Furniture buying just got more complicated due to high delivery charges. Recently a family member got injured and needs a more comfortable recliner and bed. However, I found things have changed quite a bit since the last time I bought furniture several years ago. In my area in the not too distant past, if you spent enough on products the store would throw in free delivery.
You would have had to spend a certain dollar amount and in the case of furniture in my market, you had to spend $1,000 or more. But the big chains around me all did away with that. What’s funny is if I buy a washing machine or a refrigerator from one of the big box stores once you surpass their dollar figure you get free shipping. Still, it’s much less than $1,000 for appliances.
I went to several different local furniture stores, but I heard the same thing. If I bought a $1,000 or $1,200 recliner, they wanted to charge me $119 to $149 extra just to deliver it. One other store would charge a $199 furniture delivery fee despite how many pieces in the order.
Even if you bought furniture locally, it does not come assembled. In many of those cases such as buying a new recliner called for pieces that came in a box that you would have to put together. Can you believe that? You have to build your furniture and pay the store to bring it to your house? Assembly doesn’t seem that hard though.
Here’s something even funnier. Each of the stores said pick up of the product is free. Isn’t that generous of them? And read the fine print when you buy furniture. That pick up option could mean you have to go to their warehouse to actually pick up the product.
When I was looking at furniture, I walked past a nice bed, some fancy foam mattress. The price for the bed, just the mattress part, in this case was more than $5,000 and I asked if I bought the recliner and that bed would I get free shipping. He said coolly no it would just be the same flat rate. So I am assuming the $199 charge at this store would be for everything on the particular order.
Now I was getting a little annoyed. Sure I understand gas prices rose and that cuts into their profits. Nevertheless, I have this feeling some businesses are taking advantage of these pandemic times and gouging us just because they can.
I mentioned to another salesman at another store that sure this is a nice recliner but you know I could buy the same chair at Lowes or Home Depot and they actually offered free shipping. That got his attention and he said he would have to check with his boss. He told me he could possibly have it delivered for $99 as opposed to the at your door price of $119.
I am also looking at other retailers like Wayfair, which offer free shipping. Maybe I’ll take a shot and try one of these online furniture purchases. Some of the brands look good. And the quality in the stores wasn’t that great either. Many of those had the faux leather as opposed to real leather. Maybe I will give the online purchase a shot instead of shopping locally to avoid that furniture delivery fee.
