Chair is under warranty, store says

By NANCY PARADIS

© St. Petersburg Times, published July 6, 2000

I am having problems with a La-Z-Boy chair I purchased from La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries in Largo. I ordered the chair on July 3, 1999, and made a $200 deposit, with the balance due upon delivery. It took 10 weeks, not the promised four to six, for the chair to arrive. I was told it would not be delivered until I paid the balance of $434.85. When I went to the store to pay, the chair was in the back storage area. After a lot of effort on my part, I finally got the store to let me see it. I only got only a very poor look, however.

When the chair was delivered a few days later, I called the store because the seat cover was coming loose. A new seat was sent, but the chair was still not right. Now I was told the problem was in the arm. The material was pulled off to one side.

Apart from that problem, the footrest does not go up as far as it should, and when I push it back down, it makes a loud noise as though it is breaking. If this chair was all right, I would surely not take up your time or mine to write this letter. Winifred Stansbury

Response: Rick Abney, manager of La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries in Largo, said it is customary for furniture retailers to require a deposit for special orders. In addition, it is his store's policy to require full payment before the furniture is delivered, since the delivery drivers are not equipped to take payments of any kind. Customers are therefore given the option of paying in full to begin with, or mailing or delivering a check to the store prior to delivery.

Abney said that since the store offers a one-year, in-home warranty service, it is very rare for customers to ask to inspect the furniture before delivery. You were able to inspect it in the store, he said.

With regard to the arm of the chair, it has been replaced. As for the loud noise you are concerned with, he said the store has explained to you that it is just the sound of the ratchet system closing, and that this happens with all La-Z-Boy rocker-recliners. The footrest height, which also troubled you, can be adjusted by rocking gently back as you pull the handle. This was demonstrated when you purchased the chair.

Since your chair is still under warranty, Abney said either he or one of the service managers would be happy to visit you to discuss these matters. Let him know if you require any more information or assistance.

A rebate and more

Reaction: It is my pleasure to report that, shortly after you contacted CompUSA about my failure to receive a full rebate on a computer program I had purchased in January, I received a phone call from the general manager in Ohio, who apologized for his company's failure to respond properly to this matter. He promised to send a check for the remaining $10 as well as an additional $10 for my expenses and trouble. The promised check arrived two weeks later. I want to thank you for the services you provide for your readers. Elizabeth Kramer

Order is being sent

Last October, I ordered some merchandise from J.D. Marvel for a total of $18.75. This company cashed my check in November, but to date has not filled my order. The number that is listed in the ad in the Parade magazine section of your Sunday paper always rings busy, unless you call during non-business hours, when you get a recording asking you to call back. I also wrote, and after two letters, received a reply saying there was no record of my order. I was asked to forward a copy of my canceled check, which I did.

I waited another five weeks before sending the company a fax asking for my order or a refund. Finally I got a response that my order would be filled in three or four weeks. The order has still not materialized. This sure is a lot of trouble and a long time to wait for my order. Please let me know if you can help get my money back. Leslie K. Waters

Response: We received a handwritten note from a "Denise" at J.D. Marvel Products in Beaconsfield, Quebec, that your order is leaving the first week of July. Let us know if it does not arrive.

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