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But here's one thing we did not anticipate during the start-up process...
All these magnets and metal findings take up a LOT OF SPACE!
So it wasn't long before I realized I needed MORE specialized storage. Sure, I knew I could get them custom-made, but before I laid out that kind of cash, I went on an internet search to see if what I wanted was already available. Why re-invent the wheel? Right?
And low and behold, I found this fantastic unit at HomeDecorators.Com (a division of Home Depot). This particular unit has 14 drawers, but you can also get them with 10 or less drawers. The size was perfect and the interior dimensions of the drawers would work fine.
So I ordered one....
And so started the saga....
And so started the saga....
First off- about a week after I placed the order, I was notified that I wouldn't receive shipment for THREE MONTHS!
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the frame for this cabinet was totally broken |
Well- What it is they say about getting what you wish for?
Our unit indeed arrived ahead of schedule, but it was delivered to the BACKDOOR of the house (without notice). I had no clue it was there, so it was left out in the rain for over 24 hours, until I just happened to take the recycling out. I was less than enthused!
And that was just the beginning!
Once we got the soggy box into the garage, (which was no easy thing), and opened it up, it revealed an even worse problem!
The cabinet had evidently been simply wrapped with cellophane (with drawers in place) and then placed inside the box.
There were no packing peanuts...
There was no bubble wrap...
There was absolutely NO cushioning material around the cabinet at ALL!
So that when the box took what looked to be a pretty significant blow to the bottom corner, either in the course of packing or shipment, (who knows), there was of course VERY significant damage done to the cabinet!
ALL of the drawers were located in a jumbled up mess at the bottom of the cabinet, and at first I thought, "How can this be?" "How can they FIT down there?" And that's when I realized that the frame of the cabinet was severely damaged!
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| It's just the right size for my notions! |
So I basically had three choices...
1) return the unit and wait three more months for another potentially poorly packaged cabinet to arrive.
2) return the unit and begin the process of getting a custom-made cabinet made.... or .....
3) take a 20% discount from HomeDecorators.Com and repair it ourselves.
We opted for #3. Since most of the damage was internal, we hammered everything back into place and salvaged it pretty well. OK, the back wall is never going to fit well, but it's never going to be seen by anyone but us, so big deal.
So what's the verdict?
I like this cabinet a lot. It's PERFECT for my needs and I have not really found anything else like it on the market, BUT- it was packaged TERRIBLY and furthermore, when I talked to customer service, my complaints really didn't seem to surprise them. Kinda like they'd heard this same crummy packaging complaint MANY times? So... my advice is to proceed with caution. If you can find something that works for you from any other website than HomeDecorators.com, then buy it elsewhere, but if not, don't be surprised if you find your purchase sitting out in the rain in a beat-up box... and prior to opening it, you might as well have your tool box handy!
So, I would love to hear your thoughts after having read this. Please feel free to reply below.
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My goodness!! I'm going to forward this to my MIL who had the same problem with something she ordered from them awhile back. I have not ordered from them for this exact reason (although your cabinets are SOOO tempting!) Sorry your experience was so awful, but happy that your cabinets look awesome! Cindy
ReplyDeleteSorry that you had such a mess in ordering. It is very sad that company's do business this way when they have a product that people would like to purchase.
ReplyDeleteMy mom had two porch rockers and a porch swing sent to us from Ace Hardware's catalog/website.
ReplyDeleteAll three arrived with varying amounts of damage. The rockers were salvageable (with a partial refund for my mom), but the porch swing was structurally terminal. Looking at the way the components were stacked in the box there is no way it would survive its trip [from China, of course] even if there had been more packing material.
Sad that this appears to be turning into the typical experience with the underwhelming customer service as a negative bonus.
Bert in Rice, WA
you are so right. It's tough being in business right now, so one would think that now is the time to have the best customer service possible! :)
ReplyDeleteAlthough I know you wanted and needed your cabinet YESTERDAY, maybe if enough people returned the items, the company would start loosing money instead of offering options, then they might rethink their packing and shipping arrangements. Plus call someone higher up the totum pole than customer service. Maybe, like the president or ceo of the company. I would probably start with the call first.
ReplyDeleteYou are absolutely right Hot Sauce, and that's normally the way we roll! In this particular instance though, the only other option at the time was a custom cabinet and that felt like it was punishing us more than the offending company.
ReplyDeleteThanks for writing!
I have almost the same cabinet in my crafty room, a little shorter, 7 drawers, and I think it came unpainted. I got it at Joanne's and it came all put together. It used to hold my paints, now it holds embroidery threads and stabilizer.
ReplyDeleteGood thing you guys are handy and could repair it! It looks terrific! I have ordered shelves from Home Decorators before and feel lucky I did not have any problems.
ReplyDeleteI ordered bar stools from them a long time ago and didn't have any problems. They actually have a distribution center about 1/2 hour from my house. I guess they have gone down hill. Improvements catalog has some similar to this, but the biggest is 10 drawers I believe. I actuall ordered a 7 drawer from someone on ebay that is a reseller of these improvements ones and got a great deal. You could tell it had been repackaged, but it was in great shape. I keep it by my machine for all my scissors, cutters, markers etc. It is so nice to be organized!
ReplyDeleteJan S
Kathy,
ReplyDeleteGood for you! Rather than sit and stew/steam and get nowhere, you looked at your options and picked out the best one that would work for you. Yelling and screaming rarely gets folks what they want. It takes good common sense, which you and your husband have.
Thank you & Semper Fi!