Troubleshooter: Furniture fiasco
DURHAM While contractors were rebuilding their home, Renee Brown ordered furniture from Three J's Furniture in March. The contractors told Renee their house should be done by June 1st, so when paid in full for the furniture; she told Three J's Furniture June 1st would be the delivery date.
As construction progressed, the contractors told Renee they would be done earlier than expected and she could move back in home by May 1st. Renee told Troubleshooter Diane Wilson, "I immediately emailed them to let them know the date change. On April 9th, Elizabeth responded back 'No problem. I hope everything goes okay. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you."
But come May 1st no furniture. Renee and her family moved back in, but there was no sign of furniture. Renee adds, "I said what's going on? I still don't have furniture. She said we should have it Monday or Tuesday. Nothing came on that Monday. Tuesday was May 7th, so I called and couldn't get an answer so that afternoon I sent an email saying "what's going on? I still don't have furniture." To make matters worse, Renee and her family have been living in the house with no furniture.
Only fold up chairs in their living room. In the kitchen, there's nowhere to sit and eat. In the master bedroom, nothing there either, except this mattress they went and bought after getting tired of sleeping on the floor. Renee said, "For me, physically, it's hard getting up and down off of the floor. It's been 3 weeks now. For someone to hold our furniture just because they can for no reason; they have our money, our furniture but just won't give it to us, this is just crazy."
Fed up and frustrated Renee e-mailed Troubleshooter Diane Wilson. She told Troubleshooter Diane Wilson, "We survived the fire; it's the furniture company we're not surviving." The owner of Three J's Furniture told her he ordered everything back in March to be delivered on June 1st. He said when she switched the date to May 1st that caused some problems.
Regardless he said he would deliver her furniture within the week. Renee tells Troubleshooter Diane Wilson, "Three to five days after you contacted them they delivered everything else." Renee got her kitchen set, full bedroom set, and furniture for her upstairs. The only thing missing was the living room set. It took another three weeks after June 1st, but eventually Renee got everything she paid for. She tells Troubleshooter Diane Wilson, "Oh God I'm elated, it's wonderful to be back home to have my house furnished and rebuild our lives and start to move on."
Renee said Three J's Furniture was very apologetic about the delays and said they told her they never meant for this to happen.
When it comes to ordering furniture, typically you have to pay in full up front, so it's best to pay by credit card so you can dispute it, if you don't get the furniture.
