Mary Ellen says she was a repeat customer at a big furniture chain because she had good experiences before. That's why when the Valley resident needed to update her sofa, she returned to the store she trusted.
"Used the same salesperson who we love with a passion. She's wonderful," Mary Ellen explained.
But her latest transaction left her feeling less than wonderful. She spent nearly $4,000 on a new reclining sofa sectional, but when she and her family tried it for the first time, things didn't go as planned.
"It just doesn't go down smoothly. It's [makes] like a clunking sound," she said.
Mary Ellen called customer service. A repairman was sent out to help, however, the fix wouldn't be easy.
"He said, 'Oh, no, you need an entirely new mechanism,'" she recalled, frustrated.
Mary Ellen says she was originally told it would take a few weeks for the new part to arrive, but those weeks turned into several months. Tired of waiting, Mary Ellen asked to exchange the sofa for a comparable one that works. She says the company told her that it couldn't be done.
Unsure of her next steps, Mary Ellen says she recalled seeing previous Let ABC15 Know consumer investigative reports on TV.
"I thought to myself, 'why don't I give this a try?'" Mary Ellen explained.
She reached out to the Let ABC15 Know team, and our Better Business Bureau volunteer, Larry, started working on the case.
"He's pretty persistent," said Mary Ellen, describing Larry.
Larry repeatedly reached out to the company and Mary Ellen says a representative called. She says the representative told her since the part was taking a long time to arrive from overseas, they would look around the country to find a replacement part for her.
Mary Ellen says a piece of a sofa did arrive at her home, but it left her feeling less than impressed.
"There was no box, there's no crate, it's just wrapped in that really thin Styrofoam kind of wrap," she explained, adding it was "unacceptable."
Both Mary Ellen and Larry contacted the company again, and an agreement was reached to let Mary Ellen come into the store and pick a replacement sofa.
Problem solved!
"Honestly, you guys were wonderful and Larry was terrific," Mary Ellen said.
She says her tenacity helped during the sofa situation, saying she was glad she didn't give up on the issue and reported the problem to the company right away. Another tip she has for consumers is to keep detailed records, including receipts, emails, pictures, and a log of who and when you speak to a representative.
If you have a consumer issue, reach out to our team by emailing consumer@abc15.com.
