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Honored Contributor
Posts: 9,283
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Buying Furniture Online; Is It Worth It?


@blackhole99 wrote:

I recently bought a kitchen cart that needed assembly and I would not have bought it if I had to do the assembling. It took my husband 2 hours to assemble it, but he enjoys doing that stuff and the cart is just beautiful. That being said, the cart still cost hundreds of dollars, but if I would have bought it at a furniture store or kitchen emporium it would have cost over 1000 dollars. My son furnished his apartment online,  again he's good at assembling things. Buying online saved him hundreds of dollars.


I bought a new kitchen cart/island not that long ago that had to be assembled and it took my husband all day to put it together!

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 7,172
Registered: ‎11-15-2011

Re: Buying Furniture Online; Is It Worth It?

I purchased a leather living room set from a vendor through Amazon and I have been very pleased.

 

The deliverers unwrapped it and made sure it was in prime condition and took away the packaging.  It is a few years old not and is still as pretty as the day I purchased it.  Real leather!  My dog gets on it and he likes it.

 

I saved hundreds compared to local stores.

 

Check out Overstock also.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 16,837
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Buying Furniture Online; Is It Worth It?

I would never order furniture that had to be put together.  I would never order furniture online anyway.  I would be afraid of not liking it and then having to figure out how to return it.  I recently ordered a floor lamp from Lamps Plus.  It was in a huge box, which was hard for me to get in the house.  Then it was difficult to get the lamp out of the box.  The box said not to lay it flat, but there was no way to lift the lamp out of the box with it being upright.  I do love the lamp, but there's a little bit of a dent in the lamp shade.  I have it turned to the wall, but it would bother me if there wasn't a wall behind it.


The Bluebird Carries The Sky On His Back"
-Henry David Thoreau





Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,936
Registered: ‎07-02-2015

Re: Buying Furniture Online; Is It Worth It?

[ Edited ]

Many, if not most, online furniture retailers offer (for an extra fee) what is often called "white glove delivery", where the furniture is unpacked and set up wherever you want it.  I've been ordering lots of new furniture for our new home,  both from Ballard Designs online and from local furniture brick & mortar retailers selling Drexel, Thomasville, Ethan Allen and other recognized brands.

 

Only once did I refuse to accept  a  poorly made piece that was delivered, and I quickly  got a refund (from Ashley Furniture). Won't try that store again for quality pieces.

 

I refuse to have my husband and/or myself  try to assemble anything. Very often the box doesn't include enough hardware specified in the directions or the pieces don't fit precisely.

 

To put in a good word  for dealing with a brick & mortar retailer.......I established a relationship with a lovely salesperson in the Thomasville store when I ordered dining room table chairs from her.  Later I went back to look at a leather settee.  I delayed ordering the settee, although I knew I was going to buy it soon and just hadn't set aside the time..  Then one day, she called to say the store was having a two-day 40-percent-off sale with free shipping.

 

That sale  was not advertised anywhere that I could see, so I met her the next day and ordered my settee.  It pays to make friends in a brick/mortar store, sometimes, I guess.

 

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 6,633
Registered: ‎10-21-2010

Re: Buying Furniture Online; Is It Worth It?


@novamc1 wrote:

Many, if not most, online furniture retailers offer (for an extra fee) what is often called "white glove delivery", where the furniture is unpacked and set up wherever you want it.  I've been ordering lots of new furniture for our new home,  both from Ballard Designs online and from local furniture brick & mortar retailers selling Drexel, Thomasville, Ethan Allen and other recognized brands.

 

Only once did I refuse to accept  a  poorly made piece that was delivered, and I quickly  got a refund (from Ashley Furniture). Won't try that store again for quality pieces.

 

I refuse to have my husband and/or myself  try to assemble anything. Very often the box doesn't include enough hardware specified in the directions or the pieces don't fit precisely.

 

To put in a good word  for dealing with a brick & mortar retailer.......I established a relationship with a lovely salesperson in the Thomasville store when I ordered dining room table chairs from her.  Later I went back to look at a leather settee.  I delayed ordering the settee, although I knew I was going to buy it soon and just hadn't set aside the time..  Then one day, she called to say the store was having a two-day 40-percent-off sale with free shipping.

 

That sale  was not advertised anywhere that I could see, so I met her the next day and ordered my settee.  It pays to make friends in a brick/mortar store, sometimes, I guess.

 


I am thinking of ordering my bedroom furniture on Ballard. Do they offer a extra service for assembly. The only thing I saw was their white glove delivery included them putting it in the room of choice and unpacking it. Doesn't mention assembly. But if they did that would be great. 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 43,246
Registered: ‎01-08-2011

Re: Buying Furniture Online; Is It Worth It?

I would never order furniture on line.  Photos can be very deceiveing as can quality.  Upholstered pieces can be very uncomfortable.

 

It's hard enough to find pieces you like in a store.  On line adds another level of possible problems.

Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,936
Registered: ‎07-02-2015

Re: Buying Furniture Online; Is It Worth It?

[ Edited ]

@ccassaday

 

I would pose that question to customer service at Ballard.  I've had white glove delivery from  other places, but only once very  recently from Ballard---a media cabinet that they unpacked, set in the designated place and were willing to adjust things a bit.   I always tip the personnel who do extra things for me or if they simply appear willing to really please the customer.

 

I had similar delivery many years ago at my former house by Pottery Barn guys who attached a headboard to a bed frame I already had.  I tipped them as well.

 

Just having someone unpack and set the furniture in place is worth the fee, to me.  It's not fun (and I know from experience) to have a huge box full of heavy items and packing material left on the front porch by UPS or FedEx or a trucking company when you haven't arranged  for white glove delivery on a certain date.

Respected Contributor
Posts: 3,491
Registered: ‎06-24-2011

Re: Buying Furniture Online; Is It Worth It?

None of the 3 pieces that I bought had white glove service. I guess end tables and the upholstered chair were considered too small. I sure could've used white glove though. We don't have as many B&M furniture stores as we used to in our area. Even the West Elm store near my house is now an outlet. The other items I want to buy this year are large, and I won't buy them without white glove delivery.

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 6,633
Registered: ‎10-21-2010

Re: Buying Furniture Online; Is It Worth It?


@novamc1 wrote:

@ccassaday

 

I would pose that question to customer service at Ballard.  I've had white glove delivery from  other places, but only once very  recently from Ballard---a media cabinet that they unpacked, set in the designated place and were willing to adjust things a bit.   I always tip the personnel who do extra things for me or if they simply appear willing to really please the customer.

 

I had similar delivery many years ago at my former house by Pottery Barn guys who attached a headboard to a bed frame I already had.  I tipped them as well.

 

Just having someone unpack and set the furniture in place is worth the fee, to me.  It's not fun (and I know from experience) to have a huge box full of heavy items and packing material left on the front porch by UPS or FedEx or a trucking company when you haven't arranged  for white glove delivery on a certain date.


Thanks. I also have a bedroom set from pottery barn picked out if the one isn't available on ballard. To me assembly is worth the extra. But if they don't offer that it's ok as long as it is put in the room it belongs in. On Ballards site it says white glove doesn't include assembly. That's why I was asking if you had something from there and they put it together.

Valued Contributor
Posts: 940
Registered: ‎05-30-2011

Re: Buying Furniture Online; Is It Worth It?

[ Edited ]

Overall I am very leary about doing it.  The quality is always questionable and of course if you have to assembe it, or simply haul it into your house because UPS leaves it at your doorstep but it weighs 150 lbs it can become daunting.  Despite these caveats it hasn't stopped me from doing it.  I had a couple of back to back home runs recently.  One was buying a Serta mattress from the Q.   Big risk for me since I never had done that before, but turned out to be a Goldilocks moment for me.  I love my mattress and have used it for a year and a half already.   Second one was buying new office furniture which inlcuded a large desk, accompanying hutch, corner table,  cradenza with multiple drawers, file drawers, open shelf storage, and of course the tabletop work space.  I bought it from one of those "national" discount furniture websites.  I got an incredible discount, white glove delivery which include any needed assemble and setup in my home office (converted bedroom).  I cannot be happier with the look, quality (real wood with perfect unblemished finish), functionality of my L shaped office furniture or the perfect delivery, setup, and cleanup of the guys who delivered it..... so....  I can reluctantly recommend it.  It is much better in smaller doses than the two examples I just gave you.  Like when I ordered night stands from amazon, they are very nice, came fully assembled, functional and the perfect height that I needed for my much taller Serta mattress/boxspring combo.   All I had to do besides taking the risk was to haul them in the house myself and unbox them.   Very nice looking and all, but not a craftsman piece that will likely be handed down like heavy duty all wood furniture often is.