And I Thought IKEA Made Crap
Last weekend I made my first four trips to the World Market store in Southridge mall.Why four trips? Read on.
Trip number one
The place seemed nice. Much of the furniture was not grossly overpriced like Crate and Barrel, just moderately overpriced. Despite all the nice furnishings, they didn't have anything we needed, so we started to make our way out when I noticed this item. (Click ZOOM/MORE PHOTOS to see the inside)
It was perfect for our living room. Plenty of storage for our DVDs and many of our CDs, and the ability to hide all the clutter behind nice mission style doors.
I measured the unit and headed for home to make sure it would fit. It did, so back I went.
Trip number two
A college-aged Stiffler-type "dude" processed the transaction and helped me load it into the family SUV. He was very proud of his rather nice-but-not-huge biceps, making sure to tell me that he moves so much furniture that he asks his manager to pay for his gym membership. He lifted the awkward unit by himself and stuffed it into my car with some difficulty, but I understood. Once he had made a show of moving it by himself, he couldn't back down and ask for help.
At home I moved it into the house by myself (small biceps and all), and unpacked, assembled, and moved it into position. While assembling it I had noticed several cracks on the plywood backing, but I paid it no mind. Once I started to adjust the interior shelves, I noticed some cracks in the actual structure of the unit. At first I just noticed one, then two, then three. Then I noticed a place where the finish had been poorly applied and the original wood grain color was showing.
After much thought, I decided to take it back. Fortunately, they didn't need me to repack it. Just the unit and the receipt.
Trip number three
Luckily, they had another unit. By this time it was getting late so there were fewer associates on the floor. Since I now knew where the stock room was (having been back there when the first unit was moved to my car), I went straight to the back room and found the "dude" chatting with two co-workers.
We retrieved the new unit, inspected it, and loaded it into my car. This time, the "dude" got help.
This unit was in better shape than the last unit, so I felt good about it. I got it home, loaded it into the house, assembled, and found another crack.
Yes, a crack that was missed during our inspection. A bad crack in a bad place. This crack went through the bottom-left hinge, weakening the support for the left door causing it to sag and scrape against the bottom of the unit.
I decided to try and live with it, thinking that I could possibly repair and remedy the fault. Then I noticed the knobs on the doors. They were drilled and attached unevenly. One knob was about 3 cms higher and further outside than the other.
It was noticeable. *sigh*
The fourth trip
Five minutes to closing time. I walk in. The "dude" is on the phone at the front registers. He sees me, and I motion towards the parking lot and shake my head.
"No!" he exclaimed.
"Yep," I replied.
So I showed him the cracks and the knobs, and he was apologetic, but it ain't his fault.
I wanted to talk to a manager, but it was Easter eve and I knew none would be around. So, I got my money back, bid farewell to the "dude", and vowed never to buy furniture from that store again.
It's sorta funny, ...I'm exactly the type of person World Market would like to sell to or make a good impression with. I'm young, a recent home owner, married, and slightly vain. That's a scientific formula for massive furniture buying over a lifetime.
I may have lost a day of my weekend, and some of my patience, ...but they lost quite a bit more on that day.
I wonder if anyone in their corporate office ponders formulations like that when they make their cost/benefit decisions. Somehow I doubt it.
<< Home