (2005)?? I am about to order it and I would hate to waste my money. Thanks!
I hear that West Elm Management likes to kick puppies! Come on people... if you have a first hand complaint with a West Elm purchase, please share it for all of us... but if you're just going to tell stories about friends of friends or things you've 'heard', please don't waste our time! Also, we all know the differences between a $400 bed and a $1400 bed...some of us are in situations that warrant a $400 bed purchase even though we know it's not as high quality as something more expensive... bad-mouthing a cheap product isn't what this topic is about.
bought 1000 dollars worth of stuff, including an 800 dollar king size bed w' headboard. parts missing, frame damaged. customer service - spent about 30 min. trying to get a replacement delivered, but only after talking with the uber store manager did I get a free delivery and setup fee. however, i found that since parts were missing, frame construction shoddy, i[m just going to return everything and get my money back. I am upset enough about this to never shop there again, which is too bad, bc I REALLY llike their stuff. There in store people, at least the one we dealt with, was nice, but I guess once you'[ve bought something, theey[re going to stick you with it.
all that and no coital for us tonight. at least not on their frame.
I do *not* have a west elm bed, but I did look at them - what I ended up getting was a smilar design from Z. Gallerie - I don't see it on their website (linked in my signature), but imagine the west elm bed with slightly chunkier squares for the legs, and a headboard with two square panels. THe center support beam is another chunky wooden block, adn the bed was HEAVY. I think it was only $500 or so...if I recall correctly. Excellent customer service, excellent product, wonderful delivery service. THey would have set it up too, but I hadn't recieved my mattress yet, so didn't want to give up the old bed yet. :)
I was so close to buying this bed. Thanks for saving me from a bad bed choice! I am not impressed with there quality at all. I bought curtain rods from there and recieved them and they were so cheap and thin. I do second the whole Z Gallery thing Rachel. I got my couches from there and they have held up well. Good quality!
I have the square headboard that I got from west elm. It looks nice and was on sale at the time so I have no complaints.
West Elm and all Williams Sonoma companies need to leave Jonathan Adler alone. He and his team work hard to come up with their designs. West Elm should develop their own product...and make sure it won't fall apart. Shame on you West Elm!!!
Used to work for west elm.... furniture was infested with termites and there were other bug problems too... all furniture filled with styrofoam stay away!!!!!!!!!!
I had the same problem with this bed. I did get a new middle support that has three support legs instead of the original one leg in the middle. So far it has worked ok. But then again, we try not to bounce around on it too much. Thats what broke it in the first place ya know!
Does anyone know if the Woven Rope Headboard from West Elm is worth a damn? I'm in Boston and will travel to NYC to see it on the floor, but wanted to know before I went to any trouble. I think it looks great, and tried to find a comparable, rustic, organic looking headboard like that somewhere else, but can't find it. West Elm claims they only have 50 left in stock in Queen. URG. I'm nervous about ordering from them at all now.
bought the west elm bed frame in queen in caramel, for only $60 on sale, plus also got some other 90% off-y type deals from West Elm... who cares if the product is crap when you're getting 90% off!!!!!!!!!
WE has changed the bed design. The center support is now wood and comes with 3 legs. Sofa so good!
I was dead-set on buying this bed, but a friend of mine told me about the Alu bed at DRW. It was a toss-up, but then reading these reviews...and the rash of post-coital breakdowns...uh, I think I'll get the Alu. Hmmm, every night sleep on top of an Italian-made hardbody....hmmm....
Yikes! I just bought the bed this month. However, it is the new construction with the wooden center and three supporting blocks. Will keep everyone posted on whether it breaks down after some more heavy use.
On a related note, I would NOT recommend paying for the bed assembly. I did and boy, did I regret it. The delivery guy had no idea how to assemble the bed and refused to look at the instruction manual. It took him forever, and I ended up disassembling some parts of the bed and then reassembling b/c of the shoddy work. A waste of money and time.
Overall, however, I'm happy with West Elm. The furniture looks beat up and shoddy in the store from the high traffic I think. I was surprised to find that my furniture looked much better in my apartment than in the store (not only b/c it's new, but quite frankly, I bet I take more care in assembling my own furniture than an employee probably would).
I bought the queen chocolate bed frame in Nov '04. I had no problems with it until Jan '05 when the middle bar bent and the wooden slats would fall out whenever the bed was moved.
A few weeks ago, during a visit to NYC (I'm from Boston), I went to the store in DUMBO and received excellent customer service. They told me there was a new design for the bed and that they would ship me a one. A week later, I got a new bed in the mail and the middle support beam is defintely a much better design.
I am not a former or current employee, but have shopped at West Elm ever since I moved to the East Coast for many of my apartment items and have been extremely happy with my purchases. Maybe I just got lucky with the right customer service people because the ones at the store repeatedly knocked the catalog order customer service.
All in all, very pleased with West Elm for replacing my bed free of charge and within 2 weeks.
*meant to write Jan '06.
Seriously. You get what you pay for. Keep in mind that "cheap" furniture flaws and all can last quite some time with proper care and proper use. Of course couches and beds take on the most stress, so plan to spend more on those pieces. Its a sad state, but take into consideration your weight as well. If your fat - get an expensive bed, if your a skinny - thin and are a lean machine then a WE bed will most likely be perfect for your needs.
Now, there was obviously a design flaw, that i understand but don discredit everything a company produces just because you personally had a bad experience. Deal with the problem, and complain about your personal experience with the product - but dont bad talk the entire company, staff, and product line. People who complain about everything and make it a point to poison the entire company have nothing better to do. Stop acting like children who cant get it their own way. Do you really think your opinion matters that much? $14 million dollars went into the Chelsea store in sales, there are clearly satisfied customers out there. Stop thinking your all so important, if your not happy with it, move on - they really dont need your dollars.
Now the upside to cheap furniture is the fact that lower income individuals can for a change live in a beautifully furnished apartment - sorry if these people can't shell out bucks for expensive furniture. Thanks to IKEA and WE, these people can now have guests over and parties at home without the fear of being rediculed for having college furniture. Its a semi-grown up living arrangement, not heirloom.
Most customers complain about quality because they do not have realistic expectations. Before shopping for furniture, make sure your expectations are in line with the "norm," and not up in the clouds somewhere expecting a $300 couch to withstand you, your hubby, kids, and a golden retriever huddled up for a saturday night binge of coca cola and popcorn. Complaining that the couch is caving in under your weight.
I am not an employee - I love their poducts as a customer, and i also shop at all major brand name stores.
I'll steer clear of that bed. I did, however, order their dining room table with cutout legs and I was shipped the wrong item. The West Elm catalog promotes self-consciously "exotic" items for a clientele who'd dismiss the Pier 1 inventory as gauche and Design Within Reach as "just out of reach"!
I've been a fan of West Elm ever since I discovered them and after they opened a new store in Portland a few years ago. Ever since, I've bought several items online and at the store and have had great customer service throughout. I recently bought the bed in question a month ago and am very satisfied so far. The bed was delivered faster than I anticipated, was not missing any pieces, and was very easy to assemble. C'mon guys it's not hard, just follow instructions. For those of you that asked, yes they did redesign the bed. It came with a steel center support with three steel legs.
Those that say "you get what you pay for" are implying that all West Elm products are cheaply made and that the product will fall apart within months. I for one, do not feel this way. I believe that the pricing of West Elm's products reflect the fact that it's style is targeting a much smaller niche. Their prices are set to be competitive with products that are in more demand like more traditionally styled furniture. And for those that are looking for West Elm alternatives, I think Dania has similar styled products (www.daniafurniture.com).
I'm writing this because there aren't enough positive posts about West Elm. I do like West Elm and am dissappointed to hear so many that people have had bad experiences. But that isn't going to stop me from patronizing their store. I've had nothing but positive experiences from the sales people at the store, the customer service over the phone, the web site, and the product itself. Nor have I worked for them.
Tommy
Hi,
I am looking for a west elm employee who is willing to barter their store discount for use of a bloomingdales or macy's store discount. or barter for a one touch digital scanner or other great like new items i have around my house.
I know that the quality is crap but with a 25% discount it makes it perfect for me: CHEAP
Contact me asap as I am decorating right now.
I have currently listed on craigs list:
computer anti glare screen http://newyork.craigslist.org/jsy/bar/213518072.html
new in box ceiling fan http://newyork.craigslist.org/jsy/bar/213499718.html
new macys rug pad 8'x 10' (can be cut down for smaller rugs) http://newyork.craigslist.org/jsy/bar/213475624.html
Palm VIIx (you can use the internet on this) plus a bunch or great accesories for the palm and all the cds and manuals http://newyork.craigslist.org/jsy/bar/213466994.html
Visioneer scanner used once (this is super easy to use and has lots of great features. http://newyork.craigslist.org/jsy/bar/213489400.html
I've go other stuff you may be interested in, or you can give me a list of other stuff you may be interested in and I can see if I have it.
I got a whole WE set up - platform bed & over lapping Day bed. I do admit it does not look anyhting like in the store or the catolog but it does its job. One thing I have notice is the day bed makes crackeling sounds when I sit on it. Not cool! other than that it looks goods.
PS: Platform bed works great. not problems as of today.
nateboston, you need a proofreader.
I live in Los Angeles and had the same thing happen to me. The only difference was that when I called West Elm, without even batting an eye, the customer service woman sent me a brand new bed!
i noticed that the new bed had an updated and much stronger center piece so that was good. I took the old bed and gave to my brother who was able to weld a new center support on.
As disappointed as I was to have the bed break(this was MID-coital - and YES my ego inflated), west elm's customer service did step up. I have some other older pieces that seem to be much better made than the fiber board stuff they're making now. it's unfortunate.
Sorry Tommy, but I too was an West Elm fan until my experience with them last November. In person, the furniture looked good and seemed sturdy. I purchased a $400 table in October. I even sold my cheapie glass table on Craiglist which held up for 10 years!! I got the table home and the legs didn't fit properly into the pre-drilled holes. I called the store in Brooklyn which I purchased it from and they said they had no more in stock. I called the Chelsea store and even went there in person. They acted as if they didn't want to be bothered. I called the Philadelphia store who had the table in stock and finally got a decent customer service person. I paid for another table and even picked it up from the Brooklyn store. It took these people 2 weeks to remove the first table from my apt. and even longer to refund my money for the first table. Okay fine! Then, I purchased the overlapping squares chairs in November. I was fine with my purchase until a couple of weeks ago, I noticed small cracks in the seats of two for the chairs. I immediately called the store in Brooklyn and before I could tell the customer service person what had happened to the chairs, they said, "your chairs are cracking aren't they?" Obviously, they know that the chairs are faulty. They said that I have to return the chairs myself and pick out new ones. At this point, they can have the table and the chairs. Too many headaches and i've spent over $1000 on tables, chairs and delivery charges!!!! My cheap glass table and chairs from China town which cost under $300 never gave me an ounce of trouble.
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I remember this comment. Brian Duryea supposedly made it. Should'nt we remember that Brian Duryea is possible New York City's worst interior decorator! He could'nt even finish school. One of his "clients" even said he showed up drunk. Very unproffesional!
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