The Ivy Cottage — Local services in Wilmington

Useless, unhelpful staff. Think of the worst possible made-for-TV-movie caricature of how sales staff behaves - that was ALMOST as bad as my experience Saturday 10/1/22 I called (having previously spoken directly to a consignor, who both assured me the piece was there and gave me the specific item # of the piece I wished to purchase) to prepay for said item before I drove 45 minutes to pick it up. I was told "I see it as in stock in the computer, but my boss doesn't keep the inventory accurate" "I don't feel comfortable taking money when I can't guarantee it's here" "We're too short-staffed for me to go find it for you". I asked if he could take my information, on the off chance he found a minute, and he begrudgingly took my name and number. I was confident from his clear "can't be bothered" attitude that he was NOT going to look, so I called my parents, who live closer than I do.

Again, IN PERSON, they got the same attitude. He made it clear it was NOT his job to find said item, airily indicating "you're welcome to walk back to the warehouse". When my 72-yr-old father let his dissatisfaction with the total lack of service show, the jerk-of-a salesclerk doubled down, calling "THIS ISN'T AMAZON" after him. My mother, thinking the attitude was isolated to this person, asked another member of the staff and was breezily informed "that's not my department".

Fortunately the warehouse staff was wonderfully helpful, located and loaded the 3 items I wanted. When my mother went up to pay, self-found tickets in hand, the same employee was still snarky and unbothered. He completely failed to acknowledge his previous utter uselessness.

I HATED to spend money at such a total waste of space "business", but the desk was very specific dimensions to replace one damaged by an Ian-caused leak. Fool me once, Ivy Cottage,...

This is one of those places that used to have great pricing on estate pieces and antique/eclectic furniture but success has unfortunately made the sales staff quite snide and the actual quality pieces difficult to locate.

I've outfitted 2 homes from there in the last decade and just picked up another room worth of furnishings yesterday.

Would have stayed and attempted to piece together another couple of rooms but every question was met with what I can only describe as almost derision from the two sales staff who deigned to even speak to me.

As in, they couldn't be bothered from their standing behind the counter to answer a question about whether there were any matching pieces in another building.

They separate the quality pieces it seems now between their buildings to be able to mark the prices up and sell individually.

From a business standpoint I can understand, respect and pay the higher prices for a quality set.

Wandering from building to building trying to locate the matching set pieces for the buffet I wanted became tiresome quickly when coupled with the complete apathy of...

I visited this place a year ago before my health failed. I placed a item on layaway only to be placed back into medical care. Someone called to tell me they will hold item...later with memory loss things went a bit haywire...someone called me to say we will continue to hold your item upon your release from medical facilities. However, after releasing from medical facilities I was told my item was forfeit due to lack of communication. My oh my I was devastated, hurt, although their staff member continued to keep me abreast of my item during my medical stay that all was well, then to walk in store #2 only to have rug pulled from under my feet. Totally unexpectedly as well as devastated from the loss of my item. I will never ever go back to that place. I contacted someone in store #1 who strongly insisted they would work issue our but management would...