Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/03/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Bought sectional from Ashley Furniture with 4 year protection plan to replace another piece of furniture that failed. This protection plan is advertised as a fix all during
  the four year period. As it stands I cannot use the furniture if I wanted to use it.
  
  The chaise portion has collapsed and the protection plan tells me I have to notify them within 5 days for it to be valid. Other issues are rips and tears in the cheap leather. Claim was denied without any repair attempted, or without any visit by protection plan employees. This company has had another BBB complaint about the deceptive furniture plans they sell and promote. There is a class action lawsuit in Florida over this same issue.
  
  Resolution for me
  
  1. Replace the broken chaise with new one.
  2. If unable to replace this piece replace the whole set
  3. If unable to replace the set then refund at least 75% of the purchase price
  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/07/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/10/04) */
  Contact Name and Title: Brett Owner
  Contact Phone: **********
  Contact Email: **********@gmail.com
  I'm sad this customer is so upset, as I have truly tried to meet his long list of demands but this one stumped me...I've only got 9,000 characters so I will summarize the best I can.
  Original Purchase of a Sofa and Loveseat in 2017
  Early 2018: Customer's love seat frame is making noise. RESOLUTION: We replace it no questions asked.
  October 2018: Customer emails to complain that the cushions were not holding up on his sofa or the recently replaced loveseat. The customer demanded a refund because he was told by his salesperson the cushions would never lose support. RESOLUTION: Even though it was outside of the warranty, and even though we would never claim a cushion would never lose form, I gave him a full credit to reselect.
  Over the following two weeks: Customer sends me a list of sofas found online that cost 4 times as much as his credit. I finally agree to match some store in Missouri as a price match despite my better judgement. Even then, the customer continues his demands stating he does not want to pay sales tax...then he wants to add financing.... and finally he wants the 4 year protection plan on a $4,000 leather suit for only $99. I MET EVERY ONE OF HIS DEMANDS! (Except sales tax of course). I let him price match the new set, sold him protection for 75% off and thanked him for his business. The funny part was, even though he hated the old set, and it was dangerous for his children to even sit on it, now he wants to keep that set AND get the new set. We obliged and let him keep the old set too.
  September 14, 2020: The customer contacted us about a tear in the leather and we promptly sent him his protection plan information as well as contact information. In fact, he was given all the information he asked for 33 minutes after he contacted us.
  September 2022: Two years after the conversation above (And 1 month before the plan expires) I get an email from the customer saying his claim was denied. Amongst several reasons for the denial, the policy asks that you make a claim within 5 days of the incident. He waited two years... furthermore the sofa has gone through a move, been in storage, and final pictures were even taken on a trailer of some kind. Despite our history, I kept it professional and offered to help. However, the customer wasted no time in threatening legal action against me as well as contacting the BBB. He also finds some unaffiliated store in Florida that has been accused of misrepresenting protection policies and begins telling me that I told him it "COVERS EVERYTHING".
  Still, I offered the customer first class treatment and offered my assistance in any way I could to negotiate on his behalf with the third-party protection provider. Despite being denied for multiple reasons he could not highlight one single reason his claim should be covered. He just continued to insult me, our "lemon" products, and threaten to sue me.
  Cordially, I recommended that perhaps the Better Business Bureau would indeed be a good place to start. Perhaps a third party could help to rationalize this to one of us because we are further than where we started. Its very unfortunate, but I'm happy to have it well documented. If for some reason I am in the wrong, I still retain I will make it right but I just can not figure out how we got here.
  
  
  Consumer Response /* (3000, 8, 2022/10/06) */
  (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
  Brett, you are the owner and sell Ashley Furniture. You are affiliated with their brand, and their warranties. You never have given me a copy of this warranty signed by me. I had to ask you the warranty # which you texted me. The warranties your store offers we were told by a sales rep COVERS EVERYTHING when we bought sofa. Red headed guy, tall, skinny..do not recall his name.
  
  The sofa was an inferior product much like the sectional sold to me. How dare I want what I paid for from your store, a quality set of furniture that holds up more than a year or two. The warranties advertised are useless, and if you search online Ashley Furniture is being sued in several class action suits due to deceptive warranties. This applies to customers in South Carolina according to their legal filing.
  
  Covid was a thing in 2020. We just had a newborn in August, and scheduling was a nightmare. The warranty is valid for 4 years (valid currently)..never saw the actual copy so how was I to know 5 days. After speaking to furniture protection I was told to put sectional in place it could be accessed for inspection. No one from your store has ever looked at it. Protection plan sent no one. I have a brand new $10,000 enclosed trailer tied up with this sectional in it. Only thing that has ever been inside of it.
  
  What am I supposed to do with the set? You have said you will not repair it, replace it, or refund it...that led to BBB. So tell me what should I do? It is dangerous with a chaise that has no cushioning for my kids.
  
  Repair the chaise and tears. 1st remedy
  If that fails, replace it 2nd remedy
  If that fails refund 75% of it. 3rd remedy
  
  3 options to fix this are I feel very fair.
  
  Also, on the price match, I simply told you what I saw online and asked if you would match it. You could have declined. As I told you in the first email, you act as if you are doing people a favor for buying your product. You are the owner/salesman, it is your product failing, and yet you put he blame on me for spending my money at your store. I am sure you are well versed on these BBB complaints by now. The warranty company said to me if the set cannot be repaired, or replaced a refund would be issued
  
  
  Business Response /* (4000, 11, 2022/10/06) */
  The last thing I want to do is come off like I do not care enough to respond but I do not have much to add that hasn't been said....and what I'm saying is not being heard. But just to be clear, the WARRANTY, set by the manufacturer, is for 1 year. Neither case mentioned qualified for that, but out of the goodness of my heart I agreed to replace the first set on my dime. The extended PROTECTION PLAN is meant to cover accidents outside of the manufacturers warranty. I personally, along with my sales manager, sold the protection plan and I have never and will never tell a customer it covers anything and everything. We do however have an extremely high approval rate. I sent the plan in 2020 with a note saying "PRO TIP: READ THE POLICY BEFORE YOU CALL" as you can see in the attached emails. If the call were made and the policy were read at that time, this would have been easier because we could fix or replace the broken piece. Now, two years later, the piece is discontinued with no parts available. Read the attached emails for the truth of what was said please. Finally, I have no affiliation with any other furniture store on earth other than we carry the same products. I hate that any customers experienced what you are describing, but that did not happen here and I will not pretend it did. I'm very sorry but I retain I've gone above and beyond and I know in my heart I've done the right thing. I have remained calm but I will defend my name and the Truth, as everyone should. I am now asking you to please stop affiliating me with any suit or experiences that have nothing to do with me and please stop saying anything that would insinuate a lack of character or try to tarnish our respectable reputation we work tirelessly to build for 30 years and counting