Ashley Store — Local services in Austin

A Warning to All Shoppers, Especially Active-Duty Military and Veterans*

My recent experience at this Ashley Furniture store was a stark lesson in aggressive sales tactics and the illusion of a "magnificent deal." My goal in writing this is to arm and help future buyers with the information they need to avoid similar pitfalls.

For my fellow military members and veterans, I have a particularly important piece of advice: always check the Exchange Online before you buy anywhere.

Our visit began pleasantly enough. We were greeted by a kind sales associate named Amit, who helped us navigate the store and even followed up with us about a 0% interest financing deal. We appreciated his straightforward approach, and we were left to browse on our own. It was a positive start.

As we moved through the showroom, we found a beautiful bedroom set that caught our eye: the "Signature Design by Ashley Foyland Panel Storage bedroom 4-piece set." We quickly realized that, priced at roughly $8,000, it was well outside of our $4,000 budget. Disappointed but resolute, my wife and I decided to leave and consider our other options at Living Spaces and Rooms to Go.

This is when the experience took a turn. As we walked toward the exit, a man in a Tempur Pedic-branded white coat, who introduced himself as the sales manager, intercepted us. He asked what it would take to earn our business and offered to "make us a deal." My gut feeling was already on high alert when he confirmed he was the store manager, a common red flag in high-pressure sales. He asked for our price range and went to his desk to "see what he could do." He also claimed it was real wood, but we all know today’s furniture from Big Brand Name stores is not real wood and made primarily of plywood or particle board with the faux wood laminate.

He returned with a seemingly incredible offer: the full bedroom set, plus an extra nightstand, for $4,500. However, there was a catch we had to purchase a $1,000 furniture warranty, bringing the total to $5,500. The deal was contingent on us qualifying for the 0% financing, which required me to share my credit information. When I asked for an itemized breakdown, he left again, and returned with a tablet, all while repeating the typical sales jargon about how great a deal this was and how happy we would be. He sounded like the kind of salesman you see in movies like The Wolf of Wall Street. I quietly texted and told my wife we were not taking the deal, and we politely thanked him and walked out.

We left feeling relieved and confident in our decision to walk away from the high-pressure situation. On our drive home, we talked about how much we loved the bedroom set but knew we couldn't justify the price. It was then that I thought to check the Exchange Online website, something I should have done from the start.

And there it was. The exact same "Signature Design by Ashley Foyland Panel Storage 5-piece bedroom set." Before any sale, it was listed for roughly $4,700 with the extra nightstand, which already included free shipping and no sales tax. This price that was nearly $3,300 cheaper than Ashley's initial quote and $800 cheaper than their supposed "deal."

The true savings came with the Exchange's ongoing Labor Day sale. With an additional 20% off and an extra 10% discount for using my Military Star Card, we ended up paying a total of just $3,608. This price included everything we wanted: the full bedroom set, the extra nightstand, and even two lamps (Signature Design by Ashley Sharolyn 30 in. Table Lamps) we had liked in the store. We got two years of 0% interest, no sales tax, free shipping, and best of all, there was no mandatory $1,000 warranty.

This experience taught us a valuable lesson. What might seem like a once-in-a-lifetime "deal" is often a carefully constructed sales tactic designed to make you feel like you're getting something special.

For all shoppers, it is crucial to do your research and price-compare online before making any...

I purchased a sectional couch on 12/19 that is discontinued. I was told that there might be an issue with the corner wedge since there was only one left. I was super excited that on the 23rd it was set to be delivered and there were no issues with that piece. When it was dropped off, it was immediately evident there was an issue with the configuration. I told the driver and he said "sorry it's yours". He told me I had 72 hours to report an issue and left. I called the store immediately and even though the number is a 512, it sends you to a call center. There is no way to reach the store. I spent 20 minutes on the phone with someone who basically told me I got what I ordered and that he couldn't help me. I had explained I knew I got what I ordered but obviously it had been entered incorrectly and I needed to exchange the two end pieces since they faced the wrong way. He said I would need to contact the store. I asked how am I supposed to do that when the store number directed me to him. He said to hang up and push 3 for the store. There is no option 3... I then went to the store since there was obviously no one to speak to via phone. I met with one of the sales people who brought in his manager and they were very nice. Said since it was Saturday the business offices were closed and because Christmas was Monday, I would get a call on Tuesday. I in fact did not get a call on Tuesday and my husband went back in the store on Wednesday to find out what the situation was. He was told they were unable to find the parts needed to fix their error and I would get a call that day. He was then instructed to leave through the side door, not the front door. I got a call shortly after telling me I had to come in and reselect. I let them know I had wanted this couch from them and only this couch. The salesperson suggested another model and I went to the Cedar Park location to take a look at it to try and keep an open mind. I was also instructed to use the side entrance by the Mardel bookstore? I went through the front door and looked at the model suggested by the salesperson as well as every other couch on the floor and found them all to be not what I was looking for in my new home. I let the salesperson know and said I needed the couch picked up ASAP because I had movers coming and they would be bringing my old couch over to the new house instead (also an Ashley couch). He said I had only been authorized for an exchange and he'd talk to his manager and have them call me. I got no phone call that day (12/27). I received and email the following day with some information about coming in to reselect. I spoke to the salesperson again letting him know I wouldn't be picking anything else out and I wanted them to come pick up the unit but he did not respond. I replied to the email but it is apparently not monitored even though there's no indication of that on the correspondence and it said if I had an issue to contact customer service or chat. Since I had such a bad experience with customer service the last time, I opted for chat and no one ever responded to my request. On the evening of the 31st I received a call from my original salesperson saying he had just heard about my exchange. I reinforced it was not an exchange and I wanted the unit picked up. He said when the offices opened in the morning, he would try and find the two pieces needed to configure my set the correct way. The next morning he called me back and let me know he was unable to find them and said I would need to contact customer service. When I hung up with him, I called the number he provided and spoke to a woman who took all my information and then said she couldn't help me and someone from the store would call me back within three hours. That was two days ago. I have since disputed the charge with my bank because I keep getting the run around from the store as well as customer service regarding the wrong pieces...

I recently purchased several living room pieces from Ashely HomeStore in Pflugerville, TX. Our sales rep, Jill, was very helpful and considerate of our time browsing the furniture. She found exactly what I was looking for in a TV entertainment unit along with 2 other pieces. The delivery was timely. On Monday, two gentlemen, Carlo and Alec, delivered and set up all the furniture were very kind and respectful. They did forget to double check the TV entertainment unit for all the parts needed to have it complete. I noticed the knobs, hardware, and 4 shelves were missing almost immediately after delivery. There were little orange packages that were empty. Clearly at the warehouse, parts were being used in other units and not replaced in my unit. I called and spoke to a gentleman in the delivery dept who took all the missing information and said he entered what I needed replaced and it would be expedited ASAP. He also said he would call me back on Wednesday with a confirmation number. That call never happened. I called the customer service center on Friday of the same week, and was told there hadn't been an update to my delivery and no shelves or knobs were ever ordered. Everything I had told the gentleman on Tuesday had never been entered. I proceeded to ask for the parts to be ordered and was placed on hold by the customer service rep and was told she was going to investigate the issue. She wrote up the order and said a tech would contact me in a few days. The pieces would be shipped either UPS or FEDEX and it would take two weeks at the earliest. I told her I was informed that the parts would be sent ASAP. She said that was impossible I would have to wait on the delivery. I then asked for a confirmation number...that's when the conversation went sour. She said she didn't have one I would have to wait on a tech. I informed her that I had been told that before and my information wasn't even entered into the computer. I was not going to end the phone call without some kind of reference number so that I had some kind of proof this phone call happened. She started giving me some other explanation and I did interrupt her and she told me to stop talking over her and wait until she had finished her sentences. She told me again there wasn't a confirmation number I would have to wait on the call from the tech. I said there has got to be some kind of order number somewhere, please give me that number. She finally gave me the PO number on the order. She was not happy with my request at all. She became very short and rude. Time will tell if I ever get the pieces I am missing from my very expensive TV entertainment unit. My husband wants me to return the unit and get a refund and shop elsewhere. I want Ashley’s to rectify this. I'm extremely disappointed in their opinion of customer service. I did not feel as though I was being treated as a customer. I did feel like I was to blame for this mishap and I should just get over and deal with the way this company handles issues. It's a shame, Ashley's furniture could have easily received a 5-star rating. But the customer service dept pretty much sealed the deal of never purchasing from Ashley's again. This could've been a very simple fix. This is not the customer's fault. The furniture is not cheap and the warehouse should make sure all the pieces are with the driver. NOT tossed inside the piece and hope for the best. I am a returning customer. I purchased my first complete formal living room set 15 years ago. I was sure I would've had the same good experience. I guess customer service doesn't mean the same anymore, at least not from Ashley's. (pictured below is the front of the cabinet with no knobs, and the right and left cabinets with missing shelves. I hope Ashley HomeStore would reach out to me as a customer to rectify this in a timely and...