WARNING! Do NOT buy from Ashley Furniture.
On 2/8, I purchased a sleeper sofa and a mattress with a box spring from Ashley Furniture, and the experience has been a complete nightmare from start to finish.
To even receive a discount, they require you to open a Wells Fargo credit card. I should have walked out of the store at that moment. They will do everything they can to pressure you into signing up.
After delivery and unboxing on 2/14, both items began emitting an extremely strong chemical odor. The smell kept getting worse until I had to keep all doors and windows open, even on a cold day. After researching the issue, I learned that these odors are likely VOCs. VOCs can cause dizziness, headaches, asthma flare ups, allergy symptoms, and other health issues. Some VOCs are known carcinogens.
I have severe asthma and allergies, and so do others in my home. The smell quickly became unbearable, so I contacted the store to request a full refund and return. Instead of allowing me to speak with the location that sold me the items, Ashley forces all customers to go through Customer Care, which has been anything but helpful.
Emily, the Warranty Manager for Customer Care, openly acknowledged that the smell from the furniture can last weeks. She told me I could not return the mattress because the receipt states that mattresses are not returnable. What the receipt does not say is that the furniture might emit a toxic chemical odor that makes it unsafe to keep in the home. This is Ashley Furniture failing to uphold their end of the bargain. They offered to send cleaners on Monday, which is not an acceptable solution. No amount of cleaning will remove toxic VOCs. If I wanted to return the sleeper sofa, they would charge a 25% restocking fee. Emily also claimed nothing could be done immediately because the workers had already gone home, even though the business is open seven days a week. This makes no sense, since the store is open, and is unacceptable.
Upon hearing this, I demanded to speak to the store. Over the phone, Milan Jimenez, the salesperson who sold me the items, admitted that he did not inform me about strong odors or prolonged off gassing. I was originally told the smell would go away in a few days. This not true. When I pointed out that his statement contradicted what Emily said, I asked to speak to a manager.
Jordan, who is one of the managers, was then put on the line. He was unprofessional, rude, and completely unhelpful. He said he did not know what was going on because he was not the one who sold me the furniture. You are the manager of the store, which means it is your responsibility to handle issues like this. His response showed a lack of accountability and a lack of basic customer service skills.
I spent about $2,500, and the business was not willing to provide an immediate solution or a full refund. I told Jordan that the so called solutions that he and Emily offered were not solutions at all. I informed him that I would be contacting the BBB and the North Carolina Attorney General, which I have done. He then tried to tell me what I should and should not write, and that I should mention that they tried to help me. They did not try to help me. They refused to provide a real fix and to issue a full refund. A manager has no right to tell a customer what they can write in a review or in a complaint to government agencies. Customers have a 1st Amendment right to warn others about products that can harm their health.
For the record, I have bought plenty of furniture over the years and have never experienced anything like this. I have never had brand new furniture arrive with such a toxic smell that it could not safely remain inside my home. To make matters worse, the mattress appeared damaged at one end and two buttons have fallen off of the sleeper sofa. I noticed this after the delivery team had left.
What is even more concerning is that Ashley Furniture's manager attempted to dictate what I could and could not say in my review. That is completely unacceptable. Customers have every right under the 1st Amendment to share their experiences truthfully.
Based on everything I have dealt with, it is clear that Ashley Furniture has little regard for customer health, transparency, or accountability. They need to train their managers and sales associates on basic customer service skills and not get angry when a customer is frustrated with their lack of care or empathy. I am now fighting for a full refund for products that my family cannot safely use. read more