Ordering from HOUZZ/Caveat Emptor!

[MarionC]

I bought curtains from the decor website HOUZZ thinking they would be really nice and as it turns out the same curtains are sold at Walmart - and for 1/3 the price. Not only that, but the ones HOUZZ sent are seconds with flaws.
Returning them is a nightmare and may not even be possible. So far customer service is saying NO because the packaging was cut open. I thought HOUZZ was a classy website, but apparently not. After this "adventure" I googled HOUZZ and there are dozens of complaints about the quality of their items and their customer service.

 

[missy]

Thanks for the warning. That is disappointing. I have been perusing Houzz for my inspiration pics for our to be dream beach kitchen and it is good to know not to order anything from them. Thank you Jimmianne.

 

[Dee*Jay]

Jimmi,

I'm sorry you're having such a bad experience!

I have "idea shopped" on Houzz many times but then I always google the item... and I always find it cheaper somewhere else. That exact thing happened with my breakfast bar stools, which I found on a bunch of other sites, and (coincidentally) ordered from Walmart.

(Funny story -- American Express shut off my card for fraud after I placed the order. When they called to tell me that they were sending a new card out because someone had gotten my number and bought something from Walmart I said it was me... and they argued with me! They said I'd never bought anything from Walmart (let alone the Walmart WEBSITE) in the 23 years I'd had the card, it was clearly outside my shopping pattern, and they were convinced it was fraud. So even though I explained over and over again it was my activity they still sent me a new card!)

Anyway, I digress (which is my way! ), but it's too bad this is happening to you

As for the package being open, I would say to them, "THAT is how I know the curtains are F'd up. I opened the damn package and saw the problems!" Argh. Customer service -- NOT!

 

[Dee*Jay]

Also, I would call your credit card company and tell them that you received defective merchandise, which you couldn't determine until you had opened the packaging, and now the merchant won't take it back. That charge should come right off your account!

 

[MarionC]

Good Idea!
I'm just disappointed. I really like the website and will continue to use it, aside from buying the products.
If they treated customers the way Zappos and Amazon do it would be awesome. In this day and age it is almost incomprehensible that a large company would have such poor service.

 

[Cluless]

jimmi tank you fo rthe warning I have been tempted many times to order from them. I did order from wayfair and would highly recomend to anyone, custumer service is amazing and I received my order one day before schedueled delivery.

 

[rainwood]

Jimmianne

I'm so sorry the curtains didn't work out, but your experience with buying from Houzz is not that different from mine. I ordered 2 Italian food warmers similar to ones I already had but had never been able to find again. I look at their site a lot, but had never gotten anything from them. Houzz was the only web site that still had the food warmers as they'd been discontinued so I ordered 2, one was to be a gift. Turns out they only had 1 so their solution was to change the 2 on the packing slip to a 1, send me the 1, but not credit me for the second one. And they were expensive! I had to call and they needed to investigate, but they eventually did give me a credit for the second one. It was a hassle though and I vowed never to buy from them again. Your experience reinforces that. It's too bad because their site is great for ideas, just not for buying anything.

 

[Garnetgirl]

Thanks so much for the warning, Jimmianne. I love looking at all the decorating ideas on Houzz. Their website looks so classy, so it's easy to see how one might not expect to have problems with ordering. I've never purchased anything off their site, and after hearing the stories here, now I never will!

 

[MarionC]

Glad I was able to help. At least PSers won't fall in the HOUZZ trap!

 

[MarionC]

HOUZZ just wrote and told me to throw out the curtains, they are sending a new pair.
So I will now have two sets and cannot complain.The quality is subpar and I will probably not use them, but can at least donate them to the Habitat store.
In their way, HOUZZ came through, but it was work on my part and I still won't order from them again.