Tables & Chairs

Our experience started out great but has recently gone from bad to worse to horrible. My husband and I were struggling to find a dining room table that we really liked (bar height, with removable leaves, solid wood - no veneer, and dark finish) and were thrilled to discover that we could design such a table through Canadel. We searched for a local Canadel distributor through which to place the order, and that is how we found Tables & Chairs - a small store in a mall in Bethesda. We went to the store & had a pleasant experience during which we were able to see samples of the legs, finish, and table shapes. We placed an order for the table & 8 chairs in April 2010, paid half up front as requested, and were quoted a 10-12 week delivery window. I emailed the owner of the store (Melvin) in July after 12.5 weeks went by and we hadn't heard anything. We were told that the order was running a bit late and he would let us know when it came in. At the end of week 13, Melvin emailed to let us know that our furniture had come in and seeking to verify that he could use the same credit card, as his delivery company did not take COD amounts. We replied stating that we were uncomfortable paying without actually receiving the furniture, and received the following email: "I can appreciate your concern but the transport service that I use will not schedule anything if there is a balance. I have used them for 12 years and I have never had a customer that took a delivery that wasn't satisfied with the way everything was handled after the delivery. I am not saying everything comes in perfect but my simple goal is to do anything necessary to ensure that the customer is satisfied. Whether something comes in incorrectly or is defective, I will do what needs to be done so you are happy. Thank you." Wanting our furniture, we decided to go against our better judgment, authorize payment up front prior to delivery, and trust that Melvin would honor his word and work with us to resolve any unanticipated issues. The furniture was delivered at the end of week 15 (August 7th). However, the finish on one of the chairs was uneven, and there were 2 indentations in the surface of the table. We were told at the time of delivery that the chair with the bad finish would be replaced, and emailed pictures of the indentations to Melvin a few days later. Melvin replied by email on August 16th and stated that he had spoken with his furniture repair person about repairing the table and that he would get back in touch with us "when the stool back comes in and then we will make the arrangements for the repair-person to come out." We replied asking for clarification on when we should expect the stool, and were told "Normally runs half the normal order time so I am thinking about 6 weeks. We will be in touch as soon as it arrives." This was on August 16th. On October 17th, after 8 weeks had gone by and we had heard nothing, I emailed again to request the status of 1) our replacement chair and 2) scheduling a date for repair of the table, and received no response. On October 20th I called the number he provided (same as the one listed on his website) & the number was answered by a computer requesting an access code, without any way to leave a voicemail. I sent a follow on email later that day: "I just tried to contact you at 301-230-9747 (the number you provided us with back in July) since you still have not responded to the email I sent 3 days ago. That number is answered by a computer requesting an access code, and there is no way to leave a voicemail. I am therefore resorting to emailing you once again. I am extremely frustrated that despite having paid in full on time 3 months ago, we still have an indented table and a chair with a bad finish. When I expressed concern about your request that we pay in full prior to receiving the furniture, you reassured me that you would ensure that we were completely satisfied. This has not been our experience, and we remain unsatisfied and certainly unable to recommend your business to our friends and family. At this time, I expect that you will make this right by delivering the chair and fixing the indentations in the table prior to the end of October, as well as by offering us a discount of at least 10% on the furniture to compensate us for the headache this entire process has been. Please contact me as soon as possible to confirm that these expectations will be met. I can be reached at xxx-xxx-xxxx (day) or xxx-xxx-xxxx (evening)." I received a response from Melvin stating that he had received my email and checked with Canadel on the replacement part, and apologized for not letting me know that he was checking. He went on to say "We all have expectations. I really am sorry that this has been so awful for you. As soon as I get the replacement part, we will get out to you as quickly as possible. The phone number is correct. I know that when the line is busy, instead of rolling over to the next line there is sometimes a strange message." A few days later I FINALLY received a voicemail from a delivery company stating that they had found the chair back in their warehouse, and that I should be hearing from someone shortly to schedule delivery. I called back & left a message asking for clarification (chair back? I thought we were getting an entire replacement chair?) and confirming that I wanted to schedule delivery of the chair. I waited a week & never heard back from either the delivery company or Melvin. Finally today I again attempted to call the Tables & Chairs store, and the phone was answered by a person rather than the computer. I asked to speak with Melvin and was told that he was not in but would be in on Thursday at 2pm. I explained the situation and was told that he could not help me as he did not have a claim number, but that he would have Melvin call me first thing on Thursday. I sent a follow up email to Melvin: "I received a voicemail from someone with the delivery company about 1.5 weeks ago stating that the chair back (which I don't understand, as I thought the entire chair was being replaced, not just one part) had been located, apparently after being lost somewhere in their warehouse. However no one has contacted us to schedule a delivery or date to fix the table, despite me having called and left voicemails requesting that this happen, and I have not heard from you since your email on October 20th (two weeks ago). This is UNACCEPTABLE. We paid in full 4 months ago prior to delivery (against our better judgment, but trusting you when you assured that this would all be handled properly). I have contacted you repeatedly since then attempting to get this resolved, seeking a partial refund and an appointment to get the chair & table be fixed, but to no avail. At this time I will be filing complaints with Angie's List and the Better Business Bureau." So - that is where things currently stand. Ordered furniture in April, paid ahead of time against my better judgment based on assurances that this would be handled properly, received damaged/badly finished in July, and now am still dealing with the headache of trying to get it replaced/fixed in November. The furniture itself looks beautiful & is very sturdy. However - I am EXTREMELY underwhelmed by the false promises, lack of follow up without my prodding / checking up, and amount of time this is all taking to be resolved. If you can't find what you are looking for in dining room furniture, I highly recommend Canadel. However - I definitely do NOT recommend using Tables & Chairs as your local distributor, as they are apparently extremely incompetent & slow at resolving any damage/replacements.