Very shortly after having my loveseat/sofabed recovered, the seams on the seat cushions began to fray and come apart. The cushions were returned to the company with my understanding that they were to be recovered with new fabric. Granted, I have no way to prove whether they actually were or not, I suspect not. I suspect the seams were just restitched. Upon their return, the fabric seemed even tighter on the cushions that it originally had been. And, sure enough, within months afterwards, the seams on the cushions were once again fraying. I made arrangements and sent them back again. To my surprise, this time, I received a letter in return stating that the company did not see my complaint as "justified" having assessed the "damage" to my cushions as being caused by a pet.
I do own a dog. She does sometimes lie on the couch. When she does there is a cover between she and the couch. This is more to allow us to easily lift the cover and avoid getting ourselves covered in her ample, Siberian husky coat than to protect the furniture from damage.
In reply to their letter, I contacted The Master Craftsman and asked, when the first time they agreed to the repair, what had caused them to change their assessment and now refuse? Their answer: the existence of pet hair. I assured them my dog did not cause the “damage”. As there was no "damage" what-so-ever on the arms or backrest of the couch, nor on any other area of the cushions apart from the seams, I felt they were giving my pet the credit of more intelligence than I if they thought she could be so focused in her "damaging." And, why, I asked, did they suppose she never set about likewise damaging the original fabric that had been on the couch for the first eight years of her life, nor the leather couch in the living room, nor any of the other furniture she makes herself comfortable on. The did not answer any of these questions.
My request to escalate my claim was denied by the company's "Operations Manager." (no names given, neither any last name on the letter’s signature) He or she declined my request to provide details in professional terms as to how the judgement of pet damage had been arrived at.
Insulting as this all might seem, the worst of it was The Master Craftsman having the audacity to offer to quote me for the cost of the work should I choose to pay for the repairs myself. No thank you!!!
All of this can only lead me to conclude that the presence of pet hair allowed the company a legal "out" to their written, five-year warranty against problems with workmanship. The seams splitting on my cushions are far more likely, in my opinion, the result of the fabric covering being too tight and the seams too shallow.
Unfortunately, angry and disgusted as I may be, I find I have no recourse in this matter but to warn other perspective customs in venues such as this to prevent others suffering the same intolerable service.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $2,000.00
- What could this company do to improve their services?
- Any advice to offer fellow homeowners facing a similar project?
- Company Response
To Bev in Burlington;
After reviewing your lengthy complaint and discussing it in detail with our Production team, I was inclined to repond with haste. It must be noted that the above complaint was lodged after The Master Craftsman had re-covered your sofa - free of charge - once before. At The Master Craftsman we pride ourselves on the quality of workmanship we provide. When compared with the number of fully satisfied customers we have served over the last two decades, the number of complaints is frankly minute. When your particular piece of furniture arrived at our facility for the second time, it was examined closely by more than one objective employee who all agreed that the damage sustained was not due to any manufacturer's defect or oversight on our part, but the direct result of high pressure being applied to the fabric with a sharp object, possibly the claws or teeth of a large dog. One of the several innacuracies found in your complaint above is that you claim "the seams" of your sofa were "frayed." In actual fact, your "seams" were in perfect condition whereas the punctures were found in areas AWAY FROM ANY SEAMS, leading our Production team to the conclusion that the damage was due to force applied outside of regular human use. While we are deeply offended by your claim of "intolerable service", we understand that regardless of how far we go to please all of our valued customers, a minority of such cannot be satisfied despite numerous attempts to do so. Thank you