Letter to the Editor: Rooms to Go: The Return From Hell

Dear Editor, 

At this point in time, I think we, as online shoppers, can all say we have had our fair share of sour return experiences. From missing refunds to lost return packages, trust me, I have been there. You probably have too. It has become a part of being an online shopper. But I have never had an experience like this before. Back in March, I decided to purchase a sectional from Rooms to Go, online. At the time of purchase, the couch looked great and fit all the criteria for my new sectional. When it arrived, it did not fit how I wanted it to, and I opted for a return. The reason for the return has nothing to do with the story; it was just a preference. So, as it is not my first return, I get it all processed and set for pickup. The way it works with big furniture is that a third-party service comes to pick up the furniture. I had the sectional in my garage, along with another sectional I was trying out from CB2. At the time of return, I was out of town for medical reasons. My neighbor was ever so kind to offer to open my garage for me and have the return people come and get the couch. Much to my surprise, I received a call from Rooms to Go that they had received the wrong sectional. I still had not returned home, and I had no idea. I informed them of this, and they said that they would work with me to get back the CB2 sectional and come to get theirs. I was absolutely astounded that something like this could happen. The delivery people have no idea what kind of sectional they are picking up? The two sectionals were completely different shapes, colors, and sizes. Mind you, the CB2 sectional had a value of almost $6,000, whereas the Rooms to Go sectional was under $4,000. Despite the major price difference, the representatives assured me that they would get this all sorted out. While still dealing with my medical situation, I am tirelessly going back and forth with Rooms to Go to get this all sorted out. I keep telling them that they can send back the CB2 sectional and come to get theirs, since I don’t want theirs, and I want my $6,000 sectional back. Suddenly, their story changed and things started to get fishy. When I called Rooms to Go, the representatives claimed that they had no clue what I was talking about, lying that there was no return set up on my order and that certainly nothing was picked up. I got the run around from everyone, and the representatives would not even hear me out anymore. They denied the fact that they had a sectional of mine, and instead they offered to set up a return. As if that was gracious of them. Mind you, I have a voicemail from them, stating that they are aware they have my sectional and would like to return it back to me and pickup theirs. The proof is right there. And still, this was dragging on for weeks with no end in sight, and at this point I am fed up and furious. It was very clear that I was no longer being told the truth. I was extremely upset and opted to file a dispute with my credit card company. Rooms to Go has picked up an item and will not process my refund. So, I contacted my credit card company, American Express, to assist with the matter and help me get to a resolution, since clearly, I was getting nowhere on my own. As always, Amex seemed very interested in it at first, understood the whole situation, and said they would get in contact with the merchant to get this all sorted out. However, when Amex got in contact with Rooms to Go, the lies continued. They had a whole made up storybook of why I should be denied my refund. Amex was told things like “no product was returned,” “there is no return under that order”, and my personal favorite, “the customer did not send anything back to us.” All of these statements directly contradict what I had been told by representatives just a few months prior. It is impossible to view this as anything other than intentional deceit and misrepresentation. It has now been nine months with no resolution. Rooms to Go is no longer in possession of my $6,000 CB2 sectional, despite repeatedly acknowledging that it never belonged to them. Rather, they now offer only to pick up their own sectional without returning mine. In other words, they are attempting to reverse their loss while forcing me to deal with mine. As a consumer, I have never experienced such disregard from any business. Rooms to Go, as the merchant, had a legal and ethical responsibility to safeguard the property they removed from my home and to ensure I received the refund and merchandise owed to me. As it stands now, I face the loss of nearly $10,000 between the missing CB2 sectional and the unrefunded Rooms to Go sectional. I’m not sure when it became ethically and morally play for a company to throw away a customer’s property because their delivery service picked up the wrong merchandise. This is not a simple case of a lost return. This is damaging financial harm. And it is disgusting to be dismissed, ignored, and misled for nearly a year while simply trying to get what is rightfully mine. What was supposed to be a straightforward return has turned into this never-ending saga of stress, aggravation, and deception. I never imagined that attempting to return a couch would result in the disappearance of a $6,000 designer sectional and months of denial by a “trusted” national retailer. A company that has operated for many years should not be mishandling property, changing its story, or forcing consumers to fight this hard for justice. This situation demands immediate correction, as I am still waiting for a proper resolution. I want everyone to be made aware of the scam and deceit that seems to be taking place behind closed doors at a retailer many trust. 

Shana Beck

Monsey