Beware of The Brick furniture and their "warranty" UPDATE: Got a new couch!

UPDATE: Today i got a call from the manager to come in and pick out a new couch. I am happy and purchased the warranty once again,and he said it will be straight replacement if it happens again.not sure if the brick read this or my email worked but i am satisfied..yay!!





here is a copy of the email i sent to the brick head office.i don't expect any recourse...but it makes me feel good emailing it off atleast.i am so disappointed with this company it isn't even funny):frown:

Hello,



I write in regards to service I have received this past month. In April of 2010 my husband and I purchased a sectional from our local store in Whitecourt,Alberta. A month or so after having the couch my husband found his side sinking.The cushions on the corner or the couch where the sectional meets was going flat.We thought normal wear and tear and really didn't want to bother with hassle of trying to get a replacement. Recently,though we noticed both armrests had broken,and my side of the couch was sinking and creaking,almost as if it was ready to break right through the seat.



We remembered we had purchased an extended warranty for 5 years. I called my local store and the manager sent deleivery men to my home to remove the couch and repair it for 3 weeks.Ok,problem solved,I thought. It came back yesterday and looks to me and my husband that nothing was done in way of repair other than the armrest wood being fixed.The cushins are still flat,the seats are still sinking and broken.We are not heavy people and we don't let anyone jump on our couch.My impression was if we purchased this warranty we would be guaranteed atleast a fix if not a replacement. I have received none of the above.



I called the manager of the Whitecourt store and told him I was not satisfied and what could I do to remedy the situation.I got a straightforward answer that the couch is like that and he does not control what the repair depot does and I am stuck with the couch.I told him I wasn't happy and I feel now I have to purchase two couches to get a decent one.



I was told I may get a deal in the future.This doesn't fix my situation as I am not a rich person and this was our first official furniture purchase and we felt we would atleast have this piece for years.The couch didn't last a year before it broke completely.I am stuck with this piece of furniture and no piece of mind that your so called warranty covers,or should.

I am just disappointed to say the least.



Anyhow I am not sure these emails even get read but I thought I would express my unhappiness and my disappointment that the products you sell,you cannot stand behind.I will not be returning as I feel it is too much hassle for something that could have been solved alot easier.



sincerely

I had a similar problem with a couch. The back cushions went flat and they sent out a repair person and he said it couldn't be fixed. We purchased it at Sears and they had no problem taking it back and giving a credit. I have found if you say I am expecting to return the couch they seem to respond better than if you don't tell them what you want.Very politely of course. Good luck.

The warranty you pay for is very limited - if the wood breaks, they might fix that (without a lot of effort, so don't expect it to be done well), otherwise you're SOL after paying for the warranty.

So, for the Brick for example this is what you paid for:

Quote:

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The Brick's 1 year warranty period, or within The Brick's extended warranty period purchased and, if, after inspection by a qualified Quality Control Technician, defective components or workmanship are found in the construction of the item, the item will be repaired at no charge

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They will sometimes repair broken wood structures, but they can claim that it is not a defect & you're out of luck.

Also

Quote:

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Defects resulting from negligence, misuse, accidents, discolouration from light or sunlight, abnormal wear and tear, fading or shrinkage of any fabric, or if used for commercial purposes are not covered by warranty.

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The cushion issue is a common problem with a sectional unless you pay an obscene amount of money. I have seen this issue with sectionals from completely different companies.

That being said, your best option would be to add new piling yourself opening a hidden location in the cushion or couch, adding piling & using a strong clear upholstery thread to close it (buy the proper needles - they are curved).

yeah it was a 5 year warranty,ad it baffled me all he had to say "that's how those couches settle"..ok so my couch just settles to feel like my seat is breaking....ugh...i am so mad.and i am stuck because we have no 2000 dollars to buy a new couch.we aren't rockefeller...

The brick isn't awesome. I would stay away from them in the future.

The brick furniture stinks. Your better off saving for a quality piece from a high end place. I heard nothing but horror stories about the brick furniture.

You could bring the sectional back to the Brick during a peak sell time, during which time you ask for your money back. As it seems to be a Monday/Friday couch (meaning the workmanship does not meet proper manufacturer standards and was likely made on a Monday morning or Friday night). Each piece of furnature has a qc name or number. The Brick is just a wholesale seller and can return the sectional as an overall defect. My husband deals with furniture in mass from The Brick and 1 out of 10 pieces of furniture does not pass qc standards and they are always able to send it back without hastles.

With the brick you have to do things immediately as they happen. They won't replace your couch after a year because that part of the warranty is up. So, if you ever have flat cushions or things creaking (I look for this when I am trying to get furniture fixed/replaced - they often cannot fix creaks but must replace the whole piece) call right away and show your inspector the problems. Sit on the couch and point out the creaks and push on the armrest to show them it's broken. They aren't very thorough unless you force them to be.

Be assertive. Tell them you will never make another purchase with the Brick if they will not replace your furniture and that you didn't buy the warranty for them to tell you they couldn't do anything. YOU PAID FOR THEM TO SERVICE YOU! NOW GET YOUR SERVICE!

I agree with the previous comment. I've had an bad experience with TheBrick and have never bought anything from there since. Those extended warranties are often crock and very difficult to get anything out of.

good to know - thx! My DH & I are looking to purchase a pull out couch/bed in the near furture

You are probably the 3rd person within recent years just on this website to have problems with Brick Furniture.

You shouldn't have to fix the cushions yourself, but if the Brick won't fix it (keep hounding them), if all else fails, I would do as a poster above suggested, fill them yourself. That really sucks though.

ooooooo, don't get me started on the Brick.....noooooooo
one very small part of the story--new black bedroom furniture delivered (well, some of it) and it was scratched.....the delivery guy told me to fix it with a magic marker...
i think my searing stare left a scar on his face....

oh and i should mention the delivery guys when they returned it,because it wasnt new treated my couch like crap and dropped it out of the truck and then heaved it through my door scratching it and tearing part of the fabric.i guess if it belongs to me already no care is involved...ugh..still steaming

All I can say is... :shrug:

I've purchased numerous items from the Brick over the last 20 years at least & I have never had an issue with their things. From furniture through to appliances. In fact, the one time they made a mistake, it was to my advantage.

I bought a side-by-side fridge with water/ice dispenser - I paid for it and the delivery was set (gave me a deal on that as well). The day they delivered it, it was crazy around the house, and I asked that they not install the doors on it as I wanted to wait a bit to get it in (had the old one still & it was being sold after). I noted that it wasn't scratched or anything, so I signed off on the delivery & that was it.

About an hour later as I moved it to install the doors, it seemed so much... bigger than I remembered it being in the store - as in more cubic space. I installed the doors & that's when I noticed the front - they sent me the better model - a Whirlpool Gold - priced $300+ more than what I paid for.

I checked my receipt against the serial number & model inside the fridge & they matched.

I called the store - it was a error that the salesperson had made, they apologized, and said that it was at no cost to me; I was not expected to know the model/serial number on purchase or delivery and I did not make the mistake. I had not purchased a 'matching set' so it didn't affect the look of my kitchen.

Leons on the other hand, that's a whole different nightmare.

Gee I read this AFTER I purchased a couch and dining set from the Brick with the 5 year extended warranty!! ARGH!!! Where was this post like a week ago? lol

That REALLY sucks about the furniture though, I'd be cheesed too! I've found through experience that MOST places don't care if your furnitire is poorly made as they will point to something somewhere that says they aren't responsible to replace it. My mother purchased a $999 table at Leons and after 6 months of really no use the top started peeling off and she also noticed that the bottom of the chairs were unfinished and they couldn't have cared less. Now she is stuck with a crappy looking expensive table and chairs. :(