When you get furniture delivered, there are actually many situations that can arise and put you in precarious positions. Almost all of these positions are completely avoidable simply by knowing what to do when the driver arrives and, more importantly, what to do before they leave. Furniture purchases are often too expensive to ignore this information, and the last thing you want is to be stuck with damaged or the wrong furniture. Here is a little guide on how to handle furniture delivery from start to finish.
The first thing to do is make sure you are there when the furniture arrives. While this seems like common sense, many people have “others” take their furniture. Take the day off work (or a half day) and make sure you get exactly what you were promised. In addition, you must ensure that the delivery includes the configuration. If your furniture delivery does not include this service, you will need the help of friends or family. The furniture delivery driver will only be responsible for bringing the delivery to the front porch, not to the house and certainly will not set up shop at the final resting place. As such, you need to make sure you have a few people to help you transport the furniture. If you paid for this service, then this is not a cause for concern.
Once the furniture delivery arrives, you should inspect the boxes completely for holes, rips, and tears. Damage of any kind, including to outer boxes, should be noted and recorded. The reason for this is because it could become very important if you find damage to the furniture. This could have been caused in the delivery process or at the factory. If the outer packaging is damaged, the damage may have occurred during shipping. If the outer package is flawless, the damage is likely from the factory.
Before the delivery man leaves, be sure to open and inspect each piece of furniture. Do not sign any document until you have done this from top to bottom. This means inspecting the frames, fabric, legs, and function of the furniture. If you have a recliner on the order, for example, be sure to check the recline option to make sure it works perfectly. Otherwise, you must note it on the delivery sheet and contact the furniture company. A quick phone call to the furniture company is vital to the process, because some will ask you to return the furniture.
If you don’t call and accept the furniture, some companies will claim that you are accepting the furniture as is. This is a dirty tactic, so you need to protect yourself. Most reputable dealers won’t try to pin damaged or wrong furniture on you, but it doesn’t hurt to protect your interests. This is done in several ways.
The first way is to inspect the furniture. The second is to write down the problems in writing and over the phone. The third is to have the furniture delivery driver sign for the damage. Some will resist doing this, but you should insist on this when feasible. If in doubt, simply refuse the delivery. If he feels like he’s being cheated or forced to accept damaged merchandise, then he really should go with his instincts. If the furniture company seems willing to let you keep the furniture, for example, you should refuse delivery. This is rare, but you should know that you are entitled to what you ordered. Accept no less.
Furniture delivery drivers are generally not employees of the furniture company and rarely have an interest one way or another. The reason for this is because their job is to deliver the furniture. Nothing more and nothing less. Once they deliver the furniture, they can move on to the next delivery. For this reason, you may be rushed through the process. Don’t let them do this. Take your time and make sure you get the furniture you ordered.
In the long run, most furniture companies will do the right thing. It is not bad, however, to protect your interests, know your rights and empower yourself. Know what you can and can’t do, and be sure to keep checking the furniture thoroughly. The last thing you want is to find damage after delivery. Very few (although there are a few) furniture companies would do anything to help you. Only the best furniture companies would take care of this kind of thing, so don’t risk skipping the process. If you do these things, the delivery of your furniture will go smoothly and your rights will be protected.
