Can someone explain the appeal of buying furniture from Wayfair?

[nile455]

I was recommended by a friend to try Wayfair for my new home's furnishings. So I tried it about a month ago, and I am not impressed. Sure they have a great selection, but their prices aren’t great for an online store, in fact they’re often more expensive than comparable items at the brick and mortar stores. Many of their popular items are out of stock and have extremely long wait times, even longer than what you get at brick/mortar. Their prices and poor customer service just don’t justify buying something like furniture sight unseen. They don't even do promo codes like you’d expect from an online store. Oh they exist, but finding one is like winning the lottery. Even then it’s a code for maybe 10% off.

Their "free shipping" means they drop it off at your front door. In fact the first item I ordered with them (a loveseat) was left curbside next to my driveway, a good 25 feet from my front door. If you want them to actually bring it inside your house, you have to select that option where, for an extra fee, they'll carry it into your house's immediate entrance area, but that's as far as they'll go... unless of course you paid for the ridiculously expensive “set up” fee, which is exactly the same thing that many of the brick-and-mortar stores do for free. So you don't want to put together your new 5-piece bedroom set by yourself? No problem. For only $500 extra (sometimes more) they'll actually put it together. Again, this is something standard with brick/mortars.

But it gets worse. What if you don't like what you bought, or it doesn't fit like you thought? No problem, just pay to ship it back(!) I haven't checked FedEx to see what they charge to ship an entire living room, but I'm guessing it's a little pricey.

Not happy about all this? Well you can call their customer service number if you don't mind waiting on hold for an hour. Maybe if you call right at 8:00am when they open, you’ll get lucky and “only” wait for 20 minutes. They also seem to be one of those companies where you get "accidentally" disconnected. This company is absolutely maddening to deal with. I see literally nothing appealing about any of it. Please tell me what I'm missing here.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

What you are missing is the proper response to prices that are too high and knowingly poor service and even more expensive delivery options is not give me a whole living room group or even give me a love seat. You leave this encounter with wayunfair................. wiser.

 

[disykat]

I buy things from them that I would normally totally manage myself, so the fact that they drop it off on my porch is very convenient. I love having variety I could never find here and have never had to ship anything back. I would not buy anything from them that I couldn't handle being delivered in a box.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

I haven't bought anything from Wayfair yet, but I've been looking at getting an upholstered headboard for our bed. The only upside I've noticed is that they have a big selection and the prices don't seem too bad. We looked at a few stores and they didn't seem to have what we were looking for. One store said we could order a headboard from them online, but we couldn't see the actual item in person. The prices were ridiculous (100s more than Wayfair) and we didn't like any of the styles.

For a smallish item like a headboard, I feel fairly comfortable ordering online. We have brackets that came with the bed frame, so we should be able to install it ourselves. I would not, however, consider ordering an entire room of furniture without being able to actually see and test out the items. Before the lock down we were shopping for a new chair for our living room. Some looked great, but then you sit on them and immediately say "no way!" So uncomfortable! Just like I would never consider buying a mattress without being able to try it out.

 

[nicolita3]

I have bought several things from wayfair and they had the best prices. Yes they dropped it off at my door and I had to put it together, but it was worth it.

 

[MrsCobraBubbles]

When I have purchased from them the items were delivered right to my door. I prefer shopping online to shopping in-person, even before Covid, so that's the appeal for me. I also don't mind building the furniture, it's pretty straightforward and I've never had an issue. I prefer to use coupon codes and shop during sales, that brings the prices down.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I was recommended by a friend to try Wayfair for my new home's furnishings. So I tried it about a month ago, and I am not impressed. Sure they have a great selection, but their prices aren’t great for an online store, in fact they’re often more expensive than comparable items at the brick and mortar stores. Many of their popular items are out of stock and have extremely long wait times, even longer than what you get at brick/mortar. Their prices and poor customer service just don’t justify buying something like furniture sight unseen. They don't even do promo codes like you’d expect from an online store. Oh they exist, but finding one is like winning the lottery. Even then it’s a code for maybe 10% off.

Their "free shipping" means they drop it off at your front door. In fact the first item I ordered with them (a loveseat) was left curbside next to my driveway, a good 25 feet from my front door. If you want them to actually bring it inside your house, you have to select that option where, for an extra fee, they'll carry it into your house's immediate entrance area, but that's as far as they'll go... unless of course you paid for the ridiculously expensive “set up” fee, which is exactly the same thing that many of the brick-and-mortar stores do for free. So you don't want to put together your new 5-piece bedroom set by yourself? No problem. For only $500 extra (sometimes more) they'll actually put it together. Again, this is something standard with brick/mortars.

But it gets worse. What if you don't like what you bought, or it doesn't fit like you thought? No problem, just pay to ship it back(!) I haven't checked FedEx to see what they charge to ship an entire living room, but I'm guessing it's a little pricey.

Not happy about all this? Well you can call their customer service number if you don't mind waiting on hold for an hour. Maybe if you call right at 8:00am when they open, you’ll get lucky and “only” wait for 20 minutes. They also seem to be one of those companies where you get "accidentally" disconnected. This company is absolutely maddening to deal with. I see literally nothing appealing about any of it. Please tell me what I'm missing here.

Honestly the issues you've mentioned could be said of a lot of online companies. Many people are willing to pay the extra costs for the convenience of shopping from their living room or in their underwear.

The website is beautifully done and easy to navigate, and they have so many different things to choose from, it's generally a pleasant shopping experience. I haven't ordered a ton from them, but I look at their website a lot. If I see something I like I search for it elsewhere to see if I can find it cheaper. A recent example: I saw some laundry racks (to dry) from them that came up on my Instagram feed. I needed one for outside for pool towels and bathing suits, so it caught my interest. They had a lot of good ones to choose from that gave me some ideas for what I wanted, so I searched around and found others who also had some good ones. Price ranges were roughly $30 - 90. Ultimately I picked one up at WalMart for $16 and it's working beautifully out on our deck. Point being, I've gotten some good ideas from them but can often find similar things elsewhere for less. But it all depends.

I do like shopping online because I've found that some stores are becoming fewer and it's harder to find things I'm looking for when I'm out running around. I have ordered things from places like Wayfair - Hayneedle, for one - and I don't recall having a bad experience. I would not expect to have anything more than delivery from an online company. Set up would always be more whether you shop online or conventionally.

 

[SaintsManiac]

I love everything I have purchased from Wayfair. I read all of the options and terms before I buy anything. The bunk beds and bookshelf I bought are solid wood and look great. I also bought a rug from them that is gorgeous.

 

[Kamy04]

I just recently started buying from Wayfair. I bought three area rugs and it was so nice to have them come to my door lol.

I did just have a mishap where I ordered a coat hanging rack and I got...a soap dispenser. Lol. Not even close. I was able to use their website to remedy that. The phone wait said over an hour wait.

HOWEVER, they say up to two weeks to get the new coat rack, which is annoying. They also said to hang onto the soap dispenser until they “decide what to do.” If they want it back, they will then send a return label within two weeks. Now I have to keep track of this soap dispenser for a few weeks, lol. The dispenser is like $12, so I’m kinda hoping they let me keep it...

 

[auntfrannie]

I bought a few outdoor furniture things and I've been pleased with all of it. You really have to read the reviews and watch the prices. I got an outdoor patio set at a really good price. It was a pain in the neck to put together but it was worth it, given the price.

 

[ashley0139]

So....don't buy from them? I don't get it.

 

[mamamary]

My husband and son had to help a relative with a couch from Wayfair. It got delivered near the door to this persons condo. It was so heavy that they wouldn’t have been able to get it up the two flights of stairs only that a passerby offered to help.

 

[Donald13]

So....don't buy from them? I don't get it.

This. I’ve looked on their site and I don’t really get the hype. This post was a very long drawn out complaint. There are lots of other places and sites.

 

[DuskKodesh]

Only ever ordered one thing from Wayfair, it was a decorative Halloween plaque. Later cancelled because after I bought it the page updated to say it was actually a preorder and would ship after 60 days. The page originally said it was in stock. I cancelled and got one from Amazon. If I want furniture I go to Ikea, honestly. Cheaper + meatballs.

(Important note: I am a hungry goblin. If you throw free meatballs in with any deal I'll immediately take it.)

 

[tcufrog]

While I prefer to purchase items from a brick and mortar store, being able to order home decor and furniture online has been very useful during this pandemic. Because of online ordering, I was able to finish my master bedroom during the stay at home orders. I purchased a bench from Houzz, wall sconces from Pottery Barn, and lampshades and a love seat from Wayfair. The sofa wasn't quite the color I expected, but it's well made and very comfortable. Quite often, I find my younger son curled up on it. I was very grateful for Sherwin Williams' contactless curbside pickup because now our bedroom doesn't have poop brown walls anymore. The local hardware stores weren't safe at all because no one was social distancing or wearing a mask.

 

[nile455]

after I bought it the page updated to say it was actually a preorder and would ship after 60 days. The page originally said it was in stock.

I've noticed this on several different occasions and I'm starting to wonder if they're doing that strategically, like a "bait and switch" thing. It says it's in stock, you order it, pay for it, and then *poof* it's suddenly on 8 week back order.

 

[DuskKodesh]

I've noticed this on several different occasions and I'm starting to wonder if they're doing that strategically, like a "bait and switch" thing. It says it's in stock, you order it, pay for it, and then *poof* it's suddenly on 8 week back order.

That thought occurred to me too because I'm really thorough and read out the entire page before I buy anything (Because I'm used to dealing with Ebay sellers). I'm 100% positive it said in stock when I purchased.

 

[_19disnA]

Have purchased several what I would classify as 'home decor' items from Wayfair and been very pleased and found the items to be competitively priced and never had any issues. They are one of the many online warehouse type stores that sell similar items. Always good idea to compare prices and often times one of these places is running some sort of sale. LARGE pieces of furniture can be a challenge to buy online from anywhere. Most will only drop the item at your door and then it is your responsibility to get it into your home. They also won't take away an older item of furniture it is perhaps replacing. I find it more practical to buy large pieces or furniture/home appliances, etc. locally and always make sure to ask about setup and item disposal to avoid surprises.

 

[mjkacmom]

We’ve purchased a couch/futon, a loft bed, a captains bed and a shelf with hooks, and were great and sturdy. It’s free shipping, not free delivery. When I told my husband I could’ve spent less than $100 to put together the captains bed, he was ready to kill me. The shelf was 10 inches shorter than advertised, I called them up, I was given the choice to ship it back for free or get a $50 refund. It matched perfectly with the bed, so I kept it. I then received an email that they contacted the manufacturer, their dimensions were wrong, and they corrected it on the website. I’ve had lots of customer service issues with tons of companies with COVID.

 

[1GoldenSun]

I like their stuff but stopped buying from them after ordering an area rug that looked all wrong in my living room. The cost to ship it back made me reluctant to order anything else. I really need to see an item in place before I can know if it's a keeper or not. But this isn't on Wayfair; most places charge shipping on returns.