Consignment Center — Local services in Honolulu

I paid over a grand for a Persian rug a year ago and did not realize until now that it had been damaged by moths prior to purchase. I have photos from the salesperson with the rug rolled out and you cannot tell it is damaged until you zoom in. Additionally, I was never told that the rug was damaged prior to purchase. I attempted to speak with Chip to see if I could at least get a portion of what I paid back, because that seems fair. I never got to ask him that question because he immediately was defensive and enraged. He was angered because I didn’t notice it sooner and chided me several times. Chip spent the entirety of our phone call talking over me and having a monologue in which he told me I don’t know how businesses are run and that he’s not “Costco”. He then told me to “go to Whole Foods and see if you can return something after a year”. Chip followed that statement by saying, “there’s not a company in the world that would take a return after a year”. Actually, there are many reputable places that replace, return, or repair merchandise. Also, I have managed stores before and if I had a customer tell me I sold them damaged goods, I would take it back and at least offer them an exchange or a refund. I am not even asking for a full refund, but merely a portion as I bought the rug with good faith that it was in excellent condition. Chip’s behavior was beyond rude and inappropriate where an apology would have been more suited. I’m shocked that the store would not take more pride in being honest with their sales and instead is having a customer eat the cost of their bad purchase. It is severely bad business practice to sell damaged merchandise and to add to that being disrespectful to your customers.

Don’t shop here. The markup is far too much for the quality of the items and the customer care is non-existent. I am now stuck with a rug that I cannot sell and is beyond repair.

Chip, you told me you would be unable to find my purchase, even though it’s from last year. I also never said I was happy with my purchase, and clearly I am not. Additionally, a real Persian rug should not depreciate in value it should increase. Chip, if you sold it to me for 20% off, which would not be enough for damage of which was undisclosed, please reach out to me and tell me where you found the transaction and please do the right thing and buy back your rug.

The photos are what The Consignment Center sent to me prior to purchase. The sad thing is that this is a lovely Persian rug but it was either damaged in their care or they purchased it this way. Either way, it’s not acceptable to have me eat the cost. I have health issues that have taken priority for the last several years which more than warrants calling Chip a year later and asking him to take back this...

I spent an afternoon here, perusing treasures and wishing I could take home half the store, but very happy with the pieces I bought and even more happy with the conversations I had once I started talking to a salesperson and one of the consigners, who gave me background details about each piece I was interested in that made them come to life. What amazing and kind people whose stories are as interesting as the pieces in the store. Not pushy salespeople, but ask about any piece and you will get great, honest info about it and often a deal on the price. Don't miss a chance to see the original mast of the Wayfinder and the feathers to bless it hidden behind some furniture upstairs, as well as a Nat. Geo. issue that belongs in a museum (not for sale) with pictures from Amelia Earhart's trip to Hawaii and surfing pics from the 1930's. There is quite a collection of books that are mini art museums. The art upstairs is a fantastic mix from various cultures and time periods and apparently has a fast turnover and is worth revisiting for new pieces if you don't see what you want right away. There were many small pieces that fit in my luggage. I bought three pieces of framed art, a signed Flea (RHCP) book, statue, and two trinket boxes and got them all in my husband's and my original luggage with no extra luggage needed. I talked about my visit there for the rest of my trip and my two momentary friendships and the treasures I took home were well worth the Uber ride or a bus ride ($3 all day pass) from Waikiki and an afternoon of...

Well over-priced for most items and furniture. I would seek antiques and other thrift items elsewhere.

Edit:

Chip,

Thank you for your reply. I'll start with your comment that reads "I noticed you might be upset in general. Seems like you're giving a lot of negative reviews" and "By the way welcome to Hawaii."

I doubt you've looked at my reviews. If you had, you would have noticed that I've been on Oahu for quite some time. Aside from that, let's get right to the statistics. The facts show I have 39 reviews, 27 are 5 stars and 31 are above 3 stars. I only have 8 below 3 stars. I don't see how you made the correlation that 8 negative reviews over the many years I have reviewed means I "might be upset in general". Very unprofessional comment to a potential customer.

Regarding your comment about the Koa furniture and other valuable items, I understand those specific items are going to be more expensive, but a lot of the other items are still overpriced. I did talk to the sales person and I also talked to you. You mentioned that your store is not Craigslist, which is true, however I visited your store because the item I was interested in was advertised on Craigslist.

Mahalo and...