We moved in September to our "forever" home. There was a few things to. Every wall had to painted. Every ounce of floor was ripped up. Every closet door replaced. Kitchen gutted. Sliding glass doors to be sealed. Gas lines to run. Electric to update. There were some initial costs that were accrued. So we waited to purchase our living room furniture. There was no actual need for it and the empty room was nice for a giant Christmas Tree. January came along and we decided it was time. We were ready for that room to be a quiet reading room. The place our family could be without being plugged in.
Off we went happily into the land of furniture stores looking for a sleeper sofa that had something different that appealed to us but that was durable enough to sustain a couple of little kids too. We didn't want to spend a ton of cash, so we were looking at very normal furniture stores like Ashley, American Signature, and Rooms to Go. All three stores conveniently located near our house. After dragging two kids to three stores, looking on line first course, we decided on a couch from Rooms to Go. We ordered it and it was on back order, after being given a date of delivery, they called twice to move back the delivery. It finally arrive a full month later.
Five days after we had received our couch a friend came over. I was showing it to her holding the baby and the sleep fell out of the couch. Fell out of the couch, yes. The next day I called the store, they informed me that I needed to call customer service which I did. The first person I spoke to I explain the situation, the conversation went something like this:
Me: I had a couch for 5 days and the bottom fell out.
Them: We can send a repair person out...
Me: No repairs I would like a new couch
Them: I can not authorize a new couch
Me: I want a new couch it was 5 days old
Them: I can not provide a new couch
Me: I would like to speak to someone that can
Them: They are having lunch
(Pause)
This is where I wonder what she was thinking a little bit, oh lunch, well them never mind I will just keep the broken couch and hope it was a nutritious treat the grand pooba of new couches.
Me: Please have them call me.
Them: Thank you for calling Rooms to Go customer service.
A few hours later, I received a message saying that the manager did authorize a new couch to be sent. I call customer service once again, the note had been made to my account and we scheduled the new couch to be sent a week from the last delivery.
The second couch arrives. I get home. I plop onto, purposefully to see what would happen, the sleeper mechanism falls out, again. Yes. Again.
The next day I call the customer service number, I explain what has happened. I say I would like my money back. She says you have to call the store. Sigh. I call the store. I ask for a manager, because this isn't my first rodeo. The sales person says there are no managers present, could he be of service. I tell him the story of my now 2 broken couches. He suggest I come in for a reselect (a new term apparently coined by Rooms To Go) I respectfully decline and say I would like my money back. He tells me that the other person that can authorize a refund is the store manager that will not be back until Saturday. Apparently, he was a regional managers meeting. This was Thursday. He assures me he will make a note on my account, explaining the situation.
Saturday comes and we hear nothing. By 11 am, we pack up are children and we head to the store. We ask to speak to the store manager. He is appears from behind a wall that has a small pass through in it only big enough to pass paper really. I introduce myself and explain to him the situation. He suggests we reselect. I once again decline. He then says, well he doesn't make these decisions, it is above his level and that we will have to wait for Georgia (not the state but the person) and of course, Georgia will not be in until Monday.
At this point, I am losing my cool and Eliot senses this and starts to question this. Why is it that apparently only one person in the ENTIRE region of west central Florida can authorize a refund on a piece of furniture that came to us apparently stapled together. I quote the receipt, in two places where it says how refunds are made, showing him that it doesn't call for the Rooms to Go deities to come down and grant us our last wish. The store manager senses our angst and says well I will try to figure this out for you today.
At 5 o'clock Saturday, the store managers calls back to say that sure enough he couldn't get a hold of Georgia and that we would have to wait until Monday. Somehow, I sense that he was just trying to get rid of us.
Now, it's Monday, it has been 6 weeks since I bought this couch, I have had 2 of them and spoken to at least 3 dozen various employees of Rooms to Go. Expecting that I am far down the list of Georgia's emails (that was how he communicated with her, crack jack folks here), that I call her at the location that the store manager had told me that she would me. Of course, she was not there. She was some where else. I called her at the other store, someone answers the phone, I ask for her, the suspiciously ask who is speaking, I tell them, she comes to the phone.
Finally, I think. I tell her the WHOLE story. She suggests a reselect. Even though it takes me almost every once of my being not to explode into non stain resistant pieces all over her, I remain composed and tell her that no, I would not like a reselect. She says, okay you can have a refund. I will call the store you bought it from, who will them call customer service to go pick up the couch. Once that occurs, they will credit your credit card and send a check for the portion paid in cash.
Relieved that it has been finally authorized for a refunded, I sit and wonder what are the chances this will all be wrapped up in a timely manner. I am sure there is someone at corporate that I haven't spoken to and now I have to trust that every employ from Georgia down will do what they are suppose to do, with all I have in hand is a verbal OK from this woman.
What are the chances? This ends here? Hmmm....
