Wayside Furniture review: Inferior Products & Horrible Customer Service 1

We went to Wayside in search of a couch and recliner. I had heard some "not so good" things about them, but decided we'd look anyway. I went into the main store alone with my 3 kids on a weekday. The entire time I was in the main store I was followed around like a hawk and could not get 5 minutes of peace to exam anything. I went back on a Saturday with my husband and my youngest son. After looking in the main store we went over to the clearance center for the heck of it. Frankly, I had no intention of even purchasing that day. But once in the clearance center there were a few things that I happened to like and the price was reasonable. We settled on a matching couch and recliner, and we also got an ottoman to go with it.

After making our purchase and paying, in cash, we were directed to their warehouse to pick up our merchandise. While standing at their warehouse (10 minutes later) I noticed that they had overcharged me by $50. I called my salesperson who advised me that she would check on it and call me back. If there was a refund due, they could mail me a check.

I was completely fine with that, until I got ignored. Several hours went buy and I received no phone call. So the following morning I went back to the store. The salesperson advised me that she got tied up with other customers and had not had a chance to look. Let me state, the Clearance Center is not that big. It would have taken 5 minutes or less for her to walk over to the particular furniture I purchased, look at the tags and call me back. But it was made clear that once the sale is done, any follow-up with the customer is not important.

She then confirmed that she indeed overcharged me $50 and said she would process the credit and I would receive a check in approximately 2 weeks. I told her I was there in the store that moment, I paid in cash, there was no reason that I shouldn't be able to get a cash refund and not be forced to wait 2 weeks. I then spoke to a manager (I will be polite enough not to mention names). He informed me that they don't do cash refunds and I would just have to wait for a check. After discussion, I informed him that I would be in the following day (Monday), when they opened, and I would wait for a check to be written because I was not going to wait 2 weeks for their mistake. He agreed.

I returned the following morning, only to be informed that the check was cut, but they "couldn't locate" someone authorized to sign a check. After waiting for about 10 minutes with three kids under 5, I chose to leave when said manager assured me he would call me as soon as the check was signed. Four hours later they must have managed to find a human with a pen and I received the call that the check was ready.

I live about 15 minutes away from Wayside. It took 2 phone calls and 3 visits to the store to receive my refund.

The big kick in the rear happened the following Saturday. It was less than 7 full days since I picked up my furniture when the back of the recliner snapped in half. It snapped in HALF. I'm not kidding you, the left side of the chair literally snapped in half.

Please don't misunderstand. I get that it's the clearance center. I also get that what I purchased was as-is. But seriously, a week later? I called the store immediately and explained. I was willing to take a loss at that point. Just give me my money back, less whatever "restocking fee" you want, and take the furniture back. I'd even deliver it myself. That wasn't an option. So at least offer to fix it. They would "see what they could do". I get a call from the service department who first asks me if I abused the chair. Then I was asked if I had "ploppers" in my house. Finally, after several attempts from the service center to get me to say I had somehow abused, neglected or otherwise destroyed the $400 chair myself she made an offer. I could dismantle the chair, squeeze it in my minivan with my three kids, drive all the way back to the warehouse and allow them the opportunity to "access the damage". At that point they would decide if it warranted them fixing the chair. And IF, the big word was IF, they feel that it was somehow defective or inferior merchandise, they may consider fixing it for a "nominal charge". Or, they could deny any help and make me take it all the way home for nothing.

Needless to say, that same day I received a really sweet card from Wayside thanking me for my purchase and hoping I was enjoying my new furniture. I decided that I wanted no more part of Wayside. So instead, took my chair to another furniture repair place and had them fix the chair for $75 (it was a bad design with nothing but a small bead of glue holding to major pieces of wood for the back together). I then posted the brand new furniture on Craigslist and sold it a week later for a loss because I would rather lose money on it and not have to worry about it falling apart even more later. Wayside, you ask? NEVER!