Found this place through their posts on OfferUp, and decided to stop by to look at their selection. They have a lot of nice stuff decently priced.
We came across a brand new leather sectional that we fell in love with but hadn't planned on spending over $1,000 that day, as we really planned to just come look. On OfferUp they advertise that they offer lay-a-way and financing options. When we asked the attendant he said basically the only option they had was to put 50% down to hold and pay it off as soon as possible (sounds like lay-a-way to me).
Again, we hadn't intended to purchase anything that day so we headed out. Another guy came running out after us and asked if we wanted the sectional. We said yea, but weren't prepared to spend that type of money today. He asked what we needed him to do to make the purchase. He said he couldn't lower the price because it had just been put out, but he offered us to break the payment into 3 installments. As we were moving in a week to our new place, he said we could take it after making the 2nd installment payment and then pay the 3rd payment a week later. Sounded good, he then said he had to call his boss to confirm this plan.
A few minutes later he brings us in and writes a "contract" out. Physically writes it on a piece of paper, draws lines for us all to sign including "witnesses", reiterates it's a binding contract, and copies my id. During this process he tells us his boss, was kinda okay with it, but never said yes or no, but if it's a problem he'll just tell his boss that he told him it was fine on the phone... but it'd be better if we could pay it off the day we pick it up, to ensure no issues.... so is this a "binding contract" for both parties or just us?
Fast forward a week, we go in to pick up the sectional, and the young lady at the register think we're just paying it off and picking it up. Being honest, I explain we are only making the 2nd installment payment and show the contract. She brings another lady over, who looks at it and laughs when she realizes who made this "contract", but goes with it. Rings us up for the 2nd payment, makes a new copy showing we made the payment and goes to find help to carry it out to our truck.
As we're preparing to load the truck, the manager runs out and tells us we can't take the sofa, it's against their policy, and that there was a misunderstanding. We tell him we have a "contract", and exactly what we were told by the other guy, and he continues to tell us there was a misunderstanding, they'd never agree to letting furniture go before being paid off (despite advertising "financing options"). We offer to show him the contract, he agrees to take a look at it, but continues to say we misunderstood.
He takes us in his office and after looking at the "contract" and hearing our story AGAIN, he admits that we did nothing, in fact everything right, and that it was their mistake. He apologizes and says he wants us to be able to take the sectional home that day, and wants to work with us to pay it off. He offers a discount which ends up being around $100 off, which was the original price minus tax, essentially.
Luckily, we had prepared for this to happen, and were able to pay it off that day.
I give 3 stars because this was a mess, and we shouldn't have had to deal with it, it was almost embarrassing, not to mention nerve-wrecking. This "contract", although very amateur, was still a contract. We had paid 66% of the price, as agreed, they had all my information, so rather than punish us, an exception should have been made, especially since you advertise "financing options"... yet what you really mean is "only lay-a-way options"
Also, the store has really nice furniture, but everything else is typical thrift store quality. I'll probably go back when looking for furniture, especially considering their mission, but I'll be prepared to simply pay full price, and not deal with any complex transactions. read more
