Ashley Store — Local services in Columbia

If you are looking to purchase more than 1 piece of furniture, I would suggest you look elsewhere. My wife and I purchased a new bedroom set to have for our first home that we bought and were so excited. However, our excitement soon turned to frustration after multiple occasions of over-promising and under-delivering.

The bedroom set that we purchased was not, in its entirety, available at their warehouse location. This was unknown to us at the time we made our purchase. We had called in several times after our purchase to get an update on whether or not all the pieces had been scanned yet, but each time we were told they were not. I made it a point to ask each representative that I spoke with to please note that I really needed the furniture to be delivered by a specific date and each time was told they would add that to my ticket (their name for your file). The span of time from when we purchased the furniture to the actual date they had everything in stock was 24 days (purchased 10/19, told it was available on 11/12). I never would have thought this would take so long. Upon being notified that our furniture was ready to be delivered, we were then told that they could not deliver on the day that we needed. This is despite the multiple "notes" added to my ticket about needing the furniture by a specific date. The representative assured me they would email their corporate office to see if any arrangements could be made which I though (past tense) was a nice gesture. The representative told me that they would give me a call in the morning with an update.

This brings us to today. I received no call back in the morning so I decided I would go ahead and call in myself. The representative I spoke with was a different one from the previous night so I explained my situation. They then shared the fun fact that I had no notes in my ticket and that she has no record of any emails being sent to corporate. I asked to speak to manager since this is totally unacceptable. Its one thing for there to be back end delays, and another thing when the store employees tell you they are advocating for you only to find out that nothing happened. The manager pretty much hid behind the corporate shield and blamed away his problems on everyone else. Then, after concluding that no one there was ever going to help me, I asked to just please schedule the next possible date so that I can be done with Ashley. This is the cherry on top, After 19 minutes, the hold music stopped playing and the automated message asked me to leave a voicemail! Total lack of customer service.

I would not suggest you shop here and would caution you to ask about the item availability before you purchase.

Update 1/14/2020: I finally received all my furniture on December 27. Two months after purchasing. However back in mid November when we first had our coffee table delivered and assembled, the assemblers broke my coffee table after over tightening the screws. I have placed a repair order which has been pending since a couple days after it was delivered. I call and call to ask about it and each time they say no one has picked it up yet. It’s been so long Ashley’s had the audacity to call me to ask me if I still wanted to pursue the claim! No duh! Fix my table Ashley’s!!

I bought two couches from Bobs right down the road from this place and it was a breeze. No hassle, no BS, no nothing. I got what I paid for and it was all delivered timely without any inventory or warehouse delays. The difference is night and day. Go to Bobs instead!

Update 2/28/2020: I still have not received my replacement parts for my broken furniture. When I last posted, they said it would be delivered on Feb 24. Now, they wont have it to me until March 20th! So what this says is that unless you have 5+ months to spend time and energy on dealing with a furniture company, do not under any circumstances shop at Ashleys!

Update 3/11/2020: I submitted a BBB complaint about this store and not surprisingly, they failed to provide any written response. No surprise that they have...

We recently purchased furniture from the Columbia store in Maryland and had it delivered on the 1st. We ordered 3 pieces and unfortunately one won’t fit so my spouse and I called to ask if we could return one piece being that it doesn’t fit and that we were willing to pay the 30% restock fee being that we actually thought it would fit in our new home. The sales manager Gary was very sharp and rude while assisting me on the phone and kept cutting me off during conversation while I spoke. They said they don’t except returns after 72 hours and that it states that on the back of the paperwork. The furniture has never been used or sat on and still has the tags attached. Also, I received different information as to who “approves” the return from customer service and the store. I’ve read the back of the sales terms and rules and it reads “This seventy-two (72) hour window does not apply if the customer has picked up their merchandise or scheduled a delivery. In that case, the invoice will be treated as a return, and provisions of section 1.a will apply.” 1.a states “Returns: Once an invoice has been scheduled for delivery, the invoice items have been transferred from the warehouse to a store for pick up or the customer has taken possession of the merchandise, all approved returns will be charged a 30% restocking fee. A restocking fee will be charged for all returns, including returns due to a customers change in preference of color, size, if it does not fit, or any other reason. There will be no refund of a pick up or delivery fee. After deducting the restocking fee and delivery fee, the customer shall be entitled to store credit for the remaining balance of the purchase price.” So as the customer, when reading the terms it doesn’t specifically state I only have a 72 hour period for a return an item, it says with approval a restocking fee with be charged. No one from Ashley’s is willing to approve the return of the one item and no I don’t want cancel my entire order, it’s just one sofa doesn’t fit and is sitting in the middle of my new home. No one specially stated that we ONLY HAVE 72 hours to return/exchange or cancel our order when we made our purchase otherwise we would’ve went elsewhere. The custom service for Ashley’s Furniture in this region is very poor, and when I asked to speak with the district manager to help assist me with my issue Gary did not want to give me any information on how to contact them and stated he was on vacation and wouldn’t get back to me for a week on the matter. At this point my spouse and I will never purchase from Ashley’s Furniture because of this very matter. Our very first furniture purchase while my husband was active duty was from Ashley’s and we had great service in Texas. So to the district manager Douglas Gimza I hope your stores tell the customers before they make a purchase that they ONLY have 72 hours to return, exchange, cancel any orders from Ashley’s no Exceptions or approvals even if the item...

DO NOT PURCHASE FROM ASHLEY HOMESTORE!!! I agree with another reviewer, it is nothing but a scam! I visited the store, looking for a medium gray couch and came across this one. The promise delivery time was 2 to 6 weeks, and it did not arrive, nor did I receive an update on the sixth week. I had to call in every other week to update myself on the delivery, considering their delivery tool online has had a “glitch” (as a representative called it) all six weeks of my purchase. The store never provided a courtesy call or email to update me on something I purchased nearly 2 months prior. I made my purchase on June 18, and the anticipated delivery date kept being delayed. Every time I called, they were ambiguous with their response saying late July, no specific date, until I demanded a date and they told me August 15. They had been waiting for a chaise to be built, and never updated me once! Why would a company sell a couch that is out of stock? Complete greed for a sale. By the sixth week I requested to have what was available delivered to me to show for my purchase I made two months ago, and they said I would have to return it the same day if I was not content. I thought that it was unfair to give me two minutes to decide if a couch was the right fit, especially if the fault is on their end. I received the couch, which arrived with disproportionate pillows and stiff padding (complete opposite of what was felt and seen at the store). The store also promised three pillows would arrive with it, and I received zero. I tried returning it the same day and there was a language barrier with the delivery men who refused to take back the couch and told me to call Ashley for a refund. I called the store and was unable to reach them for two days. By the second day, they said I would have to call the warehouse, and they would contact them on their end. I called the warehouse on the third day, considering they were closed over the weekend, and they promised me a returned call, never got back to me. Upon calling the store, they said I would have to pay a $100 return fee that same day, in store, and I would only be refunded via store credit, completely going against the store policy reviewed with me in store (free returns within 72 hours of delivery). I thought it was absurd considering all that I have gone through with their delivery and product. All of this to say, I am completely disappointed in Ashley Furniture, especially after ignoring the horrible reviews I saw prior. Now I am stuck with a couch that I hate, with no options...